TIFF47: Michelle Yeoh to receive inaugural Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award at Toronto International Film Festival

Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, announced today that celebrated actor Michelle Yeoh will receive the inaugural TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award presented by BVLGARI. The TIFF Tribute Awards presented by BVLGARI will return to an in-person gala fundraiser during the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 11 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

“Michelle Yeoh is the definition of groundbreaking,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “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.”

Spanning a nearly 40-year career, Yeoh is one of the most accomplished and versatile actors in the world. She has broken barriers and inspired generations of audiences with her performances, including her most recent lead role in the hit Everything Everywhere All at Once, as well as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Crazy Rich Asians, among others. Everything Everywhere All at Once is distributed by Elevation Pictures in Canada.

“BVLGARI has a long history of championing women, in front of and behind the camera, in the cinematic arts. Supporting this TIFF Tribute Award is a continuation of this legacy of cultivating future talent and their groundbreaking work that enriches the world we live in,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO, BVLGARI Group. “We are thrilled to play such an integral role in the future of women in cinema.”

The TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award is presented by BVLGARI and recognizes a woman who is a leader in the film industry and has made a positive impact for women throughout their career. The inaugural award is inspired by TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative, which was created to address gender parity in the film industry, to champion women at every stage of their creative journey, and to shine a spotlight on women creators making a significant difference in the industry.

Yeoh joins the recently announced list of 2022 TIFF Tribute Award honorees, including Academy Award–winning Icelandic artist and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, who will be honored with the TIFF Variety Artisan Award; Award-winning Welsh Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Sally El Hosaini, who will be honored with the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM, acclaimed actor Brendan Fraser, recipient of the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance presented by IMDbPro; Academy Award–winning filmmaker Sam Mendes, who will be honored with the TIFF Ebert Director Award; and the ensemble of My Policeman, who will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance presented by Polestar. More information on the 2022 TIFF Tribute Awards event and this year’s honorees will follow in the coming weeks.

The TIFF Tribute Awards have served as an awards-season bellwether, with past honorees such as Jessica Chastain, Roger Deakins, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Joaquin Phoenix, Taika Waititi, and Chloé Zhao going on to win awards on the international stage. The TIFF Tribute Awards honor the film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements, recognizing leading industry members, acting talent, directorial expertise, new talent, and a below-the-line artist and creator. The Awards event also serves as TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser to support TIFF’s Every Story fund, which promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in film and TIFF’s core mission to transform the way people see the world through film.

Launched in 2017, and now a permanent initiative as part of TIFF’s broader Every Story fund, Share Her Journey is TIFF’s commitment to address gender parity by broadening opportunities for women at every stage of their careers. To date, TIFF has raised more than $3 million to provide direct support to women along their creative journeys, from inspiration to a finished product showcased on TIFF platforms.