John Travolta was surprised with an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival premiere on Friday for his directorial debut.Dressed in a white hat, Travolta walked the Cannes red carpet with his 26-year-old daughter. Ella Bleu Travolta. The actor wrote, directed and co-produced ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’, based on his 1997 children’s novel.Thierry Fremaux, artistic director of the festival, presented Travolta with the award before the screening of his film “Propeller One-Way Night Coach”. A visibly emotional Travolta clutched his chest as Fremaux presented the trophy.“You said it was going to be a special night, but I didn’t know you meant this,” Travolta told Fremaux.“This is beyond the Oscars!” exclaimed Travolta.“My favorite films in the history of my life have always been winners of the Palme d’Or.”Travolta – who has never won an Oscar – revived his remarkable career with his iconic turn as hitman Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” which won the festival’s Palme d’Or in 1994. Many critics considered it his greatest performance, which has since gone down in film history.Cannes kept the prize under wraps until Travolta took the stage for the premiere.Beyond the award, the 72-year-old Travolta said he was incredibly surprised that his directorial debut, starring his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta, had been accepted into the world’s most prestigious film festival.I cried like a baby when director Thierry Fremaux told her in November that it would be the first film to be accepted early.“I didn’t expect my film to be accepted,” he added.‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’ is an autobiographical story set in the golden age of aviation. It tells the story of a young airplane enthusiast taking a one-way trip to Hollywood with his mother. “This is the blueprint of my life,” said the actor. “Everyone who was in the movie is sitting in the audience, my family.“And that’s why this film exists and why I exist as an artist because of those people there,” he added, gesturing to his family and team.According to a social media post, the actor dedicated his directorial debut to his wife, actress Kelly Preston, and his late son Jett. The film reel featured a special mention of his family. In the statement, “This film is dedicated to Kelly, Jett, Ben and Ella,” adding, “My mom and dad, my siblings are the inspiration of my life!”
