ROME, June 28 -- The Venice Film Festival announced Friday that it will award the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement this year to actress Sigourney Weaver.

The 74-year-old Weaver is renowned for her roles in two of cinema's most iconic science fiction franchises: the "Alien" series, spanning four films from 1979 to 1997, and the "Avatar" films, released in 2009 and 2022.

Despite never winning an Oscar, Weaver has been nominated for three Academy Awards. She received two nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role: the first for "Aliens" in 1987, and the second for "Gorillas in the Mist" in 1989, a biographical film about Dian Fossey, a scientist who studied mountain gorillas in Africa. In the same year, she was also nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the romantic comedy "Working Girl."

Commenting on the honor, Weaver said in a statement, "To be given this award is a privilege I share with all the filmmakers and collaborators I have worked with throughout the years."

The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival, the world's oldest film festival, will be held this year from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7.

  - Xinhua