AFFF 2005 Jury Members

AHN SOO-HYUN (KOREA) PRODUCER

Ahn Soo-hyun entered the film industry as a marketer with Korean pioneer film production company, Shin Cine in 1994. After receiving a MFA from New School University, New York in 1997, she joined the crew of One Fine Spring Day (2000), directed by award-winning director Hur Jin-Ho, as a production assistant.

Since then, Soo-hyun has not looked back. She joined b.o.m. Film Productions, a film production company known for challenging the mainstream and for offering the big break to young, talented filmmakers.

In 2002, she co-produced the critically-acclaimed Asian omnibus project, Three, which brought the works of Korean director Kim Jee-Woon, Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr and Peter Ho from Hong Kong together in one spine-tingling film. The following year, she produced Uninvited, the occult horror film featuring Korean stars Park Shin-Yang and Jun Ji-hyun. The film picked up the Best New Director award at the Stiges Film Festival.

Soo-hyun continued her role as producer for the second instalment of Three in 2004, titled Three. Extremes. The film unites three eerie chapters by Japanese cult director Takashi Miike, Korean Cannes Jury Prize winner Park Chan-Wook and Hong Kong's Fruit Chan to great success. Three. Extremes was invited to the Venice Film Festival where it was acquired by international distributor, Lions Gate.

For her latest work, You are My Sunshine, Soo-hyun worked with up-and-coming director, Park Jin-pyo. The film was a huge box-office hit in Korea, with more than three million tickets sold.

Initially trained as a clinical psychologist, Andy first became involved in documentaries as a consultant, giving his professional opinions in front of the camera. Driven by his love for documentaries, Andy eventually moved behind the camera. He has produced and directed numerous pieces for television including the award winning Animated Minds - a series of short animated documentaries on mental health.

In 2001, Andy founded the Documentary Filmmakers Group, a comprehensive resource for documentary filmmakers in the UK. The group has since grown to become the UK's largest documentary organisation and training centre for documentary filmmaking. He is also the Executive Producer of DFG Films, a production company dedicated to providing opportunities to new and emerging documentary filmmakers.

Andy was the Co-Producer of the Reel Madness Film Festival (UK), a mental health film festival which launched in 2003, merging his professional training with his passion for documentary film-making to raise social awareness for mental health. For the keen observations and the unique perspectives provided in his work, Andy was nominated for 'Best Newcomer' at the Grierson Awards last year, which recognises the best documentary film-making in Britain and abroad.

ANDY GLYNNE (UK) DOCUMENTARY
-MAKER

MAHESH BHATT (INDIA)
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER AND WRITER

Mahesh Bhatt is the son of accomplished film director in the 50s and 60s, Nanabhai Bhatt. Mahesh's debut film, Manzalein Bhi Aur Hai (Miles to Go) in 1974 was banned for 14 months by the censors, allegedly for mocking the "sacred institute of marriage". He has since been a part of the Indian film fraternity for over 30 years and has directed, produced and written over 50 films in his illustrious career. He has also helped nurture a new generation of film-makers, actors and script-writers. Shabana Azmi who recently acted in the Singapore Repertory Theatre's Betrayal was one of them and she considered the romantic comedy Arth (The Meaning) in 1982, directed by Mahesh Bhatt as the most important film in her career.

Today, the eminent director, who is regarded as fiercely individualistic and enigmatic, continued to churn out hits on a regular basis. He launched his daughter, Pooja Bhatt in Daddy in 1989 who became an overnight sensation. Between 2001-2005, Mahesh Bhatt scripted and produced 10 films - all box office hits, particularly the musical horror, Raaz (Secret) and the romantic thriller, Murder.

Mahesh is currently shooting his new film Gangster - A Love Story in Seoul. Being the first Indian director to explore South Korea as a destination, Mahesh felt that South Korea, known for its distinct locales and vistas, will provide an idyllic realm of cosmopolitan culture and traditions to the viewers. More importantly, he felt that the South Korean film industry has become a formidable force in the world entertainment arena and there's a lot to learn from "our Asian brothers" rather than from the west.

An honoured film-maker, Nonzee Nimibutr has commanded numerous awards for his films, representing and establishing Thailand worldwide in the film industry. He dedicated 24 years in the entertainment industry directing music videos and television commercial before making a debut with his first feature film in 1997, Dang Bireleys's and Young Gangsters. The film broke Thailand's box office record and propelled Nonzee Nimibutr forward with a Grand Prize (Best International Film Award) and a Best Director award from the 19th Festival International du Film Independant (Bruxelles)

In 1999, Nonzee Nimibutr directed the second film, Nang Nak which phenomenally made the highest grossing over Hollywood's film on screens. Nang Nak eventually became the all-time-highest grossing Thai film. The accolades did not end there. Nang Nak went on to receive awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Sound, and Best Art Director from the 44th Asia-Pacific Film Festival, The 9th National Film Awards, The Golden Thai Film Awards and The Bangkok Film Critics Assembly Awards.

Voted the Most Promising Asian Director from the 31st International Film Festival of India 2000, Nonzee Nimibutr did not stop there. He aspired to work with other Asian film-makers. In that same year, he accepted Hong Kong based company Applause Pictures' offer to direct a film, Jan Dara. His latest Asian collaboration was Three, an omnibus film co-produced with Korea and Hong Kong.

Nonzee Nimibutr is currently serving as a Deputy Secretary General of The Federation of National Film Association of Thailand. He is also a graduate from Silapakorn University with Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design.

NONZEE NIMIBUTR (THAILAND) DIRECTOR