Hans Hodel (*1938) studied Protestant theology in Bern (Switzerland) and served as minister in two different parishes. In 1966, he started to teach classes in a teacher training school in religion, ethics and media, made additional studies in educational science and fulfilled till 1987 a fulltime job at a teacher training school. From 1987-2003 (till his official retirement) he was Film Commissioner of the Swiss Protestant Churches including the responsibility for the non theatrical film and video distribution company ZOOM.
Since 1989 till 2018 he worked as INTERFILM's jury coordinator (since 2003 voluntarily) and was elected INTERFILM President in 2004, retiring from this office in 2013. On this occasion SIGNIS, INTERFILM's partner organisation at numerous festivals, appreciated his merits for ecumenical film activities by an Honorary Award. He was a member of several festival juries and of the jury for the European Templeton Film Award (1997-2006).
He was also member of the Steering Committee of the European Regional Association of the World Association for Christian Communication (ERA-WACC), during this time being committed to accomplish a series of film seminars entitled "Giving a Soul to Europe". In 2013, he was appointed as Honorary Life Member of WACC (see the report on the WACC website). INTERFILM appointed him Honorary President at the General Assembly 2019 in Erlangen.