Javier Bardem to receive lifetime honour at Rome Film Festival

Javier Bardem will be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Rome Film Festival, according to Variety. The Spanish actor will accept the prize during this year's edition. It adds another major festival honour to a career that has already earned him an Oscar.

Italian film-maker Paolo Sorrentino will present the award to Bardem. The festival runs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 25 in Rome. Sorrentino is best known internationally as the director of The Great Beauty.

Bardem will also bring his latest film to Rome. He will present a screening of The Beloved, known in Spanish as El ser querido. The film is directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and will play in the festival's best of the fests section, a showcase for titles that have stood out elsewhere.

The Beloved world-premiered at Cannes, where it played as a competition entry, Reuters reported. In the film, Bardem plays Esteban Martinez. Martinez is an acclaimed film director who reunites with his daughter to make a movie.

At Cannes, Bardem spoke plainly about the character. He denounced the aggressive masculinity at the heart of the story. The comments drew wide coverage during the festival.

The Beloved is now moving into the awards season. It has secured a U.S. distribution deal, and Bardem will be campaigned for Best Actor for his performance, according to Deadline. That campaign puts him back in the acting race two years after he received the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

What makes this stand out is the timing. Rome arrives while Bardem has two large studio projects in motion. He will reprise his role as Stilgar in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three. He has also wrapped production on Hello & Paris for Amazon MGM Studios, opposite Kate Hudson.

For fans, this means a rare double view of the actor. Rome will celebrate the long career. It will also put his newest leading role back on a big festival screen.