Italy's Bertolucci to be honored at Cannes

PARIS — The organizers of the Cannes Film Festival say they will honor Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci with an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of this year's 11-day-long cinema extravaganza.

The Palme d'Or is the festival's top prize, usually awarded by the jury to one of the films in competition. But honorary Palmes d'Or have been bestowed upon "important filmmakers, whose work is authoritative" but who've never won the award, including Woody Allen in 2002 and Clint Eastwood in 2009.

Cannes organizers said in a statement Monday that Bertolucci, director of 1978's "The Last Emperor" and 1982's "Last Tango in Paris," will be presented the award during the May 11 inauguration.

The festival runs through May 22.