Busan’s Asian Film Academy (AFA) has appointed Korean director Lee Chang-dong as dean of the workshop this year.

Previous Busan New Currents Award winner Aditya Assarat (Wonderful Town) from Thailand will join him as a directing mentor as well.

Previous AFA deans include Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Hou Hsiao Hsien and Abbas Kiarostami.

Lee’s sophomore feature Peppermint Candy (2000) was the 4th Busan International Film Festival’s opening film as well as screening in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. His Oasis took Best Director at Venice in 2002 and Secret Sunshine earned Best Actress for Jeon Do-yeon at Cannes in 2007. Poetry took Best Screenplay in Cannes 2010.

Set to run Sept 26-Oct 13 this year AFA is currently taking fellowship applications until April 30. (See http://afa.biff.kr) The workshop includes master classes, mentoring and short film production.

AFA graduates include Indonesian director Edwin whose Postcards From The Zoo was in Berlinale Competition last year and Kazakhstani director Emir Baigazin whose Harmony Lessons was there earlier this year.

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