SYDNEY GUESTS

1. Ryoo Seung-wan (Director)

There is probably no Korean filmmaker like Ryoo Seung-wan. His films are often full of playful twists of the action genre he has been exploring and has such been labelled the 'action kid'. Not only that, he has also been cultivating his own brand of a Korean hardboiled genre since his memorable debut feature, 'Die Bad'. His early 2000 pulp noir hit 'No Blood No Tears' not only launched the careers of Jeon Do-yeon and Jeong jae-yeong, but also had critics labelling him as the "Korean Tarantino".

Ryoo however does something very different in 'The Unjust'. 'The Unjust' is still explosive and intense like his previous features but this time it is not the punching and kicking that drives the film. 'The Unjust' unflinchingly portrays society where equally dubious prosecutors, criminals and policemen all try to get an upper hand. Both 'No Blood No Tears' and 'The Unjust' screen in Sydney for KOFFIA 2011. Read our spotlight on Ryoo Seung-wan

2. Kang Hye-jung (Producer, Filmmaker R&K)

Kang Hye-Jung founded Filmmaker R&K, a production company with her husband Ryoo Seung-Wan. She has produced 'The City of Violence' and 'Dachimawa Lee', both directed by her husband. Lately she not only produced 'The Unjust' which opens KOFFIA 2011, but also produced the thriller hit 'Troubleshooter', which was the first film she has produced not directed by Ryoo Seung-Wan. Both 'No Blood No Tears' and 'The Unjust' screen in Sydney for KOFFIA 2011

3. Russell Edwards (Variety)

Russell Edwards is a international renowned film critic for the film trade publication Variety. He has vast experience writing about and experiencing the best of Korean cinema, which you can follow through his blogs covering PIFAN and BIFF for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. He is also a member of the Nominations Council for the 2011 APSAs, which once again is chaired by KOFFIA 2010 special guest, Professor Kim Hong-joon.

4. Dr. Jane Park (Gender and Cultural Studies, University of Sydney)

Dr. Jane Park’s research focuses on representations of race and ethnicity. In particular, she has researched on representation of Asian people in film and popular media. She has a Ph.D. in Radio-TV-Film from The University of Texas at Austin and a M.A. in English from the University of California

5. Dr. Leonid Petrov (Korean Studies, University of Sydney)

Leonid Petrov graduated from St. Petersburg State University in Russia where he majored in Korean History and Language. He obtained a PhD in History at the Australian National University where he specialised in the studies of North Korea. In 2003-2005, he was a Korea Foundation post-doctoral fellow at the Academy of Korean Studies (Seongnam), lectured on Korean History at the Intercultural Institute of California (San Francisco) and Korean Economy at Keimyung University (Daegu). In 2006-2007, Dr Petrov acted as Chair of Korean Studies at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

6. Mathieu Ravier (The Festivalists, Jurassic Lounge)

Matt Ravier is a film journalist and festival programmer. He is the artistic director of The Festivalists, a non-profit company dedicated to the production of film festivals, including Possible Worlds, Sydney's Canadian Film Festival, and Young at Heart, Sydney's Seniors Film Festival. He has lived in the US, Canada, France, Japan, Hong Kong, England and Australia... but sadly not Korea.

7. Richard Gray (DVD Bits, The Reel Bits)

Richard has been writing about film for over a decade. His reviews have also been published in places as diverse as SBS Film’s Social Review, the Official Japanese Film Festival Blog and of course, the KOFFIA program. Richard is also a member of the Australian Film Critics Association (AFCA), which in turn is a member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).

8. Dr Bruce Isaacs (Film Studies, University of Sydney)

Dr. Bruce Isaacs is the author of Toward a New Film Aesthetic and his research interests include digital cinema aesthetics and practices, critical approaches to film production, film and popular culture including the relationship between film and other pop culture art forms such as television, literature and music. Dr Isaacs will introduce Park Chan-wook’s “Night Fishing”, the first cinema-standard film to be shot solely on the iPhone, and present the YKFA Audience Award sponsored by University of Sydney Film Studies.

9. Elizabeth Connor (Administrator, University of Sydney)

Elizabeth Connor will be a jury member for our YKFA session. What started as an enthusiasm for South Korean film led to a study of the Korean language and culture with visits to Busan and Seoul, the acquisition of over 400 DvDs and books on film for the University of Sydney Library, and also led last year to the showing of both North and South Korean Films in the University of Sydney series: The Forgotten War – remembered in Film, and visits to the biennial Pyongyang Film Festival and the eerily empty Pyongyang film studios.

10. Terina Stibbard (International Program Coordinator, Child Fund Australia)

Terina Stibbard will speak on behalf of Child Fund Australia at the Sydney screening of "A Barefoot Dream". Child Fund Australia is a non-profit charity organisation that focuses on children. Given her experience in the Oceania region, and time spent with underprivileged children in Africa, Terina will speak about the importance of giving opportunities to those that have no hope. She will also introduce the film which profoundly moved her, as she developed a strong feeling for the East Timorese sporting stars.  

11. Scott McIntyre (Asian Football Correspondent, SBS Sport)

Scott McIntyre’s extensive knowledge of Asian football was developed whilst living in Japan and covering football for various Japanese football magazines, newspapers and websites. Respected as one of Australia’s Asian football experts, his career at SBS has seen him cover numerous tournaments in the Asian and Oceania regions. He has also contributed to the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) official website and will speak about the power of football based on his vast knowledge of the game and the region.

MELBOURNE GUESTS

1. Dr. Adrian Martin (English, Communications and Performance Studies, Monash University)

Since 1979, Adrian Martin has combined work as a professional writer and film critic with a university career. He was film reviewer for The Age between 1995 and 2006. For his numerous books, essays and public lectures, he has won the Byron Kennedy Award (Australian Film Institute) and the Pascall Prize for Critical Writing, and his PhD on film style won the Mollie Holman Award. He is the author of four books and hundreds of essays on film, art, television, literature, music, popular and avant-garde culture.

2. Al Cossar (Programmer, Melbourne International Film Festival)

Al Cossar is currently a member of the programming team for the Melbourne International Film Festival, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2011. He was previously the Programming Director of the Portable Film Festival and Programming Advisor for the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. Al will speak from the perspective of a film festival programmer, especially in regards to MIFF who have screened more than 150 Korean films in Melbourne to date.

3. Christian Were (Eastern Eye, Madman Entertainment)

A staunch Korean film fanatic, Christian Were will discuss the state of Korean cinema in Australia based on his passion for and vast knowledge about Hallyuwood. Known as ‘The Eastern Eye Guy’, Christian is the Brand Manager of Eastern Eye, the label of Madman Entertainment responsible for releasing Korean films on DVD in Australia, including ‘Bedevilled’ later this year. He is also an avid photographer.