Malaysian actor Michelle Yeoh on Oct. 7 poses at a news conference for her acceptance of the Busan International Film Festival's (BIFF) Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at BIFF Hill of Busan Cinema Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District. Her new film "It's My Time" is being screened at the event. (Xu Aiying)

By Xu Aiying

Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh has returned to Busan for the first time in 15 years.

After receiving the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the Malaysian expressed her deep respect and congratulations to Korean cinema and filmmakers.

At a news conference for her on the morning of Oct. 7 at BIFF Hill of Busan Cinema Center in the city's Haeundae-gu District, she said, "I remember when I arrived two or three days ago, there was a double rainbow, so thank you for the double happiness and good wishes.

Making her screen debut in the action film "Yes, Madam" (1985), Yeoh broke barriers for movies not in English with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"(2000), which achieved both box-office success and critical acclaim worldwide.

Her performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022) made her the first Asian to earn the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2023. Earlier this year, she became the first Asian woman to receive the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival of Germany.

"I think like the Busan International Film Festival, we have come a long way. We both started here in Asia with intentions of hoping to be global, to share our films, our culture with the rest of the world," she said. "I hope in some small way, we have attained this and thank you for this beautiful honor, because I think that is your way of letting me know that I have achieved a little bit of that."

Yeoh also expressed her fondness for Korean films and actors.

"The latest (Korean film) I am really looking forward to is 'Possible Love' by director Lee Chang-dong. I would love to work with director Park (Chan-wook), director Bong (Joon-ho)," she said. "I hope I have the privilege of working more in Korea because I am a big fan of K-pop, K-drama, Korean food and especially the Korean people."

Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh on Oct. 6 makes her acceptance speech after receiving the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at the opening ceremony of this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) at Busan Cinema Center in Busan's Haeundae-gu District. (BIFF)

On Oct. 6, she accepted the BIFF award for Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the opening ceremony. The honor goes to an Asian who has made major contributions to the development of the continent's film industry and culture.

In her acceptance speech, Yeoh said receiving the award was an honor and said the way Asian films, "our stories," are conveyed throughout cultures and borders deeply meaningful. She also congratulated BIFF on its achievements, having started as a festival and going on to grab global recognition to prove the strong presence of Asian cinema.

Yeoh's ties with Busan go back 24 years. She first visited the city in 2002 through the Pusan Promotion Plan, now the Asian Project Market, and has since continued to present her films at BIFF. Over that time, the festival has evolved into a global platform connecting Asian cinema and filmmakers with global audiences.

This year's BIFF also features a program dedicated to Yeoh involving the screenings of four of her films that she selected: "Reign Of Assassins" (2010), "Everything Everywhere All at Once," the short "Sandiwara" (2026) and her latest "It's My Time" (2026).

xuaiy@korea.kr