Filmmaker Ang Lee will be awarded a Bafta Fellowship for being a “master of his craft”.
The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as Sense And Sensibility and Brokeback Mountain director will receive Bafta’s highest honour.
Life Of Pi filmmaker Lee said: “England has been particularly good to me in my career, especially with Sense And Sensibility, which was like a second film school for me.
“It’s a tremendous honour to receive the Bafta Academy Fellowship and be counted among such brilliant filmmakers.”
Previous recipients of the Fellowship include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Elizabeth Taylor and Vanessa Redgrave.
Marc Samuelson, chair of Bafta’s film committee, said that Lee “is a master of his craft”.
“He is an incredibly versatile, daring and exceptional filmmaker who effortlessly moves between genres,” he said.
“His films have been truly groundbreaking both in terms of their technical expertise and for the subject matters he tackles.”
You can watch highlights from Ang Lee's BAFTA Life in Pictures interview here https://t.co/EzlxV6lqzh
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) April 6, 2021
He added: “His pioneering work in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain and Life Of Pi and so many other titles not only showcase his technical ability and deep understanding of the filmmaking process, but also his ability to infuse every story – no matter how epic or simple – with humanising characters we can all relate to on an emotional level through his exceptional work.”
Lee first rose to prominence in the 1990s with his Father Knows Best comedy trilogy.
Sense And Sensibility, his first English language film, starred Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant.
Oscar-winning martial arts action-adventure Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was released in 2000, while Life Of Pi has been his most successful film to date.
This year’s EE Bafta Film Awards will be marked across April 10 and 11 with two shows, which will be broadcast virtually from London’s Royal Albert Hall.