Hong Kong New Wave Pioneer Ann Hui to Receive Kerala Film Festival Honor

Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), adding to her impressive collection of career recognitions that includes the Venice Film Festival’s career Golden Lion.

The award, which comes with a cash prize of INR1 million ($12,000), a sculpture, and a citation, will be presented by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the festival’s opening ceremony on Dec. 13 at state capital Thiruvananthapuram’s Nishagandhi Auditorium.

More from Variety

• Goa Gleanings: Takeaways From the International Film Festival of India and Film Bazaar

• India-Australia Film Ties Strengthen, Nations Eye Co-Production Opportunities at Film Bazaar

• Aboriginal-Indian Film 'Bidjara Kumari' Unveiled at Film Bazaar (EXCLUSIVE)

Hui, 77, stands as a pivotal figure in Asian cinema, particularly known for her contributions to the Hong Kong New Wave movement. Her five-decade career has consistently focused on social issues, with particular attention to women’s experiences in Hong Kong society. Her work examines themes ranging from gender discrimination to the cultural shifts surrounding Hong Kong’s transition from British colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty.

Born in Anshan, China in 1947, Hui relocated to Hong Kong in 1952. After earning her Master’s in English Literature from the University of Hong Kong and completing studies at the London Film School in 1975, she began her directorial career at Television Broadcasts Limited. Her 1979 debut feature “The Secret” launched a career that would span 26 feature films, two documentaries, and numerous short films.

Hui’s films have regularly featured at major international festivals. “Boat People” (1982) and “Song of the Exile” (1990) screened at Cannes, while “Summer Snow” (1995) and “Ordinary Heroes” (1999) played Berlin. Her more recent works “A Simple Life” (2011) and “The Golden Era” (2014) premiered at Venice. She holds the distinction of being the only filmmaker to win the Hong Kong Film Awards’ Best Director prize six times.

IFFK will screen five of Hui’s films during the festival, which runs Dec. 13-20: “July Rhapsody,” “Boat People,” “Eighteen Springs,” “A Simple Life,” and “The Postmodern Life of My Aunt.”

Previous recipients of IFFK’s Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 2009, include Mrinal Sen, Werner Herzog, Carlos Saura, Marco Bellocchio, Jean-Luc Godard, Krzysztof Zanussi and Bela Tarr.

Hui’s career honors include the 2020 Venice Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, the 1997 Berlinale Camera Award, the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the 2014 Busan Film Festival, and the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Asian Film Festival.

Best of Variety

• New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 

• What's Coming to Disney+ in December 2024

• What's Coming to Netflix in December 2024

Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.