Etsuko Takano

General Producer of Tokyo International Women's Film Festival

Born in Manchuria (now the northeast part of China) in 1929. In 1951, she graduated from the Department of Social Welfare, Japan Women's University, and joined Toho Co., Ltd. Left Toho to study film directing at the Institute for Advanced Cinematographic Studies (IDHEC; now named La Fémis) in Paris in 1958, and completed her studies at IDHEC in 1961. In February 1968, she was appointed as General Manager of Iwanami Hall upon its foundation and presided over the Équipe du Cinema series with Kashiko Kawakita in 1974. She was appointed as General Producer of the Tokyo International Women's Film Festival in 1985, and also appointed as the first Honorary Director of the National Film Center in 1985, and held the position until August 2007.

Tetsuya Bessho

Actor / President of Short Shorts Film Festival

Tetsuya Bessho graduated from the Faculty of Law, Keio University. He made his movie acting debut in Hollywood in 1990 in the Japan-US co-production Solar Crisis. He became a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Some of the best-known works he has appeared in are Shin Dosei Jidai (for which he won the Rookie of the Year Award at the Japan Academy Prize), Nami no Kazu dake Dakishimete, Daitouryo no Christmas Tree Parasite Eve, Messenger, Ekiden, Ultraman and Makoto. Besides acting, he has been running the "Short Shorts Film Festival" (www.shortshorts.org) since 1999. The festival was accredited by the Academy Awards since 2004 and it celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. In summarizing his efforts towards the film festival, he published "Yume wo Katachi ni suru Shigotoryoku" (Kobunsha Shinsho) this year. He was appointed as a "Yokoso! Japan Ambassador" by the Japan Tourism Agency and also won the ACA Commissioner Commendation from the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Tom Yoda

Chairman, TIFF & TIFFCOM

TIFF Chairman

Koshi Ueno

Film critic, President of Japan Journalist College

Born in Tokyo in 1941, Ueno began his career as a critic in 1966. In 1968, he started writing cinematic reviews for the film review magazine 'Cinema 69' right from the first issue. He completed his Ph.D. in Humanities at Tokyo Metropolitan University in 1971. In 1972, he was the producer for Yoshishige Yoshida’s film Kaigenrei. In 1994 and 1995, he undertook a project to report on the film-making situation in China. In 1998 and 1999, he held intensive courses on Japanese Films at Korea National University of Arts. His literary works include 'Eiga: Han Eiyu-tachi no Yume', 'Suzuki Seijun Zen-Eiga', 'Ee Oto ya-naika: Hashimoto Fumio Eiga Rokuon Gishi Ichidai' and 'Eiga Zenbun'.

Kim Ji-seok

Program Director of Pusan International Film Festival

Born in Pusan, Korea in 1960. As an expert on Asian cinema, his main interest is to find and promote forthcoming filmmakers and to exhibit masterpieces of prominent filmmakers in the region. He wrote more than 10 books focusing on various areas such as Korea, Iran, China, Indonesia and Hollywood.

Tetsuo Shinohara

Director

Born in 1962 in Tokyo. He studied under various directors including Kichitaro Negishi, Shusuke Kaneko, Yoshimitsu Morita and Shun Nakahara. He also made his own films, and won the special award for {RUNNING HIGH} at Pia Film Festival in 1989. His first 16mm film, {Work on the Grass}, won him the Grand Prix at Kobe International Independent Film Festival in 1993. He made his first feature length film, {Tsuki to Kyabetsu}, in 1996. His works since then include {Sentakuki wa Ore ni Makasero} (1999), {First Love} (2000), {Mokuyo Kumikyoku} (2001), {Inochi} (2002), {Breathe in, Breathe out} (2004), {Riding the Metro} (2006), {Yamazakura ~ The Cherry Tree in the Hills~} (2008) and {Last Operations Under the Orion} (2009).

Yuko Sekiguchi

Chief Editor of "Variety Japan"

Sekiguchi graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University. She produced several independent movies while still an undergraduate. In 1990, she joined Kinema-Junpo Co., Ltd., where she was later promoted to the positions of deputy editor, editor, and then managing editor (2001). She left the company in May 2007 and joined Reed Business Information Japan K.K. in November the same year. She launched "Variety Japan" (www.varietyjapan.com), the Japanese version of the American entertainment magazine "Variety", and is now its editor 　in chief. Though it stopped publication in May due to a company's matter, it will restart by another company in October 2009.

Takashi Kitakoji

Film Critic; Associate Professor, Department of Film Production, Kyoto University of Art and Design; Staff Researcher, National Film Center, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Kitakoji completed his M.A. in the Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, at Waseda University. He currently writes film reviews for various newspapers and publications, including the "Asahi Shimbun", "Kinema-Junpo", "Subaru", "So-en", "Gendai Shiso" and "Eiga Geijutsu". He is the author of "Love From Outer Space: Wong Kar-Wai", and the co-author of "Eiga no Seijigaku", "Pedro Costa: Whispering in Distant Chambers", "Shakai-ha Cinema no Tatakai-kata", etc.

Hiroshi Kashiwabara

Screenplay Writer / Writers Association of Japan, President

Born in 1949 in Tokyo. Graduated from Nihon University College of Art.
Main TV credits: "Kizudarake no Tenshi", "Daitokai" series, "Great Chase", "Tantei Monogatari", "Pro Hunter", "Seibukeisatsu",　"Abunai Deka" and others.
Main Film credits: {Abunai Deka} series, {Beppin no Machi}, {Ikidomari no Banka - Break Out}, {Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla}, {Lupin III: Kutabare Nostoradamusu}, {Detective Conan The Private Eyes Requiem} and others.
Film credits as a director: {Neko no Musuko} and others.