Kevin Spacey has given rising moviemaker Jason Musante Klein's career a big boost after awarding him a $50,000 (£31,250) cheque for his work on short film The Perfect Time.
Spacey set up the website Triggerstreet.com in 2002 to give budding directors the chance to gain major exposure and backing for their movie projects.
Klein's tale of memory and longing attracted the attention of Spacey and fellow Triggerstreet awards judges Laurence Fishburne and British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, landing it the top honour.
Sunday's (01Nov09) presentation to Klein was also a first for Triggerstreet.com - it was the biggest cash prize Spacey's organisation has handed out to date, reports the New York Post.
The actor has also revealed that Dame Judi Dench wants to drop her long-winded title - because she prefers to be called by her first name.
The veteran star became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1988, but the regal-sounding prefix makes her cringe.
American Beauty actor Spacey also insists Dench's straight-laced reputation is far from her true character.
He says, "One just has to remove the 'Dame' from Judi's name, and you'll realise that she's hilarious and nothing close to the characters she plays. In fact, she's bored s**tless with that stuff and prefers to just be Judi.
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