Jackie Chan will be honoured with a career achievement award

Martial arts master and actor Jackie Chan, who started Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry, then took over the world with his undeniable lifetime efforts.

The Swiss event, which celebrates indie cinema, highlighted that Chan is "beloved for his action films that connect Eastern and Western cultures."

After spending a lifetime entertaining audiences internationally with his comedy and martial arts-infused action, Chan will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival.

Global star Chan started his journey in his homeland, defining the foundations of Hong Kong's infamous martial arts cinema industry before rising like a cheeky, glazing star in Hollywood.

Although the award-winning legend has been working in cinema since the early 1970s, the popular action-comedy film Drunken Master (1978) became a major breakout role for Jackie Chan.

In a few years, Chan made his directorial debut with The Young Master (1980), followed by recruitment by Enter the Dragon producer Robert Clouse to make a film aimed at breaking him into the U.S. market.

Jackie Chan's breakthrough in Hollywood came with the release of Rumble in the Bronx in 1995, which showcased his martial arts skills and unique blend of action and comedy.

Now, 71-year-old legendary actor Chan—who was honoured with an Academy Award in 2017—and Locarno Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro officially announce the Jackie Chan career achievement award in 2025.

“Director, producer, actor, screenwriter, choreographer, singer, athlete, and daredevil stuntman, Jackie Chan is both a key figure in contemporary Asian cinema and one whose influence has rewritten the rules of Hollywood cinema,” said Locarno Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro in a statement.

The speaker praised Jackie Chan for his years at the China Drama Academy under Master Yu Jim-Yuen, his early work as a stuntman in A Touch of Zen, and his ability to continually reinvent martial arts cinema, blending pure comic talent with the lessons of Buster Keaton and early cinema to create masterpieces that have captivated global audiences.

“In cinema, there is a before Jackie Chan and an after Jackie Chan,” Nazzaro concluded.

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