"THX 1138" was released in March 1971, and Lucas was offered opportunities to direct "Lady Ice", "Tommy", or "Hair". He turned down those offers, determined to pursue his own projects despite his urgent desire to find another film to direct. During this time, Lucas conceived the idea for a space opera (as yet untitled) which later became the basis for his "Star Wars" franchise. At the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, "THX" was chosen for the Directors' Fortnight competition. There, Lucas met David Picker, then president of United Artists, who was intrigued by "American Graffiti" and Lucas' space opera. Picker decided to give Lucas $10,000 to develop "Graffiti" as a screenplay.