MUMBAI: Producer-director John Woo will be honoured by the Venice International Film Festival at its next year‘s edition when he will be awarded a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.

The decision was taken by the Biennale di Venezia board chaired by Paolo Barattaa after Venice festival director Marco Mueller backed Woo for the honour.

Oganisers of the festival say that Woo was an "innovator of the contemporary language of cinema" and plan to give him the honour during the 67th edition of the film festivals that will be underway from 1 to 11 September next year.

Woo has made films like A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Bullet in the Head in the Far East and Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2, in the US.

He has also authored video games and graphic novels.