
Leading Hong Kong actor Tony Leung has been set as the president of the jury that will decide the main competition prizes at the Tokyo International Film Festival later this year.
“Japan is close to my heart in more ways than one. And to be involved in celebrating film in this way, is a big deal for me. From the age of 12, growing up in Hong Kong, I remember going to see all the classic Japanese movies from that time. These exciting trips to the cinema were the start of a great love affair between Japanese film, people and its culture for me, that has just grown and grown. I’m already expecting the festival to be full of surprises and a lot of fun to preside over, I’m sure. What I hope is that it will be a bit of an adventure, with an audacious line up of quality films. I just, ‘feel’, when it comes to judging, trusting fellow jurors’ feelings as well as my own, will make a positive contribution to the selection process,” said Leung, in a prepared statement.
Related Stories

‘Until Dawn,’ ‘Silent Hill 2’ Remakes Show Relevancy of Retreading IP

'9-1-1: Lone Star' Chief on Married Tarlos, Writing Grace Off and Plans for Series Finale Emergency: 'We're Going "Last of Us" With a Little "Chernobyl"'
The star, also known as Leung Chiu-wai, attended the festival last year where he gave a master class and attended the screening of classic Wong Kar-wai film “2046.”
Popular on Variety
He previously visited in 2000, when another Wong film “In the Mood for Love” was shown in the festival’s special screening section. He returned with 2008 John Woo film “Red Cliff: Part 1.”
Leung has an extensive list of awards throughout a career that began in the 1980s at Hong Kong’s TVB. He gained international recognition for collaborations with Wong, with whom he has worked on seven films.
He also appeared in three films that won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival: 1989’s “A City of Sadness,” directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien; 1995’s “Cyclo,” directed by Tran Anh Hung; and 2007’s “Lust, Caution” by director Ang Lee. And in 2023, the festival presented him with a lifetime achievement award.
Leung also starred in the Academy Award-nominated film “Hero,” box office hits “Infernal Affairs” and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Among his next projects, he is expected to join the cast of Ildiko Enyedi’s “Silent Friend.”
“We are very pleased and deeply honored that Mr. Tony Leung will be serving as jury president for the international competition at a time when [the Tokyo festival] is enhancing its presence as a leading film festival in Asia. Mr. Leung, who has an illustrious career as one of the world’s most critically lauded and internationally admired Asian actors, has participated in [Tokyo] several times in the past and has many fans in Japan. He will be a great addition to this year’s festival,” said festival chairman Ando Hiroyasu.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
Nicole Kidman Unable to Accept Venice Acting Prize in Person Due to Mother’s Death: ‘My Heart Is Broken’
How Celebrity Reps Are Fighting the Flood of Unauthorized AI Content
Disney vs. DirecTV Is a Different Kind of Carriage Battle
Most Popular
Luke Bryan Reacts to Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Snub: ‘If You’re Gonna Make Country Albums, Come Into Our World and Be Country With…
Donald Glover Cancels 2024 Childish Gambino Tour Dates After Hospitalization: ‘I Have Surgery Scheduled and Need Time Out to Heal’
‘Joker 2’ Ending: Was That a ‘Dark Knight’ Connection? Explaining What’s Next for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker
‘Love Is Blind' Creator Reveals Why They Didn’t Follow Leo and Brittany After Pods, if They'll Be at Reunion (EXCLUSIVE)
Rosie O'Donnell on Becoming a 'Big Sister' to the Menendez Brothers, Believes They Could Be Released From Prison in the ‘Next 30 Days’
‘That ’90s Show’ Canceled After Two Seasons on Netflix, Kurtwood Smith Says: ‘We Will Shop the Show’
Have We Reached Ryan Murphy Overload?
Dakota Fanning Got Asked ‘Super-Inappropriate Questions’ as a Child Actor Like ‘How Could You Have Any Friends?’ and Can ‘You Avoid Being a Tabloid…
Why Critically Panned ‘Joker 2’ Could Still Be in the Awards Race for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Coldplay’s Chris Martin Says Playing With Michael J. Fox at Glastonbury Was ‘So Trippy’: ‘Like Being 7 and Being in Heaven…
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46tpqexXaGytrrGZquoo6mkeqe1y6Zkn52jqba3rctmoa6qqWK9s7HSopuepqRifnN%2FlWlncGlnZnw%3D