Photos: Collected

Cate Blanchett, the face of this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival, received a touching surprise from fellow actor George Clooney as she accepted the prestigious Donostia Award on Saturday night.

Blanchett, an Australian icon renowned for her performances in films like “The Aviator”, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and her Oscar-nominated role in “Tár”, was honoured for her outstanding contributions to cinema during a ceremony at the festival’s Kursaal Theatre on the Spanish coast.

“Fucking George!” she exclaimed, wiping away her mascara after a heartfelt standing ovation. Clooney, in a video message, praised her, saying, “I want to say that there’s acting as a profession, and then there’s acting as an art, and we recognise that art… I’ve been lucky enough to direct you and to act with you, and you always make everyone around you feel lucky that we get a chance to work with someone who is so gifted and kind, and I’m proud to call you a friend.”

George Clooney was unable to attend the event due to commitments in Venice, praising Blanchett in his heartfelt video.

His playful admission about not wearing pants while at the festival further endeared him to the audience, eliciting laughter throughout the venue. He added humorously, “I wish I was there… I can’t be there because I’m in Venice right now. I wasn’t asked. And I’ve been drinking. And I have no pants on,” which prompted laughter from the entire audience.

cepted the award from Alfonso Cuarón, her director in “Disclaimer”, and reflected on her career, saying, “As an Australian working abroad, I’ve had the great privilege of transcending many bodies. And my work has taken me to central Asia, to Europe, the Americas, to China, it has taken me all over the world and here now in Basque country, at this extraordinarily vibrant festival… I’m so very honoured to receive this award. Thank you San Sebastian. Thank you.”

The actress then took a more serious tone, voicing concerns about current global trends. “It’s bewildering to me that there seems to be a lot of certainty, a lot of righteousness and a lack of doubt in the world, when, in fact, the world is a deeply uncertain place… I worry that we’re trying to find answers too quickly, and it’s this uncertainty, I think, that drives me on.”

Blanchett has been recognised with over 200 awards throughout her illustrious career, including two Academy Awards out of six nominations, four BAFTAs, and four Golden Globes. This is her first time attending the San Sebastian Film Festival, which runs from September 20 to 28, although some of her films, including “Babel” (2007) and “Veronica Guerin” (2003), have previously competed for the festival’s top honour, the Golden Shell.

Blanchett is the second Australian actor to receive the Donostia Award, following Hugh Jackman in 2013. This year, Spain’s Javier Bardem and acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar, whose film “The Room Next Door” received a remarkable 17-minute standing ovation in Venice earlier this month, were also honoured with the Donostia Award.