British director Ken Loach is to be honoured for his moviemaking achievements at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival in Germany.

Loach will be presented with the event's famous Golden Bear lifetime achievement prize during the 2014 Berlinale festivities in February (14), and the ceremony will include a screening of his 1993 film Raining Stones.

Festival Director Dieter Kosslick, says, "Ken Loach is one of Europe's great directors. Over his almost 50-year career, he has shown an extraordinary degree of continuity, while remaining innovative at all times... We are honouring Ken Loach as a director and greatly admire him for how he reflects on social injustices with humour in his films."

Loach follows in the footsteps of other winners, including actress Meryl Streep, Kirk Douglas and Shirley MACLaine.