PARIS (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival has invited "Mad Max" director George Miller to preside over this year's jury and award the Palme d'Or for France's equivalent of the Oscars.

The festival said Tuesday that choosing Miller, an Australian director, screenwriter and producer, was a celebration of genre cinema. Miller's films defy easy categorization, from the apocalyptic "Mad Max" series to "The Witches of Eastwick," the drama "Lorenzo's Oil," and the children's classics "Babe" and "Happy Feet."

As head of the jury, Miller will set the tone for the extravagant festival in France's Cote d'Azur, which runs from May 11-22.