Cannes Film Festival to confer Robert De Niro with honorary Palme d’Or

Robert De Niro is set to receive the honorary Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, the event's organizers confirmed today. The prestigious award will be bestowed upon the celebrated actor on the opening night of the event. Adding to the tribute, the actor will participate in an onstage masterclass at the Debussy Theatre on May 14, offering festival attendees an intimate glimpse into his distinguished career.

A familiar figure at Cannes, De Niro’s most recent appearance at the festival was in its 2023 edition, where he presented his film with Martin Scorsese—Killers of the Flower Moon. Notably, he also served as the Cannes jury president in 2011.  

“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes. Especially now, when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together—storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home,” said De Niro in a recent statement.

De Niro is among modern cinema's most revered icons, and he has an extensive history with the Cannes Film Festival. In 1976, he starred in two films vying for the Palme d’Or: Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 and Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which ultimately secured the festival’s top prize.

De Niro's connection to the festival includes opening the 1982 edition with Scorsese’s The King of Comedy. The following year, he presented Sergio Leone’s final film, Once Upon a Time in America, and later returned to the festival with The Mission, the Palme d’Or-winning Roland Joffé directorial.