France, April 5 -- Veteran counterculture filmmaker Todd Haynes, whose hits include Velvet Goldmine, Carol and Dark Waters,will receive the prestigious Carrosse d'Or prize during the opening ceremony of the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes film festival in May.

Since 2002, the Carrosse d'Or ("the Golden Coach") has rewarded pioneering directors, recognising innovation, with past recipients including David Cronenberg, Jim Jarmusch,Agnes Varda, Jane Campion, Werner HerzogandMartin Scorsese.

TheFrench Directors' Guild (SRF) praised Haynes for pushing the "experimental and narrative possibilities" of cinema during his career, which will be honoured at the ceremony.

"Your genius is that of knowing how to move and dazzle us in a single ges...