KOREA FOUNDATION

Singapore International Film Festival

https://sgiff.com

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which began in 1987, aims to accommodate movies from all over the world as well as contribute to the advancement of Asian film through a competitive section exclusively for the latter. It strives to bring attention to commercial hits in addition to lesser-known art or independent films. Having celebrated its 32nd edition in 2021, the SGIFF is the most prestigious event of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Cambodia International Film Festival

http://cambodia-iff.com

Having started in 2010 with approximately 1,000 spectators, the Cambodia International Film Festival has grown and continues to grow with each passing year, as evidenced by its total of 200,000 spectators in 2018. It not only gives audiences a sense of global film industry trends but, through inviting respected film figures, it also plays an important role in promoting and improving the visibility of Cambodian films.

Ngo Thanh Van

Actor from Viet Nam

Ngo Thanh Van, who emigrated to Norway at the age of 10 and returned to Viet Nam to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, is a model, singer, and actor. Her acting career began ascending quickly after The Rebel, a 2007 film that featured Van, became the highest-grossing Vietnamese film in history. Van began pursuing overseas acting opportunities in 2010 and has since gained global visibility through her roles in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Netflix films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny and Bright.

Banjong Pisanthanakun

Director from Thailand

Banjong Pisanthanakun gained the moniker “genius director” in his 20s for his full-length debut film, Shutter. Released in 2004, Shutter follows the conventional plot structure of a horror flick but is nevertheless sophisticated in execution due to the Director’s unique filming techniques. Pisanthanakun is also the director of Pee Mak, which was released in 2014 and is the first Thai film to be viewed by over 10 million people, and The Medium (which was produced by Na Hongjin, director of the 2021 film The Wailing), which has just as large a following in Korea as it does in Thailand.

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Director from Thailand

Ever since the global commotion created by his first film in 2000, Mysterious Object at Noon, Apichapong Weerasethakul has received awards from multiple foreign film festivals, including the Un Certain Regard prize from the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for Blissfully Yours. His 2004 film Tropical Malady was the first Thai movie to be award the Cannes Film Festival’s Jury Prize. In 2010, Weerasethakul received the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Weerasethakul, who devotes his attention to a film’s structure and mise-en-scene rather than narrative, is best known for his breathtaking portrayals of Thailand’s jungles.

Kavich Neang

Director from Cambodia

Kavich Neang is a young, up-andcoming Cambodian Director who began gaining international attention for White Building, which was featured in the Orizzonti section of the 78th Venice Film Festival. White Building portrays the conflicts and concerns about the future among family members, neighbors, and friends, all of whom are residents of White Building, the titular tenement in Phnom Penh that is scheduled to be torn down. Neang is a graduate of the Busan International Film Festival-operated Asian Film Academy, an educational program for young Asian Directors.