Danny Boyle, the Oscar Award winning director has been awarded a British Film Institute (BFI) Fellowship award. The “Slumdog Millionaire” director was presented with the prize at the BFI London Film Festival Awards.

Boyle whose Mother hails from Co. Galway said it was a great accolade and paid tribute to all the people he has worked with during his career.

"It's obviously a wonderful honor really. I know everybody says this, but it's also true - in films especially - that it's a tribute to all the people you've worked with over the years, made the films what they are.

"It's lovely that our films - and I always call them our films, the people who made them - it's lovely that our films have been distinguished in this way. I'm a figurehead and that's great and it's a great honour, but it's lovely that the kind of films we make have been held up by the BFI as being perhaps something people can aspire to and certainly better," he added.

Stephen Daldry presented Boyle with the award whose films include “28 Days later”, “Trainspotting” and “Shallow Grave”.

The British director's latest film 127 days will be screened at the festival's closing night gala.