Michelle Yeoh to Be Celebrated at Cannes Film Festival With Kering’s Women in Motion Award
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On the heels of her Oscar victory with “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” the inspiring Michelle Yeoh will be celebrated by Kering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where she will receive the 2023 Women In Motion Award.
The ceremony will be held in Cannes during the glamorous Women In Motion dinner which is dedicated to honoring women in cinema. Yeoh was chosen as this year’s honoree by François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, and Iris Knobloch, the new president of the Cannes Film Festival, as well Thierry Frémaux, Cannes Festival’s director.
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The dinner is part of the pioneering Women in Motion program, launched in 2015 during the Festival to highlight the creativity and contribution made by women in the world of culture and the arts.
Yeoh, who was born in Malaysia, has become a revered actor and producer known for portraying complex and fearless women on screen. She has also helped to challenge gender and age-related stereotypes in the film industry. She just won an Academy Award for her multi-faceted performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” becoming the first Asian actor to win an Oscar in this category. She also scooped a Golden Globe and a SAG award.
In her acceptance speech, which proved to be a highlight of the Oscar ceremony, Yeoh touched on issues such as diversity, racism and ageism. “I believe that times are changing. There is much more inclusivity. There is more diversity. Look at me. I’ve been in this business for 40 years and I finally get to be number one on the call sheet,” Yeoh said, sparking a long ovation.
“It just shows that if you believe in yourself, if you believe, and you have passion in what you do, you don’t give up,” she continued. In a playful nod to some of her film credits, Yeoh concluded by saying “Whatever that glass ceiling was, we just ninja-kicked it out, we shattered it… We are at a crossroads. Change has already begun.”
Previous Women in Motion honorees include Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Isabelle Huppert, Patty Jenkins, Gong Li and Salma Hayek.
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