CONGRATULATIONS SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE : BFI FELLOWSHIP : PHOTOS AND CLIP

Hammer horror star Sir Christopher Lee said it was a "very emotional moment" when he received his British Institute Fellowship from his friend Johnny Depp.He tearfully accepted the award at the London Film Festival, saying: "I didn't know you were going to be here. I must try and pull myself together."

Sir Christopher, 91, who described receiving his award as "a great joy", is famed for his villainous portrayals of Bond bad guy Scaramanga and evil wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings.

He has amassed more than 250 screen credits, including The Wicker Man, The Man with the Golden Gun and more recently, several Tim Burton films including Sleepy Hollow, which starred Depp. He also played Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels.

Depp, who sneaked into the awards ceremony to surprise his friend, said it was his "great honour" to present the award to "a very great man", saying he had been "fascinated and inspired" by him

"He's been a wonderful individual and over the years I've had the pleasure of working with him and it has been a childhood dream come true," he said. "But as great as it is to work with him, that pleasure doesn't compare with getting to know him and being able to count him as a true friend.

"A national treasure and a genuine artist. I love ya!"

Sir Christopher responded by saying: "I can't thank you enough," in reference to Depp, who he had been told could not make the occasion as he was elsewhere. He went on : "When I take a look back, and it's a long one, 67 years, at the characters I've played I get a truly strange feeling they were all played by somebody else, and not by me. "And there are a few occasions when it has been the case I wish it had!" He said of Depp: "He means an enormous amount to me. He is one of very few young actors on screen today who's truly a star. "Everything he does has a meaning. He's a joy to work with, an actor's dream and certainly a director's dream. I could go on a long time but I'd probably embarrass him."

Johnny Depp presents Sir Christopher Lee with his British Film Institute Fellowship Award : Depp on Sir Christopher Lee: " A national treasure and a genuine artist. I love ya!"

Watch Sir Christopher Lee presentation at BFI evening. HERE 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24600683

AND A GREAT NIGHT WAS HAD BY ALL! 'DRACULA' BFI SCREENING AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM, LONDON

Some snaps from tonight's terrific outdoor screening of Hammer Films uncut 'DRACULA' Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Melissa Stribling, Michael Gough and Valerie Gaunt. All part of the BFI 'Gothic season and their 'Monster Weekend'. Tomorrow night The Mummy at The British Museum! Last few tickets here – Get them before they go. http://bit.ly/16yohTV @BFI

BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE SCREENS FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL MAY 29TH 2013

When Dr Simon Helder is committed to an asylum after being caught experimenting on stolen cadavers, he finds himself in the company of fellow re-animator Baron Frankenstein, who is physician there. The two join forces to continue their research but Helder gradually realises that a fine line separates the inmates from those apparently in charge. This was Terence Fisher’s last film and the final instalment in Hammer’s exploration of the Frankenstein story. Here, Peter Cushing’s Baron reaches his most degenerate, his gaunt yet distinguished appearance giving little inkling of the menace just beneath the surface. 

"To mark the centenary of Cushing’s birth, we are showing Hammer’s new high-definition restoration of his final portrayal of the character that brought him international fame: Baron Frankenstein. We are delighted to welcome Madeline Smith, the film’s co-star, and Joyce Broughton, Cushing’s secretary for 35 years and actor Dave Prowse and host Jonathan Rigby for an extended introduction.. They will also  be promoting the centenary edition of Peter Cushing: The Complete Memoirs, for which Joyce has written the foreword."

FOR TIMES AND MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE

NEWS: BFI CELEBRATES PETER CUSHING CENTENARY WITH A MONSTER FROM HELL!

When Dr Simon Helder is committed to an asylum after being caught experimenting on stolen cadavers, he finds himself in the company of fellow re-animator Baron Frankenstein, who is physician there. The two join forces to continue their research but Helder gradually realises that a fine line separates the inmates from those apparently in charge. This was Terence Fisher’s last film and the final instalment in Hammer’s exploration of the Frankenstein story. 

Here, Peter Cushing’s Baron reaches his most degenerate, his gaunt yet distinguished appearance giving little inkling of the menace just beneath the surface. To mark the centenary of Cushing’s birth, we are showing Hammer’s new high-definition restoration of his final portrayal of the character that brought him international fame: Baron Frankenstein. We are delighted to welcome Madeline Smith, the film’s co-star, and Joyce Broughton, Cushing’s secretary for 35 years, to introduce the screening. They will be promoting the centenary edition of Peter Cushing: The Complete Memoirs, for which Joyce has written the foreword. Event: May 29, 2013 6:30 PM Tickets on sale:09-04-2013 11:30 AM 

The BFI is creating a monster this year. GOTHIC is a celebration of the dark heart of film, with a major season at BFI Southbank and across the UK from October to January 2014. To find out more, visit bfi.org.uk/gothic