MADRID (AP) — Spain’s leading group of female filmmakers on Tuesday condemned the San Sebastian film festival’s decision to award Johnny Depp its highest honor, saying it gave the international event a bad name after a British judge ruled last year that allegations of domestic violence against the actor were “substantially correct”.
Cristina Andreu, the President of Spain’s Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, said she was “very surprised” by the decision, announced Monday, to award Depp the Donostia Award at the festival’s 69th edition next month. The award is the event’s top prize and aims to honor lifetime achievement.
US actress Amber Heard (C) waves as she leaves on the fifth day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court in London, on July 13, 2020. – Depp is suing the publishers of The Sun and the author of the article for the claims that called him a “wife-beater” in April 2018. (TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)
“This speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership, and transmits a terrible message to the public: ‘It doesn’t matter if you are an abuser as long as you are a good actor’,” Andreu told The Associated Press.
Johnny Depp fans wait outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on July 21, 2020 in London, England. The Hollywood Actor is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the Sun’s executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article published in 2018 that referred to him as a “wife beater” during is marriage to actor Amber Heard. (John Phillips/Getty Images)
The association, which has close links to the San Sebastian festival, was “studying next steps,” she added.
The San Sebastian International Film Festival, held in northern Spain, takes place Sept. 17-25 this year. Depp is expected to receive the award in person on Sept. 22, in what will be his third appearance at the event.
Actor Johnny Depp arrives at Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on July 22, 2020 in London, England. The Hollywood Actor is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) and the Sun’s executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article published in 2018 that referred to him as a “wife beater” during is marriage to actor Amber Heard. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
An email request for comment from Depp’s publicist in Los Angeles went unanswered outside office hours.
Last year, Depp lost a libel case against a British newspaper that accused him of domestic violence, with a judge ruling the allegations were “substantially correct.” In March, a British court refused Depp permission to appeal the ruling that he assaulted his former wife, Amber Heard, saying his attempt to overturn the decision had “no real prospect of success.”
Depp also is suing Heard for $50 million in Virginia over a Washington Post op-ed essay that she wrote about domestic violence. The trial in that case was recently delayed until April 2022.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.