Tuesday 3 January 2023

Flashback: Clint Eastwood Venice Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award

Flashback: Clint Eastwood Venice Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award

I was revisiting a large A3 envelope this morning, I don’t think I had delved into it for some 15 years or more! It’s frightening sometimes when you rediscover material that you don’t even remember having… But of course, it’s always a pleasant surprise. 

I was sifting through the bits and pieces, some of which date back to the 1970’s - and came across this full page advertisement which I believe came from The Hollywood Reporter and was congratulating Clint on his recent lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival in August 2000. The ad was taken out by former Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Terry Semel and his wife Jane. 

I thought I would post it here as these sort of ads only appear for one day only and rarely surface thereafter. I have also included the original BBC News report which covered the event. 

Clint's career toasted in Venice: Dateline Thursday, 31 August, 2000

Screen legend Clint Eastwood has been presented with a lifetime achievement award by Hollywood siren Sharon Stone - in the country where his 54-film career began. The 70-year-old actor received the coveted Golden Lion Career Achievement trophy on the first day of the 57th annual Venice Film Festival.

Eastwood's glittering four-decade career is being fêted throughout this year's 10-day event with a selection of his most memorable performances being shown. They will include some of the classic spaghetti Westerns from the late Italian director Sergio Leone - the man who catapulted Eastwood to international fame.

Above: Former Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Terry Semel and his wife Jane

Accepting his award, Eastwood acknowledged his debt of gratitude to his host country and the director of movies such as A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

"Many years have passed since I first came to Italy as a young actor to work with an equally young director named Sergio Leone," Eastwood recalled. He added: "This country has always had a special place in my heart. Grazie mi Sergio, for this Leone. I have always been very proud of the fact that I started my career in Italy."

Basic Instinct star Stone was equally full of praise - for Eastwood himself. She described being asked to present him with the award as a "humbling and uplifting experience".

She added: "This award so appropriately goes to a man that we in our industry think of as the king of the jungle. When we learn our craft, we learn from watching the work of people like him."

The ceremony was followed by the first European screening of Eastwood's latest project Space Cowboys. The movie has already received rave reviews and enjoyed box office success in the States, grossing more than $57m (£39m).

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