Tony Leung Chiu Wai has been appointed to chair the main competition jury at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, which begins on June 12.
Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished actors in Chinese-speaking cinema, Leung has built a career spanning more than 40 years across over 100 film credits, working repeatedly with many of the region’s most beloved auteurs – names such as Wong Kar-wai, Chang Yimou, Ang Lee, Jun Woo, Hou Hsiao Hsien, and Tran Anh Hung. He is also a festival regular, with his most recent position being Jury President of the Main Competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024 – three years after becoming the first Chinese actor to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
“Cinema is the art of dreaming, and Shanghai is the very ship on which the Chinese film dream sailed,” Leung said in a video message shared upon accepting the invitation. He also extended his warm greetings and invitation to filmmakers and audiences around the world, adding: “I still have a few tickets left. Will you come with me?”
Leung entered the industry in 1982 and made his screen debut the following year, rising through Hong Kong’s TVB before becoming a staple of the region’s second wave and post-handover cinema. His filmography is a comprehensive overview of Chinese-language auteur cinema over the past four decades – including seven collaborations with Wong, including Chongqing Express, Happy together, In the mood for love, 2046 and The big teacher; Zhang Wuxia’s teacher hero; Ang Lee Desire, caution; Woo Hard boiled and Red Cliff; And he City of sadness and Shanghai flowers. Away from Chinese-speaking cinema, he starred in Tran’s Cyclo She recently worked with Hungarian Oscar winner Ildikó Ennedi.
A sampling of his most famous performances would have to include the quietly devastating Zhao Mo Wan In the mood for love – For which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, the first Hong Kong actor to do so – The conflicted swordsman in “The Broken Sword” in heroand the sage Ouyang Feng in Jeffrey Lau’s cult comedy Eagle shooting heroesamong many other things. He has also appeared in three films that were awarded the Golden Lion for Best Film in Venice: City of sadness (1989), Cyclo (1995) and Desire, caution (2007).
Founded in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival is China’s most prestigious film event. Past jury presidents include Danny Boyle, Luc Besson, Barry Levinson, Tom Hooper, John Woo, Jiang Wen, Tran Anh Hung and Jean-Jacques Annaud.
More jury and festival lineup announcements are expected to be made at SIFF later this spring.
