LYON, FRANCE - Director of In The Mood For Love Wong Kar Wai won the Lumiere Award on Friday (Oct 20) evening.

The 59-year-old film-maker is the first Hong Kong director to earn the coveted award.

According to the South China Morning Post, Mr Wong was awarded the accolade for "his unclassifiable films" and "for all that is glorious and lingering in his work".

The father of one dedicated his award to his wife Esther, who he referred to as his muse, reported Radio France International.

In an interview with Variety, Mr Wong shared that his love for cinematography began as a child, when his mother took him to the cinema frequently.

They watched a variety of films from local productions to Hollywood and even French films.

Celebrated French actress Catherine Deneuve won the award in 2016.

Previous recipients of the award include American actor and director Clint Eastwood and director Martin Scorsese.