The China Mail - Cate Blanchett to be honoured at San Sebastian film festival

The 54-year-old will also feature on the main poster of the 72nd San Sebastian film festival, the highest-profile movie event in the Spanish-speaking world, which takes place from September 20 to 28.

Blanchett has won two Academy Awards: best actress for her performance in Woody Allen's 2004 drama "Blue Jasmine" and best supporting actress for her striking appearance as Katherine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator".

She has worked under numerous renowned directors, including Terrence Malick, Steven Soderbergh, Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Ridley Scott, Wes Anderson, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro G. Inarritu and Guillermo del Toro.

The festival organisers said she was "one of contemporary cinema's leading actors" with a "career combining cinema d'auteur with crowd pleasers".

Past recipients of the so-called Donostia award -- the festival's highest honourary award -- include actors Meryl Streep, Richard Gere and Robert De Niro.

It will be the first time Blanchett, a university dropout who grew up in suburban Melbourne, visits San Sebastian.

She will be the second Australian to receive the prize, following in the footsteps of Hugh Jackman.

As well as scooping awards for her more arthouse work, she has also dabbled in blockbusters, playing the elf leader Galadriel in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and a Marvel villain in "Thor: Ragnarok".

Spanish star Javier Bardem will also receive the Donostia award he won last year but was unable to attend because of the Hollywood actors' strike, organisers said.

The prize is named after the Basque word for the coastal town of San Sebastian.

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