Iconic American actress Jamie Lee Curtis has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 78th Venice International Film Festival (September 1–11, 2021).
The decision was made by the board of the Biennale di Venezia, which embraced the proposal of the festival’s director, Alberto Barbera.
The ceremony to award the Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement will take place on Wednesday September 8th in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia) before the out-of-competition screening of Halloween Kills, directed by David Gordon Green, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and presented by Universal Pictures, Miramax, Blumhouse Productions and Trancas International Films. Halloween Kills arrives in theaters October 15.
“I am incredibly humbled to be honored in this way by the Venice International Film Festival,” Jamie Lee Curtis said. “It seems impossible to me that I’ve been in this industry long enough to be receiving ‘Lifetime Achievement’ recognition, and to have it happen now, with Halloween Kills, is particularly meaningful to me. Halloween—and my partnership with Laurie Strode—launched and sustained my career, and to have these films evolve into a new franchise that is beloved by audiences around the world was, and remains, a gift. Italian Cinema has always honoured and heralded the genre that gave me my career, so I couldn’t be more proud and happy to accept this award from the Venice International Film Festival on behalf of Laurie and all the courageous heroines of the world who stand tall in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and refuse to yield.”
Regarding this award, Venice International Film Festival director Alberto Barbera declared, “Jamie Lee Curtis belongs to that rarefied group of Hollywood actors who best reflect the qualities that are the very soul of the global film industry and its legacy. A direct descendant of America’s film aristocracy – she is the daughter of two unforgettable stars, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh – Jamie Lee Curtis is the natural embodiment of a star who knows how to play roles with versatility and amenability, all while infusing them with her peerless charisma and signature personality.
All these qualities, combined with her work as an author of children’s books and her commitment to her charitable work have cemented her status as an indelible and enduring global artist. To date, her extraordinary four-decade career, which began with her dazzling debut in John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic, Halloween, encompasses more than forty feature films and reminds us that true talent, combined with intelligence, wit, endurance and sheer grit, are the hallmarks of this true and unforgettable star.
In addition to the legendary Halloween franchise, Curtis’ career spans almost every genre of film, including the memorable and beloved comedies Knives Out, A Fish Called Wanda, Trading Places and Freaky Friday, the intense action films True Lies and Blue Steel and the powerful and moving dramas The Tailor of Panama, My Girl and Forever Young. Her work reveals an artist who navigates tone and style with impeccable skill and definitive grace. We are thrilled to award Jamie Lee Curtis the 2021 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.”
