Image caption Sutherland recently appeared in The Hunger Games

Canadian actor Donald Sutherland has been awarded the French honour of Commander of the Arts for his contribution to cinema.

The 76-year-old received the award from former French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand at a ceremony in Paris.

Sutherland has more than 100 film credits to his name, ranging from The Dirty Dozen to the recent blockbuster The Hunger Games.

He is the father of 24 actor Kiefer Sutherland.

Donald Sutherland thanked his French-Canadian wife Francine Racette for his appreciation of French culture, saying she had introduced him to French "cinema, but also cheese and baguettes".

Previous recipients of the Commander of the Arts medal include Sir Michael Caine, Marianne Faithfull and Clint Eastwood.