Yim Soon-Rye
(Speaker)

Born in 1960, Yim Soon-rye studied filmmaking at the University of Paris 8 before becoming one of South Korea’s most prominent female directors. Known for her sympathetic focus on marginalized lives and socially conscious stories, she debuted with Three Friends (1996) and built a acclaimed filmography including Waikiki Brothers (2001), the box-office hit Forever the Moment (2008), The Whistleblower (2014), Little Forest (2018), and The Point Men (2023). Beyond directing, Yim has been a prominent advocate for social causes, serving as president of an animal rights association for 12 years and co-leading the Korean Center for Gender Equality in Film.Born in 1960, Yim Soon-rye studied filmmaking at the University of Paris 8 before becoming one of South Korea’s most prominent female directors. Known for her sympathetic focus on marginalized lives and socially conscious stories, she debuted with Three Friends (1996) and built a acclaimed filmography including Waikiki Brothers (2001), the box-office hit Forever the Moment (2008), The Whistleblower (2014), Little Forest (2018), and The Point Men (2023). Beyond directing, Yim has been a prominent advocate for social causes, serving as president of an animal rights association for 12 years and co-leading the Korean Center for Gender Equality in Film.

Thong Kay Wee
(Moderator)

Thong Kay Wee is a cultural worker specialising in film programming and curation, currently serving as the Programme Director of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) since 2021. He has previously served on film festival juries in Jeonju, Taiwan and Yogyakarta, among others. He was previously the Programmes and Outreach Officer at the Asian Film Archive (AFA) from 2014 to 2021. During his tenure at the AFA, he was responsible for establishing the AFA’s regular programmes and presiding over specialised showcases, including the Singular Screens film series (2018-2021) commissioned by the Singapore International Festival of the Arts and the State of Motion exhibition series (2016-2021) commissioned for the Singapore Art Week.

Ang Geck Geck
(Speaker)

Ang Geck Geck is a Singaporean filmmaker and Busan Asian Film Academy alumna. Her short films include Broken Crayon (2012), which won Best Short Film at the Singapore Short Film Awards, and Three Little Pigs (2014), which screened at SGIFF. Ah Girl, her feature debut, was developed at the SGIFF Southeast Asian Film Lab in 2015 and clinched the Youth Jury Award at IFFR.

Kamila Andini
(Speaker)

Kamila Andini is an award-winning Indonesian filmmaker whose work examines gender, marginalisation and environmental issues. Her features include The Seen and Unseen (2017) and Yuni (2021), both of which premiered at Toronto, with the latter winning the festival’s Platform Prize. Both films also competed at SGIFF. Most recently, Before, Now & Then (2022) won the Berlinale’s Best Supporting Performance award.

Yashasvi Juyal
(Speaker)

Kris Ong
(Moderator)

Kris Ong is a Singaporean script consultant and screenwriter whose experience with international studios, as well as independent and arthouse producers reflects her love for different stories and varied audiences who enjoy them. Recent consulting work includes “9 Temples to Heaven” (2026, Directors’ Fortnight) by Sompot Chidgasornpongse, and the Scandinavia/Singapore/Korean television series “Blueprint of a Crime.” In 2026, she was selected as a Torino Film Lab ScriptLab Story Editor Trainee. Her writing includes the Singapore/Korean feature film “Ajoomma” (2022) directed by He Shuming, for which she was nominated for a Golden Horse Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Manajemen Talenta Nasional (MTN), Indonesia

Centre National de la Cinématographie, France

Film Development Council of the Philippines

Cinecittà, Italy

IMDA, Singapore

Jeremy Chua
(Moderator)

Jeremy Chua is the Executive Director of SGIFF. Previously, he was the General Manager from 2024 to 2025. Since 2014, he founded Singapore-based independent film label.

Potocol to produce the works of distinctive Asian auteurs. His producing credits include Filipinana by Rafael Manuel (Special Jury Prize, Sundance World Dramatic Competition 2026), Some Rain Must Fall by Qiu Yang (Special Jury Prize, Berlinale Encounters 2024), and Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Pham Thien An (Cannes Camera d’Or 2023). He is the recipient of the 2023 FIAPF Outstanding Contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema Award and a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Manajemen Talenta Nasional (MTN), Indonesia

Centre National de la Cinématographie, France

Film Development Council of the Philippines

IMDA, Singapore

Koji Fukada
(Speaker)

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes.

