Clint Eastwood Receives Special Award from Cannes

Cannes Film Festival President Gilles Jacob presented Clint Eastwood with an award in Paris that matches the top honor given each year at the festival. The Palme d'Or, or Golden Palm, is given to the winner of the Cannes Film Festival each year. Eastwood was already in Paris promoting Gran Torino, the latest of his successful run of films in which he is both director and a primary star.

Among Hollywood heavyweights who have started their careers as actors and then turned to directing, Clint Eastwood is clearly in a class by himself. With a legendary career as an actor already established, Eastwood has gone on to direct two Best Picture winners in his career - Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

When receiving the Palme d'Or from the Cannes president, Eastwood noted the support that the French film industry has always given him with regards to his role as a director. He said his directorial debut was met with skepticism in the United States, but that the French were always encouraging in their words.

Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut in 1970 and has now gone on to establish himself as one of the great directors of the last 40 years.