Bertolucci to be honoured at European Film Awards

Bertolucci recently attended the San Sebastian film festival in Spain

Bernardo Bertolucci, director of Last Tango in Paris and The Last Emperor, is to receive a lifetime achievement prize at the 2012 European Film Awards.

The 72-year-old will be recognised for his "unique and dedicated contribution to the world of film" at the 1 December event, to be held in Valletta, Malta.

The honour follows the honorary Palme d'Or award the Italian received at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year.

Dame Helen Mirren will also be honoured this year by the European Film Academy.

Born in Parma in 1940, Bertolucci began his career as an assistant director to Pier Paolo Pasolini on his 1961 film Accattone and directed his first feature at the age of 21.

He went on to direct such landmark dramas as The Conformist, the controversial Last Tango and historical epic The Last Emperor, winner of nine Academy Awards in 1988.

Me and You, his first film since 2003's The Dreamers, screened out of competition at this year's Cannes and was recently seen at the San Sebastian film festival in northern Spain.

Both he and Dame Helen are expected to attend the 25th European Film Awards, the nominations for which will be announced in early November.