The organizers of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) announced the new dean, mentors and fellows of the Asian Film Academy (AFA).

This year the dean of the Asian Film Academy will be the renowned Taiwanese director, Tsai Ming Liang who is one of the lading filmmakers in Asia. Tsai will share his vision and experiences in cinema with twenty four fellows this year. This will be a great chance for young filmmakers to learn from this excellent director. Along with Tsai two renowned filmmakers will join the AFA 2016, Vimukthi Jayasundara from Sri Lanka will join as directing mentor and Bogumil Godfrejow from Poland as cinematography mentor.

From the 338 filmmakers who applied the organizers have selected 24 young filmmakers from 16 different countries who will join the AFA. Fellows will participate in various programs, workshops and lectures. They will also be divided into two groups and each group will produce a short film that will be screened at the end of the Busan International Film Festival.

2016 Asian Film Academy Fellows
Joy Rahat Rahman (Bangladesh)
Abdul Zainidi (Brunei)
Wang Meng (China)
Chu Hoi Ying (Hong Kong)
Ankita Purkayastha (India)
Ayush Trivedi (India)
Maaria Sayed (India)
Amirmasoud Soheili (Iran)
Mai Nakanishi (Japan)
Eldar Shibanov (Kazakhstan)
Jung Seunghoon (South Korea)
Lee Doohee (South Korea)
Lim Ying Xian (Malaysia)
Cheng Thim Kiam (Malaysia)
Dikesh Khadgi Shahi (Nepal)
Anna Francesca Che Espiritu (Philippines)
Marvene Rom C. Munda (Philippines)
Khairulhakim (Singapore)
Nikki Ho (Singapore)
Rachel Liew (Singapore)
Lin Chih-Jen (Taiwan)
Natdanai Naksuwarn (Thailand)
Verapath Pakayangkul (Thailand)
Linh Duong (Vietnam)

We would like to remind readers that the Asian Film Academy will take place from September 29th – October 16th.

To know more about the festival you can see the FESTIVAL PROFILE or go to the official website to know all the screening times and dates HERE.

About Tsai Ming Liang

Tsai Ming Liang was born in Kuching, Malaysia. He studied film and drama at the Chinese Culture University. His film Vive L’Amour (1994) won the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival in 1994, and he also won the Berlin Silver Bear for his film, The Wayward Cloud (2005) in 2005. In 2009, his 10th film, Face (2009) was selected for competition at Cannes. His films included The Hole (1998), Good Bye, Dragon Inn (2003), I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone (2006), and Stray Dogs (2013). Director Tsai, who had also received an award called, The Asian Filmmaker of the Year in BIFF 2010, is flourishing as a moviemaker and as a true artist of the 21th century.

About Vimukthi Jayasundara

Vimukthi Jayasundara was selected in 2003 by the Cinefoundation of the Cannes Film Festival to participate in their residency program. His directorial debut, The Forsaken Land (2005) won the Camera d’Or at Cannes in 2005. Between Two Worlds (2009), his second film, was selected for the International Competition at the Venice International Film Festival in 2009, while one of his other works Mushrooms (2011) was screened in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes in 2011.

About Bogumil Godfrejow

Bogumil Godfrejow was born in Cracow/Poland, and graduated Secondary Art School in Cracow and Polish National Film School. He is best known as the cinematographer of Director Hans Christian Schmid’s Distant Lights (2003), Requiem (2006), Storm (2009), and The Wondrous World of Laundry (2009). He was nominated for the European Film Award for Best Cinematographer in 2003 for Distant Light (2003), and furthermore, he was awarded the Bronze Camera 300 at the International Cinematographers’ Film Festival “Manaki Brothers”. Additionally, he was selected as a nominee for the New Zealand Film Awards Best Cinematography in a Feature Film in 2009 for The Strength of Water (2009). Some of his other famous works include: Breakpoint (2001), Torn (2004), and Taste of Light (2005).