Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To. — Photo courtesy of DANAFF

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Đà Nẵng Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV) has announced two major international names for this year’s jury panel, veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To and Julien Rejl, Artistic Director of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.

To will serve as Jury President of the Asian Competition section, while Rejl joins the jury as a member of the same category at the event, which will take place in Đà Nẵng from June 28 to July 4.

The master of Hong Kong crime cinema

Born in 1955, To joined TVB in 1974, where the demanding pace of television production served as a practical training ground that shaped his directing approach and production management skills. He became a television producer and director in 1977 before making his feature debut with The Enigmatic Case.

Unlike many directors of his generation who specialised in a single style, To developed a pragmatic understanding of the industry through his television background. 

In 1996, during a difficult period for the Hong Kong film industry marked by declining box office revenues, To co-founded production company Milkyway Image where he established a filmmaking philosophy that balanced commercial viability with artistic ambition. 

His films are known not only for their entertainment value but also for their reflections on friendship, loyalty, morality and the hidden systems governing human relationships. 

A scene in the film Election. — Photo courtesy of Milkyway Image

One of his earliest major successes was All About Ah-Long, starring Chow Yun-fat and Sylvia Chang. The emotional drama went on to become one of Hong Kong’s biggest box office hits of 1989 and earned To a nomination for Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

His internationally acclaimed gangster saga Election and Election 2 further cemented his reputation as a filmmaker deeply engaged with power structures and political allegory. The films, starring actor Tony Leung Ka-fai, were selected for competition at Cannes and helped introduce To’s work to wider international audiences.

Despite being best known for crime films, To also achieved significant commercial success in romantic comedies, particularly through collaborations with Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng in films such as Needing You and the action film Mad Detective.

A scene in the film Mad Detective. — Photo courtesy of Milkyway Image

Beyond filmmaking, To has also contributed significantly to nurturing emerging talent in Asian cinema. He has been actively involved in the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and founded the Fresh Wave Short Film Initiative to support young filmmakers.

His extensive experience as a jury member at prestigious festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, the Venice Film Festival in 2008 and the Berlin International Film Festival in 2023, is expected to bring added professional depth and international perspective to DANAFF IV.

The curator behind Directors’ Fortnight

Julien Rejl, Artistic Director of the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival. — Photo courtesy of DANAFF

Rejl has built a career spanning film distribution, festival programming, publishing and criticism, driven by a long-standing interest in connecting cinema with audiences.

Between 2015 and 2019, he worked as a programmer for Sofilm Festival, helping shape the event’s artistic identity through a balance of arthouse cinema and broader audience accessibility.

From 2010 to 2020, Rejl served as an international sales and distribution executive at Capricci, where he collaborated with renowned filmmakers including Abel Ferrara, Hong Sang-soo, Albert Serra, Wang Bing and Tsai Ming-liang.

He also oversaw the theatrical re-release of restored classics by influential directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Ingmar Bergman, David Lynch and David Cronenberg.

Since 2022, Rejl has led Directors’ Fortnight, one of the most respected parallel sections of the Cannes Film Festival, known for championing bold and distinctive cinematic voices.

A scene in the film Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) by Vietnamese director Phạm Thiên Ân. — Photo courtesy of JK Film

The section has also played a notable role in introducing Vietnamese cinema to international audiences. In 2023, Directors’ Fortnight selected the film Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) by Vietnamese director Phạm Thiên Ân, which later won the Caméra d'Or award at Cannes.

Ân had previously participated in Directors’ Fortnight with his short film Hãy Thức Tỉnh Và Sẵn Sàng (Stay Awake, Be Ready) in 2019.

In the same section, Vietnamese short film Một Lần Dang Dở (An Unfinished Moment) by director Nguyễn Trung Nghĩa was also selected for screening in 2023.

Rejl’s participation is expected to bring valuable international perspectives on film curation, festival programming and contemporary cinematic trends to DANAFF IV, as the festival continues expanding its connections with Asian and global cinema.

DANAFF IV, themed 'Bridging Asia to The World', will invite submissions from filmmakers in Việt Nam and the Asia-Pacific region. — VNS