Indiana Jones star honoured at Almeria International Film Festival

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Alison Doody unveils her star on the Almeria Walk of Fame, accompanied by Almeria city Mayor Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco (left) and regional government president Gabriel Amat (right). CREDIT: Almeria provincial government website

STAR of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Alison Doody took centre stage at the Almeria International Film Festival this week.

The Irish actress, who played lead female character Elsa in the movie, received the Almeria, Land of Cinema Homage Award. She also now has a star on the Almeria city Walk of Fame, which sits alongside those honouring an illustrious list of big names from the world of cinema, among them Omar Sharif, Ridley Scott, Max van Sydow, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joseph Fiennes, Terry Gilliam, Catherine Deneuve, Brian de Palma and Sophia Loren.

The Alison Doody award coincides with the 30th anniversary of the third saga of the Steven Spielberg-directed blockbuster. Also starring Harrison Ford and Sean Connery, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was partly filmed in the Tabernas desert and Monsul beach in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, local residents appearing as extras.

The actress, who was just 21 when she appeared in Indiana Jones, said filming in Almeria had been “a magical experience”, describing the province as “a wonderful place.”

She said making the film was “an experience I will never forget, as it is a film which is shown over and over on televisions around the world.”

This Sunday the festival spotlight will be on actress Bo Derek, who first shot to fame in the late 1970s in the comedy romance 10 starring Dudley Moore. Derek is returning to Almeria 18 years after shooting an episode of the TV series Queen of Swords in locations including Texas Hollywood in Tabernas, San Jose in Nijar and the Alcazaba fortification in the provincial capital. She will also be honoured with the Almeria, Land of Cinema Homage Award and her own star on the Walk of Fame.