Tim Burton Gets Lifetime Achievement Award

VENICE, Italy (AP) _ Tim Burton is getting a career Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. <br/><br/>To mark the occasion, the festival was screening a 3-D version of ``The Nightmare Before Christmas,''

Wednesday, September 5th 2007, 11:27 am

By: News On 6

VENICE, Italy (AP) _ Tim Burton is getting a career Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.

To mark the occasion, the festival was screening a 3-D version of ``The Nightmare Before Christmas,'' the animated movie and gothic tale based on a story by Burton that has acquired a cult following.

The award was being presented Wednesday by Johnny Depp, who has starred in several Burton movies, including ``Edward Scissorhands'' and ``Ed Wood,'' a black-and-white biopic on B-movie director Edward D. Wood Jr.

``Hopefully it just inspires me to keep going,'' Burton told reporters in Venice, speaking of the award.

The 49-year-old Burton is best known for his quirky stories and the gothic atmosphere of his pictures, which also include ``Batman,'' ``Beetle Juice,'' ``Big Fish,'' ``Mars Attacks!'' and a remake of ``Planet of the Apes.''

He said it was hard to pick a favorite.

``I feel strangely close to all of them, they all have a certain place in your heart,'' he said.