Actress Ha Ji-won and film director Kim Tae-yong will serve as judges for the Global AI Film Festa.
On the 14th, MBC announced that director Kim Jun-hong, composer Kim Hyung-seok, actress Ha Ji-won, and director McNitt have also been added as judges for the world's largest AI convergence content festival, the '2025 Seoul International AI Film Festa' (SGAFF. Seoul Global AI Film Festa, hereinafter '2025 SGAFF'), co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and Seoul City.
With the slogan 'Harmony between AI and humans, dancing media,' this year's '2025 SGAFF' features a core program, an AI video content competition, with a total prize pool of 150 million won, boasting one of the highest levels in the field of AI video content both domestically and internationally. In particular, the grand prize in the film content sector amounts to 50 million won. Originally scheduled to run from August 1 to 17, the period has been extended at the request of industry participants and creators.
The competition sectors include ▲ 'Film content' for AI-based story videos, ▲ 'Music content' for AI-produced music and music videos, and ▲ 'K-brand content' expressing brand identity and creativity (brands 'Nongshim', 'Kia'). All submitted works must be based on generative AI and meet specified runtime and technical specifications. Individuals and teams from both Korea and abroad can participate, and a maximum of three entries per sector is allowed.
The judging panel includes director Kim Tae-yong, who introduced AI for the first time in Korea through the already released movie 'Wonderland'; chief producer Kim Tae-ho, who led various format experiments including MBC entertainment shows 'Infinite Challenge' and 'What Do You Do Wrong?'; writer Park Chun-hyu, who penned the Tony Award-winning musical 'Maybe Happy Ending'; and director Jang Ho-gi, who achieved the number one ranking in the global non-English category with Netflix's 'Physical: 100,' among other innovative creators in their respective genres. They plan to evaluate not only technical completeness but also emotional elements, narrative, and the creator's message.
Additionally, the newly joined judges include director Kim Jun-hong, composer Kim Hyung-seok, actress Ha Ji-won, and director McNitt (in alphabetical order), heightening expectations for the competition.
Director Kim Jun-hong has been in charge of music videos for top artists both domestically and internationally, including Seo Taiji, BTS, and Girls' Generation. He is a co-founder of 'Johnny Bros,' a leading production company in the music video industry. He has won Best Music Video awards at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), MTV Asia Awards, and the Soribada Best K-Music Awards, and recently produced the AI short sci-fi film 'Do or Die,' presenting K-content that merges AI technology with world-building narratives. He is also expanding into the global content market through the production of the thriller movie 'Perfect Girl' aimed at the U.S. market and a short-form drama series.
Composer Kim Hyung-seok has composed over 1,000 songs for more than 40 years, including hits such as Shin Seung-hun's 'I Believe,' Park Jin-young's 'Behind You,' and Sung Si-kyung's 'The Way to Me.' He is a pioneering figure in K-pop composition, selected as a 'Global Artist' by the University of Oxford in 2024, and is actively participating in K-pop and AI convergence research projects.
Actress Ha Ji-won, known as Korea's representative 'Action Queen' and 'Rom-com Queen,' as well as 'Hallyu Empress,' has proven her wide-ranging genre versatility and strong presence in notable works such as 'Damo,' 'Secret Garden,' 'Empress Ki,' and films like 'Haeundae,' 'Manhunt,' and 'Collateral,' solidifying her status as an ongoing legend and global star.
Finally, director McNitt, who joined the judging panel, is an Emmy Award finalist and winner of the VR Grand Prix at the Venice International Film Festival. A pioneer in the integration of storytelling and new technology, he has collaborated with Darren Aronofsky and Google DeepMind on VR works 'SPHERES' and 'ANCESTRA,' and has been invited to prestigious film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, and Tribeca.
Winning works will be screened at the Coex Megabox during the festival from September 30 to October 2, and some outstanding pieces will receive broadcasting and advertising opportunities with MBC.
[Photo] Provided by OSEN DB, MBC.
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