BIAF2026

The jury evaluates the films in the International Competition section to select the award winners.

CHEON Seonran

CHEON SeonranWriterKorea: CHEON Seonran made her literary debut with the novel The Broken Bridge and gained widespread recognition after winning the Grand Prize in the novel category of the 4th Korea Science Fiction Awards for A Thousand Blues. She has since explored the coexistence of humans, animals, and machines through works including Love of a Certain Matter, Mour, Nine, and The Savior Who Comes at Night. Her essay collection Digimon, Somehow reflects her affection for subculture and popular culture. Through stories set in imagined futures and post-apocalyptic worlds, she continues to develop a distinctive literary universe that deeply explores humanity and the essence of life.

Éléa GOBBÉ-MÉVELLEC

Éléa GOBBÉ-MÉVELLECDirectorFrance: Éléa GOBBÉ-MÉVELLEC is an animation director and storyboard artist. Her feature directorial debut, The Swallows of Kabul, with music by Academy Award-winning composer Gabriel YARED, was selected for Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Feature Film Jury Prize and Music Prize at BIAF2019. She has worked as an animator on Ernest & Celestine, April and the Extraordinary World, The Summit of the Gods, Mars Express, and the TV series Arcane. In 2026, she served as a character designer on Viva Carmen, selected for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.

OTSUKA Manabu

OTSUKA ManabuPresident and CEO of MAPPAJapan: After working at animation studio STUDIO4°C, OTSUKA Manabu joined MAPPA as an animation producer for the studio’s first project, Kids on the Slope. Since joining MAPPA in 2011, he has overseen the production of numerous works, including JUJUTSU KAISEN, Attack on Titan Final Season, and Chainsaw Man. In addition to production, he is involved in various areas of the anime business, including merchandising, events, and distribution. He has served as President and CEO of MAPPA since 2016.

Jocelyn CHARLES

Jocelyn CHARLESDirectorFrance: Jocelyn CHARLES directed the music video Do I Make You Love Me? for Grammy Award winner The Weeknd. He worked as an animator and storyboard artist on the Academy Award-nominated animated features I Lost My Body and Arco. His short film God Is Shy was selected for competition at Cannes Critics’ Week, won the Short Film Grand Prize at BIAF2025, and received the Jury Award, Audience Award, and SACEM Award at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The film has been submitted for consideration in the Animated Short Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.

John KELLY

John KELLYDirectorIreland: John KELLY is an animation director from Ireland, based in Dublin. He studied animation at the Royal College of Art in London and directed Retirement Plan. Featuring About Time star Domhnall Gleeson in the voice cast, the film won the SXSW Jury Award for Short Film and Audience Award, as well as Best of the Festival at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. It received a Special Mention in the International Competition Short Film section at BIAF2025 and was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards. In 2026, Kelly was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

JOUNG Yumi

JOUNG YumiDirectorKorea: JOUNG Yumi is a Korean animation director. After receiving her first award at BIAF for her graduation film My Small Doll House, her works have been regularly presented at the festival. Dust Kid was selected for Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, while Math Test, Love Games, House of Existence, and Circle were selected for the Berlinale Shorts Competition. Her BIAF2024-supported short film project Glasses became the first Korean animated film to compete in the short film competition at Cannes Critics’ Week. She is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

KIM Bosol

KIM BosolDirectorKorea: KIM Bosol studied film directing before studying animation directing at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA), where he made the short film HOME. His 2025 feature animation The Square won the Contrechamp Jury Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the Grand Prize at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival, and the Best Feature Film Award at the Animator International Animated Film Festival in Poland.

CHAE Minji

CHAE MinjiVoice ActorKorea: CHAE Minji began her career as a member of the third class of Daewon Broadcasting’s voice acting division and has worked across animation, games, and dubbed films. Her notable roles include Doraemon in the Korean version of Doraemon, Shinji Ikari in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, Natsu Dragneel in Fairy Tail, and Taiki Kudou in Digimon Xros Wars. At BIAF2021, she participated in a special talk on dubbing Evangelion, sharing her experiences with the audience.

Mike NGUYEN

Mike NGUYENDirectorUSA: Mike NGUYEN received his BFA in Character Animation from CalArts in 1988 and began his career at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He worked on The Little Mermaid , The Rescuers Down Under , Beauty and the Beast , The Iron Giant , and The Road to El Dorado , serving as Supervising Animator on The Iron Giant. He taught at CalArts from 1994 to 2010 and currently works as an animation educator in Korea. He is directing the feature-length animated film My Little World, currently in production.

Youjeen

YoujeenVocalistKorea: As the vocalist of Cherry Filter, Youjeen joined the band in 1997 and made her debut with their first studio album, Head Up, in 2000. She has showcased her powerful vocals and distinctive musical style through songs including Romantic Cat, Flying Duck, and Moonlight Boy, and has also written and composed several of Cherry Filter’s major songs. She performed the Korean version of Disillusion, the theme song for the Japanese anime Fate/stay night, and has also contributed to film and drama OSTs and music projects for other visual media music projects.

LEE Minhwi

LEE MinhwiMusic DirectorKorea: LEE Minhwi began her career in 2012 as a member of the band Mukimukimanmansu while simultaneously working as a singer-songwriter and film composer. Her solo album Borrowed Mouth won Best Folk Album at the Korean Music Awards, and she received the Arts Award (Film) at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards for her work on Pavane. She has composed music for films including Master of the World, Snowball, A Midsummer’s Fantasia, and The Time of the Theatre, and continues to work across television, theatre, visual arts, and other fields.