Jessica Lange to Receive Munich Film Festival Honor

Two-time Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange will receive this year’s CineMerit Award at the Munich International Film Festival, honoring her “remarkable contributions to the world of cinema.”

In addition to her two Academy Awards — for best supporting actress in Tootsie in 1983 and best actress in Blue Sky in 1995 — Lange can point to a total of six Oscar nominations, three Emmy wins (from 10 nods), five Golden Globes (from 16 noms) and one Tony award.

Alongside her impressive film career, Lange has more recently become something of a muse for Ryan Murphy, appearing in multiple seasons of American Horror Story — she’s picked up five Emmy nominations and two wins for the FX drama — and has been dazzling as Joan Crawford alongside Susan Sarandon’s Bette Davis in the FX/Hulu miniseries Feud: Bette and Joan.

Lange is currently up for a second Tony, nominated for her lead performance in Paula Vogel’s Mother Play, which premiered on Broadway on April 25. The festival will screen a selection of Lange’s films, curated by the actress.

In addition to the CineMerit honor, Lange will present a selection of her photographs from her own fine-art photography project, Dérive, kicking off a three-month exhibition at Munich’s Deutsches Theatermuseum. The exhibition features photos of intimate and surreal moments Lange captured during a COVID-19 lockdown in New York City.

Says Munich film festival director Christoph Gröner and artistic co-director Julia Weigl: “Jessica’s enduring talent and versatility as an actress, coupled with her artistic exploration through photography, make her a perfect fit for this honor.”