Cannes to open with award for ‘Lord of the Rings’ director Jackson

The 64-year-old is expected to attend the opening ceremony on the Côte d’Azur. He has described his upcoming lifetime achievement award as one of the greatest honours of his career.

The opening film “La Vénus électrique” (“The Electric Kiss”) by French director Pierre Salvadori is to be screened afterwards.

The 79th edition of the film festival runs until May 23. Cannes is regarded as one of the world’s most important film festivals, alongside Venice and Berlin.

Twenty-two films are competing for the Palme d’Or, including crime drama “Paper Tiger” by James Gray, starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller, as well as Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Vaterland” (“Fatherland”) with Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler.

German director Valeska Grisebach is also in the running with her entry “Das geträumte Abenteuer” (“The Dreamed Adventure.”)

Outside the main competition, “Pulp Fiction” star John Travolta is in Cannes with his directorial debut “Propeller One-Way Night Coach.”