Ace film-maker, George Miller has been named to head this year’s Cannes Film Festival jury. Miller is the first Australian to head the jury in the history of the prestigious film festival, which takes place every year in the French resort town of Cote d’Azur.
It was in Cannes last May, that Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road had its world premiere. The action reboot, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, was featured in the “Out of Competition” category at the festival and has been picking up awards ever since. It has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including the award for “Best Picture,” and seven BAFTAs.
Miller said, “What an unmitigated delight. To be there in the middle of this storied festival at the unveiling of cinematic treasures from all over the planet. To spend time in passionate discourse with fellow members of the jury. Such an honour. I’ll be there with bells on.”
The 70-year-old director will be the one to award the prestigious Palme d’or at the end of the festival.
Trained to be a doctor, Miller gave up a career in medicine to pursue one in film-making. Miller has said that the road movies are inspired by his own childhood in the rural, car-obsessed region of Queensland in Australia, where he grew up as the son of Greek immigrants. The director, screenwriter and producer has created the high-speed, apocalyptic Mad Max franchise, as well as the drama Lorenzo’s Oil, and children’s classics like Babe and Happy Feet.
