Altman to receive honorary Oscar

The 'Gosford Park' helmer will receive a special Academy Award for his impressive body of work.

Jan 12 2006

2006 should be a good year for Robert Altman – not only does he have a new film hitting the big screen (ensemble comedy 'A Prairie Home Companion'), but he will also be given an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement.

The 80-year-old director has made movie masterpieces like 'M*A*S*H', 'Nashville', 'McCabe & Mrs Miller', 'The Player' and 'Gosford Park' over the course of his illustrious career.

However, despite being nominated as best director five times by the Academy, he has never actually won the award; a criminal oversight that the Academy is about to be put right.

'The board was taken with Altman's innovation, his redefinition of genres, his invention of new ways of using the film medium and his reinvigoration of old ones,' Academy president Sid Ganis said. 'He is a master filmmaker and well deserves this honour.'

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