NA Hong-Jin

Na Hong-Jin captured the attention of critics and audiences alike, for his bold and meticulously crafted cinematic worlds in The Chaser (2008), The Yellow Sea (2010), and The Wailing (2016), establishing himself as one of Korea’s most distinctive filmmakers. The Wailing, in particular, earned international acclaim for its unpredictable narrative and profound exploration of existential faith, redefining the occult genre and cementing Na’s reputation on the global stage.
Expanding his creative scope, Na produced the Thai-Korean co-production The Medium (2021), a groundbreaking experiment in genre cinema that enjoyed remarkable success. He is currently in post-production on his upcoming feature Hope, starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Hoyeon, and featuring Alicia Vikander with Michael Fassbender. Balancing commercial appeal with intellectual depth, Na continues to lead viewers into multilayered realms of thought, standing as one of the most compelling and visionary voices in contemporary cinema.

Tony LEUNG Ka-fai

Tony Leung Ka-fai is an internationally acclaimed actor from Hong Kong, China. He began his film career in 1982 and won the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his first movie Reign Behind a Curtain (1983). He is also the youngest award winner in this category to date. Over the years, he has filmed nearly 200 films including Farewell China (1990), Center Stage (1991), 92 Legendary La Rose Noire (1992), Dragon Inn (1992), The Lover (1992), The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), Ashes of Time (1994), Island of Greed (1997), Jiang hu: The Triad Zone (2000), The Gua Sha Treatment (2001), Double Vision (2002), Election (2005), Bodyguards And Assassins (2009), Cold War (2012), The Taking of Tiger Mountain (2014), Cold War 2 (2016), Sons of the Neon Night (2025), The Shadow’s Edge (2025). Tony Leung Ka-fai has established a dynamic screen presence through his work across a wide range of genres, earning continued recognition and affection from audiences worldwide.

Nandita DAS

Nandita Das has acted in more than 40 feature films, including Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Bawandar (2000), with eminent filmmakers in 10 different languages. She made her directorial debut in 2008 with Firaaq, which received many accolades and appreciation, both in India and abroad. With a Master’s degree in Social Work, she uses films as a means to advocate for social justice. Das also served as the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society. In 2016, she founded Nandita Das Initiatives (NDI) through which she has co-produced her own features. Notable works include Manto (2018), presented in the Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival, and Zwigato (2022), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2011, Das was conferred the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) by the French Government. She has been on the jury at several prestigious film festivals, including twice at Cannes.

Marziyeh MESHKINY

Marziyeh Meshkiny is an acclaimed Iranian film director and screenwriter. A graduate of the Makhmalbaf Film School, she made her directorial debut with The Day I Became a Woman (2000), which won multiple awards at the Venice International Film Festival and the New Currents Award at Busan International Film Festival. Meshkiny has since directed several notable films, including Stray Dogs (2004) and The Man Who Came with the Snow (2009), and has contributed as a writer and assistant director to numerous projects within the Makhmalbaf Film House. Her work is recognized internationally for its poetic storytelling and social insight.

Kogonada

Kogonada is the writer and director of Columbus (2017), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and After Yang (2022), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He also directed Pachinko (2022) for Apple TV+. His next film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025), starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, will be released in the United States on September 19 and in Korea in October.

Yulia Evina BHARA

Yulia Evina Bhara is a producer and the founder of KawanKawan Media, a production company based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She has been involved in numerous projects, including: Solo, Solitude (2016) by Yosep Anggi Noen, which was invited to the Locarno Film Festival 2016; The Science of Fictions (2019) also by Yosep Anggi Noen, invited to Locarno 2019; You and I (2020) by Fanny Chotimah, invited to the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival; Whether The Weather Is Fine (2021) by Carlo Francisco Manatad, invited to Toronto 2021; Stone Turtle (2022) by Woo Ming Jin, invited to Locarno 2022; Autobiography (2022) by Makbul Mubarak, invited to Venice 2022; Tiger Stripes (2023) by Amanda Nell Eu, invited to Cannes Critics Week 2023; Last Shadow At The First Light (2023) by Nicole Midori Woodford, invited to San Sebastian 2023; 24 Hours With Gaspar (2023) by Yosep Anggi Noen, invited to Busan 2023; Don’t Cry, Butterfly (2024) by Duong Dieu Linh, invited to Venice Critics’ Week 2024; Tale of the Land (2024) by Loeloe Hendra, invited to Busan 2024; Renoir (2025) by Chie Hayakawa, invited to Cannes 2025 and most recently, The Fox King by Woo Ming Jin. She was named one of Variety’s Impactful International Women in 2023.

