On Thursday, July 17th, the Maine International Film Festival presented the 2008 Mid-Life Achievement Award to one of independent cinema's finest actors and directors, John Turturro. (The award presentation was held in conjunction with a screening of Romance and Cigarettes, 6:30pm at the Waterville Opera House.)

Turturro is a Golden Globe Nominee, an Emmy Winner and a Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award Winner. He has appeared in over 60 movies and has become a regular in the thought provoking films of Spike Lee, including his role as the highly agitated "Pino" in Do the Right Thing (1989), and as a confused boyfriend in Jungle Fever (1991). Turturro has also had an extended collaboration with the Coen Brothers, appearing in their films Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), The Big Lebowski (1998) and most recently, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). He also appeared as a severely disturbed psychiatric patient of Jack Nicholson's in Anger Management and played Johnny Depp's antagonist in Secret Window. He won his Cannes award and Golden Globe nomination for Robert Redford's Quiz Show (1994.)

In addition to acting, Turturro is an original and brilliant writer, director and producer. He wrote and directed, as well as acted in Mac (1991) and Illuminata (1999), which also starred his wife Katherine Borowitz. He also wrote and directed the fiercely offbeat musical Romance and Cigarettes (2006), starring Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini and Kate Winslet. In addition to his film work, Turturro won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Adrian Monk's brother Ambrose Monk in the USA Network series Monk. "We're thrilled that John Turturro could be with us this summer," said Festival Programmer Ken Eisen. "He's one of the strongest and most unique voices in the independent film world, and one whose directing, writing and acting always bespeak a fierce, intelligent and adventurous curiosity - attributes that we try to highlight every year in the films at the festival."