In recognition of her outstanding body of work, actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini will be honored at this year’s 37th European Film Awards with the European Achievement in World Cinema.

Isabella Rossellini made her cinematic debut as an actress in 1979 in the Taviani brother’s film Die Wiese and has appeared in numerous other films since then, including the feature films Blue Velvet, White Nights, Rodger Dodger, Cousins, Death Becomes Her, Fearless, Big Night, and Joy. She worked with many different directors like Robert Zemeckis, David O. Russell, David Lynch, Robert Wilson, Taylor Hackford, Marjane Satrapi and Guy Maddin.

She is also a successful television actress and filmmaker, with a keen interest in animals and wildlife conservation. Her award-winning series of shorts, Green Porno, Seduce Me and Mammasoffer comical and scientifically insightful studies of animal behaviours. She also toured in over 50 cities on three different continents (America, Europe and Australia) with her theatrical monologues.

Her most recent work includes the HBO-MAX series Julia based on the life of Julia Child, the theatrical monologue Darwin’s Smile, the animation film Marcel the Shell With Shoes on, La Chimera starring Josh O’ Connor and directed by Alice Rohrwacher, Spaceman with Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan directed by Johan Renck and soon to be released Conclave with Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci directed by Edward Berger.

Isabella has a master’s degree on Animal Behaviour and Conservation from Hunter College in New York City and has received a PhD Honoris Causa from the Science Faculty at UQAM (University of Quebec at Montreal).

Isabella Rossellini’s philanthropic interests embrace the preservation of her family’s extraordinary cinematic heritage, including the films directed by her father, Roberto Rossellini, about whom she has written, and those featuring her mother, Ingrid Bergman. She also runs an organic farm in Brookhaven called Mama Farm.

For her outstanding work, Isabella Rossellini has received a Special Mention at the Berlinale for her performance in Left Luggage, the Berlinale Camera 2013, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stockholm Film Festival 2020 and a Special David (the Italian national film award) in 2023.

Isabella Rossellini will be an honorary guest at the 37th European Film Awards Ceremony on December 7, 2024 in Lucerne.