Jury for feature segments (World Panorama, Nepali Feature Competition)
Tulsi Ghimire (born 15 July 1951 in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, India) is one of the most influential filmmakers in Nepali cinema, renowned for bringing strong social realism and emotional depth to mainstream films. Beginning his career in Bombay (now Mumbai) as an assistant and later working as a film editor in Hindi cinema, he developed a solid technical foundation before transitioning into directing. He entered the Nepali film industry with Bansuri (1981) and went on to direct a series of landmark films such as Kusume Rumal (1985), Lahure (1989), Deuta (1991), Chino (1991), Dakshina (1994), and Darpan Chhaya (2001)—the latter becoming one of the highest-grossing and most beloved films in Nepal. Known for portraying themes of love, sacrifice, migration, and social struggle, Ghimire’s storytelling often reflects the lived realities of Nepali society. Over the decades, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the narrative style and emotional tone of Nepali popular cinema, earning recognition both as a director and editor.
Farjad Nabi is a Lahore-based filmmaker and screenwriter known for his work across fiction, documentary, and digital storytelling. He co-wrote and directed the acclaimed Pakistani feature Zinda Bhaag (2013), which marked Pakistan’s first submission to the Academy Awards in over 50 years. Expanding into streaming, he co-wrote the noir anthology web series Qatil Haseenaon ke Naam (2022), produced by ZEE5, which won Best Anthology at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. His documentary work includes Nusrat Has Left the Building... But When? and No One Believes the Professor, both of which received top honors at the Film South Asia in Nepal. Nabi has also directed a music video for the iconic Nepali band Nepathya for their song “Maya Garne Bani,” reflecting his cross-border creative collaborations. He continues to develop projects for both stage and screen, engaging with socially resonant narratives and regional storytelling.
Narendra Bandabe is a dedicated cineaste with over two decades of experience in global cinema, specialising in film curation, Festival Strategist and programming for international film festivals. His work bridges critical analysis and creative production, empowering filmmakers and festivals to amplify diverse narratives from Asia, Europe, and beyond. Narendra Bandabe is a member of FIPRESCI, the international association of film critics, and he is International Voter for the prestigious Golden Globes Awards since 2022. He has served on juries for prominent festivals like Busan International Film Festival in 2025 (BIFF) , Kerala International Film Festival in 2022 (IFFK), and the Cinema for Peace Jury since 2024. He also wrote an important book in Marathi called Kubrick about the famous director Stanley Kubrick.
Marina Smirnova (Marina Valeryevna Smirnova) is a Russian screenwriter, producer, philologist, and literary scholar whose multidisciplinary career bridges literature, education, and audiovisual storytelling. A graduate of Saint Petersburg State University and the Moscow School of Cinema, she is the founder of the International Young Readers Competition “Living Classics” and president of its foundation, as well as a key cultural organizer behind initiatives such as the Geek Picnic festival and the Film Laboratory project, which has produced several short films. An award-winning figure—including honors like the Youth “Triumph” Award and the “Made in Russia” Award—she has authored scholarly works on contemporary Russian literature and co-written a textbook in the field. Her recent screenwriting credits include projects such as The Rich Laugh, The Poor Cry, The Thief, and The Coach, while she continues to develop new film and television works currently in production.
Jury for shorts and documentary films (National and International)
Dr. Jennifer Cool is an anthropologist and filmmaker specializing in the intersection of culture, technology, and social media. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology and an M.A. in Visual Anthropology from the University of Southern California, where her early documentary work, Home Economics, was featured on PBS's POV series. A prominent figure in media anthropology, Dr. Cool has received major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her work in ethnographic film and has served as a filmmaker and editor for projects featured in the Society for Visual Anthropology Film & Media Festival. With extensive expertise in both digital production and social theory, she brings a deep understanding of ethnographic storytelling and media ecology to the jury.
Mojtaba Bahadori is an award-winning filmmaker, poet, and visual artist whose work explores the intersection of conceptualism, nature, and the human experience. A graduate of the University of Art in Tehran, he refined his craft through workshops with Abbas Kiarostami and collaborations with the Louis Lumière School in Paris, later working alongside directors Chantal Akerman and Béla Tarr. His interdisciplinary background spans cinematography, photography, and performance, highlighted by his film On Melting Snow, which was named Best Film of the Year for Climate Change at COP 29. With a career dedicated to ecological awareness and poetic storytelling, Bahadori brings a profound global and artistic perspective to the jury.
Prof. Xun Zhan is a distinguished scholar and media expert at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, where she heads the Department of Journalism and Communication. A specialist in new media, international communication, and cross-cultural studies, she serves as a key consultant for numerous national think tanks and has extensive experience as a juror for the "China News Award" and various provincial media honors. With a global academic background including visiting scholarships at UC San Diego and the College of William and Mary, Prof. Zhan brings a rigorous analytical perspective on media ecology and visual storytelling to the jury. Her deep expertise in navigating complex cultural narratives and crisis management offers an invaluable lens for evaluating the films.