Akiko Ashizawa
(Speaker)

Hideho Urata
(Moderator)

Hideho Urata is a distinguished director of photography whose career spans both independent and international cinema.

After earning his graduate degree, Hideho refined his craft as a freelance camera assistant in the US, ultimately establishing himself as a cinematographer of international acclaim. His work has received widespread recognition at leading film festivals around the world, solidifying his reputation as one of the most respected figures in contemporary cinematography.

Sunny Sarnkingthong

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes.

Tom Harari
(Speaker)

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes.

Lachman G Samtani (Lavesh)
(Speaker)

Lavesh Samtani is the Chief Operating Officer of Mandela Pictures, a production house alongside 13 Entertainment, a distribution company and home to Indonesia’s largest film library. With over 20 years in the industry and roots in Indonesian film distribution dating back to 1986, Lavesh brings deep expertise in licensing, content development, and production. His recent producer credits include 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan, Rumah Singgah and Bisikan Desa Gringsing (Whispers of Fatimah), a trilateral Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia co-production. Lavesh is based in Jakarta.

Karam AlMasri
(Speaker)

Karam AlMasri is Fund Manager at MEFIC Capital in Riyadh, where she manages Riviera Content, a CMA-regulated closed-end private equity fund investing in film and television projects. The fund launched in 2025 with the Cultural Development Fund as anchor investor and co-finances Saudi and international productions alongside studios and producers. She leads the fund’s investment process, from sourcing projects through to deployment. From 2017 to 2024, she managed the feature film production and development funding programs at Ontario Creates in Toronto, supporting Canadian and international co-productions. She holds an MBA in Media and Entertainment Management from the Schulich School of Business.

XinYu Zhou
(Speaker)

XinYu Zhou is a film producer and a member of the Artistic and Investment Committee at Impact Film, where she contributes to the artistic assessment and financing of film projects. Impact Film is a French investment initiative dedicated to supporting films and series that challenge stereotypes and foster more inclusive representations on screen. Through financing and creative engagement with projects, it promotes diversity, women’s empowerment and major societal issues, with the conviction that cinema can both engage audiences and contribute to meaningful social change.

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes. 

Fran Borgia
(Moderator)

Fran Borgia is the founder of Akanga Film Asia. He has produced numerous critically acclaimed films, including A Land Imagined (2018), which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. His producing credits include Yuni (Toronto Platform Prize 2021), Tiger Stripes (Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize 2023), Stranger Eyes (Venice Main Competition 2024), Village Rockstars 2 (Busan Jiseok Award 2024), Renoir (Cannes Main Competition 2025), Amoeba (Toronto Discovery 2025 / APSA Best Youth Feature Film), and Not a Hero (Berlinale Generation 2026). He is currently pursuing a PhD focused on Poetic Cinema at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

Jessica Kam-Engle
(Speaker)

Jessica Kam-Engle is a seasoned TV and film producer. She is the Founder/Executive Producer of the production company Kanvas Creations that focuses on media productions in Greater China. In 2024-26, she set up the pan-regional production house CreAsia Studio for Banijay Asia that produces Asian originals and localized Banijay IP adaptations in Southeast Asia. Notable productions include the original TV series My Chef in Crime with versions in Indonesia and Thailand, as well as MasterChef Asia in Macau. From 2021 to 2023, Jessica was Head of Content and Development for Disney+ Asia Pacific, during which she commissioned more than 60 scripted and non-scripted original series across the region for the streaming platform. Notable commercial hits include Korean dramas Big Bet, Connect, Snowdrop, Moving, Shadow Detective, Big Mouth; Japanese live action Gannibal and various animes; Chinese series Anita (Director’s cut), Taiwan Crime Stories, Delicacies Destiny, Bahasa series Wedding Agreement, Mendua, Call My Agent, Teluh Darah, etc. She also spearheaded a slate of premium K-Pop music content from supergroup BTS, Black Pink, Super Junior and PSY. Jessica joined HBO Asia in 2017 and was Head of Original Production – Entertainment at WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks in Asia Pacific. She oversaw HBO’s original productions including TV series like Dream Raider, Workers, Invisible Stories, Food Lore, The Talwars: Behind Closed Doors, Folklore, Food Lore, Grisse, The Teenage Psychic 2, and feature film The Garden Of Evening Mists. Prior to joining HBO, she was an independent film producer based in Beijing and Hong Kong from 2008-2016 during which she produced 10 feature films including critically acclaimed The Piano in a Factory and blockbuster Just Another Pandora's Box. Previously, she had over 10 years’ experience in regional media including stints at Celestial Pictures, MTV Asia, MGM Gold Network, Dow Jones Newswires and Disney Studios. Jessica holds an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, as well as a B.A. in Computer Science from U. C. Berkeley.

