Director Sam Mendes is going to be honored with the Special Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Director in this year’s edition of the Energa Camerimage Cinematography Film Festival. The Award named after the celebrated polish director is awarded not only to directors, actors as Edward Norton and Jessica Lange have received the prize in previous editions. Mendes is going to be present at the festival to receive the award this November in Poland.

The director’s latest film Empire of Light will be screened at the festival’s opening night and will also participate of the competition. A Q&A will be held after.

The feature is a romantic drama set in a coastal town in England during the early 1980s. It stars Olivia Colman, Michael Ward and Colin Firth. English cinematographer Roger Deakins was in charge of the photography. Empire of Light premiered at the Telluride Film festival in September and has received mixed reviews from the critics. Olivia Colman’s performance has been pointed as one of the big strengths of it.

Mendes’ career as a director include several recognized titles and awards. He is best known for 1999’s American Beauty, which got him two Academy Award as Best director and Best Picture. Mendes’ also directed Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, Road to Perdition and 1917.

Empire of Light is going to be released in theaters this December and is distributed by Searchlight Pictures.