The 10th PUSAN Int'l Film Festival, which will celebrate its 10th year anniversary edition from October 6th through 14th, has confirmed its official jury members.

For the New Currents, the only competitive section dedicated to discovering new talents of Asian cinema, world’s renowned Abbas KIAROSTAMI will be serving as president of the jury with a group of 4 distinguished film professionals as follow: Christian JEUNE (Head of Films Department at the Festival de Cannes), Eric KHOO (director/producer), LEE Hye-young (actress), and Mika KAURISMAKI (director/producer). The winner, named as 'the new Asian director of the year', will be awarded USD 30,000. As for the Sonje & Woonpa Funds, a panel of 3 Korean judges will select the best Korean short and documentary from the Wide Angle section, both of which will be awarded KW 20 million (equivalent to USD 20,000) each for the directors' upcoming projects.


New Currents Jury

Abbas KIAROSTAMI (director / Iran)
Born on the 22nd of June, 1940 in Teheran. From 1960 to 1968 KIAROSTAMI started his cinematographic career designing credits and directing commercials. In 1969 he joined the Cinematographic Department of the Institute for Children and Young Adults Intellectual Development (a.k.a. "Kanun") where he started film section. Since the age of 30, he has continued to make films through which his favorite subject 'the child' is frequently introduced. His cinematic endeavors include Where Is The Friend's Home?, which received the Bronze Pardo at Locarno in 1987, And Life Goes On (1992), and A Taste Of Cherry, which was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes in 1997. In the same year, he first visited PIFF with his award-winning A Taste Of Cherry and was chosen as one of 6 hand printing honorees. Also, his feature The Wind Will Carry Us (1999) and documentary ABC Africa (2001) were also screened at the previous editions of PIFF.

Christian JEUNE (Head of Films Department at Festival de Cannes / France)
Born in 1961. He translated more than 100 English-speaking films in French and has followed this position at the Festival de Cannes for the last 15 years. He initially joined the Festival in 1983 working at the press office before joining the Paris team in 1998 at the Régie des Films. In 1995, he became the Head of Films Department in charge of the pre-selection process and the selected films, closely working with Gilles JACOB, the festival president, and Thierry FREMAUX, the artistic director. Since 1997, he has been representing the Festival abroad and scouting films, more particularly in Asia regions where he visits every year.

Eric KHOO (director & producer / Singapore)
Born on the 27th of March, 1965 in Singapore. KHOO put Singapore on the international film map with his first feature Mee Pok Man (1995), picking up prizes at PIFF, Fukuoka and Singapore. His second feature 12 Storeys (1997), which received FIPRESCI award and the UOB Young Cinema Award at the 10th Singapore Int'l Film Festival, and the Golden Maile Award for Best Picture at the 17th Hawaii Int'l Film Festival, remains the only Singapore film to have been invited to the official selection at the Cannes (1997) to this date. Ranked as one of the 25 exceptional trend makers of Asia by Asiaweek magazine in 1998, he produced several local TV hits, as well as feature film such as 15 (2003) directed by Royston TAN, which was been invited to Venice and Sundance. Some of his notable achievements include being the recipient of the National Arts Councils Young Artist Award for Film in 1997 and of Singapore Youth Awards (Individual) in 1999 for his dedication to filmmaking and contribution to society.

LEE Hye-young (actress / Korea)
Born on 25th of November, 1962 in Seoul. Regarded as one of the most celebrated actresses in Korea, LEE's acting career started at the age of 17 through the musical production Sound of Music. As the daughter of the late LEE Man-hee, whose collection of works will be re-highlighted through this year's Korean Cinema Retrospective, her charismatic performance knows no boundaries as her professional endeavors in TV, film and theater include as follow: local TV series Fashion '70s (2005) and Sorry, I Love You (2004), as well as The Blazing Sun (1983), which was invited to the competition category at Berlin Int'l Film Festival, The South Korean Army (1990), Passage to Buddha (1993), and No Blood No Tears (2000) directed by RYU Seung-beom.

Mika KAURISMAKI (director & producer/ Finland)
Born on the 25th of September in Orimattila. His first feature The Liar (1980) is considered to be a breaking signal for the legend of KAURISMAKI Brothers that has continued to this date. His following works, Rosso (1985), Helsinki Napoli (1987), Zombie And The Ghost Train (1991), which was particularly hailed by German cinephiles in mid-1980s, and Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made (1994), a solid documentary starring Samuel FULLER and Jim JARMUSCH, are just a few examples that speak for his unprecedented cinematic originality. Also, as a founder of Marianna Films Oy., he produced Crime and Punishment (1983) and Shadows In Paradise (1986) directed by his brother Aki KAURISMAKI, with whom he started Midnight Sun Film Festival in Finland. His recent endeavors include Moro No Brasil (2002), a well-made documentary that discovers an unsung origins of Brazilian sound, and Honey Baby (2004), a road movie topped with a love story based on the Greek story of Orpheus and Eurydice, both of which were screened at PIFF.

Sonje & Woonpa Funds Jury

Stanley KWAK (critic & producer)
Born in October 24th, 1968. He is one of the most dedicated industry insiders in Korea, having worked in a broad spectrum of the field as follow: the founder & general manager of Cinematheque Culture Academy Seoul, a program selector for Indie Forum Festival in Korea (2000), and the co-author of A Chronicle of the Blazing Cinema (1995), a special publication that commemorates the 100th anniversary of cinematograph celebration. Also, as the CEO of IndieStory Co., Korea's only independent film distribution company, his recent filmography includes A Dazzling Day, digital omnibus project that commemorates the 60th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan, and the HD digital feature Sundays In August.

LEE Sang-yong (critic)
Born in April 12th, 1972. He is currently working as a staff critic for film weekly Film 2.0 and has been a contributing columnist for various local media. Also, he was a program selector for Indie Forum Festival in Korea and Critics' Week section at the 6th Jeon-ju Int'l Film Festival in 2005.

OH Jung-hun (director & media activist)
Born in July 20th, 1968. His film career started with making political documentary works at media collective Purn Production. His filmography includes The Three-Legged Crow (1997), Power Of The People (2000), and A Way to An Equal Family (2001). From 2001 to 2004 he worked as a program selector of Indie Docu Festival in Korea and is now a program director at media access center MediAct.