Sean Penn, the American actor and director will head the jury of the 61st Cannes Film Festival, the organizers announced in a statement on Thursday.

"All over the world, it seems there has been a rejuvenation of cinema building worldwide, increasingly thoughtful, provocative, moving and imaginative... A new generation of filmmaking may have begun," Penn said in a statement.

He added "the Cannes Festival has long been the epicenter in the discovery of those new waves of filmmaker from all over the world."

US movie director Sean Penn attends a photo call to present his latest movie "Into the Wild" at the Rome International Film Festival Oct. 24, 2007.  (photo: Xinhua/Reuters)

Penn also said he looked forward to participating in this year's festival as president of the jury.

Penn won a best actor Oscar for Mystic River for his role as anex-hoodlum who reverts to his criminal ways to exact revenge for his daughter's death.

Penn's latest film "Into the world" is about a young idealist whose journey to Alaska ends in tragedy and is considered a front runner for major awards this year.

The 2008 Cannes Film Festival is scheduled for May 14-25.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2008)