Steven Spielberg Will Head Up Cannes Jury

You know how long it's been since the legendary Steven Spielberg was handed his own Cannes award?!

France's Cannes Film Festival says it has finally snagged Steven Spielberg to serve as president of the award jury. Gilles Jacob, the festival's president, recounted how he had been trying to get the award-winning director to head the jury for years — but the American was always working.

Back in 1974, Steven Spielberg's Sugarland Express won Best Screenplay at Festival de Cannes. In 1982, E.T. has its world premiere by The Promenade de la Croisette. This year, almost four decades since his first feature film, Spielberg is heading up the Cannes Jury.

Calling it an "honour and a privilege," Spielberg also said that "my admiration for the steadfast mission of the festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. Jacob said in a statement posted on the festival's website today (2/28), "When this year I was told 'E.T., phone,' I understood and immediately replied: 'At last!'"

Spielberg, who was nominated but didn't win the directing Oscar for his biopic Lincoln this week, takes the reins from Italian Nanni Moretti. The 66th Cannes festival takes place in the glamorous French Mediterranean resort from May 15 to 26.

At last year's Cannes festival, Michael Haneke won the top prize with his stark film about love and death, "Amour."

Props: Empire