Jodie Foster to receive Cannes Film Festival's honorary Palme d'Or

June 2 (UPI) -- Jodie Foster will receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes said Wednesday that it will honor Foster, 58, at the festival's opening ceremony in July.

The honorary Palme d'Or recognizes Foster's "brilliant artistic journey" and "unique personality with a modest yet strong commitment to some of the major issues of our time."

Foster was 13 years old when her 1976 film Taxi Driver won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. She has since starred in such films as The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs and directed both movies and TV.

"Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much, it has completely changed my life," Foster said in a statement. "I am flattered that Cannes thought of me and I am very honored to be able to share a few words of wisdom or tell an adventure or two with a new generation of filmmakers."

Seven of Foster's films, both as an actress and a director, have screened at Cannes.

"Jodie Foster has provided us with an amazing gift by coming to celebrate the return of the Festival on the Croisette. Her aura is unparalleled: she embodies modernity, the radiant intelligence of independence and the need for freedom," festival president Pierre Lescure said.

Previous recipients of the honorary Palme d'Or include Jeanne Moreau, Bernardo Bertolucci, Jane Fonda, Jen-Paul Belmondo and Manoel de Oliveira.

The 74th annual Cannes Film Festival will take place July 6-17.