Willem Dafoe will be awarded the honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The actor, who is currently nominated for an Oscar for The Florida Project, will be presented with the honor at a ceremony in the German city on 20 February (18) in recognition of his career achievements.
“Willem Dafoe is a close friend of the festival and has often been a guest at the Berlinale in the past in the scope of film screenings and even as a member of the international jury in 2007,” said festival director Dieter Kosslick, according to Variety. “I am really looking forward now to welcoming him to the 2018 edition of the festival as a guest of honor and recognizing his lifetime achievement with the Honorary Golden Bear.”
To mark the honor, the festival will also screen a retrospective of his work, including films such as Platoon, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and Shadow of the Vampire.
Wes Anderson’s new animated movie Isle of Dogs will open the festival on 15 February. It will screen in competition for the Golden Bear for Best Film alongside highlights such as Gus Van Sant’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.
Films including Idris Elba’s directorial debut Yardie and Steven Soderbergh’s latest project Unsane, starring Claire Foy, will also screen during the 68th annual Berlin International Film Festival, which runs until 25 February.
