Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee at the Directors Guild of America’s 74th annual awards ceremony on March 12 will be honored with the coveted “Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction.” With the honours, Lee will become the first African American to ever receive the lifetime honours.
This was announced on Wednesday, Jan. 19. Lee will become the 36th director in history to receive this prestigious honor bestowed by the DGA for “extraordinary efforts in the art of cinema.”
“Icon. Trailblazer. Visionary. Spike Lee has changed the face of cinema, and there is no single word that encapsulates his significance to the craft of directing,’” DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement.
“From his groundbreaking `Do the Right Thing,’ `BlacKkKlansman’ and everything in-between — to his signature `double dolly’ shot — Spike is an innovator on so many levels.
“His bold and passionate storytelling over the past three decades has masterfully entertained, as it held a stark mirror to our society and culture. And while he is no stranger to huge commercial success, he is also the beating heart of independent film. Even as countless filmmakers call Spike their mentor and inspiration, he continues to devote his time to teaching future generations how to make their mark. We are thrilled to present Spike with the DGA’s highest honor.”
Past recipients of the award include Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Ridley Scott.
For over three decades, Lee has dished out some of Hollywood’s most beloved films. From Jungle Fever, 4 Little Girls, Inside Man, Malcolm X, “BlackKklansman” to many others.
Well deserved King!
