LOS ANGELES: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles has chosen Hollywood star Matt Damon, as the recipient of this year’s Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Damon will take the stage at the event, as will previously announced honorees Dick Van Dyke, Ava DuVernay, Claire Foy and Kenneth Branagh.
In making the announcement, BAFTA LA chairman Kieran Breen praised Damon as “undoubtedly one of the most talented and respected actors working in film today.”
He added, “Having made a remarkable impact at a young age with Good Will Hunting, he has developed a phenomenal career — combining both big-budget studio movies and acclaimed independent films. As a favourite of some of the top contemporary directors in our industry, it seems particularly fitting that we are honouring his career with an award bearing the name of the legendary Stanley Kubrick.”
The Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award is given to individuals “upon whose work is stamped the indelible mark of authorship and commitment, and who has lifted the craft to new heights.”
Damon will follow in the footsteps of such previous recipients as Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Robert Downey Jr., George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Denzel Washington, among other.