Mohammad RASOULOF

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 received several international awards including Cannes Film Festival. Recently he won the Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival for There is No Evil (2020). Although his films have been enjoyed by a wide audience abroad, none were allowed to be screened in Iran due to censorship. His new feature film The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) received a Jury Special Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2024.

LEE Myung-Se

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

Zhou Dongyu, 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 Golden Horse Awards 2016 for her role in Soul Mate (2016), Best Actress Award at Hong Kong Film Awards 2020, and 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 Shanghai International Film Festival 2021 and Beijing International Film Festival 2023.

Kani KUSRUTI

Kani Kusruti was awarded Best Actor in Kerala State Film Awards 2020 and the BRICS Best Actress Award at 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 Cannes Film Festival 2024, both of which Kani Kusturi held the main role, continuing to achieve great success in her film career.

Vanja KALUDJERCIC

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 including the Berlin International Film Festival, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Annecy, BFI London Film Festival, and many more.