John Carpenter will receive Golden Coach Award

28 March 2019

John Carpenter will receive the 2019 Golden Coach Award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

John Carpenter

The horror movie icon - who has been responsible for classics like 'Halloween', 'Christine' and 'The Fog' - will be honoured with the Carrosse d'Or on the opening night of the Directors' Fortnight at the annual event on May 15.

The French Directors Guild - which is responsible for choosing the recipient of the prize - described the filmmaker as "a creative genius of raw, fantastic and spectacular emotions".

In the guild's letter to Carpenter, the organisation said each of his movie's "enhances the irresistible delight of staging".

Referencing stars such as Jamie Lee Curtis and Kurt Russell, the note added: "In each of them, the work on space, on what is off-screen, on the visible and on the invisible, is constantly renewed and regenerated in order to redefine fear - a fear that is always prone to trigger emotions in characters and actors who have now become iconic."

Meanwhile, the letter also described 1984 science fiction romance 'Starman' - which starred Jeff Bridges - as "one of the most moving melodramas of the 1980s".

As well as his directorial work, Carpenter, 71, has been recognised for his many composer credits.

The guild added that his "great soundtracks keep inspiring the French electronic music scene".

In accepting the honour, Carpenter joins previous Golden Coach winners Anges Varda (2010), Jane Campion (2013), Jia Zhangke (2015), Werner Herzog (2017) and last year's recipient Martin Scorsese.