Chinese actor-producer Wu Jing received MIFFest’s Excellent Achievement in Film Award and said Hong Kong action cinema continues to shape every wuxia film, including his own. Speaking after a special screening of “Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert”, he stressed that martial-arts filmmaking ultimately relies on physical performance and sincerity rather than visual effects alone.

Directed by Hong Kong action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping and adapted from Xu Xianzhe’s comic, the film was released over Lunar New Year and grossed $215 million. Wu said its 125-minute, 48-second running time contains more than 3,000 shots, and described it as a passionate attempt to preserve wuxia amid uncertainty over how younger audiences will engage with the genre.