Béla Tarr, Hungarian Director, screenwriter

Known as the soul figure of the “Hungarian New Wave”, Béla Tarr’s name has always been closely linked to classic moments in film history. From documentary style realism to more modernist film practice, his works are renowned for their cold black-and-white imagery, poetic narrative structure, and profound social criticism. His works have been nominated multiple times for the main competitions at Berlinale, Festival De Cannes and Locarno Film Festival. He has just won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. His representative work "The Turin Horse" won the Silver Bear Award and FIPRESCI Prize in the 61st Berlinale and was nominated for the Golden Bear Award in the main competition section.

Jin Chen, Chinese actress

Jin Chen’s representative film works include “No More Bets” (2023) and “Honey Money Phony” (2024), which have grossed over 4.5 billion yuan in total. "No More Bets" has remained the top grossing crime film in mainland China since its release two years ago, making her one of the top grossing actresses in the 1990s. This year, by her leading role in "Honey Money Phony" also topped the box office of romantic films in the New Year's Eve season. Jin Chen has collaborated with several emerging directors and achieved box office success several times, with both popularity and word-of-mouth soaring.

Sabu, Japanese director, screenwriter, actor

Sabu is a pioneering Japanese director of the new generation, whose 1996 debut film “Dangan Runner” set the early stage of his directorial career. His works are rich in genres, full of dynamic narratives and absurd black humour, making him unique in the film industry.

His representative works “MONDAYS” (2000) won the Berlinale's FIPRESCI Prize, “Blessing Bell” (2002) won the Berlinale's Netpac Award; “Chasuke's Journey” (2015) and “Mr. Long” (2017) were shortlisted for the main competition of the Berlinale. Other works such as “Postman Blues” (1997), “Drive” (2002) and “Miss Zombie” (2013) have also won several international film awards.

Song Yang, Chinese actor

Song Yang is a skilled male actor from China, graduated from Beijing Film Academy. He has created multiple classic screen images with superb acting skills. In 2023, he was nominated as the best actor of the 36th China Golden Rooster Award for his film “Kong and Jigme”; and in 2017, he won the best actor award of the Macao International Film Festival for his film “Wrath of Silence”. Other representative films such as “The Sword Identity” (2011), “Judge Archer” (2012), “The Final Master” (2015), and “Evacuate from the 21st Century” (2024) have also won numerous awards both domestically and internationally.

Cyril Schäublin, Swiss director, screenwriter

Cyril Schäublin studied at the Central Academy of Drama and then at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, where he majored in film directing. His diverse background brings a unique flavour to his images.

His 2017 feature film debut, “Those Who are Fine”, won the Special Mention Award for Best First Feature at the 70th Locarno International Film Festival; and his second feature film “Unrest” (2022) won the Best Director and was nominated for Best Film in the Encounter section of the 72nd Berlinale.