Director Steven Spielberg, who graced this year’s screens with his autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, received a standing ovation at this year’s National Board of Review Gala. When Spielberg arrived on the stage, he was met with a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience. Spielberg spoke about the realization that he needed to confront his own story during his acceptance speech for Best Director.

The Fabelmans follows a teenage boy, Sammy, modeled after Spielberg, who is film obsessed. The movie details the disillusionment of youth as the character of Sammy Fabelman learns some troubling things about his own family and comes into his own as a filmmaker.

“My whole career in all the films I’ve directed — my job, as I have seen it — is as the accompanist and the conductor to whoever or whatever should be the center of your attention. But when it came time for me to sit down with Tony Kushner to explore the possibilities of a story that became ‘The Fabelmans,’ I realized for the first time that I couldn’t take cover behind a mothership or a T-Rex or a big mechanical shark that never worked.”

The National Board of Review Gala is yearly event has been around since 1909 and celebrates industry accomplishments. The 2022 Award Ceremony was held in New York City yesterday evening. The ceremony is not televised and is traditionally a more laid-back atmosphere for the artists and celebrities who attend, without caps on speech times or scheduled breaks. The award winners are also announced ahead of time, giving recipients plenty of time to compose their acceptance speeches.

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Actress Michelle Yeoh Honored Alongside Spielberg

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At the National Board of Review Gala, actress Michelle Yeoh was also awarded for her work in Everything Everywhere All At Once. The 60-year-old Asian actress has been working in the industry for over four decades and is only now receiving major recognition for her accomplishments.

The actress said she is the first Asian recipient to win the award in nearly 50 years. Yeoh was met with resounding applause after her comments.