AceShowbiz - Tony Leung has been appointed as the president of the main competition jury for the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival, which is scheduled to begin on June 12, 2026. This prestigious role highlights his significant contributions to Chinese-language cinema over a prolific career spanning more than four decades.

Leung is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished actors in the region, with over 100 screen credits to his name. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with some of the most influential filmmakers in Chinese and international cinema, including Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, John Woo, Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Tran Anh Hung.

His recent experience as a festival juror includes serving as president of the main competition jury at the 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival. Notably, in 2023, he became the first Chinese actor to receive the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, underscoring his global impact and recognition.

Upon accepting the invitation to lead the jury in Shanghai, Leung shared a video message expressing his enthusiasm for the role. He described cinema as "the art of dreaming" and praised Shanghai as the platform where "the Chinese film dream set sail." He warmly invited filmmakers and audiences worldwide to join the festival, humorously adding, "I still have a few tickets left. Will you come with me?"

Leung began his career in 1982 and debuted on screen a year later. Rising through Hong Kong’s TVB network, he became a key figure in the region’s second wave and post-handover cinema. His extensive filmography serves as a comprehensive overview of Chinese-language auteur cinema over the past 40 years.

Among his notable collaborations with Wong Kar-wai are seven films, including iconic titles such as Chungking Express, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046, and The Grandmaster. He also starred in Zhang Yimou’s wuxia classic Hero, Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, John Woo’s Hard Boiled and Red Cliff, as well as Hou Hsiao-hsien’s A City of Sadness and Flowers of Shanghai. Beyond Chinese films, Leung appeared in Tran Anh Hung’s Cyclo and recently collaborated with Hungarian Oscar-winning director Ildikó Enyedi.

Several of Leung’s performances have earned critical acclaim and awards. His portrayal of the subdued Chow Mo-wan in In the Mood for Love won him the Best Actor prize at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, making him the first actor from Hong Kong to receive this honor. Other standout roles include the conflicted swordsman Broken Sword in Hero and the comedic Ouyang Feng in Jeffrey Lau’s cult film The Eagle Shooting Heroes.

His career is also marked by appearances in three films awarded Venice’s Golden Lion for Best Film: A City of Sadness (1989), Cyclo (1995), and Lust, Caution (2007), cementing his legacy in international cinema.

The Shanghai International Film Festival, established in 1993, is regarded as China’s longest-standing film event. Past jury presidents have included notable figures such as Danny Boyle, Luc Besson, Barry Levinson, Tom Hooper, John Woo, Jiang Wen, Tran Anh Hung, and Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Organizers of the festival have indicated that further jury announcements and the official lineup for the 28th edition will be revealed later this spring, promising an exciting slate of films and industry guests for 2026.