Spanish director to be honored by EFA

BERLIN

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar will receive the EFA prize prize at a ceremony in Berlin on Dec. 7.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar is to be honoured by the European Film Academy (EFA) for his achievement in world cinema, BBC reported yesterday. The 63-year-old said he was “very thankful” for the honorary award.

“From its creation, the European Film Academy has been very generous with me a
nd my closest collaborators, I share with them the joy of  this award,” he said. He will receive the prize at a ceremony in Berlin on Dec. 7.

In announcing the award, the European Film Academy said Almodovar’s films had “played an important role in shaping the way we see not only Spain but also European cinema itself.”

One of the most acclaimed directors

Almodovar has been among the most acclaimed and successful European directors since his 1988 melodrama” Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” won the best young film honor at the inaugural European Film Awards and went on to art house success worldwide.

“The Skin I Live In” director is Spain’s most prolific film-maker, known for his mix of high melodrama while tackling identity and mental health issues.

Almodovar won an Oscar for best original screenplay for his 2003 film Talk To Her, which also earned him a nomination for best director. The film went on win a Bafta for best film not in the English language.

Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas also both found fame in Hollywood after starring in Almodovar films, with Cruz earning an Oscar nomination for her role in the director’s 2006 film, “Volver.”