Celebrated Black film director awarded for ‘outstanding service to the academy’ Spike Lee— MORE THAN two decades after the release of his debut film Do The Right Thing, director Spike Lee will receive an honorary Oscar for his “outstanding work” to the film industry at this year’s ceremony. “The Board is proud to recognize our honorees’ remarkable contributions at this year’s Governors Awards,” Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said. She added that the artists were being celebrated for their “passion, dedication and a desire to make a positive difference.” Lee, a graduate of New York University’s film school, earned his first Oscar nomination for the racially-charged Do the Right Thing in 1989 and another nod for his documentary feature, 4 Little Girls. To some figures in the industry, the honor is long overdue for the … Read entire article »