MUMBAI: Oscar winners Helen Mirren, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) and Dutch actress Cairce van Houten (Game of Thrones) are among the VIPs from Europe set to attend this year's European Film Awards in Malta on 1 December.

Mirren will be honoured with a special prize for her contribution to world cinema while Bertolucci will receive the European Film Academy's lifetime achievement award.

More than 1,000 of Europe's cinema elite will be on hand when the EFAs are handed out for the 25th time. They include German actor Moritz Bleibtreu (The Baader Meinhof Complex) and Irishmen Jim Sheridan - the Oscar-nominated director of In the Name of the Father and My Left Foot - and Michael Gambon - perhaps best known for portraying Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films.

Highlighting the EFAs pan-European scope, this year's guest list includes directors from Russia (Alexei Popogrebsky) and Bosnia (Danis Tanovic); Spanish actors Marisa Paredes and Sergi Lopez as well Maltese actress Marama Carlett (Sinbad).

This year the contenders for the top prize of European Film 2012 include Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner Amour, Oscar hopefuls The Intouchables, Barbara and Caesar Must Die, Danish drama The Hunt and Steve McQueen's Shame featuring Michael Fassbender.