JURY 2020
JURY 2023
MAIN JURY: fiction & documentary
JAMES MARTIN
Actor
James Martin is an award-winning actor based in Belfast who has starred in many high profile film & television productions. James is best known for his featured role in 'Marcella' alongside Anna Friel, Martin McCann and Ray Panthaki and most certainly for his leading role in the short film 'An Irish Goodbye' (with Seamus O'Hara, directors: Tom Berkeley & Ross White)..
This film was awarded with the OSCAR for the "Best Live Action Short" in 2023 - and won many international awards (among others: BAFTA, IFTA and also our Art Without Limit Int. Film Festival 2022 "Best Fiction Film").
James Martin is the first actor with Down Syndrome ever in film history in a leading role in an OSCAR-winning film. This even earned him an entry in the Guinness book of records. We are delighted and honored to have him onboard in our Festival Jury this Year.
ELMA TATARAGIĆ
screenwriter / festival programmer
Elma Tataragić was born in Sarajevo in 1976. She graduated screenwriting from Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts and obtained her Master of Science degree and PhD in Film and Literature. She co-wrote short film FIRST DEATH EXPERIENCE and wrote and produced short NORTH WENT MAD. She has produced and co-written the feature film SNOW shown at Cannes 2008 – Semaine de la critique where the film won the Grand Prix. The film has been shown at over 80 festivals and won over 30 international awards. She is writer for the film THE DAY THAT HAD NO NAME (Berlinale 2017 Panorama) and has written and directed award winning short film I REMEMBER (2016). In 2019 two films she has written have been selected for Berlinale STITCHES (Panorama selection) and GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNYA (Competition) winning each two awards. Both films won over 80 international awards at film festivals worldwide, while Elma Tataragić was awarded for best screenplay at Lecce Film Festival, Shanghai Film Festival, etc. Her film THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD from 2022 was shown at Orrizonte section of Venice Film Festival. In 2023 she again participated at Venice Official selection with television series I KNOW YOUR BREATH (created by Jasmila Žbanić) as screenwriter. The film ONLY WHEN I LAUGH directed by Vanja Juranić with whom she wrote the script premiered at Pula Film Festival where it won two awards and the internationally Sarajevo Film Festival.
She has been with Sarajevo Film Festival since it was founded in 1995, where she now works as selector for Competition Program. She is President and member of Filmmakers Association of BiH and Bosnian and Herzegovinian representative of European Film Promotion. She has been teaching screenwriting at Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts since 2002, now as a professor and Vice Dean for International affairs. She has written two books on screenwriting with a third one in progress. She is a member of European Film Academy. She is currently working on two feature films and a short film as well as three tv series.
For her work she has received many awards, most recently Ivica Matić award for the film THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD.
FILMOGRAPHY
2023 - ONLY WHEN I LAUGH, Screenwriter; I KNOW YOUR BREATH, tv series, screenwriter; SMASHING IT, sitcom, showrunner and screenwriter
2022 - THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD, screenwriter
2019 – GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNYA, screenwriter; STITCHES (screenwriter)
2017 - WHEN THE DAY THAT HAD NO NAME, screenwriter
2016 - I REMEMBER/ SJEĆAM SE, short, director and writer
2013 - HOLIDAY AT THE SEASIDE, short (script editor)
2011 - TJELESNE FUNKCIJE / BODILY FUNCTIONS, short (script editor)
2010 - REVERS, short (script editor)
2008 - SNIJEG / SNOW, writer and producer
2003 - SJEVER JE POLUDIO / NORTH WENT MAD, short, writer and producer
2001 - PRVO SMRTNO ISKUSTVO / FIRST DEATH EXPERIENCE, screenplay collaborator
CORNELIA VOLK
author & director, film producer
Cornelia Volk was born in 1970, in Heilbronn, Germany. After school she studied political science, literature and rhetorics and was part of a free theatre company as actor and director. Her dedication to filmmaking as author and director of documentaries began in 1994 during her studies at Tübingen University. Since then, she has accomplished almost 30 nature and human life documentaries with topics from all over the world. For many years she focussed on national parks and trans-boundary conservation areas, with the main cooperation partners MDR and Arte. Some years ago, she realised a cinema documentary project for Al Jazeera Documentary Channel about Arabian horses: Drinkers of the Wind. One of her latest nature documentaries Animals at the Borders has been awarded and officially selected at more than 20 film festivals worldwide..
