Martin Sheen to receive lifetime award at Dubai Film Festival

The 10th Dubai International Film Festival (Dec 6-14) is to honour Martin Sheen with the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to the film industry.

Sheen will be presented with the award during the opening ceremony of the festival on Dec 6.

The 73 year-old actor achieved fame with roles in the films Badlands (1973) and Apocalypse Now (1979). Other notable roles in more than 80 films include Wall Street (1987), Gettysburg (1993), The Departed (2006), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). He also starred on television as President Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing.

Sheen won a Golden Globe for his role in The West Wing and an Emmy for Murphy Brown.

DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “Martin Sheen is a cinematic legend whose remarkable career has spanned five decades. In that time he has brought to life a huge variety of compelling, intelligent and wonderfully engaging characters on the big and small screen.

“We are honoured to present Martin Sheen with the DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award and we look forward to welcoming him to Dubai.”

Sheen said: “I am honored by the exciting news that I have been selected as the recipient of the Dubai International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

“This esteemed recognition inspires me to continue doing what I love most - telling stories through the art of cinema. I am very much looking forward to visiting Dubai in December and being immersed in the region’s blossoming film industry.”

The festival will also host a public ‘In Conversation with Martin Sheen’ Q&A event.