CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Writer and director James Gray will attend the Virginia Film Festival, where he will receive its Virginia Film Festival Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award.

The festival will also be screening Gray’s new film “Paper Tiger,” starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller. The screening will be followed by an in-person conversation with Gray and his longtime composer, Christopher Spielman.

“‘Paper Tiger’ is both an exhilarating new chapter in James Gray’s career and a powerful return to the New York terrain he has explored with such depth and specificity,” VAFF Executive Director Jody Kielbasa said in the festival’s release. “This honor gives our audience a rare opportunity to hear directly from a master filmmaker about his process, his influences, and the personal vision behind one of the year’s most anticipated films.”

Gray made his directorial debut in 1994 at age 25 with the film “Little Odessa,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Since then, his subsequent work, including films like “The Immigrant,” “The Lost City of Z,” and “Ad Astra,” have been selected repeatedly for other top film festivals like Venice, as well as Cannes and New York.

His latest film, “Paper Tiger,” is a crime drama set in New York City in the 1980s. Gray was born in the city and raised in Queens and has used his native city as a setting before in his work.

“Paper Tiger is both an exhilarating new chapter in James Gray’s career and a powerful return to the New York terrain he has explored with such depth and specificity,” VAFF Executive Director Jody Kielbasa said in the release. “This honor gives our audience a rare opportunity to hear directly from a master filmmaker about his process, his influences, and the personal vision behind one of the year’s most anticipated films.”

The 39th annual Virginia Film Festival will take place from Oct. 21-25 and will also honor actor Nathan Lane and producer Todd Black. The festival previously announced Tuesday the 10 films from Virginia filmmakers which showcased this year. The festival’s full lineup will be announced at a special event this Tuesday.