Sean Penn as Cheyenne in 'This Must Be The Place'

MANILA, Philippines - "This Must Be The Place", a movie starring Sean Penn as an aging pop star emerged as a front-runner at Cannes, eventually winning the prestigious festival’s Ecumenical Jury prize Saturday.

In a report on abscbnnews.com, Penn said he had long wanted to work with the film’s director Paolo Sorrentino, whom he met in Cannes in 2008.

"I think it was at the photo at the end [of the festival] and I said 'anytime, anywhere' and the next thing I knew I had the script," the two-time Oscar winner said.

Penn was all praises for Sorrentino saying, "[He] is one of the very few film masters -- film masters -- going right now, and somebody who is going to make original cinema for a long time in a way that inspires."

In "This Must Be The Place," Penn plays a character named Cheyenne, a washed-up Goth musician -- looking very much like The Cure's Robert Smith replete with black fright wig and red lipstick--eager to take revenge on a Nazi soldier who tormented his father.

Also making a notable appearance in the film is Eve Hewson, daughter of U2's Bono, who plays Cheyenne's closest friend.

Frances McDormand also appears in the film as Cheyenne's devoted firefighter wife so with Judd Hirsch who plays the role of a Nazi hunter.

Incidentally, Penn also appeared in Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" alongside Brad Pitt-- a film that garnered the biggest plum in the annual festival.

Asked if actress Scarlett Johansson, with whom he is romantically linked, inspired him in any way in doing the critically-acclaimed films, Penn said, "I don't know if you saw that movie she made with Bill Murray ["Lost in Translation"] but the secret that is whispered in the ear remains a secret."

This year's competition jury president is Robert De Niro. The jury included actors Uma Thurman, Jude Law and Martina Gusman; writer Linn Ullmann; and directors Olivier Assayas, Johnnie To and Mahamat Saleh Haroun.