WAIFF Seoul 2026 Jury Members
President of the Jury | CEO, Westworld
Daniel Son
A first-generation VFX supervisor who has set the standard for Korean visual effects across both film and television, with major works including Exhuma, All of Us Are Dead, Sweet Home Season 1, The Silent Sea, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, The Battleship Island, and The Age of Shadows.
Beginning with The Soul Guardians (1998), he has balanced technological innovation with narrative integrity across more than 200 projects. His expertise has been recognized through numerous honors, including Best Visual Effects at the 18th Asian Film Awards for Exhuma and the Advanced Technology Special Award at the 52nd Grand Bell Awards for Ode to My Father, among many other industry accolades.
Animator & Producer
Nelson Shin
A pioneering animator and producer whose work has shaped the global animation industry, he contributed to some of Hollywood’s most iconic animated classics, including The Pink Panther, Daffy Duck, and Bugs Bunny.
As an animator on The Simpsons, he played a role in defining modern TV animation. Under his leadership, multiple productions earned Emmy Awards in the television animation category. He also made history by creating the original lightsaber effects for Star Wars, expanding the creative potential of animation-driven visual effects.
Supervising Editor
Nayoung Nam
From domestic blockbusters surpassing 10 million admissions, including Squid Game, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, Miss Granny, Sunny, Masquerade, and Scandal Makers, to Netflix series that sparked a global phenomenon, she is a leading film editor shaping the Korean film industry.
Active as a film editor since 2002, she has worked on over 100 films and series. She won the Editing Award at the 40th and 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards and was nominated for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, earning both domestic and international recognition for her outstanding achievements.
Founder & CEO, Terra Kulture | BAP Productions
Bolanle Austen-Peters
Bolanle Austen-Peters is an award-winning Nigerian film and theatre producer, director, lawyer and cultural entrepreneur transforming Africa’s creative landscape. Founder of Terra Kulture, Nigeria’s premier arts institution, she has built a powerhouse spanning film, theatre, publishing, and creative education.
Through BAP Productions, she has brought acclaimed titles such as 93 Days, The Bling Lagosians, Man of God, and House of Ga’a to global audiences, with multiple works ranking internationally on Netflix. Recognized by CNN and Forbes Afrique, and a Fellow at MIT, Bolanle champions African storytelling with visionary leadership, artistic excellence, and global cultural impact.
CEO, BA Entertainment
Won-seok Jang
Involved in the production of over 40 films and series, he has played a main role in shaping contemporary Korean cinema. In particular, The Roundup Series set an unprecedented benchmark in the Korean film industry, redefining standards for franchise production and commercial success.
From the second chapter through to the fourth in 2024, The Roundup series achieved over 10 million admissions for three consecutive years, reaching a cumulative audience of 40 million - a milestone in Korean film history. Beyond film, Jang has demonstrated remarkable versatility across platforms and genres through hit drama series such as Casino, Flex X Cop, The Art of Negotiation, and Esquire, and is widely regarded as a key figure representing Korea’s film industry.
Director
Hang-jun Jang
Korean director and screenwriter known for his distinctive storytelling and refined command of genre across both film and television. His works include Break Out, Forgotten, Rebound, and The Man Who Lives with the King, earning recognition for balancing Popularity with Artistic quality.
He made his debut in 1996 with the screenplay for The Adventures of Mr. Park, and has since contributed to numerous films as a screenwriter and script adapter. Forgotten, which he both wrote and directed, was remade in more than five countries, showcasing the narrative sophistication of Korean cinema on the international stage.
CEO, Barunson E&A
Yoonhee Choi
Recognized for her influential role in the global content market. In 2024, she was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “40 Most Powerful Women in International Film.”
Previously at CJ ENM, she led international distribution and global strategy, playing a key role in the Oscar campaign for Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, the first Korean film to win four Academy Awards. She has contributed to the global success of major Korean films such as The Handmaiden, The Spy Gone North, and The Fortress as well as the distribution of key Asian titles including Joko Anwar’s Impetigore and Satan’s Slaves. She also produced several films including Seobok, Hard Hit, and Nothing Serious.
Since joining Barunson E&A in 2021, she has overseen international investment, distribution, and co-productions, expanding the company’s global IP portfolio across Korea and Southeast Asia.
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CEO, Cine21
Youngyoup Chang
Chang has remained at the forefront of Korean film discourse, progressing from reporter to editor-in-chief and ultimately to publisher. Through the weekly film magazine Cine21, she has chronicled the evolution of Korean cinema, focusing on connecting the industry and the creative community through film journalism.
She has served as a jury member at major film festivals including the Busan International Film Festival and the Jeonju International Film Festival, consistently contributing to the discovery and support of emerging filmmakers. In 2025, she led the 21st Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, marking its revival after a four-year hiatus, and has continued to play a pivotal role as a bridge between creators, audiences, and the film industry.
Her publications include 영화인이 말하는 영화인 and 영화는 무엇이 될 것인가?, through which she continues to offer an informed and authoritative perspective on both the present state and the future of Korean cinema.
CEO, Climax Studio
Seung Min Byun
Byun is a leading Korean producer who has built a body of work with significant global impact across both film and series. He won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes International Series Festival for Bargain, and achieved major domestic recognition with Concrete Utopia, which received Best Picture at the Grand Bell Awards and the Busan Ilbo Film Awards in 2023. The film was also invited to major international festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sitges Film Festival, and was selected as Korea’s official submission for the 2024 Academy Awards.
He further solidified his influence with D.P., which won Best Drama at both the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Blue Dragon Series Awards. In addition, the Netflix original series Hellbound, D.P., and Parasyte: The Grey, as well as Netflix original films Jung_E, Ballerina, Badland Hunters, and Officer Black Belt, all reached No. 1 on the Netflix Global Charts.
Co-Founder, Senior Vice President, BHD
Ngo Thi Bich Hanh
With 30 years working with one of the first private leading content companies in Vietnam specializing in Film, Cinema, TV, OTT, Entertainment Events and Social Media, Ngo Thi Bich Hanh has been contributing lots in promoting Vietnamese culture to the world & introducing lots of the world culture into Vietnam. Her works included introducing the first Korean Drama Series from KBS to VTV (national TV channel) in 1997, bring MTV to Vietnamese audiences since 1998 and lots of top rated TV programs and movies into Vietnam from leading international companies Warner Brothers, Columbia TriStar, UIP, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Fremantle , Endemol, ITV, MBC, KBS, SBS, CJ ENM, ShowBox, … Hanh has devoted her time to introducing Vietnamese Creative Content to International Film Festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Busan, Tokyo, Toronto ... She acted as the Honorable Advisors for Asia Film Award in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2012. Ambassador for the first Asia Creative Academy Awards since 2018 till now, Vice President of VFDA - Vietnam Film Development Association, Director of Tạo Fest, The First International Influencers and Creators Festival in Vietnam
Co-Founder, Genario & Genario Studio
David Defendi
David Defendi is an Emmy Award–winning screenwriter and the co-founder of Genario, an AI-powered platform dedicated to next-generation storytelling and script development. Bridging creative excellence with technological innovation, his work explores the evolving intersection of cinema, artificial intelligence, and narrative design.