British actor and comedian John Cleese received the honorary lifetime achievement award at the Sarajevo Film Festival in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina this week.
Cleese, best known as a member of the famous comedy team Monty Python's Flying Circus, received a standing ovation from fans at the open-air venue where he gave an acceptance speech.
"I accept it not as a film person, but more as a comedian because I think at this time in world history, we've never needed comedians more," Cleese said.
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Cleese, 77, was part of a genre of university-educated comedians who took British audiences by storm in the 1970s with an irreverent, zany style of humour.
He went on to make several movies, including Life of Brian and A Fish Called Wanda.
The Sarajevo Film Festival began in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo in the Bosnian War and has since evolved into a major film event in southeastern Europe.
Reuters