Abu Shahed Emon is a multi-award-winning Bangladeshi Director, Writer, and Producer whose debut feature, Jalal’s Story, became the first Bangladeshi film to premiere in Busan’s New Currents Competition. He produced Sincerely Yours, Dhaka, the country’s first Netflix anthology, and No Ground Beneath the Feet; both, along with Jalal’s Story, were selected as Bangladesh’s official Oscar submissions. His producing credits span critically acclaimed and commercially successful features, including Komola Rocket, Damal, Paap Punyo, A House with No Names, Jaya Aar Sharmin, and more. As a director, Emon’s work includes award-winning shorts such as The Container, Arai Mon Shopno, Tenement of Secret Talk, and the celebrated web series Mercules. His work consistently bridges local narratives with global audiences.
Rajan Kathet is a Nepal-based filmmaker working across fiction and documentary. An alumnus of DOCNOMADS European Masters, Berlinale Talents, Global Media Makers, and the Video Consortium, his films No Winter Holidays (2023) and Bare Trees in the Mist (2019) have screened at major international festivals including Toronto International Film Festival, Sheffield DocFest, Tampere Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, etc. He has served as a juror for the IDA Documentary Awards and is part of the selection committee for the Alternativa Film Festival. He is also active in film education, mentoring young filmmakers through local film schools and workshops. In addition, he collaborates with both national and international filmmakers through his production company, Salpa Films.
Jury for the International Federation of Film Societies' (IFFS) Don Quixote Award for Feature films
Samipya Raj Timalsena is a Nepali lecturer, journalist, film writer, and critic. He teaches anthropology at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus and has worked extensively in journalism, including roles at Nepal Republica Media, Annapurna Post, and Nepal Ekagaj Media. A prominent voice in Nepali film criticism, he currently serves as President of the Film Critics Society of Nepal. Timalsena has also written screenplays for numerous Nepali films, including Kagbeni, November Rain, Dreams, Captain, and Chhakka Panja 2. His work spans film criticism, translation, editing, and research on Nepali cinema and society.
Film culture animator, lecturer and film educator. Cultural studies graduate with specialization in film and media studies at the University of Łódź, as well as screenwriting and film/television production at the WSRTiF in Poznań. Head of he Film Culture Department at the Municipal Art Center in Gorzów Wielkopolski, where she is an author of film and media education program and runs arthouse cinema and film socjety. She’s also Vice-president of Polish Federation of Film Societies, Director of Festiwal Filmów Frapujących and expert in ZEF - Team of Film Educators. In 2022 she received Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture. She believes that each film can, or even should be, discussed – especially in good company.
Bibesh Roy is a Bangladeshi film educator, cultural organizer, cinema activist, and entrepreneur active in the film sector since 1995. Emerging from the Film Society Movement, he has worked across both mainstream and art-house film production and has organized numerous film festivals, film weeks, and retrospectives. In 2006, he founded the International Academy of Film and Media (IAFM) to promote structured film education and nurture new filmmakers in Bangladesh. Roy has also participated in international training programs, including the European Arthouse Cinema Workshop in Berlin organized by the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas (CICAE). As a producer, his short films From Surma (2024) and Nishi (2025) received international recognition, winning awards at the Green Montenegro International Film Festival and the Environmental Media Awards in Los Angeles. He is an executive committee member of the Green Film School Alliance (USA) and president of the Sergei Bondarchuk Film Club.
NIFF Feature Pitch Jury
Angelina Marilyn Bok is a Singaporean film producer based in London, with over a decade of experience across producing, development, and distribution. She holds an MFA in Producing from the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and has participated in leading international programs, including Rotterdam Lab, Berlinale Talents Tokyo, the International Film Business Academy at the Busan Asian Film School, and the Full Circle Producers Lab Philippines. Her films as Associate Producer/Producer have been screened at Sundance, Singapore, Tokyo, and several other international film festivals. Passionate about cross-cultural storytelling, she aims to strengthen collaborations between East and West through international co-productions.
Anup Poudel is an award-winning Nepali film producer and filmmaker whose work has garnered national and international recognition at major film festivals and on global platforms. A graduate of Oscar College of Film Studies in Nepal and the Busan Asian Film School in South Korea, Anup has produced films that have screened at prestigious film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Locarno, Busan, etc. Over the years, Anup has built a strong track record in developing artistically ambitious, internationally collaborative projects supported by notable labs, markets, and residencies. With a growing body of critically acclaimed films, he continues to champion bold, human-centered cinema from Nepal and plays a key role in connecting local stories to the global stage.
