Quentin Tarantino has been named honorary guest at the upcoming edition of Directors’ Fortnight, the selection running alongside the Cannes Film Festival. The tribute will take place on May 25, on the closing of Directors Fortnight.
“As an exceptional and generous cinephile, Tarantino is at home at the Fortnight. He will be our guest this year to present a secret screening and discuss his counter-history of cinema,” said Directors’ Fortnight in a statement. Tarantino was recently in Paris to promote his first non-fiction book, “Cinema Speculation,” which tells his coming-of-age as a director through a look at iconic American films from the 1970s era.
Organizers pointed out that Directors’ Fortnight was created in 1969, following widespread civic unrest, as a “counter-programming of free-spirited films from all over the world.” At the same in California, “a new generation of filmmakers rose against old Hollywood,” which Tarantino was part of.
Directors’ Fortnight is under the new leadership of Julien Rejl, a former industry executive who was previously charge of distribution, international co-productions and international sales at Capricci, an arthouse film banner based in Paris.
Rejl’s inaugural lineup includes new films from Hong Sang-soo (“In Our Day”) and Michel Gondry ( “The Book of Solutions”). Several English-language movies are also part of the roster, notably Joanna Arnow ‘s “The Feeling That The Time For Doing Something Has Passed,” which was executive produced by Sean Baker; “The Sweet East,” which marks the solo feature debut of Sean Price Williams, the cinematographer of “Good Time;” and “Riddle of Fire,” the feature debut of Weston Razooli (“Anaxia”).