The 22nd Busan International Film Festival has selected five jurors headed by director Oliver Stone to judge the New Currents, a competitive section, that introduces the works of up-and-coming Asian directors. The New Currents section has been a place to meet young Asian directors’ films with broad genres and themes wrapped up with uniqueness and passion.
Oliver Stone will serve as the head juror for BIFF’s New Currents this year. His film Platoon (1986), earned him Best Director at the Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and a Silver Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival. Another film Born on the Fourth of July (1989) also brought him the honor of winning Best Director at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Stone’s films have constantly examined modern history with critical insight and significant cultural impact. These films include Salvador (1986), deeply critical of the U.S. Government’s involvement in Central America; Wall Street (1987), an exposé of America’s new capitalism; W. (2008), a satirical view of former U.S. President, George W. Bush; Snowden (2016), a feature film that follows American whistleblower Edward Snowden. He recently produced documentaries on recent world historical events and political issues; Oliver Stone remains a preeminent and globally influential director. His attendance and role as chief juror will draw more attention to the winners of New Currents 2017.
In addition, Bahman Ghobadi – a world-famous director representing Iran, Agnès Godard – a preeminent cinematographer who has consistently built her career in France for 30 years, Lav Diaz – a multi-artist and an ideological father of the New Philippine Cinema, and Jang Sun-woo – a leader of New Wave in Korean films through A Short Love Affair (1990), A Petal (1996) and Lies (1999) showing his freewheeling style, are also commissioned as jurors for the New Currents at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.
2017Busan International Film Festival New Currents Jurors
Oliver StoneㅣHead Juror
Director / USA
Oliver Stone, praised as one of the most significant world-directors, completed his undergraduate studies at New York University Film School and made his debut with Seizure (1974). His film Platoon (1986), won Best Director at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and a Silver Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival, and made Stone into a world-renowned director. Born on the Fourth of July (1989) gave him more glory in winning Best Director at Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Not only in directing, Stone also shows his talent in screenwriting through Midnight Express (1978) and Scarface (1983). His films have contributed to critical examinations of modern history with a passionate and keen cinematic perspective that extends into his latest Snowden (2016) and The Putin Interviews (2017).
Bahman Ghobadi
Director / Iran
Bahman Ghobadi is regarded as a prominent Kurdish movie director. His first feature film, A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), which is the first Kurd film, was invited to the Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight and received a Golden Camera Award and FIPRESCI Award. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which earned him the Gold Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly (2004), won the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Ghobadi’s Half Moon (2006) also won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2009, his film No One Knows About Persian Cats won the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize Ex-aequo when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. His film includes Rhino Season (2012), Words with Gods (2014), and A Flag without a Country (2015).
Agnès Godard
Cinematographer / France
Agnès Godard began her career as a director of photography and 1990. Having graduated from the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques, Paris, she has collaborated with world-renowned directors like Claire Denis, Wim Wenders, Claude Berry, and Emmanuelle Bercot. For Beau travail (1999) by director Claire Denis, Godard received César Award for Best Photography and Best Cinematographer at National Society of Film Critics, USA. She is highly acclaimed as a photography director and won the Lumières Award and ADF Cinematography Award at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival with director Ursula Meier’s Home (2008). Her film includes The Dreamlife of Angels (1998), Friday Night (2002), The Golden Door (2006) and Bastards (2013). Bright Sunshine In, the opening film of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2017, is a reunion with Claire Denis that proved her remarkable works.
Lav Diaz
Director / The Philippines
As well as a filmmaker from the Philippines, Lav Diaz works as cinematographer, editor, writer, producer, actor, poet, composer, and production designer. His films are notable for a constant and sophisticate approach to social and political struggles of his motherland. Diaz is known as a multi-artist as he is in charge of all of responsibilities needed for filmmaking. Evolution of a Filipino Family (2005) gained attention for its lengthy running time up to eleven hours. Another film Melancholia (2008), a story about victims of summary executions, won the Orizzonti Grand Prize at the 65th Venice International Film Festival and From What Is Before (2014) gave him the Golden Leopard from the Locarno International Film Festival. In 2016, he received the Alfred Bauer Award at Berlin with A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery and also won the Golden Lion in Venice with The Woman Who Left. With two high-profile awards at the same year, Diaz named himself as the most acknowledged Filipino director.
Jang Sun-woo
Director / Korea
Jang Sun-woo started to work in the field of film-making, working as an assistant director of the film directed by Lee Jang-ho. After then, he co-directed Seoul Emperor (1986) with Sunwoo Wan, making his debut as a film director. Through The Age of Success (1988) and A Short Love Affair (1990), he has emerged as the director of ‘New Wave of Korean film’. Hwa-Om-Kyung (1993) won the Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, A Petal (1996) being in competition at Asia-Pacific International Film Festival, and Timeless, Bottomless (1997) won the Asian Film Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. He received international attention through his exceptional films that include To You from Me (1994), which was controversial for its preposterous sexual expression, Timeless, Bottomless (1997) and Resurrection of the Little Match Girl (2002) that show his freewheeling style.