South Korean Director Lee Chang-dong to Chair 2013 Asian Film Academy

SEOUL — Lee Chang-dong, the Cannes-winning auteur of Poetry (best screenplay) and Secret Sunshine (best actress, Jeon Do-yeon), will serve as dean of the 2013 Asian Film Academy (AFA).

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Held in conjunction with the annual Busan International Film Festival, AFA is an international education program that offers aspiring filmmakers the chance to develop different aspects of their craft. This year’s edition will be held over 18 days, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 13. AFA is now accepting submissions for fellowships through April 30. Acceptance decisions will be announced July 10.

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Lee will teach students about short-film production and supervise master classes and lectures. Participants will also learn about the practice and philosophy of filmmaking during the intensive program. In addition to Lee, emerging Thai filmmaker Aditya Assarat, winner of the New Currents Award at the 2007 Busan Festival for Wonderful Town, will serve as a mentor.

"With Lee Chang-dong’s master vision combined with Aditya Assarat’s enthusiastic energy, the AFA 2013 faculty promises the best education possible for its new prospective fellows," said the academy.

In the past, top Asian directors have supervised the academy: Korea’s Im Kwon-taek, Japan’s Kiyoshi Kurosawa, China’s Jia Zhangke, Taiwan’s Hou Hsiao Hsien, and Iran’s Moshen Makhmalbaf and Abbas Kiarostami.

Visit the academy’s website for more information.