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Viggo Mortensen to honour David Cronenberg at the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards

There’s a running joke about lifetime achievement awards: Receiving one is a polite way for one’s peers to tell them that that they’re past their prime. You get a trophy and are then promptly taken out behind the proverbial barn to be put out of your misery.

That’s why it’s slightly odd that the upcoming Canadian Screen Awards (essentially Canada’s answer to the Oscars and Emmys) are set to give just such a prize to legendary Toronto director David Cronenberg -- a filmmaker who most would agree is definitely not past his prime. Perhaps the awards show is trying to take advantage of the Hollywood star power that the director is able to attract.

Cronenberg’s frequent collaborator Viggo Mortensen (“A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises”) will present the lifetime achievement award to the Canadian filmmaker during the live CSA broadcast on March 9. Mortensen won a Canadian Screen Award in 2011 (back when it was still called a Genie) for his performance as Sigmund Freud in Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method.”

The “Lord of the Rings” star isn’t the only famous face that will appear at the CSAs. While the list isn’t finalized quite yet, other presenters include Tatiana Masalany (“Orphan Black”), Jason Priestley (“Call Me Fitz”), Dave Foley (“Spun Out”), Jessica Lowndes (“90210”), Shay Mitchell (“Pretty Little Liars”), Lauren Holly (“Motive”) and Mia Kirshner (“I Think I Do”).

Fear not, Cronenberg fans. Just because the director is getting a lifetime achievement award doesn't mean his career is over. His new film "Maps to the Stars" (starring Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, and Julianne Moore) is due out this year and will likely bow at the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals.

Cronenberg's horror movie days may be behind him, but many believe the best is yet to come for the 70-year-old director. Besides, there are only so many awards we can give to Don McKellar.