CLINT EASTWOOD - EASTWOOD HANDED CANNES FESTIVAL HONOUR

EASTWOOD HANDED CANNES FESTIVAL HONOUR

Screen legend CLINT EASTWOOD received a special Cannes Film Festival lifetime achievement honour on Wednesday (25Feb09).
The Dirty Harry star was presented with the Palme d'Or award by Festival President Gilles Jacob at a private ceremony in Paris, in recognition of his successful movie career.
And Eastwood was delighted to become only the second person to receive the prestigious honour from the organisers.
He says, "I'm very, very flattered that you've chosen me for this. French cineastes have always been very supportive of me along the way. When I directed my first movie, French cineastes and critics encouraged me, while in my own country, everyone was much more reticent. France is the first country to approach and appreciate cinema as an art form."
Cannes Film Festival bosses have only ever handed out one other lifetime achievement Palme d'Or honour - to Ingmar Bergman in 1997.