娱乐英语新闻:Robert De Niro to chair jury of 64th Festival de Cannes

PARIS, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Robert De Niro, the American actor, director and producer, will preside the jury of the 64th Festival de Cannes, due to take place from May 11-22, the organizers announced on Thursday.

"Inviting Robert De Niro as President of the Jury of Cannes, the organizers want to pay also tribute to the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2011," the organizers said in a statement.

Robert De Niro co-founded Manhattan's Tribeca Film Center in 1989 and the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002.

Speaking highly of the Cannes film festival, De Niro was quoted in the statement as saying, "these types of festivals help connect the international film community and have a lasting cultural impact."

De Niro was raised in New York's Greenwich Village and studied under Stella Adler. Considered the best actor of his generation, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Raging Bull in 1980.