Mitsuo Tahira

In 1992, Mitsuo Tahira founded Kinder Film Fest Japan, the first film festival for children in Japan. During its 5th edition, he introduced the screening style 'Live Cinema', in which professional voice actors live-dub films on stage, to allow even small children who cannot read subtitles to enjoy them.

Under the name KINEKO International Film Festival, the festival grew to become the largest event of its kind in Japan and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. In addition to building a partnership network with international film festivals worldwide, Mitsuo also brings quality cinema to children with special screening events throughout Japan.

Sarah Kasmi

Sarah Kasmi, filmmaker and founder of Movie Bank Productions, is a unifying force between Moroccan and Flemish culture. She is keen to bring that diversity to the screen and makes socially sensitive issues in our society hot topics..

Kasmi enjoys working with young people. Talent and passion are the biggest factors in making their dreams come true, regardless of their origin. She offers new talents a chance to take their first steps in the film world. For instance, she created the fiction series Kids on the Block for Ketnet and De Studio’s for VRT-nu. With a diverse cast, she hopes to add more colour to children's and youth series.