HAN Hyo-joo

Han Hyo-joo made her debut in 2005 with Nonstop 5, quickly gaining recognition with Spring Waltz (2006) and Brilliant Legacy (2009). Her notable performance in the historical drama Dong Yi (2010) earned her the Grand Prize at the MBC Drama Awards and she has since showcased her versatility across diverse genres in films such as Masquerade (2012); Cold Eyes (2013); Beauty Inside (2015); Love, Lies (2016); and The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2020). Han starred in Amazon Prime Video's Treadstone (2019), Disney+ series Moving (2023), and the Japanese Netflix original Romantic Anonymous (2025), expanding her career scope to the global stage. Han is recognized today as one of Korea’s most accomplished and representative all-around actors.

Jessica KIANG

Jessica Kiang is a film critic and festival programmer. She has written regularly for Variety, Sight & Sound, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Film Comment, Rolling Stone, MUBI and The Criterion Collection, and has contributed long-form essays to DVD/Blu-ray releases for Criterion, the BFI and Music Box Films, among others. She has served on numerous festival juries such as the Toronto International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam(IDFA), Film Fest Gent, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Taipei Film Festival and Copenhagen International Documentary Festival(CPH:DOX). She was previously the International Programmer of the Belfast Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival 2025 was her first edition as a member of the Berlinale Selection Committee.

Alexandre KOBERIDZE

Alexandre Koberidze, who studied film production and directing in Georgia and Germany, has directed several short films. His feature debut, Let the Summer Never Come Again (2017), received the Grand Prix and Best First Film Award at the Marseille International Film Festival, as well as the German Film Critics Award, gaining him significant recognition. What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? (2021) was invited to the Competition section of the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize, and the following year, it was awarded Best Feature Film by the German Film Critics Association. His latest film, Dry Leaf (2025), in which his father plays the lead role, was invited to the Competition section of the Locarno Film Festival and received a Special Mention and won the FIPRESCI Prize. In addition to his filmmaking, Koberidze actively contributes film-related writings to various media outlets.

OH Seung Uk

Born in 1963, Oh Seung Uk studied sculpture at Seoul National University. He began his film career as part of the directing team for To the Starry Island (1993), and served as the assistant director and screenwriter for Green Fish (1997). While continuing to broaden his screenwriting portfolio with films such as Christmas in August (1998) and The Uprising (1999), he made his debut as a director with Kilimanjaro (2000). He further demonstrated his versatility by contributing to the screenplay of Rikidozan: A Hero Extraordinary (2004). Notably, his directorial feature, The Shameless (2015), premiered in the Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival. With his latest work, Revolver (2024), he continues to explore his creative voice as both director and screenwriter. He is also the author of Korean Action Cinema (2003).

ITO Shiori

Ito Shiori is a journalist, author, and filmmaker based in Japan and internationally. She has covered issues of gender, justice, and human rights through both writing and visual storytelling. Her book Black Box (2021), which documents her own experience as a survivor of sexual violence and Japan’s legal system, became part of the country’s #MeToo movement and was awarded the Free Press Association of Japan’s Best Journalism Award. In 2020, she was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Before making her feature debut, Ito worked extensively as a camera operator and director on short investigative documentaries for international media. Her first feature documentary, Black Box Diaries (2024), premiered at Sundance International Film Festival in 2024 and has screened in more than 50 countries, earning nominations from the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards, and won the Peabody Award. She continues to explore the power of the camera as a tool for truth and connection.

KIM Mire

Kim Mire is an independent documentary filmmaker known for illuminating lives marginalized or obscured by systems of capital and power, leading to introspection and social change, such as We Are Workers or Not? (2003), NoGaDa (2005), Stayed Out Overnight (2009), and Sanda (2013). Numerous documentaries were co-screened at domestic and international film festivals, making a global impact: We Are Workers or Not? won top honors at the Fribourg International Film Festival, while Stayed Out Overnight was officially selected for both the Busan International Film Festival and the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. Sanda received the Best Korean Documentary Award at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. In East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front (2019), Kim delved into the roots of political violence and historical rediscovery, garnering critical acclaim for its cinematic rigor and depth. The film was honored with both the Wildflower Film Award and the Korean Association of Film Critics Award.

