The 31st Busan International Film Festival has finalized jury members across four award categories: the BIFF Mecenat Award, the Sonje Award, the Netpac Award and the Fipresci Award. Each prize gets its own team of judges, and the combined CV runs deep.
Four Prizes, Four Sets of Judges
Korean or Asian documentaries in the Wide Angle Competition compete for the BIFF Mecenat Award, which comes with a prize of KRW10 million ($7,300). The jury is led by Rintu Thomas, who co-directed “Writing With Fire” (2021), a film that earned a Peabody Award, an Oscar nomination and two Sundance prizes. Kim Taeil joins her; he has spent years on his People’s World History project, which runs from “No Name Stars” (2010) through “Again the Wind Blows” (2022). Kim previously won the Woonpa Award and the BIFF Mecenat Award itself for “Annyong, Sayonara” (2005) and “Raining Dust” (2025). Zhou Hao rounds out the trio, a former journalist whose observational work includes “Cotton” (2014) and “The Chinese Mayor” (2015); the latter is a prizewinner at the Golden Horse Film Festival, Sundance and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
Wide Angle Competition’s Sonje Award recognizes an outstanding Korean or Asian short film, carrying the same prize amount. The jury is led by Anuparna Roy, whose “Songs of Forgotten Trees” (2025) and “Lovers in the Blue Night” (2026) both premiered in the Horizons section at Venice and took home awards. Abinash Bikram Shah, a graduate of the Chanel x BIFF Asian Film Academy, had his film “Elephants in the Fog” (2026) claim the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. Lee Ranhee has shifted from theater acting and producing to filmmaking, directing “A Perm” (2009), “A Leave” (2020) and “The Final Semester” (2024); her subjects include women who have crossed borders for work, employees pushed out of their jobs, and young people just starting their careers.
The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema hands out the Netpac Award, recognizing an outstanding film within the Vision section. The jury is chaired by Nina Kochelyaeva, who runs the Department for the Development and Approbation of Film Education Methods at VGIK, the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. Matthew Poon serves as senior project manager at HKIFF Industry and has shown up as a juror and speaker across international festivals and markets. Lee Dongha, CEO of Redpeter Films and chairperson of the Producers Guild of Korea, co-produced “Poetry” (2010) and “Hwayi: A Monster Boy” (2013) and produced “Train to Busan” (2016), “Another Child” (2019) and “Peninsula” (2020), along with “Dora” (2026), which made this year’s BIFF selection.
The Vision section film prize comes from the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique, and it goes to a film chosen for artistic merit. The jury consists of Ma Xingxu, Teresa Vena and Roh Chul-hwan. Ma works as a film critic and editor, producing festival reporting and interviews centered on contemporary auteur cinema. Vena holds degrees in history, art history and Spanish philology from university in Geneva, and she has built a career split between Berlin and Switzerland, writing and curating across art and film while also taking on jury and programming duties at festivals worldwide. Roh teaches theater and film studies at Inha University, where his research covers policy questions facing the film and media industries along with the study of visual storytelling.
The Numbers Behind the Prizes
- Mecenat Award: Standout Korean or Asian documentary in Wide Angle Competition, KRW10 million ($7,300)
- Sonje Award: Outstanding Korean or Asian short film in Wide Angle Competition, KRW10 million ($7,300)
- Netpac Award: Outstanding film in the Vision section, presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema
- Fipresci Award: Vision section film for artistic achievement, given by the Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique
| Prize | Category | Prize Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mecenat Award | Korean/Asian documentary | KRW10 million ($7,300) |
| Sonje Award | Korean/Asian short film | KRW10 million ($7,300) |
| Netpac Award | Outstanding film | Presented by Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema |
| Fipresci Award | Artistic achievement | Given by Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique |
What This Lineup Says About the Festival
Each juror comes with their own professional background and an individual history of recognition. Thomas and Kim have documentary credits from Peabody and Oscar nominations, while Zhou has taken home awards from Golden Horse, Sundance and Amsterdam. Roy and Shah carry Venice and Cannes credentials, and Lee’s body of work includes “Train to Busan,” “Another Child” and “Peninsula.” The Netpac panel draws together a scholar, a seasoned festival figure and a producer whose career rests on hits such as “Poetry” and “Hwayi.” The Fipresci jury brings together a critic with two writers and curators who have worked across Berlin and Geneva.
These are not people gathered merely to fill seats and look impressive. They are individuals who have already served on other juries, earned their own awards, and produced films that traveled the same festival circuit where these prizes now rest.
The Dates to Mark
Busan hosts two major film events back to back this month: the 31st Busan International Film Festival takes place Oct. 6-15 at the Busan Cinema Center and across various locations in the city, while the 21st Asian Contents & Film Market follows from Oct. 10-13.
Those hoping to grab the attention of these jurors will find the Wide Angle Competition and the Vision section are where they should direct their efforts.
A major festival has put together a solid lineup, with prizes attached to real money and a panel of judges whose resumes carry weight. The festival has announced its jury members, and the films are expected to arrive shortly.
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