Francis Gavelle has been a member and coordinator of the Short Film Commission of the Cannes Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week since 2001.  He is also a writer and a short film expert, having produced and acted in several short films including the works by Eric Rohmer and Patrice Leconte. From 1994-1998, he edited the monthly literary review, "Several Words." In 1998, Francis produced a radio program about film and film scores. He worked as a programmer at the Balzac Theater in Paris in 2000. Last year, Francis edited the new edition of Modern French Cinema Dictionary for Directors.

Yoko Narahashi is a director, producer, lyricist and writer. Among the plays and musicals she has directed are HAIR, THE MAGIC MONKEY and the award- winning THE WINDS OF GOD, which was invited to play in Los Angeles , New York , Australia and New Zealand . THE WINDS OF GOD was also the first feature film Yoko directed, and she received the Japan Film Critics Award for Best New Director for her work.

As a casting director and associate producer, Yoko worked on “THE LAST SAMURAI”, starring Tom Cruise and also on casting for Rob Marshall’s MEMORIES OF A GEISHA. She is currently working on national casting for BABEL , a picture directed by Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu.

Yasuki Hamano is a professor at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo .  His research areas include media, theory, content research and development. His work also explores a broad range of phenomena-related media expressions. He graduated from the International Christian University , where he also received his M.A. He received his Ph.D. in.engineering from the University of Tokyo . In addition to serving on a specialist committee with the Strategic Council on Intellectual Property, Hamano has also been a member of the steering committee for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival, and has chaired the screening committee for the AMD Award sponsored by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Post and Telecommunication.  He is a director of the Akira Kurosawa Foundation and a trustee of the Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation for Animation. His major publications are "Business of Content (Hyogen no Bujinesu)” 2003, and “Imitating Japan”(Mohou sareru Nippon ), 2005.

Jon Bloom is an Oscar ? and Emmy ? nominated filmmaker with broad experience as a director, producer, writer, cinematographer and editor. Bloom received an Oscar ? nomination for the live-action short film “Overnight Sensation” (1983) which he directed and produced. A two-term Governor at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bloom also serves as chair of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, which oversees the Academy Awards ? for the short film categories. His production company BloomFilm specializes in creating film trailers. The company's impressive list of feature campaigns includes the hits DANCES WITH WOLVES, CHOCOLAT, SLING BLADE, and SAY ANYTHING.

Hiroshi Yanai is Chairman and CEO of PIA Corporation, one of Japan ’s leading entertainment companies, which he founded in 1974. Born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1950, Yanai studied law at Chuo University . As a student he and his friends published “PIA,” a monthly entertainment information magazine and the seed that would grow into today’s diverse and successful PIA Group companies. He currently serves as Chairman of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives); Vice Chairman of Japan Magazine Publishers Association; Event Executive Producer of the Japan Association of for the 2005 World Exposition; and Advisory Board member for the Plan to Promote Japanese Films, which is endorsed by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and members of the organizing committees for the Tokyo International Film Festival and Nippon Academy Sho Association. Yanai is also Executive Producer of the PIA Film Festival (PFF).