US director David Lynch is to be awarded the prestigious Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at this year’s Venice film festival.Lynch, whose films include Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and Blue Velvet, will collect the award on 6 September.

The presentation will coincide with a screening of Lynch’s latest film, Inland Empire.

The drama, which will be shown out of competition, stars Laura Dern and Jeremy Irons.

French actress Catherine Deneuve is to head the jury at the Italian festival, which runs from 30 August to 9 September.

Lynch headed the panel of judges at the Cannes film festival in 2002.

His film Wild at Heart won the French festival’s Palm D’Or in 1990 and his television series Twin Peaks became a huge cult hit.