A special honour for Michelle

Oscar winning actress named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at 31st Busan International Film Festival 

Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh has been named the Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), an annual honour that recognises an Asian film professional or organisation for exceptional contributions to the advancement of Asian cinema, according to Variety. 

According to Variety, Yeoh will receive the award during the festival’s opening ceremony on October 6 at the Busan Cinema Centre. The ceremony will be hosted by Pachinko star Kim Minha.

Yeoh began her screen career in Hong Kong action cinema with Yes, Madam! (1985), followed by acclaimed performances in Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) and Wing Chun (1994), helping redefine the image of the action heroine on screen.

She later gained international recognition with the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which became a global critical and commercial success. Her recent credits include Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Wicked (2024) and Star Trek: Section 31 (2025).

Her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once made history as she became the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. The role also earned her honours at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Earlier this year, she became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.