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CANNES, France (AP) \u2014 The 79th Cannes Film Festival<\/a> launched on Tuesday, marking the start of 12 days of nonstop premieres that will culminate May 23 with the presentation of the prestigious Palme d\u2019Or.<\/p>\n Here are five things that happened on Cannes’ opening day:<\/p>\n The French Riviera festival began with a tribute to Jackson, handing the \u201cLord of the Rings\u201d filmmaker an honorary Palme d\u2019Or. He was introduced by Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the films.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never figured out why I\u2019m getting a Palme d\u2019Or. I\u2019m not a Palme d\u2019Or sorta guy,\u201d said the shaggy-haired New Zealand filmmaker.<\/p>\n Jackson was then serenaded with a rendition of the Beatles\u2019 \u201cGet Back,\u201d a nod to his lauded 2021 documentary<\/a>. The director sat stage right mouthing the lyrics.<\/p>\n The task of declaring the festival officially open fell to the 88-year-old Fonda and Gong, the Chinese-Singaporean actor.<\/p>\n \u201cCinema has always been an act of resistance,\u201d said Fonda.<\/p>\n At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d\u2019Or \u2014 Cannes\u2019 top honor \u2014 jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict.<\/p>\n Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year\u2019s Cannes poster, of \u201cThelma and Louise,\u201d while discussing attending Cannes during what he called \u201cgenocide in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n Quoting \u201cKing Lear,\u201d he said: \u201cMadmen lead the blind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCannes has a wonderful poster,\u201d said Laverty. \u201cIsn\u2019t it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood people who do that.\u201d<\/p>\n The nine-member jury is being presided over by Park Chan-wook<\/a>, the South Korean filmmaker of \u201cOldboy\u201d and \u201cNo Other Choice,\u201d who said that politics and cinema go hand in hand.<\/p>\n \u201cArt and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other,\u201d said Park. \u201cOne cannot disqualify a film on the pretext that it has a political message. Just as one cannot reject a film because it would not be political enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Other jury members include Chlo\u00e9 Zhao, Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd, Ruth Negga and Demi Moore, who two years ago was celebrated in Cannes for her comeback performance in \u201cThe Substance.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Cannes has sometimes been known for hosting personalities that find a less welcome reception in Hollywood. Three years ago, the festival famously opened with the Johnny Depp film \u201cJeanne du Barry.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n On Tuesday, James Franco was an unexpected guest at the opening ceremony. The 48-year-old actor also appeared in Cannes in 2024.<\/p>\n In 2021, Franco and his co-defendants agreed to pay $2.2 million<\/a> to settle a lawsuit alleging he intimidated students at an acting and film school he founded into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations.<\/p>\nPeter Jackson received an honorary Palme d’Or<\/h2>\n
Jane Fonda and Gong Li declared the festival open<\/h2>\n
Politics dominated the jury introduction<\/h2>\n
James Franco turned up on the red carpet<\/h2>\n
Guillermo del Toro presented a restored \u2018Pan\u2019s Labyrinth\u2019<\/h2>\n