Jury
Vadim Abdrashitov
Head of Jury, Russia
Obtained his first university degree in physics. Graduated from All-Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK). All Abdrashitov’s films received numerous awards, including awards at international film festivals, such as Venice IFF, Berlinale, Locarno IFF, etc. People's Artist of Russia. Vice-president of Nika Award. Professor at VGIK.
Cristina Velasco
Head of Jury, Mexico
Producer. Head of production of the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) that runs the FOPROCINE fund and the Mexican National Film Commission. Producer of “Eisenstin En Guanajuato” (“Eisenstein in Guanajuato”), “Liwa Mairin”, “Tropical Carmine”, “The Naked Room”, “Tijuana, Sonidos Del Nortec”(“ Tijuana, the Sound of Nortec”).
Bence Fliegauf
Head of Jury, Hungary
Writer, director, production and sound designer. His movie MILKY WAY (2007) won Locarno’s Golden Leopard. The JUST THE WIND (2012) received the Jury Grand Prize at the Berlinale and his latest movie LILY LANE (2016) won the Golden Olive Tree of Lecce.
Yuri Goroulev
Head of Jury, Belarus
Graduated from the film-engineering department of the Leningrad Institute of Film Engineers and from the camera department of VGIK. Directed about 40 documentaries. The winner of the State Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus “For spiritual Revival”. Organizer and director of the IFF of Christian films and TV programs “Magnificat”.
Andrei Zagdansky
Head of Jury, USA
An independent producer, documentary filmmaker. Graduated from Kyiv Theatre, Cinema and Television University. Worked at Kievnauchfilm production studio. Since 1992 has been living and working in US. Host of authorial program on Radio Liberty. Awardee of international film festivals.
Ludmila Saenkova
Head of Jury, Belarus
Graduated from the faculty of journalism of BSU and from the department of film studies of VGIK. Head of the department of literary and art criticism of the Institute of Journalism of BSU. Holds a PhD in philology, associate professor. Film critic. Author of two books on the MIFF “Listapad”.
Kai S. Pieck
Head of Jury, Germany
Writer and director. For a long time worked in the field of puppetry, held several exhibitions with self-madepuppets and wrote a book about making nd manipulating marionettes. Co-founder of the first Super8 movie theatre of Germany in Hannover.
Mike Naafs
Netherlands
Member of the Dutch Film Critic Association. He wrote reviews and columns for the biggest Dutch film journal “De Filmkrant” and currently is freelancing. He resides in Amsterdam where he works as a chef.
Pascale Ramonda
France
Pascale Ramonda is a festival agent from France, who actively supports independent films. She has more than a 15-years’ experience of work in the international film industry. Observation of market development helped her to make way for a great amount of art house films. In 2010, Pascale Ramonda founded her own company for promotion and distribution of independent films. She worked with films of such maestros as Guy Maddin, Jafar Panahi, and George Ovashvili.
Renata Santoro
Italy
Renata Santoro is a film researcher and programmer (or selector) for Giornate degli Autori - Venice Film Festival. She is a jury member of various film forums, as a lecturer she specializes in the sphere of audio-visual education.