Valletta is to glitter with stars tonight

Stars from cinema’s elite are gathering in Malta to take part in tonight’s prestigious European Film Awards. Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, best known for her role in Stephen Frears’ The Queen and most recently in Hitchcock, will be honoured with the European Achievement in World Cinema Award. Bernardo Bertolucci, whose films are known for their colourful visual style, including nine-Oscar winner The Last Emperor, will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. They will be among the guests of the 25th edition of the European Film Awards hosted at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. Meanwhile, yesterday morning 17 silver-coated statuettes of an elegantly-dressed woman arrived in Malta from the UK. They will be the trophies given to the winners in 17 categories that include European director, actor, actress, screenwriter, editor, composer and best documentary, animated film, short film and the people’s choice award. Contenders this year for the top prize of European Film 2012 include Michael Haneke’s Amour, Olivier Nakache’s Intouchables, Christian Petzold’s Barbara, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s Caesar Must Die, Thomas Vintenberg’s Danish drama The Hunt and Steve...