The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival is set to take place from October 28 to November 6. On May 17, the festival announced that Hong Kong movie star Tony Leung Chiu-wai will serve as the chairman of the jury for this year’s competition section. Leung is the fifth Chinese film figure to take on this role, following Gong Li, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Zhang Ziyi.
Last year, Leung participated in the Tokyo Film Festival’s master class and is returning this year as the chairman of the jury. He expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am very honored to be part of this year’s Tokyo Film Festival jury. Japan is closely related to me in many ways.”
Leung shared that being a jury member at the festival holds significant meaning for him. He recalled how he started watching Japanese films from the age of 12. Growing up in Hong Kong, his exciting journeys to the cinemas fueled his increasing love for Japanese films, culture, and people.
“As the chairman of the jury, I believe this festival will be full of surprises. I hope it will be an adventurous journey with a lot of high-quality films being screened,” Leung said. He mentioned that he will rely on his “intuition” to judge the films and also trusts the opinions of the other jury members.
With a career spanning over 40 years, Leung Chiu-wai has received numerous awards, including six Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and three Taiwan Golden Horse Awards for Best Leading Actor. He holds the record for the most prestigious honors in both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards for a male actor. Leung has also starred in three films that won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and has been named Best Actor at the Asian Film Awards and Cannes Film Festival.
Leung Chiu-wai has a strong connection with the Tokyo International Film Festival. In 2000, Wong Kar-wai’s film “In the Mood for Love,” starring Leung, was specially screened at the 13th Tokyo International Film Festival. In 2008, John Woo’s “Red Cliff” made an appearance at the 21st Tokyo International Film Festival, with Leung and the cast walking the festival’s signature green carpet. Last year, the screening of “2046” and the subsequent master class marked Leung’s return to the festival after a 15-year hiatus.
Tokyo International Film Festival President Ando Hiroyasu expressed the festival’s great honor in having Leung Chiu-wai as the chairman of the jury. As a representative of Asian cinema, Leung’s involvement adds to the excitement of the festival. Hiroyasu remarked, “Leung Chiu-wai has participated in the Tokyo Film Festival multiple times and has many fans in Japan. This year’s festival will be even more spectacular.”