Ellen R. Eliasoph
(Speaker)

Ellen R. Eliasoph is a veteran executive and producer who has spent her career building bridges among Hollywood, Asia and Australia. Eliasoph served as founder, President and lead production executive of Warner Bros. China for 15 years and Village Roadshow Asia for a decade before establishing her own company, Starry Dome. She has produced films directed by greats Johnnie To, Peter Chan, Stephen Chow and Zhang Yimou, starring actors including Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Keanu Reeves. She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is fluent in Chinese and Japanese.

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes.

Shao-Yi Chen
(Speaker)

Shao-Yi Chen serves as the General Manager of Screenworks Asia, a joint venture between CATCHPLAY and TAICCA. Leveraging over 20 years of expertise in distribution, financing, and OTT platforms, she brings a 360-degree perspective to premium content production. Dedicated to elevating Taiwanese storytelling globally, she has built a diverse portfolio featuring acclaimed series such as The Making of an Ordinary Woman 2, Twisted Strings, Not A Murder Story, and Islanders, as well as the film Lost In Perfection, alongside successful Southeast Asian co-productions like the Indonesian hit Losmen Melati.

Gabor Greiner
(Speaker)

After his studies of Cultural Management in Vienna, Birmingham and Chicago, Gabor Greiner worked as a journalist and film critic. In 2003, he moved to Brussels to take charge of the distribution support department of the MEDIA Program at the European Commission’s Film Fund. In 2009, Gabor became acquisitions executive at the international sales agent, The Match Factory. In August 2010, Gabor moved to Berlin to take over acquisitions of the French-German sales company, Films Boutique, winner of the Golden Bear in 2017 and 2020 and the Golden Lion in 2011 and 2016. Gabor is a member of the European Film Academy.

Boris Pugnet
(Speaker)

Boris Pugnet used to run a one screen cinema when he was a student near Paris. After that he discovered distribution on the French market through booking first ( Memories of murder by Bong Joon Ho for CTV). Then as artistic director for SND distribution (The Hurt Locker, Harvey Milk, Twilight) and as Head of marketing for Le Pacte (Justine Triet, Koreeda, Ken Loach among others) until 2016. He now runs Space Odyssey, in charge of the marketing of Maverick Distribution (The Invite by Olivia Wilde), and also distributes Asian movies in partnership with Heylight: Creation of the gods 1 & 2, The shadow’s edge, Dead to rights, and works with Trinity on the marketing of Dear You and Ne Zah 2, or Godzilla Minus one for Piece of magic.

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes.

Fran Borgia
(Moderator)

Fran Borgia is the founder of Akanga Film Asia. He has produced numerous critically acclaimed films, including A Land Imagined (2018), which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. His producing credits include Yuni (Toronto Platform Prize 2021), Tiger Stripes (Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize 2023), Stranger Eyes (Venice Main Competition 2024), Village Rockstars 2 (Busan Jiseok Award 2024), Renoir (Cannes Main Competition 2025), Amoeba (Toronto Discovery 2025 / APSA Best Youth Feature Film), and Not a Hero (Berlinale Generation 2026). He is currently pursuing a PhD focused on Poetic Cinema at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

Ayumi Rosa Filippone

With Italian and Japanese roots, Ayumi has developed her professional career in international film festivals, coproduction markets and cultural organisations. In 2023, she started at the International Film Festival Rotterdam as Coordinator of Hubert Bals Fund, currently serving as Project Manager with special focus on international partnerships and new funding initiatives. In 2022 she coordinated the trainings for emerging producers at ACE Producers, while curating the Industry Talks during International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. She coordinated the MIA Market film department in 2021. She also manages the platform Match Me! at Locarno Film Festival and is a film consultant for Asian films in development.

