Tony Leung Chiu-wai honored with handprint at 2022 Busan Film Festival

Tony Leung Chiu-wai was chosen as the Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival, where he greeted fans, and cemented both his handprint and signature on Oct. 7 at the Busan Cinema Center. Leung’s career was also feted by an onsite exhibit sponsored by GENESIS cars and a six-film retrospective with screenings taking place throughout most of the 10-day festival. The gift shop even featured barely advertised, limited-edition box sets commemorating the actor through photo cards, posters and a pin. (Limited to 150 boxes a day, the Festival somehow sold out midway through, having to take pre-orders for future delivery due to – in their words – “explosive interest.”)

Currently filmmaker handprints are on display outdoors in downtown Nampo at BIFF Square and indoors at one of the Busan Cinema Center buildings. Past honorees include directors Tsui Hark, Shin Sang-ok and Edward Yang; actors Willem Dafoe and Nastassja Kinski; and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.