France, May 14 -- In keeping with tradition, the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival was full of surprises - and Tuesday night's celebration took a political twist when veteran actor Robert De Niro slammed United States President Donald Trump's cuts to arts funding.

Ceremony host French actor Laurent Lafitte set the tone with a mix of jokes and an ode to fellow actors, who he said don't simply entertain, but are also role models, and citizens standing up for what they believe in.

As if to prove his point, Robert De Niro, upon receiving an honorary Palme d'Or award for his contribution to cinema, presented to him by Leonardo DiCaprio, told the audience:"In my country, we are fighting like hell for democracy."

The veteran actor, wh...