Dench, Turturro top prize roster at Czech festival

Celebrated British actress Judi Dench and US actor and filmmaker John Turturro will be honoured at the Czech Republic's 46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival beginning July 1, organisers said Wednesday. Dench, the "M" of the James Bond movies since "GoldenEye" shot in 1995, will "receive the Crystal Globe for her contribution to world cinematography," festival president Jiri Bartoska told reporters in Prague. US actor, director, producer and screenwriter Turturro, a co-star of "The Big Lebowski" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou", will receive the Festival President's Award and present the world premiere of his film "Somewhere Tonight". Another star guest is US actor, director and producer John Malkovich ("Dangerous Liaisons"; "Burn After Reading"), who is to present his designer collection of men's clothing at the festival, Bartoska said. Twelve films will vie for the top prize in this year's edition of the festival, running from July 1 to July 9 in the western Czech spa city of Karlovy Vary, including 11 world or international premieres. In 2010, the festival attracted almost 127,000 cinemagoers.