Basil TSIOKOS

Basil Tsiokos is a Senior Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, with a specialization in nonfiction features. He was previously the longtime Director of Programming for DOC NYC and the Nantucket Film Festival, and before that served as the Artistic and Executive Director of NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival. He has regularly served on the feature nominations committees for the Cinema Eye Honors and the International Documentary Association's IDA Awards, as well as on the advisory board for the SXSW Film Festival. He was formerly a regular contributor to IndieWire, and since 2010 has written extensively about documentaries on his blog what (not) to doc.

Ratchapoom BOONBUNCHACHOKE

Bangkok born filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke graduated from Film Department at Chulalongkorn University, and has since continued to create work from his hometown base. His short film, Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall (2020), scooped the Junior Jury Award at the Locarno International Film Festival, propelling him onto the international stage. The film subsequently screened at prestigious festivals in Torino, Nouveau Cinéma (Montreal), Bogotá, Singapore, and Glasgow, solidifying his reputation. His first feature, A Useful Ghost (2025), clinched the Grand Prize at Critics’ Week, Cannes 2025, positioning Ratchapoom as a leading voice in the new wave of Thai cinema.

BYUN Young-joo

Director Byun Young-joo first gained global recognition at major international film festivals with her acclaimed documentary trilogy on the victims of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery, known as “comfort women”: The Murmuring (1995), Habitual Sadness (1997) and My Own Breathing (1999). She went on to direct feature films including Ador (2002) and Flying Boys (2004), and won the Best Director Award at the Baeksang Awards for Helpless (2012). In 2023, she directed TV drama Black Out (2023), followed by the completion of filming for The Mantis: Original Sin (2025), set to be released in 2025.

LEE Hong-chi

Lee Hong-chi has starred in over ten critically and commercially successful films, including Long Day's Journey Into Night (2018), which was invited to Cannes; Cities of Last Things (2018), winner of the Platform Prize at Toronto; and Thanatos, Drunk (2015), recipient of the Teddy Award at Berlin. With his directorial debut Love is a Gun (2023), he earned international acclaim as a visionary filmmaker with a singular cinematic voice, receiving the Lion of the Future award at the Venice Film Festival 2023. Returning to Venice in 2025, he served on the Venice International Critics' Week jury while premiering his sophomore feature, A Dance in Vain, for which he also worked as cinematographer.

LEE Jung-eun

Lee Jung-eun has left a lasting impression on audiences with her nuanced performances in Mr. Sunshine (2018), The Light in Your Eyes (2019), and When the Camellia Blooms (2019). Her exceptional portrayal of Moon-gwang in Parasite (2019) further cemented her presence in the Korean film industry.
Building on her prolific career in theater and musicals, she has showcased remarkable versatility in films across a wide range of genres, including Okja (2017), The Book of Fish (2021), The Day I Died (2020), and My Daughter is a Zombie (2025). With continued standout performances in A Bloody Lucky Day (2023), YONDER (2022), and Juvenile Justice (2022), she has solidified her reputation as one of the irreplaceable actors in contemporary Korean cinema.

YOO Teo

Yoo Teo gained international recognition when Summer (2018) was invited to the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival. He went on to deliver notable performances across a wide range of domestic and international projects, including film Vertigo (2019) and drama series Money Game (2020), The School Nurse Files (2020), and The Recruit 2 (2025). Expanding his creative pursuits, he made his directorial debut with Log in Belgium (2021). In Past Lives (2023), his nuanced performance earned him a nomination for Leading Actor at the BAFTA Awards 2024, making him the first Korean actor to be nominated and further solidifying his global presence.

Diana ASHIMOVA

Diana Ashimova is a film producer, festival programmer, artistic director and a member of NETPAC. For a decade, she served as Head of Programming at Eurasia International Film Festival and has curated numerous film festivals in Kazakhstan and abroad. Since 2011, she has been the Artistic Director of Bastau International Festival. In 2017, she founded ‘A Team’, a production company supporting Central Asian filmmakers, with films selected and awarded by major international festivals. Since 2021, she has been a senior lecturer at Turan Film Academy. In 2023, she co-founded Central Asian Film Group and became Executive Director of Cinema Heritage International Film Festival under the patronage of UNESCO in Paris. In the following year, she became a member of the prestigious Arts-Sciences-Lettres Academic Society of France. She served as the selection committee member of the 2nd Bishkek International Film Festival and continues to champion emerging voices from the region.

