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The 71st Taormina Film Festival announces the extraordinary participation of Catherine Deneuve, a living legend of international cinema. The iconic French actress will be the guest of honor at a special gala evening held at the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, where she will receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her immense contribution to the art of cinema. On this occasion, she will also present her latest film, Spirit World – La Festa delle Lanterne, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo.

With a career spanning over six decades, Catherine Deneuve has embodied the most elegant, enigmatic, and magnetic face of European cinema. She has worked with some of the greatest masters of the seventh art—from Luis Buñuel and François Truffaut to Roman Polanski and Jacques Demy—delivering unforgettable performances in masterpieces such as Belle de Jour, The Last Metro, Indochine (which earned her an Academy Award nomination), and The President’s Wife. Elegant, intense, and perpetually surprising, Deneuve has played roles that captured both the vulnerability and resilience of her characters, making her a true icon and source of inspiration for generations of filmmakers and actors worldwide.

Spirit World – La Festa delle Lanterne, scheduled to be released in Italian theaters on June 26 by Europictures, is a poignant and poetic film that explores the delicate boundary between life and death. Directed by Eric Khoo from a script written by his son Eduard, the story bridges Western materialism and Eastern spirituality. It draws inspiration from Japan’s Obon Festival—the traditional Lantern Festival—where the living and the dead are reunited in a moment of remembrance and farewell. The film connects earthly and spiritual realms through a tale that is both moving and meditative.

“It is an immense honor to welcome Catherine Deneuve to the Taormina Film Festival,” said Artistic Director Tiziana Rocca. “Her presence is a gift to our audience and to the entire film world. With her grace and talent, she has shaped the history of cinema and left an indelible mark on its evolution. Celebrating her career and hosting Spirit World at the Ancient Theatre will be one of the most magical highlights of this edition.”