6266SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — The San Francisco Film Society announced today that Mira Nair, known for directing films such as Amelia, Words with Gods and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, will be this year’s recipient of the Irving M. Levin Directing Award.

The award is given out each year to one regarded film director in world cinema, named in memory of the society’s founder. Previous winners of the award are directors such as Guillermo del Toro; Richard Linklater; Philip Kaufman and Oliver Stone.

“Mira Nair has brilliantly bridged American and South Asian film traditions for more than 30 years, and it is a distinct pleasure to award her with the Film Society’s highest honor for directing,” said SFFS Executive Director Noah Cowan. “I can’t think of anyone who better embodies the spirit of internationalism, independence and passionate storytelling that defines our Festival, and I can’t wait to celebrate her with a screening of one of her greatest films and to get an early look at what she’s working on next.”

Nair was born and raised in Rourkela, India and received her education from Delhi and Harvard universities. Before establishing herself as a director, she was first an actress. Her narrative feature debut, Salaam Bombay!, was selected for Camera d’Or honors at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. Additionally, her film Monsoon Wedding was selected as the Golden Lion winner at the Venice Film Festival.