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Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh has been named the Asian Filmmaker of the Year by the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), adding another prestigious honor to her celebrated four-decade career.
The festival announced on Thursday that Yeoh will receive the award during the opening ceremony of the 31st BIFF on October 6 at the Busan Cinema Center.
Presented annually since 2003, the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to Asian cinema. BIFF said Yeoh’s groundbreaking work in both Asian and international films made her a fitting recipient of the honor.
Yeoh first rose to prominence in Hong Kong action cinema with films including Yes, Madam!, Police Story 3: Supercop and Wing Chun, helping redefine women’s roles in martial arts movies. She later gained global recognition through Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Her Hollywood career reached new heights with roles in Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the Wicked films. In 2023, she became the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her acclaimed role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The Busan honor follows another major career milestone earlier this year, when Yeoh became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
As part of the tribute, Yeoh has selected a special three-film program featuring Sandiwara, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Reign of Assassins. The festival will also screen It’s My Time, her first Chinese-language feature since winning the Oscar. Directed by Bai Xue, the film stars Yeoh as a woman in her seventies who discovers an unexpected talent for competitive speedcubing.
Fresh from completing her role as Madame Morrible in Wicked: For Good, Yeoh is also set to appear in Prime Video’s upcoming series Blade Runner 2099.
The 31st Busan International Film Festival will run from October 6 to 15, with actress Kim Minha hosting the opening ceremony where Yeoh will be honored.
