Marilyn Monroe chosen as Cannes anniversary icon
Published: 11:51AM Wednesday February 29, 2012 Source: Reuters
Cinema legend Marilyn Monroe has been selected as the icon for the 2012 Cannes film festival that kicks off in May, 50 years after Monroe's death, festival organisers said.
A poster for the festival, which marks its 65th anniversary this year, features a large black and white photo of Monroe, who died in Los Angeles in 1962 at age 36, seductively blowing out a candle in front of Cannes 65 in giant letters.
The festival, which sets trends in cinema each year, will pay tribute to Monroe as a movie icon whose appearances in films such as Some Like It Hot sparked the imagination of millions of movie fans.
"The Festival is a temple of glamour and Marilyn is its perfect incarnation. Their coming together symbolises the ideal of simplicity and elegance," organisers said.
Acclaimed Italian actor and director Nanni Moretti will head the Cannes jury this year. The festival runs from May 16-27.
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