Steven Spielberg named 2013 Cannes jury president

Spielberg at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival where he presented his E.T.

Steven Spielberg has been named jury president for the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival. Collider says, “As arguably the most important American filmmaker working today, Spielberg is an ideal candidate.”

The director remarked, “My admiration for the steadfast mission of the Festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. The most prestigious of its kind, the festival has always established the motion picture as a cross cultural and generational medium.”