“So happy and so honoured to be here”: Jackie Chan on receiving the Career Leopard Award at Locarno Film Festival

The iconic actor and martial arts expert Jackie Chan has been honored with the Pardo alla Carriera, that is, the Career Leopard Award at the Locarno Film Festival 2025.

Upon receiving the award, the veteran action hero expressed his gratitude by saying:

“[I am] just so happy and so honored to be here.”

Keep reading to know more.

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Jackie Chan thanks fans and others at Locarno Film Festival

At the 78th Edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, actor Jackie Chan was honored with the prestigious Career Leopard award.

As the actor arrived on the stage, he was welcomed with applause. Chan began his speech by uttering words of good wishes in Italian, saying:

“Buona sera”

After expressing his gratitude and happiness about receiving the award, the Shanghai actor, while holding the award in his palm, called it a "very heavy, very heavy award".

With a constant warm smile on his face, Jackie Chan continued his words of gratitude by saying:

"Thank you Locarno, thank you Switzerland. Thank you everybody to give me this wonderful, sweet award."

Then, Chan proceeded to share a beautiful and poignant anecdote from his life. It was an interaction between the actor's father and him, back when he was just a young 17-year-old boy. As Jackie Chan goes back to memory lane, he narrates:

"I remember, many many years ago. One day, my father was cooking a big dinner party in the American Embassy. I have nothing to do and at that time I was around 17. I just sit in the kitchen, watch my father cooking the whole day. Then suddenly, he turned around, asked me, 'Son, I'm 60. I still can cook. Can you still fight when you're 60?'"

Back then, young Jackie Chan had no answer to the question. But today, the star martial artist has one. He continued:

"I was shocked. I don't know what to say. But now I tell you. Today I'm 71. I still can fight."

Jackie Chan ended the speech by sharing a wish. A wish for a united world, filled with love and peace. He later proceeded to pose holding the award, as he sat on one knee and made a victory hand sign with the other hand.

The Locarno Film Festival is held every year in Locarno, Switzerland. Having been in existence since 1946, the event takes place at Piazza Grande. This year, the event commenced on August 6 and will end on August 16, 2025.

The wild and massive crowd cheered for the veteran actor at the film festival. The actor expressed:

"So happy to be here".

This was followed by him extending his love to the fans with waves and making a 'heart' shape with his hands.

Jackie Chan has had a massively successful career span in the world of cinema. Some of the most famous film credits of the international star include Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978), Rumble in the Bronx (1995), Rush Hour (1998), Rob-B-Hood (2006), Karate Kid (2010), Shaolin (2011), The Foreigner (2017), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023), to name a few.

He has also directed films, such as The Fearless Hyena (1979), Project A (1983), Police Story (1985), Who Am I? (1998), CZ12 (2012), etc.

His most recently released film is the sequel, Karate Kid: Legends, where he returns as the iconic mentor Mr. Han.

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Also read: Where was Karate Kid: Legends shot?