Michelle Yeoh to receive the Toronto International Film Festival’s Groundbreaker Award

Michelle Yeoh will receive the inaugural TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star will be honored during the TIFF Tribute Awards, presented by BVLGARI, on Sept. 11 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The event serves as a fundraising gala to support TIFF’s Every Story fund, which aims to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in film.

“Michelle Yeoh is the definition of groundbreaking,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement. “Her screen work has spanned continents, genres and decades. This year she delivered a performance in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ that shows her limitless abilities. We’re so proud to honor her with the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award.”

The award goes to women leaders within the film industry who have made a positive impact for other women throughout their career. It stems from the TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative, which the organization launched to address gender parity, champion women within the industry and forge paths for women to succeed.

Yeoh has taken on a number of diverse roles throughout her over 40-year career, which began in Hong Kong’s film industry. It was in the ’90s that the Malaysian actor rose to international stardom after appearing in films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies.” Yeoh most recently led A24’s critically acclaimed “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which became a monumental success for the studio as its first film to reach $100 million at the box office.

Earlier this month, Yeoh became the first Asian artist to receive an honorary doctorate of fine arts degree from the American Film Institute (AFI) “for contributions of distinction to the art of the moving image.”

It was also announced recently that Yeoh will receive the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film from the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Dec. 9. She will be the first to receive the award since the passing of its namesake in 2020.

“Eternals” director Chloé Zhao is among several renowned recipients of the TIFF Tribute Awards — others including Jessica Chastain, Roger Deakins, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Joaquin Phoenix and Taika Waititi.

Featured Image via A24

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