Acteur en regisseur Sean Penn is dit jaar verkozen tot juryvoorzitter van het filmfestival in Cannes, zo heeft de festivalorganisatie bekendgemaakt. De 47-jarige Amerikaan volgt daarmee onder andere Emir Kusturica, Stephen Frears en Wong Kar-Wai op. Het festival wordt van 14 tot en met 25 mei gehouden.

Penn: "In the last few years it seems there has been a rejuvenation of cinema building worldwide; increasingly thoughtful, provocative, moving, and imaginative films by talented filmmakers: that a new generation of filmmaking may have begun. The Cannes Film Festival has long been the epicenter in the discovery of those new waves of filmmakers from all over the world. I very much look forward to participating in this year's festival as President of the jury."