'' The Grandmaster '' is a 2013 Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts drama film based on the life story of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man . The film was directed and written by Wong Kar-wai and stars Tony Leung as Ip Man . It was released on 8 January 2013 in China . It was the opening film at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2013 . The film was selected as part of the 2013 Hong Kong International Film Festival . The Weinstein Company acquired the international distribution rights for the film . The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards , making the January shortlist , but did not get the nomination . The film was nominated for Best Cinematography ( Philippe Le Sourd ) and Best Costume Design ( William Chang Suk Ping ) at the 86th Academy Awards
63rd Berlin International Film Festival
63rd Berlin International Film Festival
The Grandmaster (film)