Spike Lee will lead the jury of the 2020 Cannes Film Festival as the first Black president, according to Page Six.
Aside from his extensive resume and being an advocate for the culture, the famed director was chosen to “shake things up” at the prestigious event. “When I got the call … I was shocked, happy, surprised and proud all at the same time,” Spike said of this new career milestone.
Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman won a big W at the film festival last year, and his projects have been screened at the event in the past. ”Lee’s perspective is more valuable than ever. Cannes is a natural homeland and a global sounding board for those who (re)awaken minds and question our stances and fixed ideas,” the festival stated.
“I’m honoured to be the first person of the African diaspora (USA) to be named president of the Cannes jury and of a main film festival,” Spike Lee said. “To me, the Cannes film festival (besides being the most important film festival in the world – no disrespect to anybody) has had a great impact on my film career. You could easily say Cannes changed the trajectory of who I became in world cinema.”
