As apparent payback for his efforts to turn the silent, black and white French film THE ARTIST into a major Oscar winner, distributor and awards booster Harvey Weinstein will receive one of France’s highest honors. The Weinstein Company co-chairman will receive the 2012 Légion d’Honneur, after being personally nominated by President Nicolas Sarkozy. He will receive the award in a ceremony to take place in Paris. In a statement, Weinstein said he was humbled by the honor and paid tribute to some of the great French film directors such as François Truffaut and Jean Renoir. “All my life, I have loved and been inspired by French cinema,” Weinstein said. “This prestigious distinction, which I wanted to come from my personal allocation, is a testimony of the admiration of millions of French citizens for the exceptional quality of the films that you have produced.” Past Hollywood recipients of the honor include Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, and Steven Spielberg.