Gwei Lun-Mei

Actor

Gwei Lun-Mei, an actress, made her debut at age 19, starring in the lead role in the Taiwan-France co-production film Blue Gate Crossing (2002). In 2007, Gwei starred in Secret, directed by Jay Chou, which received widespread acclaim for her performance and achieved significant box office success. Her work has often been shortlisted for competition at various international film festivals. In 2012, Gwei won the Best Actress award at the Golden Horse Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Film Festival for her role in Girlfriend Boyfriend, directed by Yang Ya-Che. She was also nominated for the main competition at the Berlin International Film Festival for Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014) and for the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival for The Wild Goose Lake (2019), both directed by Diao Yinan. In 2023, Gwei was invited to serve as the leading actress in Weekend in Taipei, produced by Luc Paul Maurice Besson. In 2024, she collaborated with Japanese director Mariko Tetsuya on the latest film, Dear Stranger, where she co-starred with Japanese actor Nishijima Hidetoshi as an Asian couple residing in New York. The film was shot entirely on location in Brooklyn, USA, and was released in September 2025. Since then, Gwei has continued to be active in both the Asia-Pacific and international film industries, with her body of work encompassing both artistic and commercial genres.

Matthieu Laclau

Editor

Matthieu Laclau is a French editor who has been working in China since 2008. He studied Film Theory at Paris 3 ― Sorbonne Nouvelle and received his Master’s degree in 2008. Married to producer Justine O., he currently lives in Taipei. In 2013, he won the Golden Horse Award for Best Editing for A Touch of Sin directed by Jia Zhang-ke, and in 2017, the Chlotrudis Award for Best Editing for Mountains May Depart, also directed by Jia Zhang-ke. Both films were selected for the Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, with A Touch of Sin winning Best Screenplay. Since then, he has edited Ash Is Purest White by Jia Zhang-ke (2018 / Cannes Competition), The Wild Goose Lake by Diao Yinan (2019 / Cannes Competition), Nina Wu by Midi Z (2019 / Cannes Un Certain Regard), Only the River Flows by Wei Shujun (2023 / Cannes Un Certain Regard), Meeting with Pol Pot by Rithy Panh (2024 / Cannes Premiere). In 2024, Black Dog directed by Guan Hu won the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes, and in 2025, Xin Zhilei won Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for The Sun Rises on Us All directed by Cai Shangjun.

Saitoh Takumi

Actor / Filmmaker

Beginning his career as a model, Saitoh appeared at Paris Fashion Week and has since appeared in films and TV series, including Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon (2017), Shin Ultraman (2022), Downfall (2023), Bushido (2024), Bullet Train Explosion (2025, Netflix), The Queen of Villains (2024, Netflix), The Diamond Sleeping in the Sea (2024, TBS), Yukai no Hi (2025, TV Asahi), and Road to Vendetta (2025). His upcoming films include Spirit World, scheduled for release on October 10, and Minato no Hikari, slated for November 14.
Saitoh is also actively involved in film production. His directorial debut feature, Blank 13 (2018), won eight awards at film festivals both in Japan and abroad. He received the Best Director Award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards for HBO Asia's Food Lore (2019). Additionally, he served as producer for the documentary Big Home (2024), which earned this year's Japan Movie Critics Award, and the short film Watashitachi ga Mendokoro Maro ni Kayoumade ni itattaken (2025). Beyond his filmmaking work, Saitoh is engaged in various initiatives, including the mobile-cinema project "cinéma bird" in disasteraffected regions and developing countries, the "Mini Theater Park" project, a daycare program on film sets, and black-and-white photography.

Vivian Qu

Director / Producer

Vivian Qu is a celebrated Chinese director and producer whose work has established her as one of the most original and compelling voices in contemporary Asian cinema. She made her directorial debut with Trap Street (2013), which premiered at Venice International Film Festival and was hailed as a profound meditation on intimacy, power, and the invisible forces shaping human connection. Her second feature, Angels Wear White (2017), premiered in Main Competition at Venice and received wide international recognition, winning Best Director at the Golden Horse Awards and multiple accolades worldwide. Her latest feature, Girls on Wire (2025), continued her unflinching yet compassionate gaze on the lives of women and premiered in Main Competition at Berlinale to critical acclaim. As a producer, she has championed new voices in Chinese cinema, notably producing Black Coal, Thin Ice, which won the Golden Bear at Berlinale in 2014. Beyond her own films, she is a dedicated advocate for artistic integrity and cinematic innovation, having served on juries at major international festivals including Venice, Berlin, Shanghai, and Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Ellen Y.D. Kim

Director of Asian Contents & Film Market, Busan International Film Festival

Kim is a leading figure in A sian cinema, known for her roles in film production, festival organizing, and global collaboration. She produced several arthouse films including Cry Woman (Cannes 2002) and Hanaan (Locarno 2011), served 12 years as a programmer at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and was appointed Director of the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) in March 2024.

Matsunaga Daishi

Director

Matsunaga debuted with Pyuupiru 2001–2008 (2011), a documentary about his friend, artist Pyuupiru's life over eight years. This was followed by feature films such as Pieta in the Toilet (2015) and Hanalei Bay (2018). Egoist (2024) was critically acclaimed and released in Japan, US, and Asia, with France to follow. In recent years, he has expanded into Asia, collaborating with fellow filmmakers.

Nishizawa Akihiro

Programming Manager, TOKYO THEATRES Co, Inc.

Nishizawa joined TOKYO THEATRES Co, Inc. in 1992, working at Ginza Theatres Cinema, Cine Vivant Roppongi, Cine Saison Shibuya, etc. Currently, he is in charge of programming for TOKYO THEATRES' cinemas, including Theatres Shinjuku, Humantrust Cinema Yurakucho, and Humantrust Cinema Shibuya. Since 2012, he has been organizing "Movies in the Unexperienced Zone", a film festival featuring films that have not yet been released in Japan.