Karlovy Vary, West Bohemia, June 29 (CTK) – French actor of Spanish origin Jean Reno, 67, will receive the festival president’s award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the 51st International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary on July 4, the organisers told reporters on Wednesday.
On this occasion, Luc Besson’s film Leon, in which Reno appeared in the leading role, will be screened in the Grand Hall of the Thermal hotel, the main venue of the festival, held on July 1-9.
“We opened the 30th festival in Karlovy Vary with Leon, it is a bit nostalgic. He [Reno] played there with Natalie Portman. A beautiful, really gorgeous film,” festival president Jiri Bartoska said on Wednesday.
The organisers also said American actor Michael Shannon, 41, nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe, would visit the festival. He will introduce Complete Unknown (2016), along with the film director Joshua Marston and its producer and main jury member Jay Van Hoy.
Reno has won fame mainly thanks to his cooperation with French director Besson, with whom he shot The Deep Blues (Le Grand Bleu, 1989), for which he was nominated for Cesar French film award, as well as Nikita (1990) and Leon (1994) that brought him his second Cesar nomination.
Later, Reno featured in Hollywood blockbusters, such as Mission: Impossible (1996), Ronin (1998), Godzilla (1998) and The Da Vinci Code (2006).
Reno is able to play both tough guys in action movies, such as two criminal thrillers Crimson Rivers (Les Rivieres pourpres, 2000, 2004) and Empire of the Wolves (L’Empire des loups, 2005), and comic roles as in the popular film series Just Visiting (Les Visiteurs 1993, 1998, 2001) for which he received his third Cesar nomination. The third part was shot in the Czech Republic.
The festival organisers previously announced that prominent U.S. actor Willem Dafoe, 60, twice nominated for Oscar, will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema and American director, scriptwriter and producer Charlie Kaufman, 57, will be given the festival president’s award in Karlovy Vary.
