Washington [US]: Acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee will be honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, set to take place on February 8, 2025.
Lee, the Academy Award-winning director behind masterpieces such as Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, will become the 37th filmmaker in history to receive this distinguished honour.
The news was announced by the official social media handle of the Directors Guild of America.
The award, presented at the discretion of current and past DGA presidents, celebrates an individual's exceptional contributions to the world of cinema.
Lesli Linka Glatter, the current president of the DGA, lauded Lee as "truly a master filmmaker," highlighting his impressive and diverse body of work, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
She described Lee's career as one that "boldly cuts across genres," noting his fearless exploration of themes ranging from period drama and comedy to superhero epics and martial arts.
Glatter continued, saying, "For over 30 years, he has consistently challenged himself, never repeating himself, and always achieving cinematic excellence."
The DGA president also emphasized Lee's ability to create films with complex characters and unforgettable stories.
"Through his films, Ang invites his audiences to explore complex characters that linger in your heart and mind long after the screen has gone dark," Glatter said, adding, "His work is consistently recognized by critics, festivals, and audiences for its brilliant storytelling and technological innovations," as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Lee's career began in the early 1990s with films like The Wedding Banquet, but he became a global sensation with his films 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hidden Dragon', 'Brokeback Mountain', and 'Life of Pi'. The latter earned Lee an Academy Award for Best Director.
A member of the DGA since 1996, Lee has earned multiple nominations and awards from the guild. He has been nominated for the DGA Award for Feature Film four times, winning the honour in 2000 for 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hidden Dragon' and in 2005 for 'Brokeback Mountain'.
Lee's contributions to the film industry were also celebrated by the DGA in 2018 with a special recognition for his support of American culture through his work in film and television.
Expressing his gratitude for the honour, Lee remarked, "I am honoured to be recognized in such an incredible way by my beloved Guild. To be given the DGA lifetime achievement award is a momentous achievement for me personally and an opportunity to reflect on what my work has meant to this amazing community of my fellow filmmakers," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
The DGA Lifetime Achievement Award, which was first presented to Cecil B. DeMille in 1953, has since been bestowed upon numerous legendary directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, and most recently, Spike Lee.
The award recognizes directors who have made extraordinary contributions to the art of filmmaking. (ANI)