ROME, July 24 -- British actress Vanessa Redgrave will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at this year's Venice International Film Festival, organizers said Tuesday.
The decision was made by the Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta, upon recommendation of the Director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera.
"Unanimously considered one of today's best actresses, Redgrave's sensitive, infinitely faceted performances ideally render complex and often controversial characters," Barbera said in a statement.
"In the sixty years of her professional activity, her performances have displayed authoritativeness and total control over the roles she plays, a boundless and highly sophisticated generosity, and a healthy dose of the courage and fighting spirit which are a hallmark of her compassionate, artistic nature."
Born in 1937 into a family of stage and screen actors, in the course of her 60-year career Redgrave has received six Academy Award nominations, winning the Oscar in 1977 for her performance in Fred Zinnemann's Julia.
She has also won a Tony Award and an Olivier Award for best theatre actress, as well as a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Each year, La Biennale assigns two Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement, one for directing and one for acting. The Golden Lion to a director has been awarded to Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg.
The opening film at this year's edition of the festival will be First Man, directed by Oscar-winner Damien Chazelle, in what will be its world premiere.
Also premiering at this year's festival will be A Star is Born, the much-anticipated directorial debut of actor and four-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper, starring Oscar-nominated global pop star, Lady Gaga.
The 75th edition of the festival runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8.