Press Release | 2025.07.16. |
2025 CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy Welcomes Director KIM Jeewoon as Dean |
The CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy, a pioneering program dedicated to nurturing emerging talent in Asian cinema, has officially announced its faculty. Director Kim Jeewoon has been appointed as this year’s Dean, while Mattie Do and Park Junghun will serve as the Directing Mentor and Cinematography Mentor, respectively.
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Director Kim Jeewoon Appointed as This Year’s Dean,
with Director Mattie Do as Directing Mentor and Cinematographer Park Junghun as Cinematography Mentor!
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[2025 CHANEL X BIFF Asia Film Academy faculty]
((Top) Director Kim Jeewoon (photo credit: Cine 21),
(Bottom, from left) Director Mattie Do, Cinematographer Park Junghun)
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This year, Director Kim Jeewoon, an internationally acclaimed filmmaker known for eminent mise-en-scène and unique cinematic style, will serve as the Dean of the 2025 CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy. Following his striking debut film The Quiet Family (1998), Kim quickly gained attention as a rising talent, and he went on to establish his international reputation with genre-defying films such as The Foul King (2000) and A Tale of Two Sisters (2003). His works, A Bittersweet Life (2005) and The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), were screened at prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Toronto, and Busan, earning widespread acclaim. His critically praised thriller I Saw the Devil (2010) further established his global reputation, winning awards at prominent film festivals worldwide. His latest film, Cobweb (2023), was invited to the Out of Competition Section at the Cannes Film Festival, and he is currently working on his second U.S. feature film, The Hole.
Mattie Do, a groundbreaking filmmaker from Laos, has been appointed as this year’s Directing Mentor. Drawing significant attention with her debut film, Chanthaly (2013), she was selected for international talent development programs, including Berlinale Talents and Cannes’ La Fabrique Cinéma. Her second feature, Dearest Sister (2016), was Laos’s first-ever submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards 2018. Long Walk (2019), her third feature, was invited to both the Venice and Busan international film festivals and was honored with the Best Director Award in the Noves Visions section at the Sitges Film Festival 2019. She is the first and currently the only female feature filmmaker from Laos.
Park Junghun has joined the academy as the Cinematography Mentor, having steadily built his portfolio from ChiHwaSeon (2002) to auteur-driven films such as Grape Candy (2012) and Snow Paths (2015). His first commercial feature as a cinematographer, The Villainess (2017), was invited to the Out of Competition Section of the Cannes Film Festival 2017 and received critical acclaim, winning the Cinematography Award at both the Buil Film Awards and the Grand Bell Awards in Korea. Since then, Park has expanded his distinctive cinematic vision through diverse works, including Herstory (2017), Door Lock (2018), A French Woman (2019), and Voice of Silence (2019). He served as a jury member for the CGK Award at the Busan International Film Festival and has actively contributed to the OTT series productions.
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2025 BAFA Records Applications
from the Highest Number of Countries - 40 in Total
Global Spotlight on Asian Film Academy Alumni’s Outstanding Achievements
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The 2025 CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy has attracted 625 applications from 40 countries, marking the highest diversity in nations since its inception in 2005. Notably, the academy has witnessed a significant rise in applications and selections from female filmmakers, as well as increased interest from Pakistan and China, compared to the previous year.
Under the guidance of esteemed figures in contemporary cinema, the Asia Film Academy alumni continue to make their mark globally. Homebound (2024), edited by 2010 alumnus Nitin Baid, was selected for Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. At the Berlinale, AFA graduates also garnered attention: Little Rebels Cinema Club (2024) by 2023 BAFA alumnus Khozy Rizal was officially invited to the Generation Kplus section, while Mes fantômes arméniens (2025) by AFA 2007 graduate Tamara Stepanyan was featured in Forum Special. Additionally, Queerpanorama (2025), by Cyrus Tang from the 2015 AFA, was selected for Panorama, and Through Your Eyes (2025), with cinematography and sound design by AFA 2019 alumnus Lincoln Yeo and Sng Ye Min, was nominated for the short-film competition section.
The CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy participants will complete a 20-day intensive training and mentoring program from September 7 (Sun) to 26 (Fri), during which they will produce short films. A total of eight completed works will have their official premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival. |
About CHANEL Arts & Culture
The CHANEL Culture Fund fosters a vibrant network of creators and innovators to advance the ideas that shape culture worldwide. Core programmes include CHANEL’s Art Partners, institutions whose leaders are supported in the development of ground-breaking, long-term initiatives that bring innovation to the cultural landscape. The CHANEL Next Prize celebrates artists and accelerates their future successes through access to resources and mentorship. And the podcast CHANEL Connects amplifies the voices of thought-leaders across disciplines, generations, and geographies—tackling the defining issues of our time.
From emerging curators at the MCA Chicago to leading ecologists at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, from game-changing artists at the Venice Biennale to the brightest directors at the British Film Institute, the CHANEL Culture Fund champions creative audacity for a better future and extends a century of commitment to the arts. |
■ The 30th Busan International Film Festival: Sep 17 (Wed) – Sep 26 (Fri)
■ The 20th Asian Contents & Film Market: Sep 20 (Sat) – Sep 23 (Tue)
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