Ryan Ashore

Ryan Ashore is a filmmaker, producer, and creative artist whose passion for cinema began at an early age. After film school and experience on numerous film sets, he began his career with short films before expanding into drama, fashion, and independent film production

across several countries. Through his role as the Director of the Red Sea Labs, Ryan has focused on supporting emerging and established talents from the Arab region, Africa, and Asia, helping develop the next generation of storytellers. He also launched the Music and Sound program, mentoring young composers and connecting them with internationally recognized professionals while expanding opportunities for creatives across film, series, animation, and music.

XinYu Zhou

XinYu Zhou is a film producer and a member of the Artistic and Investment Committee at Impact Film, where she contributes to the artistic assessment and financing of film projects. Impact Film is a French investment initiative dedicated to supporting films and series that challenge stereotypes and foster more inclusive representations on screen. Through financing and creative engagement with projects, it promotes diversity, women’s empowerment and major societal issues, with the conviction that cinema can both engage audiences and contribute to meaningful social change.

Shelly Yu

Shelly Yu is the Chairwoman of A&C CULTURE GROUP, an Adelaide-based institution investing in international films and media projects, as well as events, cross-cultural exchanges, and other programs supporting filmmaking talent in Australia, China, and beyond.

Karam AlMasri

Karam AlMasri is Fund Manager at MEFIC Capital in Riyadh, where she manages Riviera Content, a CMA-regulated closed-end private equity fund investing in film and television projects. The fund launched in 2025 with the Cultural Development Fund as anchor investor and co-finances Saudi and international productions alongside studios and producers. She leads the fund’s investment process, from sourcing projects through to deployment. From 2017 to 2024, she managed the feature film production and development funding programs at Ontario Creates in Toronto, supporting Canadian and international co-productions. She holds an MBA in Media and Entertainment Management from the Schulich School of Business.

Boris Pugnet

Boris Pugnet used to run a one screen cinema when he was a student near Paris. After that he discovered distribution on the French market through booking first ( Memories of murder by Bong Joon Ho for CTV). Then as artistic director for SND distribution (The hurt locker, Harvey Milk, Twilight).and as Head of marketing for Le Pacte (Justine Triet, Kore Eda, Ken Loach etc movies) until 2016. He now runs Space Odyssey, in charge of the marketing of Maverick distribution (The invite by Olivia Wilde), and also distributes Asian movies in partnership with Heylight: Creation of the gods 1 & 2, The shadow’s edge, Dead to rights, and works with Trinity on the marketing of Dear You and Ne Zah 2, or Godzilla Minus one for Piece of magic

Gabor Greiner

After his studies of Cultural Management in Vienna, Birmingham and Chicago, Gabor GREINER worked as a journalist and film critic. In 2003, he moved to Brussels to take charge of the distribution support department of the MEDIA Program at the European Commission’s Film Fund. In 2009, Gabor became acquisitions executive at the international sales agent, The Match Factory. In August 2010, Gabor moved to Berlin to take over acquisitions of the French-German sales company, Films Boutique, winner of the Golden Bear in 2017 and 2020 and the Golden Lion in 2011 and 2016. Gabor is a member of the European Film Academy.

Lachman G Samtani (Lavesh)

Lavesh Samtani is the Chief Operating Officer of Mandela Pictures, a production house alongside 13 Entertainment, a distribution company and home to Indonesia’s largest film library. With over 20 years in the industry and roots in Indonesian film distribution dating back to 1986, Lavesh brings deep expertise in licensing, content development, and production. His recent producer credits include 1 Kakak 7 Ponakan, Rumah Singgah and Bisikan Desa Gringsing (Whispers of Fatimah), a trilateral Indonesia-Singapore-Malaysia co-production. Lavesh is based in Jakarta.

Shao-Yi Chen

Shao-Yi Chen serves as the General Manager of Screenworks Asia, a joint venture between CATCHPLAY and TAICCA. Leveraging over 20 years of expertise in distribution, financing, and OTT platforms, she brings a 360-degree perspective to premium content production. Dedicated to elevating Taiwanese storytelling globally, she has built a diverse portfolio featuring acclaimed series such as The Making of an Ordinary Woman 2, Twisted Strings, Not A Murder Story, and Islanders, as well as the film Lost In Perfection, alongside successful Southeast Asian co-productions like the Indonesian hit Losmen Melati.

