Star gives full backing to Bradford City Of Film celebration

The 70-year-old actor was at the National Media Museum on Saturday to pick up the award.

As part of the festival the museum will be running a retrospective of ten of his films, including The Elephant Man, Midnight Express, 1984 and a 70mm version of Alien.

Mr Hurt said he was pleased to have been given the award and endorsed the city for being awarded the UNESCO City of Film.

He said: “This was one of the centres of pioneering early film, which really got quashed because of the Second World War and suffered very badly in terms of Hollywood being able to steal a march on us.

“My reaction is ‘terrific’ – I was a little surprised to start with but then I learned about how important it had been in terms of pioneering early film-making, it makes a great deal of sense to me.

“And I was pleased because this is the only film festival in the north of England, of any consequence, and it should be encouraged.”

The actor also took part in a live on-stage Screentalk at the museum.

Mr Hurt joins an illustrious array of award recipients including Ken Loach, Sir Richard Attenborough and the late Jean Simmons.

At the festival Mr Hurt said he would continue his “constant fight” to make audiences passionate about independent films rather than Hollywood blockbusters.

He said: “The independent films need festivals to be able to advertise and to create an atmosphere in which we can begin to understand what our culture is.”

Festival director Tony Earnshaw explained why Mr Hurt won this year’s award.

He said: “Every year we focus on somebody who has a lifetime in film. John has been making films since 1962. He’s worked with everybody, he’s never out of work, which is also key, and has never repeated himself.

“John’s a movie star but he doesn’t give the same performance again and again and again.

“John gives a different performance in every film because he’s a character actor, and that’s what we wanted to explore.”