(XINHUA)

Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat was granted the Outstanding Contribution Award at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 16. Chow was honored for his contribution to the Chinese film industry.

Chow, 57, is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled. In 1995, Chow first appeared in Hollywood films and his popularity has since grown in the West. His international breakthrough came after starring in Ang Lee's Kungfu movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

Chow has won three Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor and two Golden Horse Awards for Best Actor in Taiwan.