BAEK Jaeho

Baek Jaeho began his career in film as an actor, making his screen debut as a royal guard in A Frozen Flower (2008). He has since broadened his work across films, theater productions, and TV dramas. As a filmmaker, his directorial features include We Will Be Ok (2015), The Goose Goes South (2018), Citizen Roh (2019), and Though the Rose Has Withered (2023). He has also contributed as a producer on films such as Santa Barbara (2014), Jane (2017), Snowball (2021), and Moments of Role (2022). In 2024, he was officially appointed as the chairman of the Association of Korean Independent Film & Video (KIFV).

TENG Lee Yein

Teng Lee Yein is a distinguished media executive with extensive leadership experience in Asia’s entertainment sector. She has held senior leadership roles including Senior Vice President at Astro Overseas Limited and its regional subsidiaries, and Executive Director at Ansat Broadcast under the Berjaya Group, where she led content strategy and market expansion. Her production portfolio includes the commercially successful 3AM horror movie & series and more than 20 award-winning short films by emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers. She is an active figure in the international festival circuit, serving as Programming Director of the Hainan Island International Film Festival and the International Film Camp at the Asian Film Awards Academy in Macau. She has also served as a juror for leading institutions such as the Busan International Film Festival and the Asian Project Market, affirming her statue as a respected voice in the global film industry.

Narendra BANDABE

Narendra Bandabe is a dynamic media professional with over two decades of experience in television journalism, film criticism, and academic leadership. A respected voice in global cinema, he is an international voter for the Golden Globe Awards from 2024 to 2026 and has served on international film festival juries, including the Cinema for Peace Dove Jury in 2025.
He was a member of the FIPRESCI Jury at the International Film Festival of Kerala 2022, evaluating notable works of international and regional cinema. As a member of FIPRESCI, he has contributed to film criticism and research, presenting papers on Asian cinema and its evolving market.
Author of the Marathi book Kubrick (2023), Bandabe has been a columnist for leading publications, championing cinematic storytelling that explores cultural and social narratives.
With expertise in film criticism, academic research, and media strategy, Bandabe continues to inspire meaningful conversations on cinema, society, and the arts.

Sofía FERRERO CÁRREGA

Sofía Ferrero Cárrega is a film critic from Argentina with a dedicated interest in Asian and Latin American cinema. Since 2022, she has served as the Artistic Director of the Al Este Film Festival in Perú. Sofía has been researching Korean cinema since 2010 and currently teaches at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in Argentina, where she lectures on film criticism, Latin American cinema, and Asian cinema and culture.

KIM Meehyun

Kim Meehyun has conducted extensive research on film screening policies and has also built a career as a film critic. Over the course of 23 years at the Korean Film Council(KOFIC), from joining as a researcher in 2001 to retiring as a Head of the Research Division in 2023, she played a pivotal role in the development of the Korean film industry. During her tenure, she led key initiatives such as the coordination of the Korea Box-office Information System(KOBIS) and the Korean Film Industry Statistical Information System. She also contributed on the implementation of support policies for arthouse cinemas and the enactment of the standard contract for the Korean film industry. Her notable publications include Korean Cinema History (2006), for which she served as chief editor, as well as Film Industry (2014), and Growth of the Korean Film Industry and Institutional Achievements of Industrial Policies (2021).

KIM Jungho

Born in 1970, Kim Jungho graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts with a degree in film. He worked on numerous productions as a screenwriter and assistant director. In 2003, he made his directorial debut with the feature film The Show. In 2010, he wrote and directed A Fresh Girl, which won the Best Picture Award at the Boston International Film Festival. He made his debut as a cinematographer in 2019 with the feature film a steel lover. In 2021, his work on A Song for My Dear earned him Best Cinematography at the South Film and Arts Academy Festival as well as the Bronze Medal for Cinematography at the Korea Gold Awards Festival.

NAM Yeonwoo

Nam Yeonwoo studied in acting at the Korea National University of Arts and has appeared in a number of works since landing his first leading role in Fatal in 2012. He wrote and directed Lost to Shame in 2016 and Jazzy Misfits in 2019. He continues to work as an actor while developing a new screenplay.

