Portugal Colonial - Watts, Pitt, Cruz to light up Spain's top film festival

Marion Cotillard, Orlando Bloom, Ricardo Darin, Jeremy Irons, Rami Malek and Diego Luna are among the other big names expected on the red carpet between September 18-26 in the northern coastal city.

Watts, 57, will receive the "Donostia" lifetime achievement award on Saturday after organisers hailed her as "one of the most talented and recognised actresses of her generation".

The British-born Australian earned two Oscar nominations for her roles in "21 Grams" (2003) by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and "The Impossible" (2012) under Spain's Juan Antonio Bayona.

The opening day of the festival's 74th edition will see veteran German director Werner Herzog pick up the other "Donostia" award in recognition of a career with around 70 films to his name.

A total of 17 movies are vying in the official section for the top awards before a jury presided by US director Ira Sachs.

In the running for the Golden Shell prize for best film is Larrain's "My Sad Dead", a mini-series based on the stories of Argentine writer Mariana Enriquez.

Known for his films "No", "Neruda" and a trilogy that explored the lives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana and Maria Callas, Larrain tells the story of a recently retired doctor who can see the dead.

Jesse Eisenberg, best known for acting performances in movies such as "The Social Network", features with his third long-format production "The Debut".

Out of competition, Brad Pitt represents "Heart of the Beast" by David Ayer, in which he plays a military official who suffers an air accident and is trapped with his dog in Alaska.

X.M.Francisco--PC