Sean Penn to get lifetime award at Dubai film fest

DUBAI - Veteran American actor Sean Penn will be honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the upcoming Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) to be held Dec 12-19.

The actor, director, screenwriter and social activist, whose career spans nearly three decades, has several notable projects like “Dead Man Walking”, “Mystic River” and “Milk” among others to his credit.

He will accept the DIFF lifetime achievement award at the festivals opening ceremony Dec 12.

Sean Penn is without a doubt one of the finest talents of our generation, an outstanding and versatile actor, gifted director and accomplished producer, and it is our privilege to add the DIFF lifetime achievement award to his extensive list of accolades, Abdulhamid Juma, festival chairman, said in a press statement.

His tireless work on behalf of the people of the world from Haiti to the United States to Iraq and Iran, and his use of the celebrity spotlight to assist humanity, is an example to us all. We look forward to welcoming this culture-bridging icon to Dubai, Juma added.

Penn is a two-time Academy Award winner and five-time nominee. His performances apart, his directorial projects Into the Wild, The Crossing Guard and The Pledge have earned critical acclaim too.

Penns humanitarian work includes campaigning on behalf of the victims of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake-ravaged Haiti. In January 2010, Penn also founded an organisation to provide medical aid, protection and re-location for Haiti victims.

During his visit to the seventh edition of DIFF, the 50-year-old will also participate in a public In Conversation With Sean Penn question-and-answer session, said Juma. His films Into The Wild and Sweet and Lowdown will also be screened at DIFF as a tribute to him.

Apart from Penn, African director Souleymane Cisse and Egyptian-Lebanese icon Sabah will also receive the lifetime achievement award for 2010.