LOS ANGELES, Aug 27 — Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, known for films as diverse as M*A*S*H and the Hunger Games series, will receive a lifetime achievement award at Spain’s San Sebastian film festival, organisers announced yesterday.

The 84-year-old actor will receive the Donostia Award, recognising "more than fifty years of excellent performances”, on September 26.

"Sutherland has shown great talent when embodying dozens of characters, with no regard for genre: From drama to war movies, including thrillers, horror and science fiction films,” the film festival said in a statement.

In 2017 he was presented with an Honorary Academy Award for his acting career.

One of his early hits was his role as an army surgeon in Robert Altman’s 1970 black comedy M*A*S*H, set during the Korea War.

More than four decades later he is better known to younger viewers as the tyrannical President Snow in the blockbuster franchise The Hunger Games.

Over the years, he has starred in a number of acclaimed films including Nicolas Roeg’s chilling psychic thriller Don’t Look Now (1973) and Oliver Stone’s biopic JFK (1991).

As well as working in Hollywood in the 1970s he starred in films by the major Italian directors Bernardo Bertolucci (1900) and Federico Fellini (Casanova).

Sutherland will receive the award before the screening of his latest film, The Burnt Orange Heresy, which also stars Mick Jagger.

Forthcoming projects include a television series, The Undoing, with Nicole Kidman. — AFP