The Mill Valley Film Festival will honor director James Gray with its Director Award on Monday, Oct. 5, during the festival's 49th edition.

The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a screening of Gray's new crime drama Paper Tiger, followed by a live onstage conversation between Gray and filmmaker Rian Johnson. The festival announced the award on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The honor marks Gray's return to the festival. MVFF previously recognized him with a Tribute for his 2022 film Armageddon Time, drawn from his own childhood in Queens, New York.

Paper Tiger is a crime thriller set in 1986 New York. Miles Teller plays Irwin, a naïve engineer who accepts a business proposition from his brother Gary, a former cop played by Adam Driver. When Irwin witnesses something he wasn't meant to see at the Gowanus Canal, the brothers are pulled into a confrontation with the Russian mafia. Scarlett Johansson plays Irwin's wife Hester. The film premiered in competition at Cannes to a standing ovation and is scheduled for a fall 2026 theatrical release from distributor Neon.

Gray made his directorial debut in 1994 at age 25 with Little Odessa, winning the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. His filmography includes The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers and The Immigrant, three of which starred longtime collaborator Joaquin Phoenix and all screened in competition at Cannes. Later films include The Lost City of Z and Ad Astra, the latter of which premiered in competition at Venice.

"We are thrilled to welcome James back to Mill Valley and to honor one of American cinema's most distinctive filmmakers," Rose Kuo, artistic director of the Mill Valley Film Festival, said in the announcement.

Mark Fishkin, the festival's founder and director, said Gray's stories show that an honestly rendered family can carry more weight than any blockbuster.

The MVFF Director Award recognizes filmmakers whose independent vision has left a lasting mark.

The specific venue for the Oct. 5 screening has not been announced. Ticket and program details are available at the California Film Institute's website.