Hong Kong star Tony Leung to become first Chinese actor to receive lifetime achievement award at Venice Film Festival

HONG KONG — Hong Kong star Tony Leung Chiu-wai will become the first Chinese actor to be honoured with a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 80th Venice Film Festival.

“I am overwhelmed and honoured with the news from the Biennale di Venezia. I hope to celebrate this award with all the filmmakers I have worked with. This award is a tribute to all of them as well,” the 60-year-old veteran performer said.

The announcement was made on Monday, in the lead-up to this year’s Venice Film Festival, which will run from Aug 30 to Sept 9.

Earlier this month, Leung won best actor at the Asian Film Awards for his role in crime thriller Where the Wind Blows and also took home a special contribution prize.

The screen legend has appeared in numerous films over the past decades, including A City of Sadness (1989), Cyclo (1995), and Lust, Caution (2007), all of which have won Golden Lion awards at the festival.

Leung has also starred in films such as In the Mood for Love (2000), Chungking Express (1994), Infernal Affairs (2002), and recent Marvel title Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

The historic win came two weeks after Michelle Yeoh, who built her movie career in Hong Kong, became the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for best actress for her role in the 2022 sci-fi action film Everything Everywhere All At Once.

In a statement on Monday (March 27), Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung expressed his excitement at Leung’s achievement.

“As a household name in Hong Kong, Leung started his career in Hong Kong’s television industry before advancing to the big screen,” he said.

“Leung’s exquisite acting skills had earned him many awards and brought him onto the global stage with flying colours.”

The minister also praised the star’s acting skills and the cultural richness of Hong Kong, saying Leung’s endless pursuit of a higher level of artistic performance over the past few decades was exemplary.

He added that Hong Kong movies and filmmakers had gained worldwide recognition by winning a number of international awards in recent years.

Mr Yeung also said the government and the Hong Kong Film Development Council would continue to provide support on various fronts and push for the industry’s sustainable development.

Italian director Liliana Cavani will also receive a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during this year’s Venice Film Festival, with event director Alberto Barbera describing him as “one of the most emblematic protagonists of the New Italian Cinema of the 1960s, whose work has spanned over sixty years of show business history”. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST