[Mohammad Rasoulof (President of the Jury)]

Since its debut at the 1st Busan International Film Festival, the New Currents section has been the festival’s key competitive section, dedicated to presenting the first or second feature films of emerging Asian filmmakers. This section has provided the opportunity to discover diverse and promising talent, showcasing original and experimental takes, and has led a new generation from across the Asian film industry.

This year, the New Currents Award jury members include five internationally acclaimed film professionals from Korea, Asia, and Europe, with Mohammad Rasoulof appointed president. The jurors will support the present of emerging Asian directors, and each of the two winning films will receive a prize of 30,000 USD.

Mohammad Rasoulof, appointed as president of the jury for the New Currents section at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, is a prominent Iranian who has faced severe oppression from the Iranian government for his works. His film, A Man of Integrity (2017), won Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival 2017, after which the Iranian government confiscated his passport. In 2020, Rasoulof’s film There Is No Evil (2020) won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, but the Iranian government prohibited him from attending. After serving a prison sentence in 2022 for criticizing the government, he was sentenced to an additional eight years during the production of The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) for allegedly threatening national security. During the Cannes Film Festival 2024, Rasoulof made headlines for escaping Iran and seeking asylum in Europe. He won a Jury Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2024 for his film The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024).

As the jury for the New Currents Award, Rasoulof will be joined by four significant figures in global cinema. Director Lee Myung Se, best known for his innovative and stylish directing in the history of Korean cinema, and Zhou Dongyu, who became the youngest actor to win Best Actress at all three major Chinese film festivals with Soul Mate (2016) and Better Days (2019), have been selected as jurors. Kani Kusruti will also join the jurors; she gained recognition by winning multiple Best Actress awards at various film festivals for her performance in Biriyaani (2019) and the film Girls Will Be Girls (2024) won the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival 2024 and All We Imagine as Light (2024) won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival 2024, both of which Kani Kusruti held the leading role. Vanya Kaludjercic, currently leading the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) as a festival director and actively supporting independent filmmakers, will bring her rich experience as a jury member to this year’s Busan International Film Festival.

The 29th Busan International Film Festival will be held from Oct 2 (Wed) to Oct 11 (Fri) for ten days.

■ Mohammad RASOULOF | Iran | Director | Jury President

Mohammad Rasoulof is an independent director, writer, and producer from Iran. His film career started with documentaries and short films. His debut feature, The Twilight (2002), a docudrama, won Best Film at Fajr International Film Festival 2003 in Iran. He was made known to international audiences by his second feature, Iron Island (2005). Rasoulof has made eight feature films so far, including Goodbye (2011), Manuscripts Don't Burn (2013), and A Man of Integrity (2017), and has won several international awards, including awards at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for his film There is No Evil (2020). Although his films have been enjoyed by a wide audience abroad, none were able to be screened in Iran due to censorship. His new feature film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024), won a Jury Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival 2024.

■ LEE Myung Se | Korea | Director

Director Lee Myung Se is a prominent figure in Korean cinema. Three of his films—Gagman (1988), First Love (1993), and Nowhere to Hide (1999)—were included in the list of 100 films selected to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Korean cinema. Further notable works include Bitter and Sweet (1995), Their Last Love Affair (1996), My Love, My Bride (1990), Duellist (2005), M (2007), and more recently, I Can’t Live Without You (2017), Father is Gone (2022, part of VR project Missing Pictures), and The Killers (2024). Known for his innovative and stylish directing, Lee Myung Se continues to create films that will unfailingly captivate the audience.

■ ZHOU Dongyu | China | Actor

Zhou Dongyu, the Chinese actor, debuted with Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010), directed by Zhang Yimou, and continued her career starring in several acclaimed films, including This is Not What I Expected (2017) and Us and Them (2018). Winning Best Actress Award in the Golden Horse Award 2016 for her role in Soul Mate (2016), the Best Actress Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2020, and the Golden Rooster Award for her performance in Better Days (2019), Zhou Dongyu is the youngest person in Chinese film history to win all three prestigious awards. Zhou Dongyu's influence in the film industry is reaching further as she joined as a jury member for the competition sections of the Shanghai International Film Festival 2021 and Beijing International Film Festival 2023.

■ Kani KUSRUTI | India | Actor

Kani Kusruti was awarded Best Actress in Kerala State Film Award 2020 and the BRICS Best Actress Award at the Moscow International Film Festival 2020 for her role in Biriyaani (2019), directed by Sajin Baabu. Kusruti continued to take on diverse and challenging roles across various film industries, including Malayalam, Tamil, and French cinema. Her ability to adapt to different characters and narratives has earned her a reputation as a versatile and talented actor. Kani Kusruti is known not only for her acting but also for her activism on social and political issues, including gender equality, human rights, and more. This year, the film Girls Will Be Girls (2024) won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2024, and All We Imagine as Light (2024) won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, both of which Kani Kusruti held the main role, continuing to achieve great success in her film career.

■ Vanja KALUDJERCIC | Netherlands | Festival Director of International Film Festival Rotterdam

Vanja Kaludjercic was appointed Festival Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) as of Feb 2020, for which she drives its artistic voice, championing bold cinema and actively supporting independent filmmakers. Shaping IFFR’s curatorial approach and futureproofing the festival, Kaludjercic has a deep understanding of film curation and the industry landscape with her 20 years of experience in the international film industry. Before joining IFFR, she was Director of Acquisitions at the global streaming service MUBI and held a key role at COPRODUCTION OFFICE. Her career also includes significant positions at Les Arcs European Film Festival, the Sarajevo Film Festival, and the Netherlands Film Festival. Kaludjercic also served as a jury member at events like the Berlin International Film Festival, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Annecy, BFI London Film Festival, and many more.