Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah will be honoured with a special tribute award at one of the top film festivals in the world next month for his “multifaceted” talent and “impressive” body of work spanning decades.
Cultural minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung congratulated Lau on Thursday for earning the “well-deserved” title at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Andy Lau has made great contributions to Hong Kong films and music,” Yeung said. “Apart from showcasing Hong Kong’s cultural soft power, Lau, who demonstrates a responsible and professional work attitude, is also a role model for young people.”
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According to festival organisers, Lau will receive the award on September 15 at the world premiere of his latest film The Movie Emperor.
“An industry icon and multifaceted artist with an impressive filmography, Lau has paved the way for a generation of performers,” said festival chief executive officer Cameron Bailey.
The festival will also honour two-time Oscar-nominated Polish cinematographer Lukasz Zal and Brazilian filmmaker Carolina Markowicz, who will be presented with the variety artisan award and the emerging talent award respectively.
‘I am not Jackie Chan’: actor Lau Ching-wan on Hollywood dreams, his roles
Described by the festival as “a leading figure in Asian cinema for the past four decades”, Lau began his career in the 1980s as a TVB actor and has appeared in more than 160 films.
He gained acclaim for his performances in such films as Ann Hui’s Boat People (1982), Wong Kar Wai’s As Tears Go By (1988) and the Infernal Affairs trilogy by directors Andrew Lau Wai-keung and Alan Mak Siu-fai.
Lau was nominated 13 times for best actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards and won three times. He also received the Asian filmmaker of the year award at the 2006 Busan International Film Festival.
He also conquered the music charts, becoming known as one of the “four heavenly kings of Cantopop”.
Andy Lau, Hong Kong star, on a ‘good enough’ career without trying Hollywood
In an interview with the Post in 2001, Lau spoke about his rise to fame, saying: “I’m a very lucky guy. Not a lot of people can have their lives so much in tandem with the changes around us.
“I have the ability and I work hard, but the same goes for a lot of other people. It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time.”
The 48th edition of the festival will take place from September 7 to 17.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau hoping to rearrange cancelled concerts but fans will have to wait for a year
- 11 suspected mainland Chinese scalpers arrested in Hong Kong for trying to sell tickets to Canto-pop legend Andy Lau concert at up to 6½ times face value
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