Legendary American actor and movie director Al Pacino is the recipient of the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker 2011 Award, a prize of the Venice International Film Festival, created in collaboration with Jaeger-Le Coultre, and dedicated to an artist who has left an original mark on contemporary cinema.

The Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker prize has previously been awarded to some of the greatest figures in film including Japanese filmmaker, comedian and actor Takeshi Kitano in 2007, Iranian film director and screenwriter Abbas Kiarostami in 2008, French film director Agnès Varda (2008), world wide movie star Sylvester Stallone in 2009 and the 2010 winner of the Jaeger-Le Coultre award was Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam.

Achievements

This year, the award will celebrate Al Pacino and his achievements as a filmmaker. The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday September 4th during the 68th Venice International Film Festival (August 31st – September 10th 2011) directed by Marco Mueller and organised by the Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta.

“An amazing director, whose experience is precious and original, and enriches the world of contemporary film.” Marco Mueller, Festival Director, 68th Venice International Film Festival

The award ceremony will precede the world premiere of Pacino’s third feature-length directorial picture, Wilde Salome.

Wilde Salome is referred to as his “most personal project ever,” the unconventional feature documentary invites audiences into Pacino’s private world, as he explores the complexities of Oscar Wilde’s acclaimed play Salome, Wilde himself and the birth of a rising star, in actress Jessica Chastain.

“There is nowhere else I would rather debut Wilde Salome than at Venice, because of its rich artistic history. Wilde Salome is an exploration into the world of Oscar Wilde the artist and in Salome, the emancipation of a work that lives on” said Pacino.

Al Pacino has become a lasting and iconic figure in the world of American cinema. Pacino started on the stage in the mid 1960s and his heart still remains there today.

Al Pacino: acting legend

In 1969 he broke through on screen with the film, Me, Natalie. With the role of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s Award winning The Godfather, Pacino launched a career that has cemented him not only as an acting legend but as a cultural icon, with roles in such films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Scarface.

Pacino has never lost his dedication to the theatre, most recently receiving a Tony Award Nomination for the critically acclaimed Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice.

Academy Award

In Looking for Richard he examined Shakespeare’s cultural relevance with Richard III and won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary. He has provided audiences with indelible performances in films such as Glengarry Glen Ross, Carlito’s Way, Heat, The Devil’s Advocate, The Insider and Scent of a Woman, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992, after receiving seven previous nominations.

He has won the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award and is currently the co-President of The Actors Studio in New York. Pacino’s commitment to acting and directing as a profession has established him as one of cinema’s true legends.

Wilde Salome

Wilde Salome offers an unprecedented behind the scenes look at Pacino’s odyssey: a master class of insight into this cultural icon. Pacino’s raw exploration of Salome is one of obsession, determination, commitment and above all, passion.
Wilde Salome is unlike any other documentary, a profound vision of religion, literature, politics, violence and sexuality from one of the greatest artists of our time.

Wilde Salome will be released this Autumn and stars Al Pacino (Herod), Jessica Chastain (Salomé), and Kevin Anderson (John the Baptist), and is produced by Barry Navidi and Robert Fox, with Salome Productions.

Jaeger-Le Coultre movie award sponsorships

Jaeger-Le Coultre is now in its seventh year as a sponsor of the Venice International Film Festival, and in its fifth year as the sponsor of the Glory to the Filmmaker award.