Volkswacht Bodensee - Naomi Watts to receive lifetime award at top Spain film fest

The San Sebastian Film Festival said the British-born Australian, a two-time Oscar nominee, would take the "Donostia" prize as "one of the most talented and recognised actresses of her generation".

Watts, 57, first made a name for herself in David Lynch's 2001 movie "Mulholland Drive" and has played versatile roles in both auteur cinema and big productions.

She earned Oscar nominations for her performances in "21 Grams" (2003) by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and "The Impossible" (2012) under Spain's Juan Antonio Bayona.

Inarritu's "Birdman" (2014), "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" (2010) by Woody Allen and Michael Haneke's "Funny Games" (1997) feature among her other standout roles.

Watts was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work in Ryan Murphy's mini-series "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans", where she was also an executive producer.

Watts has also stood out in recent times for raising awareness about women's health and menopause.

The prize ceremony will take place on September 19 in the northern coastal city of San Sebastian, where the Spanish-speaking world's most prestigious film festival will run from September 18-26.

A showing of the new film "The Housewife" will follow, where Watts stars as the enigmatic wife of a suspected former Nazi official living in 1960s New York.

German director, scriptwriter, producer and actor Werner Herzog is also due to take home a Donostia award this year.

The illustrious list of previous winners includes Gregory Peck, Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, Agnes Varda, Catherine Deneuve and Pedro Almodovar.

M.Schneider--VB