Ellen R. Eliasoph

Ellen R. Eliasoph is a veteran executive and producer who has spent her career building bridges among Hollywood, Asia and Australia. Eliasoph served as founder, President and lead production executive of Warner Bros. China for 15 years and Village Roadshow Asia for a decade before establishing her own company, Starry Dome. She has produced films directed by greats Johnnie To, Peter Chan, Stephen Chow and Zhang Yimou, starring actors including Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Keanu Reeves. She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is fluent in Chinese and Japanese.

Jessica Kam-Engle

Jessica Kam-Engle is a seasoned TV and film producer. She is the Founder/Executive Producer of the production company Kanvas Creations that focuses on media productions in Greater China. In 2024-26, she set up the pan-regional production house CreAsia Studio for Banijay Asia that produces Asian originals and localized Banijay IP adaptations in Southeast Asia. Notable productions include the original TV series My Chef in Crime with versions in Indonesia and Thailand, as well as MasterChef Asia in Macau. From 2021 to 2023, Jessica was Head of Content and Development for Disney+ Asia Pacific, during which she commissioned more than 60 scripted and non-scripted original series across the region for the streaming platform. Notable commercial hits include Korean dramas Big Bet, Connect, Snowdrop, Moving, Shadow Detective, Big Mouth; Japanese live action Gannibal and various animes; Chinese series Anita (Director’s cut), Taiwan Crime Stories, Delicacies Destiny, Bahasa series Wedding Agreement, Mendua, Call My Agent, Teluh Darah, etc. She also spearheaded a slate of premium K-Pop music content from supergroup BTS, Black Pink, Super Junior and PSY. Jessica joined HBO Asia in 2017 and was Head of Original Production – Entertainment at WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks in Asia Pacific. She oversaw HBO’s original productions including TV series like Dream Raider, Workers, Invisible Stories, Food Lore, The Talwars: Behind Closed Doors, Folklore, Food Lore, Grisse, The Teenage Psychic 2, and feature film The Garden Of Evening Mists. Prior to joining HBO, she was an independent film producer based in Beijing and Hong Kong from 2008-2016 during which she produced 10 feature films including critically acclaimed The Piano in a Factory and blockbuster Just Another Pandora's Box. Previously, she had over 10 years’ experience in regional media including stints at Celestial Pictures, MTV Asia, MGM Gold Network, Dow Jones Newswires and Disney Studios. Jessica holds an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, as well as a B.A. in Computer Science from U. C. Berkeley.

Michèle Marshall

Michèle Marshall is a Singapore based Chinese-Austrian producer, executive producer, writer and co-founder of DESMAR. She produced her first screenplay Unmoored under the Desmar banner, directed by debutante Caroline Ingvarsson which premiered at 67th BFI London Film Festival, winner “Best Feature Debut” at Nordic Filmdays, Lübeck. Projects currently in development include a Singapore set romance, a British adaptation based on a German bestseller and a Japanese set film by Harry Macqueen. Michèle’s executive producer credits include Canada’s Oscar submission The Things You Kill; BAFTA nominated H is for Hawk; multiple award winners Dragonfly, The Good Boy starring Stephen Graham, A Pale View of Hills (2025 Cannes Un Certain Regard), and Gentle Monster (2026 Cannes Main Competition), Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care currently premiering in Telluride and Toronto. Upcoming films include Babak Jalali’s A Town in Nova Scotia starring Bill Nighy.

Sarah Mather

Sarah Mather is a New York-based producer and production executive at Pinky Promise Films, with credits including Executive Producer on WISHFUL THINKING (SXSW 2026, Sony Pictures Classics) and Associate Producer on THE STARLING GIRL (Sundance 2023, Bleecker Street). She also worked on ELEANOR THE GREAT (Cannes 2025). CORPUS, an erotic thriller directed by Corrin Evans, marks her feature producing debut and premiered at Fantasia Film Festival. She also produced WILD DOG (SXSW Sydney, SKFF) and executive produced THE SEARCH FOR MAGIC as part of the Netflix/Dirty Films Accelerator program.

