Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui is set to receive the Camellia Award at the 31st Busan International Film Festival.
Hui has played a large role in shaping the Hong Kong New Wave as a director, screenwriter, and producer. She made her directorial debut with the The Secret in 1979, and since then, she has helmed 27 feature films and two feature-length documentaries, building one of the most distinguished bodies of work in Asian cinema.
As a six-time Best Director winner at the Hong Kong Film Awards and a three-time Best Director winner at the Golden Horse Awards, Hui firmly established herself as one of the defining filmmakers of Hong Kong. She even achieved the rare feat of sweeping the Hong Kong Film Awards with Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress for Summer Snow (1995) and A Simple Life (2011).
She has since secured her place on the global scale after being recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 Asian Film Awards, the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the 2014 Busan International Film Festival, and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival.
Now, Hui is being honored with the Camellia Award at the 2026 Busan International Film Festival for her legacy as a pioneering woman filmmaker.
Hui’s career and cinematic vision is marked by compassion and humanity as she explores the complexities of Hong Kong society. With her films spanning a wide range of genres, Hui captures the everyday lives of ordinary people while weaving intimate personal stories into broader social realities. Her nuanced portrayals of women, particularly those pushed to the margins, have resonated deeply with audiences across cultures and generations.
“In my previous years I felt unwilling to receive such taking-stock prizes because I wished to continue making movies. Now that I’m nearly eighty and find it difficult to make a film, I think the prize comes just in time for me to appreciate it more.” She added, “I am so happy to return to Busan and meet an audience that is among the most savvy and cinematically literate in the world,” Hui said.
The Camellia Award is given to filmmakers who have made significant contributions to elevating the status of women in the film industry. Previous winners include Sylvia Chang and Ryo Seong-hie. This year, the award will be presented at the opening ceremony of the 31st Busan Film Festival on October 6 at Busan Cinema Center. The festival will run from October 6 to October 15.
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