SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - The World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 (WAIFF Seoul 2026) has appointed animation pioneer Nelson Shin as a jury member and named Daniel Son, founder and chief executive of visual effects studio Westworld, as president of the jury, reinforcing Korea’s growing role in shaping the future of AI-driven filmmaking.
The appointments bring together two figures representing different generations of global visual storytelling — from the foundations of modern animation to today’s large-scale, AI-enabled production ecosystem.
Shin, a legendary animator and producer, began his career in the late 1950s and helped create Korea’s earliest animated television commercials before moving to the United States in 1971. He later joined DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, contributing to iconic franchises such as Pink Panther, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
In 1974, Shin played a pivotal role in developing the original lightsaber effects for Star Wars, helping define the visual language of modern science fiction through animation-based techniques. He later became a senior producer at Marvel Productions, overseeing animation for The Transformers and other major titles.
After returning to Korea in 1985, Shin founded AKOM Production, which grew into one of the world’s leading animation studios and helped establish animation as a major export industry for the country. Under his leadership, AKOM became a key production partner for The Simpsons, the longest-running television series in history, as well as numerous Emmy Award–winning animated programs.
At WAIFF Seoul 2026, Shin will contribute to jury deliberations with a focus on creative integrity, professional standards and responsible innovation, drawing on decades of experience navigating the transition from hand-drawn animation to digital and AI-assisted production.
Leading the jury as president, Daniel Son represents the forefront of Korea’s visual effects industry. A first-generation Korean VFX supervisor, Son has played a foundational role in building the country’s global competitiveness in high-end visual effects since beginning his career in 1998 with The Soul Guardians.
As founder and CEO of Westworld — one of Korea’s leading VFX studios and a member of the Netflix Academy — Son has supervised visual effects for more than 200 films and series. His portfolio includes Exhuma, All of Us Are Dead, Sweet Home (Season 1), The Silent Sea, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, The Battleship Island and The Age of Shadows.
His work has earned major industry recognition, including Best Visual Effects at the 18th Asian Film Awards for Exhuma and the Special Award for Advanced Technology at the 52nd Grand Bell Awards for Ode to My Father. Exhuma surpassed 10 million admissions in South Korea within about a month of release and was exported to 133 countries, while Sweet Home became the first Korean series to enter Netflix’s U.S. Top 10.
As president of the jury, Son will oversee the evaluation process and help shape standards for works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cinema and storytelling, with an emphasis on balancing creative freedom, technological innovation and ethical responsibility.
Founded by former Apple chief operating officer Marco Landi, the World AI Film Festival positions itself as a global platform dedicated to exploring the future of cinema through artificial intelligence. The 2026 Seoul edition will be held as an official program commemorating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea, underscoring its cultural and institutional significance.
WAIFF Seoul 2026 will take place on March 6–7, 2026, bringing together filmmakers, technologists, artists and industry leaders from around the world to explore the future of storytelling in the age of artificial intelligence. The festival also counts Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch and internationally renowned actress Gong Li among its honorary members.
With Nelson Shin and Daniel Son at the center of its jury leadership, WAIFF Seoul 2026 underscores Korea’s position not only as a global content powerhouse, but also as a key agenda-setter shaping the creative, ethical and industrial standards of AI-driven cinema.
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