Ang Lee to be awarded BAFTA Fellowship at Sunday's Film Awards

He joins an illustrious list of directors to have been honoured, with past recipients including Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

Marc Samuelson, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, described Lee as a "master of his craft" and said he was "thrilled" to present him with the honour.

"He is an incredibly versatile, daring and exceptional filmmaker who effortlessly moves between genres," said Samuelson. "His films have been truly ground-breaking both in terms of their technical expertise and for the subject matters he tackles.

"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 humanizing characters we can all relate to on an emotional level through his exceptional work."

Lee said it was "a tremendous honour" to receive the Fellowship and highlighted the positive impact that working in the UK had had on his career.

"England has been particularly good to me in my career, especially with Sense and Sensibility, which was like a second film school for me," he said.

The BAFTA Film Awards take place this weekend, with the Craft Awards handed out on Saturday 10th April and the main show following the next day.

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