Jane Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Megan Ellison will receive special ‘Women in Motion’ Honor Awards at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, May 17, as part of a program to celebrate women in film.

‘Women in Motion’ At The 2015 Cannes Film Festival

‘Women in Motion’ is a new program put forth by Cannes and Kering Group that aims to highlight contributions to cinema made by women. Throughout the Festival, the program will host ‘Women in Motion’ Talks, giving members of the film industry and press the opportunity to talk about various issues facing women in film, as well as an opportunity to network and learn from industry professionals, including Salma Hayek, Isabella Rossellini, Frances McDormand and Claire Denis.

The inaugural ‘Women in Motion’ will be celebrated with a Presidential Dinner Sunday, where Fonda, de Havilland and Ellison will receive their awards. Olivia de Havilland, a veteran actress known for her iconic roles in Gone with the Wind and The Heiress, will receive a ‘Women in Motion’ Honor. De Havilland is also a Cannes legend as the first woman ever to be appointed president of the Cannes Film Festival jury in 1965. Actress and philanthropist Jane Fonda will also receive an award, as will Megan Ellison, head of Annapurna Pictures and an Academy Award nominated producer – she worked on American Hustle, Her and Spring Breakers.

The hope is that in 2016, ‘Women in Motion’ will give out two awards: one to honor a women’s rights advocate and another to recognize an up and coming female filmmaker.

Francois-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of the Kering Group, expressed his excitement for the program, saying, “I am very enthusiastic about the idea of Kering supporting women in the film industry at Cannes. The artistic sensibility of women and the specific nature of female narration are an integral part of the richness of cinema. The ‘Women in Motion’ program does not just aim at highlighting the talent of women in cinema, but also emphasizes the interest of their work for audiences. Enhancing their visibility is essential when we consider the impact that films have on our ways of thinking and, ultimately, our everyday behavior. It is precisely in this spirit of open-mindedness and cultural enrichment that we have created the ‘Women in Motion’ program.”

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