Jury
Ben Vereen
Tony Award-winning American actor, dancer, and singer. Ben gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, and Pippin, for which he won for Best Actor in a Musical. He has starred in numerous television programs including the role of ‘Chicken’ George Moore in Alex Haley’s landmark TV miniseries Roots, for which he received an Emmy nomination in 1977. His latest feature film is in Roland Joffe’s The Gray House.
Sam Buckland
Director of Programming and International Engagement at the Australian Film Institute (AFI AACTA) where he is responsible for curating and managing all their programs worldwide. For over 25 years Sam has produced hundreds of influential screen-related activities in Australia and abroad. Prior to joining AACTA, Sam spent over 10 years as the European Director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars) serving as the Academy’s principal representative.
Amelia Hapsari
As the first Indonesian inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (the Oscars), Amelia is a documentary filmmaker making films since 2001. As Program Director of In-Docs (2012 – 2020), Amelia supported the best Asian documentaries with mentorship, funding, and distribution from around the globe. she initiated key platforms like Dare to Dream Asia, Good Pitch Southeast Asia 2017, Good Pitch Indonesia 2019, Docs By The Sea 2017 – 2020, IF/Then Southeast Asia 2019. She joined Ashoka as the Framework Change Leader in 2020. Amelia has studied, worked, and lived in the United States, China, Timor-Leste, and Indonesia. She currently divides her time between Perth and Jakarta.
Josie Lin
Having joined the Asia Film Awards Academy (AFA Academy), a non-profit organization founded in 2015 by the three major Asian film festivals – Busan, Hong Kong, and Tokyo – Josie currently serves as its Executive Director and industry partner with BAFTA for one of their flagship program, Breakthrough. Working with various international film festivals in setting up projects in Asia, she encourages exchange between Hong Kong and other Asian film audiences. Prior to AFA Academy, she had management and business development experience in both marketing development and banking sectors.