Hong Kong actor Tony Leung awarded Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at 80th Venice Film Festival
KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai has become the first Chinese actor to be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 80th Venice Film Festival.
Festival director Alberto Barbera described Leung as “a charismatic performer” and a remarkable transnational career.
“Not only has Tony Leung’s roles spanned a great variety of genres, but they also have bridged television, popular culture and art-cinema at different latitudes,” Variety quoted Barbera as saying.
Leung said he was overwhelmed and honoured with the news.
“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,” he said.
According to rthk.hk, the 60-year-old has appeared in numerous films including A City of Sadness (1989), Cyclo (1995) and Lust, Caution (2007), where all three films won the Golden Lion awards at the Venice Film Festival.
Besides Leung, Italian director Liliana Cavani was also awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice festival.
The festival runs from August 30 to September 9.
