Béla Tarr to receive Honorary European Film Prize, previously awarded to just five filmmakers

Hungarian film director and screenwriter Béla Tarr will be honoured at this year's European Film Awards ceremony: the Hungarian director will receive the Honorary Award of the President and Board of the European Film Academy at the 36th European Film Awards ceremony in Berlin on 9 December, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"With this award, the European Film Academy (EFA) wishes to pay a special tribute to an outstanding director and strong political voice who not only enjoys the deep respect of his colleagues, but is also celebrated by audiences worldwide," the EFA said on Wednesday. "Béla Tarr is the sixth filmmaker to receive this award – previous honourees include Manoel de Oliveira, Michel Piccoli, Sir Michael Caine, Andrzej Wajda and Costa-Gavras".

The Hungarian director started experimenting with filmmaking at the age of 16. One of his best-known films is Satantango, a 450-minute adaptation of László Krasznahorkai's novel of the same name, which was screened in the Forum section of the 1994 Berlin Film Festival and won the Caligari Prize. "It is also a good example of Béla Tarr's unique style, as his films follow their own rhythm (...)", the EFA pointed out.

Tarr's 2011 film The Turin Horse won the Silver Bear Grand Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for the European Film Prize.