Actress Cate Blanchett to be awarded BFI Fellowship

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett is to receive the British Film Institute's fellowship for her contribution to film, the BFI announced on 27 August. The BFI Fellowship, which is awarded to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to film or television, will be presented to Blanchett at the London Film Festival's annual awards ceremony on 17 October.

The BFI praised Blanchett, calling her a "compelling and brave actress" whose "mesmerising screen presence has captivated audiences since her earliest roles". It described Blanchett as a "fearless and subtle actress", with the "rare gift of seeming utterly to inhabit the characters she plays and has an amazing ability to convey complex layers of emotion to stunning effect".

In 2005, Blanchett won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. She went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2014, for her portrayal of Jasmine French, the main character in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine.

Some of her best known roles include Elizabeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Blanchett, 46, will have two films receiving their UK premiere at the London Film Festival.

In real-life drama Truth, she plays award-winning CBS News journalist and 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes, who risks her career and personal safety to expose the "truth." In Carol, set in 1950s Manhattan, Blanchett plays a woman trapped in a loveless marriage who falls for a young woman (played by Rooney Mara).

Previous recipients of the BFI Fellowship, which is awarded once a year, include actors Sir Christopher Lee, Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes.