International Jury
Jin Jue Award

Chairman of Jury
CHEN Kaige
Chinese director

Vice Chairman of Jury
Fernando TRUEBA
Spanish director, screenwriter, producer

Michael BALLHAUS
German Cinematographer

Maria Grazia CUCINOTTA
Italian actress and producer

Luc JACQUET
French director and screenwriter

LU Chuan
Chinese director

Kohei OGURI
Japanese director

Asian New Talent Award

Chairman of Jury
He Ping
Chinese Director

Mabel Cheung
Hong Kong Director

Jean Michel Frodon
French Film Critic

Isao Yukisada
Japanese Director

Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Thai Director, Producer

Profile

Jin Jue Award

CHEN Kaige (Chinese director)

In 1984, Chen Kaige collaborated with Zhang Yimou to create the landmark film YELLOW EARTH, which stunned critics and audiences in its international debut at the Hong Kong Film Festival and brought worldwide attention. Chen's fourth feature film KING OF THE CHILDREN (1987) was nominated for Golden Palm at 1988 Cannes Film Festival. Five years later, his work FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE caught every eye in the world, and won the Golden Palm and an Academy Award nomination, marking a successful turning point in Chen's career.

THE EMPEROR AND ASSASSIN (1998) was Chen¡¯s first try on ancient theme and obtained a highly value. TOGETHER WITH YOU (2002) captured the Silver Seashell for Best Director and Best Actor at San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2005, he attracted an international cast for his fantasy film THE PROMISE and proved again his outstanding manipulation of color and scenes. The film won 2006 Golden Globe nomination.

Fernando TRUEBA (Spanish director, screenwriter, producer)

Between 1974 and 1979 Fernando Trueba worked as a film critic for Spain's leading daily newspaper EL PAIS. In 1980, he founded the monthly film magazine CASABLANCA, which he edited and directed during its first two years.
In 1992, Trueba was awarded the Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film of 1993, and also got 9 Goyas (Spanish Academy Awards), including the Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Editing for BELLE EPOQUE. In 1995, his comedy TWO MUCH starring Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith became his debut in Hollywood. In 1998, his feature LA NI?A DE TUS OJOS was awarded 6 Goyas - Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing and Best Production.
In 2000, Trueba began to broaden his directing horizon and vary his shooting angles. His musical documentary CALLE 54, stars those contemporary popular singers of Latin Jazz systematically. For the marvelous blend of live music and author¡¯s thought, this exquisite documentary was awarded 1 Goya (Best Sound) and the Best Film USA Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards 2002. In 2004, his EL MILAGRO DE CANDEAL got 2 Goyas again - Best Documentary and Best Original Song.

Michael BALLHAUS (German Cinematographer)

Michael Ballhaus made his debut in 1984. His second film AFTER HOURS (1984) won Independent Spirit Award for best cinematography. Then he came to approach his career climax, being nominated for Academy Award for Best Cinematography for BROADCAST NEWS in 1988 and for THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS in 1990. The later also won him NSFC Award for Best Cinematography.

In 1994, Ballhaus earned a nomination of BAFTA Film Award for his part in giving Scorsese's adaptation of THE AGE OF INNOCENCE. In 2003 he would once again find himself Oscar and BAFTA nominated for his GANGS OF NEW YORK. He was awarded the Best Cinematography at Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards and BAFTA for GOODFALLAS in 1990.
Ballhaus has filmed commercials for many world-famous brands such as YOPLAIT, ARMANI, COCA COLA, OPEL and SIEMENS.

Maria Grazia CUCINOTTA (Italian actress, producer)

Maria Grazia Cucinotta is virtually a staple of the film and television industry in Italy. Discovered an interest in modeling by the time she was in high school, she made her debut at the age of 16. Then, in 1994, came THE POSTMAN, an internationally acclaimed film with several Oscar nominations. It was that supporting role which introduced Cucinotta to an audience far beyond Italian shores and started her splendid career in Hollywood.

Cucinotta had a memorable part in the 1999 James Bond movie THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. Since then, her image became an essential part in the international market. She also had bravo performances in THE SECOND WIFE, PICKING UP THE PIECES, RENT-A-HUSBAND and OUR ITALIAN HUSBAND.

In 2005, Cucinotta participated in the Venice Film Festival as leading actress and producer of ALL THE INVISIBLE CHILDREN. This film¡¯s making was supported by UNICEF and WFP.

Luc JACQUET (French director, screenwriter)

Born in Bourg-en-Bresse in 1967, Luc Jacquet obtained his master's degree from the Lyon University in animal biology, with an emphasis on ecology and animal behavior.

During his stay at the Dumont d'Urville French Antarctic station in Terre Adelie, he learned to tag and to film wild animals. His interest gradually turned from the laboratory to the camera. His documentary debut was SPRINGTIME FOR THE WEDDELL SEALS (1995). After twelve years¡¯ preparation and observation in the South Pole, Luc Jacquet stunned the world with another documentary, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS(2006). Based on the reality, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS portrayed the ritual courtship and monogamous marriage of adult penguins, as well as the hardship baby penguins have to face on their way of growing.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS was adored by both audiences and critics when it was released in France. It took home the Oscar in 2006 for Best Documentary just as it was expected, which also milestoned the era of Luc Jacquet in French wildlife documentaries.

Luc Jacquet has just finished his new work THE FOX AND THE CHILD, which is going to be released at the end of 2007 in France. More documentaries about animals are to be filmed according to Luc¡¯s plan.

LU Chuan (Chinese director)

A Graduate from Beijing Film Academy, he is presently a film director in China Film Group.
He wrote and directed the film THE MISSING GUN, which was presented in the Upstream section in 2002 Venice Film Festival. KEKEXILI won the Grand Jury Award at Tokyo International Film Festival 2004.

    In 2005, he was awarded ¡°Yearly Young Director¡± at the first Chinese Movie Directors Association Annual Awards.

Kohei OGURI (Japanese director)

Born in 1945, Kohei Oguri graduated in drama from the University of Waseda. Then, he became an assistant director, working with, among others, Masahiro SHINODA and Kiriro URAYAMA. In 1981 he directed his first feature MUDDY RIVER, a story set in the 50s, about the friendship between a middle-class boy and the children who live on a houseboat moored next to his parent's restaurant, which won him many awards including the KINEMAJUNPO MAGAZINE's Best Japanese Film of the Year Award and Second Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival, as well as was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1982.

In 1984 he directed his second film FOR KAYAI (from the novel by Hue-Song LEE ) and received the Georges SADOUL Award. In 1990, STING OF DEATH ( from the novel by Toshio SHIMAO ), about the near break-up of a marriage, which, with its stylized imagery, marked a major step in the development of a personal directorial style, receiving both the GRAND PRIX 1990 and the INTERNAITONAL CRITICS PRIZE ( FIPRESCI ) at the Cannes Film Festival. With this film, Oguri won worldwide acclaim. THE SLEEPING MAN, his fourth feature film, won Special Grand Prize of the Jury at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1996.

Asian New Talent Award

He Ping (Director, China)

As an experienced director and editor, He Ping is the Secretary-General of the China Film Association, and a national first-class director. The film The Swordsman in Double-Flag Town (1991) won the Young Film Director Award in Berlin International Film Festival. The film Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker (1993) won the Best Film in Hawaii International Film Festival, and Best Director at the 14th China Golden Rooster Awards. Sun Valley (1995) won Special Jury Prize at the 46th Berlin International Film Festival. During 1997 and 1998, he was appointed as the Advanced Advisor of Beijing Film Studio when he has supervised and produced 8 films, among which The Dream Factory has opened up a new brand of Chinese New Year¡¯s Movie.

During 1995 and 2005, He Ping was appointed as the Advanced Advisor of Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, and during 2001 and 2003, he supervised the production of the films such as Big Shots Funeral, The Missing Gun and Cell Phone, etc. He directed the successful film Warriors of Heaven & Earth after twenty years preparation in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed as the Chairman of Council of England Land Rover China Club. At the same year, he supervised the production of Ke Ke Xi Li, which won the Jury Prize at Tokyo International Film Festival. In November of 2005, he was appointed as the Jury President of 29th Cairo International Film Festival (One of the top A-category festivals).

Mabel Cheung (Director, Hong Kong China)

Mabel Cheung graduated from the University of Hong Kong, majoring in English Literature and Psychology. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Drama and Visual Arts from Bristol University, UK, and an M.F.A. in Film Production from the New York University Graduate Film School. Cheung has become an award-winning director in Hong Kong since her debut feature, The Illegal Immigrant (1985), which won her the Best Director Prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards and a Special Jury Award at the 30th Asia Pacific Film Festival. An Autumn¡¯s Tale (1987) signaled another high point of her career, winning four Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The Soong Sisters (1997) won three Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and six Hong Kong Film Awards. Other films she has made ¨C City of Glass (1998), Beijing Rocks (2001), and Traces of A Dragon (2003) ¨C have been selected by film festivals worldwide. Cheung has also produced many popular films, including Painted Faces (1998), Now You See Love, How You Don¡¯t (1992), and The Moon Warriors (1993). Her latest production was Song of Light and Shadows (2005), a stage musical in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Chinese cinema.

Jean Michel Frodon (Critic, France)

Director of Cahiers du Cin¨¦ma, film critic and historian of cinema, Frodon graduated in history and became a journalist and film critic at French leading daily Le Monde from 1990 to 2003. After that, he was named the director of Cahiers du cin¨¦ma. From 1998 to 2001, Frodon was in charge of a seminar at Ecole Normale Sup¨¦rieure (Ulm): The Body on Screen. He used to teach at National Institute of Political Sciences on the topic of Politics of Image, and now he teaches film critic at Sorbonne. Under the sponsorship of Le Monde and Institut de Sciences Politiques de Paris, Frodon created on December 2001 an independent think-tank named L¡¯Exception, groupe de r¨¦flexion sur le cin¨¦ma, which brings together artists, philosophers, teachers, cultural workers to discuss the contemporary status of cinema and the possible interaction with public action. The main books of Frodon include L'age moderne du cin¨¦ma fran?ais (1995), Le Cin¨¦ma vers son deuxi¨¨me si¨¨cle (1996), La Projection nationale (1998), Hou Hsiao-hsien (1999), Le Banquet imaginaire (2002), Le Cin¨¦ma sans la television (2004), etc.

Isao Yukisada (Director, Japan)

Born in 1968 in Japan, Isao Yukisada acted as a director for the first time in the long-theatre-film Open House in 1997. His second production Sun Flower won the International Critics Prize at 5th Pushan International Film festival, which made him an eye-catching new prominent director. The film Go directed in 2001 won the Japanese Director Oscar Award, as well as many other film awards, making him one of the world famous directors. Then he has directed many films such as Rock¡¯n Roll Mishin(2002), Justice(2002), A day on the planet(2004), Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World(2004), Year One in the North(2005), Spring Snow£¨2005£©£¬etc, establishing his professor position in the film field. In 2006, he directed long-theatre-movie Into the Far Away Sky based on the original script, and cooperating with TV advertisements, he directed a medium-TV series The World That Chocolat Saw.

Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Producer, Thailand)

Apichatpong was born in Bangkok, 1970. He holds a degree in Architecture from Khon Kaen University and a Master of Fine Arts in Film-making from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He began making film and video shorts in 1994, and completed his first feature in 2000. Working independently of the Thai commercial film industry, he is active in promoting experimental and independent film-making through his company Kick the Machine, founded in 1999. His art projects and feature films have won him widespread international recognition and numerous festival prizes, including two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival. In 2005 he was presented with one of Thailand¡¯s most prestigious awards for visual artists, Silpatorn, by the Thai Ministry of Culture. He has created many works, including Dokfar Nai Meu Marn (2000), Sud Sanaeha (2002), Huajai Toranong (2003), Sud Pralad (2004), Sang Sattawat (2006).

£¨Source: SIFF.com)