Asian World Film Festival Team
AWFF Founding Team
Sadyk Sher-Niyaz
Sadyk Sher-Niyaz is a successful public figure, producer and director who followed his dream to attend film school in Moscow at the age of 38.
Founder & Honorary President
Shukhrat Ibragimov
Born in Kyrgyzstan, Shukhrat Ibragimov later moved to Kazakhstan where he graduated with a Business Management and Economics degree.
Chairman
Georges N. Chamchoum
Georges N. Chamchoum is an Emmy and multiple award-winning Film Director and Producer, born in Niger West Africa of Lebanese origin.
Executive & Program Director
Asel Sherniyazova
Asel Sherniyazova has an economic & business educational background and for two years studied in China, representing Kyrgyzstan on the Cross-Cultural Exchange Program.
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Brett Syson
Brett Syson has had links with Asia for the past 20 years. From 1995-1998 he worked as the Team Leader for a World Bank/British Council Project in Kyrgyzstan.
Director of Information ServicesAWFF Executive Team
Eileen Chen
Eileen Chen and her Novartizan Team has been devoted to entertainment industries for years and tirelessly brings eastern and western cultures together.
Event Producer & Director
Andy Cheng
Director of Bruce Lee Award & Martial Arts EventsAndy Cheng is a veteran stuntman. He performed stunts for Jackie Chan in both Hong Kong and Hollywood.
Mark Choi
Born in Seoul, Korea, & raised in Santa Monica, CA, during his Senior year at Fordham University, Mark was hand-picked by Director Sang-Ok Sheen, to work on films Mayumi: Virgin Terrorist & 3 Ninjas series.
Program Director
Meral Melika Duran
Meral Melika is a political-sociologist, women rights advocate, and a very engaged strategist, producer, cinema critic, and consultant in the entertainment sector.
EU & Turkey Relations
Allison Feig
Sponsorship DirectorAllison is an experienced business development professional with a global perspective. She has lived and worked in numerous cities across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Takhee Han
Korea Relations &
Sponsorship & Marketing Director Takhee Han is a twenty-year veteran in film production and distribution in the US and Korea.
Naoyuki Ikeda
Japan Relations &
Theater ManagementNaoyuki Ikeda has worked for several Non-Profit Organizations, including the Japan Film Festival Los Angeles (JFFLA) as a chairman.
Kathleen I-Ying Lee
Kathleen started out as a Research Assistant for the Ministry of Culture in Taiwan as well as working for Taiwan's leading television station, Sanlih Television.
Marketing & Operations Director
Marie Rouhban
Marie moved to L.A. in 2021 to pursue a career as a director after 7 years working in the corporate world, mainly in marketing and strategy positions.
Director of Operations
Una Wang
South East Asia Relations & Sponsorship Outreach DirectorUna Wang is the Chairman & Founder of MoRedii and Director of Development (Relations with China) for AWFF.
Nagham Wehbe
Nagham is the founder of Creators Connect, a platform that provides educational and coaching services, production support, and networking opportunities for creatives.
Moderator / Selection CommitteeAWFF Team
Valentina Chang
With 8 years experience in marketing and filmmaking, Valentina’s proficiency in community building, fundraising, and traffic growth proved invaluable as she ventured into film and television production.
Marketing & Communications
Alan V. Ford
Insurance & Real Estate broker, Film Executive Producer, Producer, SAG-AFTRA actor, board of director on several large non-profits organizations.
Vietnam Relations
Sho Hsieh
Sho is a motion graphic designer and producer with expertise in 2D/3D animation and visual design. Currently managing projects at Fifth Atrium, he is the Animation Director for the Endling film's …
Fifth Atrium Producer
Chris Kriesa
Raised in the Midwest and after finishing a MA in Parapsychology, Chris worked in sales training a few years, then went into entertainment.
Moderation / Industry Relations
Nursultan Otorbaev
Nursultan Otorbaev is a skilled management professional with a multilingual background, fluent in English, Chinese, Russian, and Kyrgyz.
International Sponsorship Strategist
Igor Kokarev
Scholar and Expert on Soviet and American Film Industry, political and civic activist, he published in Russia 16 books on sociology of cinema.
Russia Relations
Sam Lahoud
Sam Lahoud is the founding Chair of Beirut Film Society, and an independent Filmmaker, Producer and Scriptwriter at Berytus Production & AV Nation - Lebanon.
Middle East & Arabian Pen. Relations
Alexis Ong
Alexis is a versatile musician, actor, activist, social media manager, activist, and cosmetologist in training. They have a passion for film, music, and theatre, but they’re particularly interested in the …
Sponsorship Associate
Liisi Rohumae
Liisi Rohumae is a BAFTA member, screenwriter, international journalist, and a panel moderator/selection committee member for several European film festivals.
Moderator & Program Team
Baizhuan Webber Wan
Videography Team LeadWebber Wan received extensive training from the top film school in China, Beijing Film Academy.
Richard Urbina
Born and raised in Long Beach, California. Richard is a Hispanic designer & digital marketer with passion for user experience and graphic design.
Marketing Associate Sandra Yu Shan Yen
With a background in Communications Design and 3D Animation, I’m committed to delivering impactful visual design services. I specialize in providing comprehensive….
Fifth Atrium Creative Director
Grace Elizabeth Hwang
Grace Elizabeth Hwang has been an avid supporter and advocate for the arts, film and theatre throughout her lifetime.
Asian American / Industry RelationsYu Chi Fu
Visual Designer and 3D Artist working across art, fashion, culture, and music. Committed to delivering diverse, detail-oriented design services hat balance logic with aesthetic appeal…
Fifth Atrium Visual DesignerAWFF Moderators
Sasha Xiaoyan Li
Liisi Rohumae
Medha Jaishankar
Sharon Park
Nagham Wehbe
Melisande McLaughlin
Chris Kriesa
PR & Communications
Rick Markovitz
Cheri Warner
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SATELLITE FILM INDUSTRY CONTACTS
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