Tarantino to head Cannes festival

Tarantino won the Palme d'Or in 1994

Director Quentin Tarantino is to head the Cannes Film Festival jury, 10 years after winning the coveted Palme d'Or Prize for Pulp Fiction.

He will chair the festival panel during the event in France from 12 May.

"For a film-maker and film lover there's no greater honour than to be on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival," Tarantino said.

Tarantino fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Kill Bill Volume II, the second part of his martial arts epic.

He is known as an avid film expert who draws on many obscure movie references for his own work, including French new-wave director Jean-Luc Godard to B-grade horror films.

He also has a knack of resurrecting the careers of film stars whose careers have dried up, including John Travolta in Pulp Fiction and David Carradine in Kill Bill.

Last year's Cannes jury, headed by French director Patrice Chereau, picked Gus Van Sant's Elephant as the winner of the Palme d'Or.

But the festival was marked by a feeling that the films entered into competition were not up to standard.

Vincent Gallo's Brown Bunny was savaged by critics for gratuitous sex scenes and alleged self-indulgence.

This year organisers will be hoping to recapture the essence of the festival, which has a reputation as championing quality world cinema.

"To be president is both a magnificent honour and a magnificent responsibility," added Tarantino.