The British Film Institute has announced that Paul Greengrass is to be honoured with the BFI Fellowship prize.
The acclaimed director – who is famous for his work on ‘The Bourne’ franchise, ‘United 93’ and ‘Captain Phillips’ – will be given the highest accolade at this year’s 61st BFI London Film Festival at the event’s awards ceremony October 14.
Speaking about the award, Greengrass admitted he was "particularly touched", and added he owed the BFI "an enormous debt".
The English filmmaker said: "I’m honoured and thrilled to receive the 2017 BFI Fellowship. The BFI does an extraordinary job, leading our industry both nationally and internationally. It is a beacon of excellence, and most importantly an imaginative and committed champion of new talent. On a personal level, I’m particularly touched, as the BFI has always supported my career and Bloody Sunday was financed through the National Lottery 15 years ago. Like so many people in our industry, I owe this wonderful organisation an enormous debt."
Josh Berger CBE, Chair of the BFI, has also released a statement explaining that Greengrass, 62, had been chosen as this year’s recipient for his "powerful and courageous storytelling".
He said: "I am incredibly proud to be presenting this year’s BFI Fellowship to the talented Paul Greengrass, a director, writer and producer whose skill for storytelling is as powerful and courageous as the stories and figures he brings to life in the cinema and on the small screen.
"As a filmmaker, Paul has been a true pioneer, bringing his instinct and experience from making hard-hitting programmes, such as those for World in Action, into the world of cinema.
"His distinct ability to combine the visceral with the cerebral and offer a nuanced picture of heroism has injected a bold new realism into action thriller movies, leaving audiences around the world transfixed and eager for more."
Paul Greengrass to get BFI Fellowship
