Renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui is set to be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).
The award will be presented during the festival’s opening ceremony on December 13, held at the Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The honor includes a cash prize of ₹10 lakh (about $12,000), a sculpture, and a citation, and will be presented by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Ann Hui, now 77, is considered a leading voice in Asian cinema. She played a significant role in the Hong Kong New Wave movement, a groundbreaking phase in Hong Kong cinema during the late 1970s and 1980s.
Over her career of more than five decades, Hui’s films have often explored complex social issues, especially the experiences of women in Hong Kong society. From tackling topics like gender discrimination to reflecting on Hong Kong’s cultural identity after its return from British to Chinese rule, Hui’s works have had a profound impact.
Born in Anshan, China, in 1947, Hui moved to Hong Kong in 1952. She later studied English literature at the University of Hong Kong before completing her training at the London Film School in 1975.
Hui began her career at Television Broadcasts Limited and directed her first feature film, The Secret, in 1979. This marked the beginning of an illustrious career that includes 26 feature films, two documentaries, and numerous short films.
Hui’s films have been celebrated at major international film festivals. Notable works like Boat People (1982) and Song of the Exile (1990) were screened at Cannes, while Summer Snow (1995) and Ordinary Heroes (1999) made it to Berlin.
More recently, her films A Simple Life (2011) and The Golden Era (2014) premiered at Venice. She is the only director to win the Hong Kong Film Awards’ Best Director prize six times, cementing her status as one of the region’s most respected filmmakers.
At IFFK, five of Hui’s films will be showcased: July Rhapsody, Boat People, Eighteen Springs, A Simple Life, and The Postmodern Life of My Aunt.
This isn’t the first major recognition for Hui. She previously received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2020, the Berlinale Camera Award in 1997, and the Asian Filmmaker of the Year title at the 2014 Busan Film Festival, among others.
IFFK’s Lifetime Achievement Award has been given to iconic filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard, Werner Herzog, and Bela Tarr in the past. With this latest honor, Hui joins a distinguished list of global cinema legends.
