(JTA) — Filmmaking partners Joel and Ethan Coen have been selected jointly as the presidents of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The brothers will chair the jury at the 68th edition of the annual French festival, according to a statement that appeared Tuesday on the festival website.
The Coens, who write, direct, produce and edit their films as a duo, have enjoyed great success at Cannes, most recently in 2013 with their latest film, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” which was awarded the Grand Prix by a jury headed by Steven Spielberg.
In a statement released through the film festival, the brothers quipped, “Presiding over the Jury is a special honour, since we have never been president of anything. We will issue further proclamations at the appropriate time.”
The festival will run from May 13 to 24; the films will be selected in April.
Along with the “Inside Llewyn Davis” recognition, the Coens at Cannes have won the Palme d’Or in 1991 for “Barton Fink” and the award for best director twice, in 1996 for “Fargo” and 2001 for “The Man Who Wasn’t There.”
The Coens make independent films with virtually no studio input that have had varying success at the box office. They have garnered cult followings and often earned critical praise.
The brothers are in Los Angeles filming “Hail Caesar!,” reportedly a comedy set in 1950s Hollywood starring George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson and Josh Brolin.
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