Udine festival honors Yuen Woo-ping with lifetime award

The Far East Film Festival in Udine, one of Europe’s leading showcases of Asian cinema, will award the Golden Mulberry for lifetime achievement to director Yuen Woo-ping, who will present his new film Blades of the Guardians, selected as the closing movie of the festival’s 28th edition.

This was announced by the festival organizers, CE Report quotes ANSA.

Yuen Woo-ping, one of the most renowned figures in action cinema between Hong Kong and the international scene, has directed works such as Drunken Master, which helped launch Jackie Chan, as well as Iron Monkey and True Legend.

As an action choreographer, he worked on The Matrix Trilogy by The Wachowskis, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee, both Kill Bill films by Quentin Tarantino, and The Grandmaster by Wong Kar Wai.

Yuen Woo-ping, who recently turned 81, will be honored with a double tribute in Udine: the lifetime achievement award and the presentation of his latest film.

Blades of the Guardians, presented as a surprise closing film, is based on the award-winning manhua Biao Ren. The story follows a mercenary warrior facing desert dangers and political turmoil during the late Sui dynasty, blending elements of westerns, Chinese martial arts, and historical settings. The film was released during the Chinese New Year.