The 79th Cannes Film Festival is set to honor the legendary Barbra Streisand with an Honorary Palme d’Or. This prestigious award celebrates Streisand’s extraordinary career, recognizing her global renown not only as an actress but also as a distinguished director, producer, screenwriter, singer, and composer. She joins Peter Jackson, the acclaimed director of “The Lord of the Rings,” who was previously announced as another recipient of this esteemed recognition.
Expressing her gratitude, Barbra Streisand stated, “It is with a sense of pride and a profound humility that I am honored to join the company of former recipients of the Honorary Palme d’Or whose work has long inspired me.” She further emphasized the transformative power of cinema: “In these challenging times, films 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, affirming the power of imagination to shape a more compassionate world.”
In other news from the festival, six promising filmmakers have been welcomed into the 51st edition of La Résidence du Festival de Cannes. These include Harry Lighton, Emma Branderhorst, Joecar Hanna, Saulé Bliuvaité, Mansi Maheshwari, and Oliver McGoldrick. From March 16 to July 31, 2026, these emerging talents will be based in Paris, where they will participate in a personalized scriptwriting residency program and engage in collective meetings with film industry professionals.
Who do you believe deserves to be honored with an Honorary Palme d’Or in the future? And which young director would you like to see join La Résidence?