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Cannes Film Festival Opens With Honorary Palme d’Or for Peter Jackson
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival began on May 12, 2026, with Jane Fonda and Gong Li presenting the opening ceremony. Peter Jackson, 64, received an honorary Palme d'Or from Elijah Wood. The event runs through May 23 with a jury including Demi Moore, Ruth Negga and Chloé Zhao.
May 12, 1:51 PM·2m read2 sources
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The 79th Cannes Film Festival began on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, with American actor Jane Fonda and Chinese star Gong Li presenting the opening ceremony on the French Riviera. New Zealand director Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d'Or for his career at the same event. Jane Fonda wore Gucci on the red carpet as celebrities gathered for the festival, which runs from May 12 through May 23.
Fonda used her speech to highlight cinema's enduring role. "I believe in the power of voices, voices on the screen, voices off the screen, and definitely voices on the street, especially now," she said to loud applause. She added that "cinema has always been an act of resistance because we tell the stories...
Fonda closed her remarks with a call to action. "So let's celebrate audacity, freedom, and the fierce act of creation," she said. The ceremony took place in front of a celebrity-studded audience as the festival launched its 2026 edition.
Elijah Wood presented the honorary Palme d'Or to Jackson, who is 64 years old. Wood recounted that his life had "been divided into before and after" the moment he was cast as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy at age 18. Jackson was typically self-deprecating upon receiving the award.
"Stunning surprise, miraculous... I am not a Palme d'Or sort of guy," Jackson said. " Bad Taste is the first movie Jackson made. Demi Moore wore Jacquemus, Heidi Klum wore Elie Saab, Ruth Negga wore Dior and Chloé Zhao wore Hermès on the Cannes 2026 red carpet.
Poppy Delevingne appeared in vintage John Galliano, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu wore Saint Laurent, Maura Higgins wore Andrew Kwon and Alia Bhatt wore Tamara Ralph Couture. Joan Collins wore Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture while James Franco and Kelly Rutherford both wore Giorgio Armani. Demi Moore, Ruth Negga and Chloé Zhao serve on the 2026 Cannes Film Festival jury.
