UPDATED 5PM: Oscar producers indicted at a press conference rather coyly that a big star expected to make a surprise appearance was true.
EARLIER: It’s kind of crazy this hasn’t already happened.
Barbra Streisand will receive the highest award from the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’or, in May.
This means she will be part of the closing ceremony on May 23, perhaps attend the opening of the festival, and maybe conduct a masterclass.
Streisand, one of the world’s biggest stars, has never attended the renowned film festival, not once in her almost 84 years.
For Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, this a coup. Barbra is not known for traveling, nor putting herself through intense press attention. Her appearances in Cannes will cause pandemonium!
Streisand is an Oscar winning actress, trailblazing female director, winner of 10 Grammy Awards, and 11 Golden Globes including Best Director for “Yentl” in 1983.
She may also be a surprise performer at Sunday’s Oscars during the memorial for Robert Redford.
“It is with a sense of pride and deep humility, that I’m honored to join the company of past Honorary Palme d’or recipients whose work has long inspired me,” Barbra Streisand said. “In these challenging times, movies have the ability to open our hearts and minds to stories that reflect our shared humanity, and to perspectives that remind us of both our fragility and our resilience. Cinema transcends borders and politics, and affirms the power of imagination to shape a more compassionate world.”
Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, says: “This year, we were keen to pay tribute to an artist who made her mark through the power of her art and her uncompromising pursuit of freedom. As a woman, I am delighted to be able to express our admiration for this consummate creator and courageous citizen, whose example stands the test of time and continues to inspire.”
Festival Director Thierry Frémaux remarks, “A global star, Barbra Streisand is above all an artist, initiating projects that reflect who she is, that are her own and that she shares with the whole world. She is the legendary synthesis between Broadway and Hollywood, between the music hall stage and the big screen. Hearing her sing and seeing her perform are part of our best years.”
