Oscar Winner Juliette Binoche is Honorary Jury Chairperson at Fourth Annual Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Award-winning actress Juliette Binoche will serve as the Honorary Chairperson of the Jury, and an Advisor, at The Fourth Annual Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival – one of the largest short film festivals in the world and the premier platform for young visual artists.

Binoche, who has starred in more than 60 feature films throughout her career (including "The English Patient," for which she won an Oscar in 1996), will participate in the awards ceremony, organized through Japan-based Meihodo's U.S. headquarters in New York City and streaming on YouTube for U.S. audiences on Tuesday, February 22, at 3 p.m. EST.

In her role as Honorary Chairperson of the Jury, the actress and artist will guide the Meihodo jury in their selection process, sharing her decades of wisdom from working in international and independent film. She will also appear during the virtual ceremony to welcome young finalists and offer inspiration and insight from her work in the industry.

"We're delighted to welcome Juliette back to the Meihodo festival for a second year, and in an even larger capacity," said James Zhang, festival Vice Chairman. "She has a passion and curiosity for film that we hope to share with the filmmakers of the future, especially as we focus on what's next for the medium."

The theme of this year's festival is "Dreaming Big in the Digital Revolution," exploring innovation and possibility as new technology, like the metaverse, influences young creators. Meihodo will introduce new elements, awarding top winners with custom NFTs signed by Binoche, as well as cryptocurrency, bestowing a Grand Prize of $20,000 in Bitcoin to one standout work.

"I'm looking forward to all the films you can make about these big questions and futuristic perceptions and ways of living," said Binoche. "It would be great to see films that explore how we reconnect with ourselves and each other, and how we relearn to trust and not fear each other."

For Binoche, 2021 was a prolific year, which saw her star in the critically acclaimed French films "Fire" and "Between Two Worlds." She also shot the new HBO Max series "The Staircase" opposite Colin Firth, and "Paradise Highway," a new film co-starring Morgan Freeman, both of which are set for release this year.

In addition to Binoche, the Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival is welcoming back other notable figures from film and entertainment, including:

• Special Advisor Tan Dun, the Academy Award-winning composer for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and Dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music; and
• Honorary Chairwoman Yue-Sai Kan, the Emmy-winning television producer and renowned entrepreneur.

This year's festival will be newly divided into three categories: Drama / Feature; Documentary and Music Video, the latter of which will be judged by Tan Dun. In addition to the Grand Prize winner, Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be awarded in each category, with the total prize money for winners exceeding $100,000. Winners will have the option to choose cryptocurrency or traditional currency.

In the past four years, Meihodo has become one of the largest short film festivals in the world, with previous Guests of Honor including Academy Award winner Yōjirō Takita, a Japanese filmmaker who received the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for his 2008 drama "Departures." This year, 2,431 entries were received from 110 countries. All of this year's winners will be available to view on Meihodo's YouTube channel and Meihodo's website following the February 22 ceremony.

ABOUT MEIHODO INTERNATIONAL YOUTH VISUAL MEDIA FESTIVAL
One of the largest short film festivals in the world, MEIHODO International Youth Visual Media Festival is an independent visual media festival sponsored by MEIHODO, a Japanese corporation aiming to support young visual artists worldwide. Founded in 2018, the annual Festival was created by MEIHODO, Inc. as a grand exchange event for the exhibition and selection of works by young visual artists. Each year, the festival culminates with an evaluation and celebratory award ceremony.

SOURCE Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival