PARIS: The Coen brothers, award-winning American directors of hits like “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski,” will jointly head the jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first pair to chair the world’s top cinema showcase.

Joel and Ethan Coen will preside over the panel of filmmakers and actors judging the movies in the main competition of the festival staged in the glamorous French Riviera resort town from May 13 to 24.

“We look forward to returning to Cannes this year,” the directors said in a statement. “Cannes is a festival that has been important to us since the very beginning of our career.”

“Presiding over the jury is a special honor, since we have never heretofore been president of anything. We will issue further proclamations at the appropriate time.”

The nearly inseparable brothers are considered two of the most innovative directors in the world and have jointly written, directed and produced a series of hits over the past three decades.

The siblings are also Cannes darlings, having presented seven of their 16 features there at the festival.

They picked up the festival’s top Palme d’Or prize for “Barton Fink” in 1991, its runner-up Grand Jury Prize for “Inside Llewyn Davis” in 2013, and its Best Director award for “Fargo” (1996) and “The Man Who Wasn’t There” (2001).