The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is pleased to announce that the internationally acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 36th TIFF, in recognition of his extraordinary career and long-standing contributions to the film industry.
 

 
Zhang Yimou, who is now 73 years old, continues to produce a diverse range of hit films and has received numerous awards at various international film festivals.
 
His latest work, Full River Red, was released during the Chinese New Year this year and achieved a historic box office success (it is currently the highest-ranking 2023 Chinese film). The film has also been selected as part of the Gala Selection section at this year’s TIFF. Zhang will take part in TIFF and will participate in a special talk session at the TIFF Lounge co-hosted by the Japan Foundation.
 
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to him at the TIFF Opening Ceremony on October 23.
 
Comment from Zhang Yimou
I am very honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award. Cinema can serve as a bridge connecting people from around the world and promote exchange and mutual understanding that transcends ethnicity and culture. There is one thing I still remember: When Kurosawa Akira received an Academy Honorary Award in 1990, I was in the audience still as a fledgling filmmaker. His words in his speech, “I have not yet grasped the essence of cinema,” are still fresh in my mind.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Tokyo International Film Festival for presenting me with this award. I would also like to thank everyone for their encouragement and support. Considering this as one starting point, I will continue my efforts to understand the essence of cinema and make great films.
 
Zhang Yimou Profile
The world-renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou began his career in 1978. After graduating in 1982 from the Beijing Film Academy, he made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1987). An outstanding representative of the Fifth Generation filmmakers, Zhang has tackled a wide range of film genres in work like The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), To Live (1994), The Road Home (1999), House of Flying Daggers (2004), The Great Wall (2016) and Cliff Walkers (2021) and has won countless awards at the world’s leading international film festivals. His latest film, Full River Red, was released in China in January 2023, and became a box office hit, earning 4.5 billion yuan.