Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN, Festival Director SHIN Chul) has appointed Barry SABATH as the Dean of the NAFF Fantastic Film School this year. Six instructors, including Annick MAHNERT, Chris LEE, JEONG Youngbum, SHIN Suwon, Todd BROWN, and Yee Wei CHAI, will participate.
Barry SABATH is a film producer, film executive, film historian and film professor. He has worked with some of Hollywood's most respected talent as well as an exciting new generation of award-winning filmmakers and writers such as Ari ASTER. Currently he teaches thesis development at the prestigious graduate program of the American Film Institute. He has mentored over 50 thesis films that have played at major film festivals around the world and won awards.
He has held posts as both a studio production executive and a studio based producer at Tri-Star, Columbia, Fox, and Disney. He oversaw and produced more than 30 feature films, including
Flatliners (1990),
No Way Out (1987),
My Cousin Vinny (1992). In 2006, he served as a mentor for the Korean Film Council’s Filmmakers’ Development Lab, and has since continued his relationship with the country by participating as a panelist in Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Film Market and as jury member at the Korean Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Barry SABATH in his own words: "I also instructed students at the Fantastic Film School in 2019, but to participate as dean this year, is even more meaningful. I'm looking forward to interact with students from all over the world through cinema in the fantastic atmosphere of BIFAN."
¡ã Barry SABATH coaching participants at Fantastic Film School during the open pitching session in 2019. Fantastic Film School is a genre film production education and network program to foster up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world. This year's Fantastic Film School will be held from June 29 to July 5 as hybrid off-and-on-line event.
Beside Berry SABATH as the dean a number of Korean and foreign film industry professionals will act as instructors during this year's Fantastic Film School. Among the Korean filmmakers SHIN Suwon, who directed films such as
Hommage (2021) and
Glass Garden (2017), and JEONG Youngbum, CEO of Beam Studio, a AI digital trans-media company, will participate. International filmmakers include Annick MAHNERT, who is in charge of programming at various fantastic film festivals including Sitges, Chris LEE, producer of films such as
Valkyrie (2008) or
Superman Returns (2006), Todd BROWN, executive at XYZ Films, who produced films such as
The Raid: Redemption (2011),
Vivarium (2019), or
Mandy (2018), and director Yee Wei CHAI, founder of Southeast Asia's end-to-end boutique studio Mocha Chai Laboratories. They will mentor the 30 participants selected from around the world at the Fantastic Film School this year.
The Fantastic Film School, which marks its 16th anniversary this year, is a genre film production education and networking program for emerging filmmakers from around the world. Renowned international filmmakers will participate as instructors, giving lectures and masterclasses that cover all aspects of filmmaking, from development to distribution and marketing. Participants can present their own projects and receive mentoring. The program also provides opportunities for networking among instructors and participants.
Jongsuk Thomas NAM, head of BIFAN's industry program B.I.G, stated: "Over the past 15 years, NAFF Fantastic Film School has produced a total of 342 graduates. Their films have been selected for prestigious film festivals such as Berlinale, Sundance, Sitges and more, gaining worldwide attention. This year, the Fantastic Film School will once again provide high-level lectures and close mentoring from renowned Korean and international experts. We will work with the instructors to create a practical curriculum that will provide even more substantial help to the participants."
The 27th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) will be held in Bucheon City from June 29 to July 9. Fantastic Film School will take place from June 29 to July 5.
¡á Instructors of NAFF Fantastic Film School 2023