[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Hollywood actress Michelle Yeoh, a leading figure in Hong Kong cinema, was honored with the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the Busan International Film Festival.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival announced on the 6th that it had selected actress Michelle Ye as the recipient of the “2026 Asian Filmmaker of the Year” award. The “Asian Filmmaker of the Year” award is presented annually to an Asian filmmaker who has made significant contributions to the development of the Asian film industry and culture.
Michelle Yeoh, a Chinese-Malaysian Hollywood star, was a top star in the Chinese-speaking world active in Hong Kong during the 1980s and 1990s, but she expanded her career globally by entering Hollywood in the 2000s.
She is a trailblazer who opened new horizons for independent female characters during the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, and a one-of-a-kind actress who made history in world cinema by becoming the first Asian actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Having established her own niche by navigating both Eastern and Western film industries, she has proven her formidable presence by breaking down barriers in Hollywood through her wide acting range and bold challenges.
Having made her official screen debut in the film *Yes, Madam* (1985), she broke the mold of traditional male-dominated genres through *Police Story 3: The Rookie* (1992) and *Ying Chun Kung Fu* (1994), emerging as a singular figure in the Asian film industry. After gaining international recognition with *007: Never Die* (1997), she transcended the limitations of a non-English-language film with *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* (2000), captivating audiences and critics worldwide and cementing her status as a global star.
Since then, she has continued her active career with films such as *Crazy Rich Asians* (2018), *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* (2021), and *Wicked* (2024), and swept the Best Actress awards at major North American film awards ceremonies—including the Oscars, SAG Awards, and Golden Globes—for *Everything Everywhere All at Once* (2022). She then became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, once again etching her great achievements in the film industry into the global spotlight.
The Busan International Film Festival stated, “Her ability to capture everything on screen—from the familiar face of an ordinary person bearing the hardships of life to an aura that commands the era—has served as a creative springboard, providing endless inspiration to a new generation of filmmakers.”
Yang Zi-jing, who first connected with the Busan International Film Festival through her visit to the PPP (Busan Promotion Plan, now the Asia Project Market) in 2002, has continued her collaboration through major works such as *The Arctic* (2007), *Swordsman* (2010), *The Lady* (2011), *Ip Man: The Legend Continues* (2018)—the closing film of the 23rd Busan International Film Festival— *Everything Everywhere All at Once* (2022). This marks her first visit to Busan in 15 years, since she walked the red carpet for *The Lady* (2011).
A special program has also been organized for this year’s Busan International Film Festival. This special program will screen a total of four films—three representative works personally selected by Yang Zi-jing: *Swordsman*, *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, and *Sandiwara* (2026), along with her new film *Our Grandmother Is the Cube King* (2026)—to highlight the diverse cinematic world of actress Yang Zi-jing.
The 2026 Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award will be presented at the opening ceremony of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, to be held on October 6 at the Busan Cinema Center. The 31st Busan International Film Festival will take place from October 6 to October 15 at the Busan Cinema Center and various locations throughout Busan.