Robert De Niro used his lifetime achievement award speech at the Cannes Film Festival to rail against Donald Trump’s tariffs on the film industry, describing the president as a “philistine”.

The 81-year-old actor shared the stage at the plush Grand Theatre Lumiere with fellow Oscar-winners like Halle Berry, Juliette Binoche and Quentin Tarantino to accept the award from long-time collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio.

Mr Trump “has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he has announced the 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside the US,” said De Niro, known for films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.

“America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of America’s premier cultural institutions. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he announced a 100 per cent tariff on films made outside the United States,” he said.

“You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently, you can put a tariff on it,” said De Niro, who called on “everyone who cares about liberty” to protest against Mr Trump.

Mr Trump announced a 100 per cent tariff on all movies produced outside the US, insisting Hollywood was dying a “very fast death” due to the incentives that other countries offer to lure film-makers. “We want movies made in America again!” he said on social media.