Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui has been chosen as the winner of the 2014 “Asian Filmmaker of the Year” by the Busan International Film Festival, organizers said Monday.

“We selected director Ann Hui as the winner of this year’s award to show respect for her contribution to the Asian film industry and her pioneering spirit with the creation of many masterpieces that will be remembered for ages,” the film festival said in a release.

The award is given annually to an Asian filmmaker who has significantly contributed to the development of the Asian film industry and Asian culture. Past recipients include Iran’s Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Japan’s Wakamatsu Koji and Hong Kong’s Andy Lau and Tsui Hark.

Ann Hui is one of the most distinguished directors in the first new wave of Hong Kong filmmaking, which emerged on the international cinema scene during the 1980s.

Starting with “The Secret” (1979), she has directed about 20 feature films, including “The Romance of Book and Sword” (1987), “Summer Snow” (1995), “Half Life Fate” (1997) and “A Simple Life” (2011).

Her latest film, “The Golden Era,” was chosen as the closer of this year’s Venice International Film Festival.

Founded in 1996, the BIFF has grown into one of Asia’s largest film festivals. This year’s festival is scheduled for Oct. 2-11. (Yonhap)