Michelle Yeoh to be honoured at Cannes

Michelle Yeoh who recently became the first Asian actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress will be presented with the 2023 Women In Motion Award at Festival de Cannes this year.

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, Director of the Festival de Cannes, have chosen this year to pay tribute to Michelle Yeoh’s exceptional career.

The Malaysian-born actress and producer has been shattering conventions for decades by portraying complex, determined women on screen. She has helped to challenge gender and age-related stereotypes in the film industry after winning the Golden Globe, the SAG Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress for her incredible performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

“We are thrilled to be honoring Michelle Yeoh, an actress who is passionately dedicated to her films and has made her mark on the industry in so many different ways, and who we had the great pleasure of welcoming to the jury of the Festival de Cannes in 2002. Throughout her career, she has relentlessly explored new possibilities – to the point where this has become her trademark for a large international audience. The awards she is receiving are simply the inevitable outcome of this exceptional journey.” Thierry Frémaux, Director of the Festival de Cannes said.

Michelle Yeoh : Globally acclaimed superstar

Michelle Yeoh rose to fame in 1990s Hong Kong action films before going on to star in a myriad of globally acclaimed blockbusters. From martial arts master to Bond Girl, Yeoh has appeared in more than 70 features and television series. Her extensive filmography showcases a collection of iconic roles, including Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 1 & 2, Rob Marshall’s Memoirs of a Geisha, Roger Spottiswoode’s Tomorrow Never Dies, Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, and Jon Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians, the highest-grossing romantic comedy in the U.S. in the past 10 years.

In 2022, Yeoh was named TIME Magazine’s “Icon of the Year” and was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations in 2016, to raise awareness and mobilize support for environmental issues.

“I am happy and proud to celebrate, along with Kering, the contribution made by women to the film industry. For the past nine years, Women In Motion has been highlighting the figures who have played a key role in changing the way women are represented in culture and the arts. Michelle Yeoh is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding examples of this commitment.” Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes said.

Women In Motion

Kering, a global Luxury group that manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry as well as Kering Eyewear places creativity at the heart of its strategy.

The group launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes in 2015 with the ambition of highlighting women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. Since its launch the program has recognized the careers and commitment of Jane Fonda (2015), Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon (2016), Isabelle Huppert (2017), Patty Jenkins (2018), Gong Li (2019), Salma Hayek (2021), and Viola Davis (2022) in its previous editions.

“Through her iconic roles, Michelle Yeoh has managed to shatter every stereotype. Together with the Festival de Cannes, we wanted to recognize her significant contribution to cinema, and her ability to inspire future generations of talent. Presenting her with the Women In Motion Award was the obvious choice.” François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering said.