Sigourney Weaver will receive the prestigious Golden Lion at the 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival, recognizing his exceptional career in the film industry.
Throughout her career, the 74-year-old actress has won two Golden Globes and has been nominated for an Oscar three times, for her performance in feature films. Alien, Gorillas in the Mist and Executive Secretary. Additionally, he has worked with some of the most respected names in cinema, such as James Cameron, Roman Polanski, Ang Lee, Ivan Reitman and Mike Nichols.
In a press release, Weaver expressed her gratitude for the recognition: “Receiving this award is a privilege that I share with all the filmmakers and collaborators I have worked with over the years. I proudly accept it to celebrate all those who have helped bring these films to life.”.
Alberto Barbera, director of the festival, highlighted the singularity of the performer and mentioned that her caliber “has few rivals.” “Reinforced by her important theatrical training, she won over the general movie-going public with ‘Alien’, directed by Ridley Scott, soon becoming an emblematic figure of the 80s,” she recalled.
And he added: “During that decade, forged the image of an unprecedented heroine in the action film genre, capable of competing victoriously with the male models who, until that moment, had dominated epic and adventure cinema. Not satisfied with having paved the way for powerful actresses, the actress ceaselessly continued her search for a personal identity,” Barbera continues.
According to the director of the festival, “The Golden Lion for lifetime achievement is simply recognition for a star who has built bridges between the most sophisticated auteur cinema and films that interact with the public in a frank and original way, without ceasing to be true to herself.”
In recent years, Weaver has continued to demonstrate his versatility. She participated in the fourth season of the French series Call My Agent!winner of an International Emmy. Among her recent film roles are The job of my dreams by Philippe Falardeau, Talk to Jane by Phyllis Nagy, The Good House by Wallace Wolodarsky, Avatar 2 by James Cameron, and The Master Gardener by Paul Schrader.
On the other hand, she served as executive producer of the Amazon Studios miniseries, The Lost Flowers by Alice Hart and the last two titles in the franchise Alien.
The actress will soon star in the film debut of the creator of Hannibalthe black comedy Dust Bunny. The cast is completed by Mads Mikkelsen and David Dastmalchian.
Weaver’s second ongoing project is the romantic action film The Gorge, with Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller. Directed by Scott Derrickson (The black phone), the proposal combines mystery, action, science fiction and even horror, adding a touch of melodrama.
The story will center on two young soldiers (Taylor-Joy, Teller) who, during their mission to protect a seemingly endless canyon, discover love. Beyond those details, the plot remains under wraps. The script was written by Zach Dean and the rest of the cast includes William Houston, Samanthan Coughlan, Julianna Kurokawa, Greta Hansen, Adam Scott-Rowley and Alessandro Garcia.
The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival will run from 28 August 2024 to 7 September. It was previously reported that Australian director Peter Weir will also be honoured with an honorary Golden Lion, while French actress Isabelle Huppert will head this year’s Competition jury.
The complete programme of the major film event will be announced on Tuesday, 23 July.
