George Clooney is set to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Venice Film Festival, marking another significant moment in his long-standing relationship with the prestigious event.
Organisers announced on Monday that the acclaimed actor, director, and producer will receive the Golden Lion at the 83rd edition of the festival, which commences in September.
Expressing his gratitude, Clooney stated: "I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor. It also probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it."
The star’s connection to Venice runs deep, with numerous memorable appearances.
The star has indeed had many memorable appearances in Venice, and at the festival, including with Steven Soderbergh’s Elmore Leonard adaptation Out of Sight, in 1998, and his sophomore feature as a director, Good Night, and Good Luck, in 2005. Last year, he came with Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, in which he plays a movie star experiencing an existential crisis in the lead-up to accepting a lifetime achievement award at an Italian film festival.
Festival director Alberto Barbera lauded Clooney, saying: "In his triple capacity as actor, director, and producer, George Clooney is a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous parabolas of contemporary film. A perfect combination of the star glamour of days gone by, remarkable professionalism, and modern sensitivity, the actor has crossed the genres with rare versatility."
Beyond his cinematic contributions, Venice also holds personal significance for Clooney, as it was the city where he married Amal Alamuddin in 2014.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival is scheduled to run from 2 September to 12 September.
