Robert Redford and Jane Fonda will be awarded Golden Lions for career achievement at this year's Venice Film Festival, organisers said Monday.
The 74th Venice film fest runs August 30 to September 9 in the lagoon city. The career lions will be given to the two Hollywood legends on Friday September 1, before a showing, out of competition, of Our Souls at Night, directed by Ritesh Batra and starring Redford and Fonda.
The Netflix film has been produced by Redford. Festival Director Alberto Barbera said "Few Hollywood legends have demonstrated such determination and courage over the course of their professional career as Jane Fonda. "Her life has been marked by intense passion in her pursuit of freedom from every type of conformism, with a touching and vulnerable generosity. "At times a political and social activist, a sex symbol, a writer, a feminist icon, a producer, and a prophet of physical fitness, but above all an extraordinarily successful and talented actress, Jane Fonda is one of the great protagonists of contemporary International cinema. "This Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement is a due tribute to the personal commitment and brilliant qualities of an actress who has brought unforgettable, controversial, and heterogeneous characters to life, demonstrating an unceasing ability to reinvent herself, all the while remaining true to herself, to her values, and to her indisputable artistic talent." On Redfors, Barbera said: "Actor, director, producer, environmentalist, founder and soul of that brilliant experiment in film called Sundance - whether in front or behind the camera, advocating for the cause of independent cinema or the cause of our planet, Robert Redford has led us through almost five decades of compelling filmmaking and advocacy with a combination of rigor, intelligence and grace that is virtually unsurpassed. "A slightly reluctant star, since very early in his career Redford has used his onscreen talent and success to make films about issues he cared about and to pave the way for other independent filmmakers like him. "A thoughtful, instinctive actor with a keen sense of detail, as an Academy Award-winning director and producer, Redford has proven himself a masterful storyteller. "His commitment to characters and story match his commitment and passion for the complex beauty and values of our ever evolving world." Based on the novel by Kent Haruf and adapted for the screen by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Fault in Our Stars), Our Souls at Night is set in Colorado and begins when Addie Moore (Fonda) pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters (Redford). Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they'd been neighbors for decades, but had little contact. The film will launch globally on Netflix later this year.
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