Michelle Yeoh has been named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), an annual honor recognizing an Asian film professional or organization for exceptional contributions to the advancement of Asian cinema.
Yeoh made her screen debut in Hong Kong action cinema with “Yes, Madam!” in 1985, followed by “Police Story 3: Supercop” in 1992 and “Wing Chun” in 1994, helping redefine what an action heroine could be on screen. She broke through internationally with “Tomorrow Never Dies” in 1997 and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in 2000, the latter a rare non-English-language title to land both box-office success and critical acclaim worldwide. Her later credits include “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018), “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021) and “Wicked” (2024), before her turn in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022) made her the first Asian performer to claim the Academy Award for lead actress, an awards run that also carried her to victories at both the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. Earlier this year, she also became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Yeoh’s ties to BIFF stretch back to 2002, when she attended the festival for the Pusan Promotion Plan, the precursor to today’s Asian Project Market. She has returned to Busan multiple times since, with screenings including “Far North” (2007), “Reign of Assassins” (2010), “The Lady” (2011), “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” (2018), which closed the festival’s 23rd edition, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022). This year’s appearance marks her first time back on the BIFF red carpet since she attended with “The Lady” in 2011.
BIFF will mark the occasion with a Special Program in Focus featuring three titles Yeoh selected herself: “Reign of Assassins,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Sandiwara” (2026). Her latest feature, “It’s My Time” (2026), will screen as well, rounding out a retrospective built around her career.
The Asian Filmmaker of the Year will be presented during the festival’s opening ceremony, hosted by “Pachinko” star Kim Minha, set for Oct. 6 at Busan’s Cinema Center venue. First established at BIFF’s eighth edition in 2003, the award has previously gone to Jafar Panahi in 2025, Kurosawa Kiyoshi in 2024, Chow Yun Fat in 2023 and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung in 2022.
Born in Malaysia in 1962, Yeoh has continued expanding her range on the global stage in recent years, with credits including “A Haunting in Venice” (2023), “Wicked” (2024) and “Star Trek: Section 31” (2025).
The 31st Busan International Film Festival runs Oct. 6-15 at the Busan Cinema Center and venues throughout Busan, with the 21st Asian Contents & Film Market held Oct. 10-13.
