Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodovar will receive a lifetime achievement award at Spain's San Sebastian film festival next month, organisers said Wednesday. The 74-year-old will pick up the Donostia award for "extraordinary contributions to the world of cinema" on September 26 before the screening of his first feature film in English, "The Room Next Door", starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. Swinton, who also appeared in his short film "The Human Voice", will present him with the distinction.
"Almodovar's cinema is remarkable for the writing of its female characters, the directing of its actors, its courage in addressing subjects such as the LGBTIQ+ universe, religion, sex, addiction and historical memory, and his political commitment," organisers said in a statement. They also praised his "artistic talent and his instantly recognisable visual style -- his personality shines through from the art direction to the soundtrack". Almodovar's "All About My Mother" about a woman struggling with the sudden death of her teenage son, picked up the best foreign language Oscar in 1999.
He won the screenwriting Oscar for his 2002 movie "Talk to Her", about two men who form an unlikely bond when both their girlfriends are in comas. Almodovar, who is a regular at the festival, has in previous years handed out Donostias to Al Pacino, Woody Allen and Antonio Banderas -- one of his frequent collaborators. "This year they are giving it to me, and I am delighted and grateful," A.