It coincides with the acclaimed German actor’s 80th birthday.

German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl is to be awarded an Honorary Golden Bear at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.

Festival director Dieter Kosslick said: “Today Armin Mueller-Stahl is celebrating his 80th birthday. We wish him the very best and are delighted we’ll be awarding this extraordinary artist the Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement in February.”

During his 50-year career, Mueller-Stahl has worked with directors including Costa-Gavras, Andrzej Wajda, Jim Jarmusch and Steven Soderbergh.

His credits include the 1981 film Lola, Scott Hicks’ Shine and most recently Ron Howard’s Illuminati.

A regular attendee of the Berlin Film Festival, he was awarded the Silver Bear in 1992 for his performance in George Sluizer’s Utz. In 2006 he was a member of the International Jury; and in 2009, a guest of the Berlinale Competition as a member of the cast of the opening film The International by Tom Tykwer.

In the last few years Armin Mueller-Stahl has increasingly focused on painting and music, recently releasing his debut CD There Are Days with songs composed over 45 years ago in East Germany.

Topics