Italian film legend Sophia Loren received a lifetime achievement award Friday at the opening of the Istanbul Film Festival, and said the trophy would take pride of place next to her Oscars.

Loren, who won best actress Oscar in 1961 for 71m> Women and an Oscar for career achievement in 1991, was guest of honor at the festival which ends on April 17. The festival's other celebrity guests are director Jane Campion, who will head the jury and Charies Dance who attended the opening ceremony to present his film Ladies in Lavender ■ the actor's first attempt at directing "Ever since her gazelle-like eyes appeared on screen, she has enchanted anyone gazing at them," presenter Ceyda Duvenci said oftheltalianstar.

"I feel surrounded by love,” Loren in a black, long-sleeved gown, responded, adding she would place the award next to the Oscars.

Nedim Otyam who composed musieformorethan lOOTUrkish films, acclaimed director Yavuz Turgul and actor Tarik Akan, a 70’s film heart-throb, who later turned to films with political tinge also received "honour” awards for their contribution to Turkish cinema.The festival formally

kicked off with the screening of Ladies in Lavender, in which Dame Judy Dench and Dame Maggie Smith portray two spinsters in a post-World Ward II British fishing Milage who take in a mysterious young Polish man they find half-drowned on a beach.

"It is my first film as a director and Ihopeitisnotmy last," Dance said.

TTtirteen international films with themes on arts or artists or which are literary adaptations are competing for the festival's GoldenTUlip Award.

They include Beyond the Sea in which Kevin Spacey directed himself as 1950s crooner Bobby Darin, Untold Scandal - a Korean version of the novel Les Liasohs Dangereuses and Turkish film Yolda, inspired by a journey director Erden Kiral made with Iris mentor, Yilmaz Guney, when the late film director was being transferred from one prison to another during military rule. Nine Turkish films will be competing for an award in the national film category.