Cannes 2025: Robert De Niro to receive honorary Palme d’Or
Legendary actor Robert De Niro will receive the Cannes Film Festival’s honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement on the opening night of the 78th festival. This announcement comes 14 years after he presided over the Jury in 2011.
While visiting the festival, De Niro will also give an onstage acting masterclass on May 14th. The actor has been a regular presence at the festival over the years and last visited for the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon.
In his statement following the announcement, De Niro said, “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.”
The actor is one of the most influential forces in cinema. His screen debut marked the arrival of a new movement in Hollywood and a long partnership with Scorsese through films such as Mean Streets and Raging Bull to the modern day.
As a result, De Niro has had a long history at the festival, with the actor starring in two films that were in competition in 1976—Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 and Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which won the Palme d’Or.
De Niro also opened the festival in 1982 with The King of Comedy and presented Once Upon a Time in America the following year. His legacy at the prestigious festival is unparalleled, and his performances remain some of the most celebrated in cinematic history.
Cannes Festival is set to run from May 13th to May 24th, 2025, with the programme expected to be announced in the near future.
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