Nolan to present 70mm print of Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' at Cannes

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan will present the 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey" at the Cannes Film Festival to mark the movie's 50th anniversary.

The film will be introduced by Nolan on May 12 as part of the Cannes Classics programme and the screening will be attended by members of Kubrick's family, including his daughter Katharina Kubrick and his longtime producing partner and brother-in-law Jan Harlan, the festival organisers said in a statement.

The next day, Nolan will participate in a Cannes Masterclass during which he will discuss his award-winning filmography while shedding a light on his passion for the work of Kubrick.

For the first time since the original release, the 70mm print was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative, without any digital tricks, remastered effects or revisionist edits.

"One of my earliest memories of cinema is seeing Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey', in 70mm, at the Leicester Square Theatre in London with my father. The opportunity to be involved in recreating that experience for a new generation, and of introducing our new unrestored 70mm print of Kubrick's masterpiece in all its analogue glory at the Festival de Cannes, is an honour and a privilege," Nolan said in the statement.

Nolan worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the mastering process.

"Stanley Kubrick in the Official Selection! It is a great honour for the Festival de Cannes to host the 50th anniversary celebration of one of the most extraordinary films in the history of cinema. And to welcome to the Festival for the first time Christopher Nolan, whose presence creates a precious bond between past and present, without which cinema would have no history," Cannes chief Thierry Frmaux said.