14/02/2004

The American filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino has been appointed as president of the jury at the 57th Cannes Film Festival, which will be taking place from May 12 - 23, 2004. The director is no stranger to the French showcase, having won the Palme d'Or in 1994 for his Pulp Fiction. Tarantino takes over from last year's jury president, Patrice Chéreau, and the American director was very enthusiastic about his new appointment "For a filmmaker and film lover, there's no greater honour than to be on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival". He went on to add that this stint as president is "the crowning achievement of a lifetime spent in cinematic obsession - a magnificent obsession".

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Quentin Tarantino was born on March 27, 1963 and he has only made a total of 5 films in his 14 year career, stretching from Reservoir Dogs to his latest work, Kill Bill 2 (due to released later this month). But these figures be-lie the status his films have achieved as cult classics, noted for their stylised use of extreme violence. With such a strong character leading the jury at Cannes, this year's festival on the Croisette promises to be a particularly explosive event.

(Translated from French)