Cannes Film Festival: George Lucas, 80, sweetly holds hands with his wife Mellody Hobson, 55, as he accepts an honorary Palme d'Or

George Lucas sweetly held hands with his wife Mellody Hobson as he accepted an honorary Palme d'Or on the penultimate day of the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker, 80, looked handsome in a navy blue suit and a blue tartan shirt, dressing down in white Nike trainers.

Mellody, 55, who married George in 2013, is the current chairwoman of Starbucks and the former chairwoman of DreamWorks, and she showed off her eye-catching sense of style in a yellow co-ord.

The Honorary Palme d'Or is an award given to directors or actors who had achieved a notable body of work but who had never won a competitive Palme d'Or.

A Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Festival and is considered one of the film industry's most prestigious awards. 

George Lucas, 80, sweetly held hands with his wife Mellody Hobson, 55, as he accepted an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker looked handsome in a navy blue suit and a blue tartan shirt, dressing down in white Nike trainers

Mellody, the current chairwoman of Starbucks and the former chairwoman of DreamWorks, looked gorgeous in a yellow co-ord

George is known for creating the Star Wars franchise and co-creating the Indiana Jones franchise with Menno Meyjes.

Also receiving a Palme D'Or in 2024 was Meryl Streep and Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. 

Upon receiving the honour, Meryl, 74, told The Hollywood Reporter, she wrote: 'I am immeasurably honored to receive the news of this prestigious award. 

'To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. 

'To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honored is humbling and thrilling in equal part. I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May!'

In a joint statement, Cannes festival heads Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux wrote: 'We all have something in us of Meryl Streep! 

'We all have something in us of Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia! 

'Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema.'

The Honorary Palme d'Or is an award given to directors or actors who had achieved a notable body of work but who had never won a competitive Palme d'Or

A Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Festival and is considered one of the film industry's most prestigious awards

George is known for creating the Star Wars franchise and co-creating the Indiana Jones franchise with Menno Meyjes

George put a hand up in greeting as a wall of photographers behind him all raised their cameras

He spread his arms out on the podium and stared straight ahead

George then leant on the large white podium as the photographers took more photos

He posed in front of Cannes stunning marine backdrop

George looked off and gave a thumbs up as his segment of the day drew to a close

Past winners of the Palme d'Or include Jane Fonda, Forest Whitaker, and Jodie Foster. 

Cannes is the world's biggest film festival, first conceived in 1939 as an alternative to the then-fascist-influenced Venice Film Festival.

It has been held annually since 1946 except in 1948 and 1950, when it was cancelled due to lack of funds.

The festival is known for its carefully selected programme of films that have gone on to Oscar glory or launched the careers of directors like Quentin Tarantino.

Cannes' top prize is the Palme d'Or, or Golden Palm, whose past winners include Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, Pulp Fiction, The Pianist and Parasite.

Jane Campion became the first female director to win in 1993 with The Piano, followed by a nearly three-decade gap until Julia Ducournau received the award for Titane in 2021.

Justine Triet became only the third female director to take the prize last year with Anatomy Of A Fall.

Also at Cannes Film Festival is the honorary Palme d'Or, which is awarded in recognition of notable bodies of work, with past recipients including Harrison Ford, Jane Fonda and Clint Eastwood.

There are two honorary winners this year: George Lucas of 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' fame, and Japanese animation legend Studio Ghibli, the first group to receive the prize.

George and Mellody have been married since 2013 and share a daughter, 10. George was previously married to Marcia Lucas, 78, and American film editor, with whom he adopted another daughter, Amanda Lucas. 

After Marcia, and before Mellody, George adopted two children as a solo parent: Katie and Jett. 

The last film George was involved in was Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, starring fellow octogenarian Harrison Ford.

Harrison, who has also won an Honorary Palme d'Or, again reprised his role as Indiana for the series' fifth and final film.

For the first time in the franchise, which began in 1981, George did not write the film, but he still executively produced it.