AI Workshop Mentors
Karun Thapa is a pioneering figure in Nepal’s IT and media sectors, with a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years as a technologist, filmmaker, and artist. He is widely credited with introducing landmark technologies to the country, such as the first Devanagari fonts for Apple systems and 3D animation, while also revolutionizing post-production by bringing the AVID Digital Film Editing system to Nepal. Beyond his technical contributions, he has edited over 25 feature films, written more than 100 recorded songs and Ghazals, and received numerous industry awards. Currently, he serves as the CEO of Sinclair Academy and is a prominent expert on the integration of Artificial Intelligence in cinema, frequently contributing to international film festivals and academic panels on Cinematic Intelligence.
H. A. Gayan Madushanka is an accomplished academic and film professional from Sri Lanka, currently serving as the Director of the International Affairs Division and Head of the Department of Film and Television Production Technology at the University of Vocational Technology. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Mass Communication from the University of Kelaniya, with a specialized focus on the significance of prop inventory and the art department in film production. His diverse professional background includes roles as a television producer, director, and journalist, having contributed to major networks like Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and Independent Television Network (ITN). An active researcher and member of several international media associations, Madushanka has published extensively on topics ranging from digital cinema and war photojournalism to the evolution of Sri Lankan television, establishing himself as a key voice in contemporary South Asian media studies.
He Jiaxuan is a filmmaker and AI researcher with a strong background in film editing and directing from the Communication University of Zhejiang and Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. Currently working at China Movie Channel Hangzhou Studio, he specializes in AIGC research and overseas social media operations, driving growth through AI-powered content optimization. His portfolio includes award-winning projects like Midsummer Torrent and Green Grass Rising on Tingzhou, earning accolades at the Golden Rooster Film Project Market and various international festivals. With expertise in post-production tools and AI-generated film production, Jiaxuan bridges traditional cinematic storytelling with emerging multimedia technologies.
Yuan Yimin is an Associate Professor and the Dean of the Department of English at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), specializing in the interdisciplinary integration of linguistics and Artificial Intelligence. Holding a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics from Beijing Normal University, she has spent over 15 years pioneering "AI + Teaching" models, which include developing AI-driven teaching auxiliary tools and compiling textbooks focused on intelligent writing. Her work bridges the gap between traditional liberal arts and modern technology, focusing on cross-cultural communication, Bayesian networks, and text mining to enhance international discourse. A recognized leader in her field, Dr. Yuan has presided over multiple provincial-level research projects and has been honored with top awards for her innovative applications of AI in language education and official document writing.
Shiva Puri is a highly experienced film editor and documentary producer with over 20 years of expertise in cinema and post-production. Based in Kathmandu, he is a specialist in industry-standard tools like AVID Media Composer and DaVinci Resolve, and he recently authored the book AI in Journalism, published in 2025. His extensive career includes editing over 100 documentaries and 25 feature films, collaborating with prominent organizations such as UNDP, World Vision, and the BBC. Beyond the editing suite, he serves as a key coordinator and selection committee member for the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) and is a dedicated trainer in multimedia journalism and AI-driven filmmaking.
Mausam Puri is a pioneering AI filmmaker and IT professional from Pokhara, Nepal, who gained widespread recognition for his viral AI-generated trailer of the epic Mahabharat. By leveraging advanced tools such as Kling AI, ChatGPT, and Canva, Puri demonstrated the potential of "Cinematic Intelligence" to recreate complex mythological narratives, a project that caught the attention of both the tech community and established film directors. A vocal advocate for the ethical and creative application of technology, he frequently speaks on the intersection of AI and storytelling, notably serving as a panelist at the Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF). Puri’s work emphasizes the transition of AI from a post-production tool to a foundational element of the creative process, and he continues to explore the possibility of producing Nepal's first full-length feature film entirely through artificial intelligence.
Gayathiri Guliani is a distinguished media executive and producer with over 25 years of experience, renowned for her leadership in global film distribution and international co-productions. She has forged strategic partnerships with major studios such as Sony Pictures, Disney Star, and Reliance, successfully distributing over 55 films and selling more than 2,500 hours of content across diverse markets including China, Russia, and Spain. As the head of Kleos Entertainment Group, she produced Demon Hunters, the first-ever Taiwan-India co-production, which gained significant recognition at Cannes 2024. A regular speaker at prestigious forums like Davos and a recipient of numerous awards, including the Global Woman Leader and L'Oréal’s Wonder Women, she remains a prominent figure in expanding the global footprint of Indian cinema.
Peter Pan (Pan Kuangyu) is a dedicated director and film producer with a Master of Arts in Documentary Film from the London University of the Arts and nearly a decade of experience in the industry. His expertise encompasses the entire production lifecycle, from pre-production planning and cinematography—operating professional systems like Arri Alexa and Canon C300—to advanced post-production workflows in DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro. Pan has led numerous award-winning projects, including the UNESCO-related documentary Copol Color & Coral, which was exhibited at the United Nations Conference on the Decade of the Ocean, and the documentary Life Epilogue, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Sparrow Awards. Known for his strong organizational skills and refined cinematic aesthetic, he has successfully managed large production teams and created high-impact promotional content, such as a top-ranking video for the UKCPA Dance Academy.
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