Michelle Yeoh has another career milestone to add to her list. The Malaysian actor will be honoured as Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), in recognition of her contribution to Asian cinema and her influence on the global film industry.
The award, presented annually by BIFF, recognises an Asian film professional or organisation that has made a significant impact on the growth of Asian cinema. Previous recipients include Chow Yun Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Jafar Panahi.
For Yeoh, the honour reflects a career that has spanned four decades and crossed industries with ease. She first made her name in Hong Kong action films with Yes, Madam!, Police Story 3: Supercop and Wing Chun, helping redefine what female-led action films could look like.
She later reached international audiences through Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, before taking on a new generation of Hollywood roles in films such as Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wicked.
Her career reached another turning point with Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned Yeoh the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first Asian winner in the category. Earlier this year, she also became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The recognition from BIFF also highlights Yeoh’s long relationship with the festival. She first attended in 2002 and has returned over the years with films including Far North, Reign of Assassins, The Lady, Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy and Everything Everywhere All at Once. This year’s appearance marks her first time back on the BIFF red carpet since attending with The Lady in 2011.
As part of the festival, BIFF will present a special programme featuring three films selected by Yeoh: Reign of Assassins, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Sandiwara (2026). Her latest film, It’s My Time (2026), will also screen during the festival.
Yeoh will receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at BIFF’s opening ceremony on October 6. The festival runs until October 15 in Busan, South Korea.