Kuek Shee Heng

Malaysia-born producer Kuek Shee Heng’s recent credits include The House on the Moon (Locarno), Levitating (Sundance), Four Seasons in Java (Toronto), and the Malaysian box-office hit Kong Tao. He founded Aview Images, a Taiwan-based production and financing company, and Chada Entertainment, a Thailand-based company focused on international sales and distribution of Asian genre films.

June Kim

June Kim is a film curator and a Korean-to-English translator based in Toronto and Seoul. As the Associate International Programmer of the Toronto International Film Festival, her main focus is on the region of Southeast Asia, and she also serves as the programming associate for East Asia. Aside from TIFF, Kim is currently programming East Asian and Southeast Asian films for the Udine Far East Film Festival in Northern Italy, and is a member of the nomination committee at the Asian Film Awards.

Ming-Jung Kuo

Ming-Jung Kuo has extensive experience in film festival management, programming, and talent support. As Programme Director for Taipei Film Festival (2014–2018), she balanced showcasing new talent, narrative VR, and cinema heritage, and launched initiatives to support script development and co-production. She joined Singapore International Film Festival in 2019, becoming Artistic Director, and served on Locarno Festival Open Doors’ selection committee.  She has also been extensively involved in the selection of projects for Taiwanese and SE Asian script development and regional funding schemes.

Kurt Rieder
(Speaker)

For 35 years, Kurt Rieder has built an extensive career across the global film industry, spanning theatrical distribution, exhibition, and local-language production. At Warner Bros., Kurt heads up international local-language film greenlighting. As the entertainment industry experiences generational change, local films deliver bespoke, authentic stories audiences demand. Working with in-country production teams, consultants, and finance staff in Burbank, Kurt is overseeing a 17-film slate in 2026, with another 44 films in development or production for release in 2027-2028. The company’s annual investment in these slates is ~$50 million, with projects produced in as many as 8 languages each year. A frequent speaker on regional distribution, exhibition, and local content strategy, Kurt has presented at major industry platforms, including APOS, CineAsia, FILMART, the Beijing International Film Festival, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the World IP Day Summit, and the Association of Indonesian Film Producers (APROFI).

Patrick Frater
(Moderator)

Based in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Patrick Frater has over 20 years of experience writing about and analysing the international entertainment industry from Asia. He has worked with publications including Screen International, The Hollywood Reporter and Film Business Asia. He was Asia editor of Variety between 2005 and 2009 and between 2013 and November 2024. He is currently the film contributor for ContentAsia. Frater is also a member of the European Film Academy and a 2026 voting member of the Golden Globes.

Fran Borgia
Moderator

Fran Borgia is the founder of Akanga Film Asia. He has produced numerous critically acclaimed films, including A Land Imagined (2018), which won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. His producing credits include Yuni (Toronto Platform Prize 2021), Tiger Stripes (Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize 2023), Stranger Eyes (Venice Main Competition 2024), Village Rockstars 2 (Busan Jiseok Award 2024), Renoir (Cannes Main Competition 2025), Amoeba (Toronto Discovery 2025 / APSA Best Youth Feature Film), and Not a Hero (Berlinale Generation 2026). He is currently pursuing a PhD focused on Poetic Cinema at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

Séverine Tibi
(Moderator)

Séverine Tibi works as the Creative Analyst for Sons of Rigor Films in Los Angeles. She scouts and assesses projects, ensuring alignment with the company’s goals and values. Séverine is also a Producer and co-founded the Cannes-based production company Sevana Films, with which she has produced films in several countries. She is a Sundance Producers Summit, Rotterdam Lab and Zurich Film Festival Academy alumna, and has served as a mentor for SXSW and a consultant for the Red Sea Labs. She previously worked in Sponsorship at the BFI in London.

Séverine Tibi
Moderator

Séverine Tibi works as the Creative Analyst for Sons of Rigor Films in Los Angeles. She scouts and assesses projects, ensuring alignment with the company’s goals and values. Séverine is also a Producer and co-founded the Cannes-based production company Sevana Films, with which she has produced films in several countries. She is a Sundance Producers Summit, Rotterdam Lab and Zurich Film Festival Academy alumna, and has served as a mentor for SXSW and a consultant for the Red Sea Labs. She previously worked in Sponsorship at the BFI in London.