Two famous filmmakers from Korea and Japan serve as judges at the 2025 Da Nang Asian Film Festival

Director Jang Joon-hwan (Korea) and director Shozo Ichiyama - famous producer of Asian cinema, also Director of Tokyo International Film Festival have confirmed to participate in the Asian Film Jury at the Third Da Nang Asian Film Festival - DANAFF III.

Director Jang Joon-hwan is also the Chairman of the Jury of the Asian Film Competition Category at the Third Da Nang Asian Film Festival - DANAFF III (taking place from June 29 to July 5).

Jang Joon-hwan is one of the most talented directors in Korean cinema, known for his creative, profound and humanistic filmmaking style. He graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in Arts, where he began to approach the theoretical and practical aspects of filmmaking.

After graduating, he began his career as an assistant director and screenwriter, gaining experience in Korea's booming film industry in the late 20th century.

In 2003, Jang Joon-hwan officially debuted as a director with the film “Save the Green Planet!”, a unique work combining science fiction, black comedy and psychology, marking a major turning point in his career. “Save the Green Planet!” is also one of the 14 outstanding films of Korean cinema and was screened in the “Spotlight on Korean Cinema” program at DANAFF III.

The film brought him many prestigious domestic and international awards such as Best Director at the Moscow International Film Festival, or Best New Director at the Daejong Film Awards.

Meanwhile, with “1987: When the Day Comes,” Jang Joon-hwan turned to political thrillers, recreating real historical events about the democratic struggle in Korea in 1987.

Not only did it attract millions of Korean audiences to theaters, the film also won 27 awards and 34 nominations for film awards worldwide. The film won 3 awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, including Best Film. It also won the prestigious Daesang award at the 2018 Baeksang Arts Awards.

Actress Moon So-ri.

In addition to his film career, director Jang Joon-hwan is also known for his happy personal life with famous female director and actress Moon So-ri ("Queen", "When Life Gives You Tangerines"). The two married in 2006 in a simple wedding ceremony and their relationship is considered an ideal model in the Korean entertainment industry.

Moon So-ri, who won an award at the Venice International Film Festival, also appeared in several projects involving Jang Joon-hwan, demonstrating the artistic harmony between the two.

Notably, in 2023, the famous artist couple also attended DANAFF I, when Moon So-ri served as the President of the Jury of the Asian Film Competition Category.

Shozo Ichiyama – famous producer of Asian cinema and Director of Tokyo International Film Festival confirmed to become a member of the Jury of Asian Film Category at the Third Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III).

Shozo Ichiyama, born in 1963, is a film producer, art director and prominent figure in the Japanese film industry. He is known for his important role in promoting Asian cinema, especially through film production projects and film festival management.

Mr. Shozo Ichiyama graduated from the University of Tokyo, joined Shochiku in 1987 and started working as a producer on films such as “Nowhere Man” (2005), “Good Men Good Woman” (1995), “Goodbye South, Goodbye” (1996), and “Flowers of Shanghai” (1998). In 1998, he joined Office Kitano and started producing films by independent Asian filmmakers, helping them win many prestigious international film awards.

Director Shozo Ichiyama.

Like the Iranian film “Blackboard” (2000), which he produced, won the Jury Prize and was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Or “A Touch of Sin” (2013), a film by Jia Zhangke, won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival.

In the successful career of Jia Zhangke - a typical director of Chinese cinema, there is the shadow of Shozo Ichiyama behind. He successively played the role of producer of films such as "Platform" (2000), "Unknown Pleasures" (2002), "The World" (2004), "24 City" (2008) - all of which have had a great influence on Chinese cinema by Jia Zhangke, reflecting social changes with stories about love, loss and human struggle in the vortex of the times,

In 2024, he continued to accompany Jia Zhangke in the work “Caught by the Tides”, which caused a big stir when it was included in 6 films competing for the Palme d’Or. With scenes filmed over 22 years, the work depicts the loneliness of human fate in the fierce flow of time.

In addition to his work as a producer, Shozo Ichiyama founded the TOKYO FILMEX Film Festival (Japan) and serves as the Festival Director. Since 2021, he has been the Programming Director of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) (Japan).

He has helped shape TIFF into an important platform for discovering new talent and promoting Asian cinema. In 2024, he emphasized showcasing films from young directors and works that were little known in the West, while expanding categories such as animation and films by female directors.

In 2019, Ichiyama received the Kawakita Prize (Japan), honoring individuals who have made great contributions to promoting Japanese cinema to the world. In 2023, he was invited to be a judge for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition category at the Sundance Film Festival (USA).

Shozo Ichiyama is not only a talented film producer but also a pioneer in bringing Asian cinema closer to global audiences.

In addition to the two prestigious and famous judges, the Film Festival Organizing Committee said that there will be members who are prestigious film experts and artists, prominent names in world and Vietnamese cinema participating in the Jury.

The Third Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) officially took place from June 29 to July 5 in Danang city.

In addition to the special film screening programs "Half a century of Vietnamese war films", "Korean cinema spotlight", "Asian and Vietnamese films in full view", thematic international seminars and DANAFF's talent program; the Asian Film and Vietnamese Film categories promise to create a special competition with many domestic and foreign works participating.

HA CHI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hai-nha-lam-phim-noi-tieng-cua-han-quoc-va-nhat-ban-lam-khao-tai-lien-hoa-phim-chau-a-da-nang-2025-post886922.html