SEO Yumin

Seo Yumin has written the screenplays for feature films such as April Snow (2005), Happiness (2007), YOU CALL IT PASSION (2015), and The Last Princess (2016). She also directed the films Recalled (2021) and Secret: Untold Melody (2025).

KIM Bo-nyun

Born in Jinju in 1983, he studied film theory at the SCHOOL OF FILM, TV & MULTIMEDIA (Korea National University of Arts). He made his debut in 2009 through a film criticism contest held by Cinematheque Pusan and the Busan Film Critics Association. Since 2011, he has been working as a programmer at the Cinematheque/Seoul Art Cinema.

ROH Deok

Director Roh Deok is known for her nuanced portrayal of the human psyche and moral dilemmas across a range of genres. She won the Best Film award at Asian New Talent Awards at the Shanghai International Film Festival for Very Ordinary Couple (2012) and has since broadened her directorial spectrum through works such as The Exclusive: Beat the Devil’s Tattoo (2015), The Killers (2023), and the Netflix series Glitch (2022).

AHN Goocjin

Director Ahn Goocjin gained attention at numerous film festivals with his short films. His feature debut Alice in Earnestland (2014) left a strong impression, earning the Grand Prize at the Jeonju International Film Festival and the Best Screenplay Award at the Baeksang Awards. With his commercial feature Troll Factory (2024), the director once again demonstrated his sharp eye for capturing social realities and his strong directorial skills. Known for balancing genre experimentation with narrative sophistication, he continues to build a distinctive cinematic world of his own.

PARK Inho

A film critic. Her co-authored works include New Perspectives on 21st Century Documentary and Lee Chang-dong: Films That Never Stop Asking Questions. Currently she contributes film criticism and conducts director interviews for Critic b, a journal of film criticism published by the Busan Film Critics Association, as well as the bimonthly film criticism magazine FILO.

LEE-Dongyun

He won the Excellence Award at the criticism contest held by the 2019 Busan Film Critics Association and has been contributing as a writer for publications such as Critic b and IndieCritique. His debut feature documentary Names of Revolution (2021) was officially invited to the 26th Busan International Film Festival, and he went on to direct Giants ‘Til I Die (2022), a film about the Lotte Giants baseball team.

LEE Ha-neal

In 2022, she won an award at the criticism contest held by the Busan Film Critics Association (BFCA) for the essay Mutating Characters and the World You Can’t Return to, a director study on Park Chan-wook. She contributes film criticism to various publications, including Critic b, published by the BFCA.

CHANG Yeongyeop

Chang Yeongyeop is the CEO of leading film media company CINE21. Following her tenure as reporter and editor-in-chief of CINE21, the weekly film magazine celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, she continues documenting Korean cinema’s evolution as its publisher. She has served on juries at major film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival and Jeonju International Film Festival, supporting emerging filmmakers. In 2025, she oversaw the 21st Mise-en-Scène Short Film Festival, successfully reviving it after a four-year hiatus, and continues to play a vital role as a bridge between creators, audiences, and the film industry. She has also co-authored the books Filmmakers on Filmmakers and What Will Be Of Cinema?

SONG Hyeongguk

After joining The Kyunghyang Shinmun in 2001, Song Hyeongguk worked across social affairs, culture, and economics desks before transitioning to KBS in 2007. There, he investigated for and directed 12 documentaries through social affairs, economics, culture, and current affairs departments. He currently serves as a co-investigator at Seoul National University HK Research Center for Contemporary Korean Studies, a voting member of the Golden Globe Awards, and a board member of the Youth Culture and Arts Foundation “Today to Tomorrow.” In 2013, he won the top prize in CINE21’s film review contest. His notable works include the documentaries Algorithmic Humanity (2023, Korean Broadcasting Prizes Best Program Award), AI and Human Salaries (2021, Citation from the Ministry of Science and ICT), The Hate Pandemic (2022, Korea Broadcasting Journalists Association Broadcast Journalists of the Month Award), and #Me Too Investigative Series (2018, Korea Broadcasting Journalists Club Special Award).

OH Jin-woo

Film critic Oh Jin-woo launched his career in 2020 after winning the CINE21 Film Criticism Award. He has since won film criticism contests hosted by the Association of Korean Independent Film & Video in 2021 and the Busan Film Critics Association in 2024. He directed the short essay film On My Way to the Korean Film Archive (2022) and the video essay Hong Sang-soo: Gravity and Grace (2025).