Judi Dench is to be honored at the upcoming San Sebastian International Film Festival.
The British actress will be presented with the Donostia Award at the 66th edition of the annual Spanish movie event on 25 September (18).
In a statement, San Sebastian Festival organisers explained that the 83-year-old was selected for the prize due to her versatility and contribution to the world of theatre and cinema.
“Since her cinema debut in 1964, Dench has starred in numerous critically acclaimed films working with some of the top directors in the business, including Stephen Frears, James Ivory, Kenneth Branagh, Franco Zeffirelli, Sally Potter, Clint Eastwood and Sam Mendes,” they said. “The seven-time Academy Award nominee received the Best Supporting Actress statuette 20 years ago for her portrayal of Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. The Oscar was also a great acknowledgement to Dench and her career in theatre, particularly with her connection to William Shakespeare’s greatest works.”
The event will mark Dench’s first visit to San Sebastian. She will receive the prize prior to a screening of Trevor Nunn’s new spy film Red Joan, in which she plays a woman whose life is suddenly disrupted when she’s arrested by government agents and accused of providing intelligence to Communist Russia.
The San Sebastian Festival, which will open with Juan Vera’s film El Amor Menos Pensado, is due to run from 21- 29 September.