SELECTED WORKS (as author and director of documentaries):
2019 Animals at the Borders / Tiere an den Grenzen
2017 Drinkers of the Wind / سرج سابح في الآفاق
2016 Wild Albania / Wildes Albanien – Im Land der Adler
2015 Unterwegs auf dem Ho-Chi-Minh-Pfad
2012 Lions of the Kalahari / Die Löwen der Kalahari
Ohne Pfeil und Bogen - Kalahari
2011 In the Heart of Balkans
2010 The Heart of Borneo
2009 The Kingdom of the Bee Hummingbird
Der Humboldt-Nationalpark im Osten Kubas
2008 Mike und die Wege der Elefanten
2007 KAZA – A Megapark for Elephants
2005 Gems of the Rainforest
2004 Das grenzenlose Paradies
2004 Europas wilder Osten – Der Nationalpark Žemaitija in Litauen
2003 Europas wilder Osten – Der Nationalpark Kornati in Kroatien
PANDELI ÇEÇO
director & cinematographer, film producer
Pandeli Çeço comes from a long career in graphic design, since 1998. His first job on a feature documentary project was in 2018 as a production designer of “Azizi – confesses a true story» film. After that he filmed, directed and edited the documentary series on persecution themes from the dictatorial past regime of Albania, from their inception to completion, including “Imprisoned guitar”, “The stones of religion”, "Bloody frontiers”, “Longing to sing”, “The revolt of Qaf-Bari”, “High-minded”, “The missing”, “The persecution of kulaks on dictatorship”.
“The white sheets” documentary (2020) was selected at 15 international film festivals and won three awards:
- Audience Choice Award at 18th Tirana International Film Festival, Albania
- Golden Price Award at Vishwarang International Film Festival 2020, India
- 3d Place Award at the 7th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra 2020, Greece
- Semi-finalist at International Film and Video Festival Catharsis, Russia
- Finalist at Pápa International Historical Film Festival 2021, Hungary
- Official selection at International Documentary and Short Film Festival DOKUFEST Prizren 2021, Kosova etc.
Pandeli Çeço is Founder and Director of the international film festival Travel Fest Albania
ANIMATION JURY
CAMERON CARR
Animation Director
Cameron Carr is a creative, enthusiastic, and diligent animation director, soon to graduate with an MA in Directing Animation at the prestigious National Film And Television School (NFTS).
As part of Cameron's unique visual language, he has created an intuitive eye for character design and plot development. Equally, the constant flow of thinking in pictures has enabled him to produce a never-ending supply of fresh ideas to any project. Which ensures that the full scope of possibilities of the creative production is explored.
Cameron's work has won numerous awards and been awarded honourable mentions, as well as being nominated for the Britsh Animation Award in 2022.
Projects & Commissions
Concrete Sky (2023) - pixelation Animation, director & animator
Soap Opera (2023) - sand animation, director & animator
London International Animation Festival: LIAF Trailer (2022) - lead animator
Jane Austen House (2021) - artist in residence
NEXUS Studios (2021)- assistant animator on a commercial project
Wawel Dragon (2021) - stop motion animation, director & animator
Strange (2020) - 2d animation, director & animator
BBC4 What a Circus (2020) - lead animator
Grenfell (2019) - mixed media animation, director & animator
Regeneration (2019) - mixed media animation, director & animator
JANE LYNGBYE HVID JENSEN
Festival Director, Viborg Animation Festival
Jane Lyngbye Hvid Jensen is the director of Viborg Animation Festival (VAF) – the biggest animation event in Denmark. Viborg Animation Festival works to promote the visual and creative strengths of the city of Viborg to both the public and professionals in Denmark and internationally, to facilitate networking and knowledge sharing within the industry and most importantly to invite the audience for a full week of indulging in All Things Animated!. The festival benefits from an organizational set up allowing for close collaboration with Viborg Kommune and Creative Viborg to secure mutual strategic development and focus.
VAF is anchored at the Center for Animation, Visualization and Digital Storytelling at The Animation Workshop/VIA University College in Viborg, Denmark. The Animation Workshop is ranked as the 4th best animation education in the world by Animation Career Review and the institution is home to three bachelor educations, an artist residency program, various professional training courses, and an engaged and active research and development department.
Jane holds degree in architecture from the Aarhus School of Architecture and has worked previously at a national innovation network project, in PR & communication and as project portfolio manager at The Animation Workshop.
Jane is also member of the advisory board for THIS Festival in Aarhus, Denmark, and board member of the multi-user co-location VR exhibition platform Phenomenal Viborg.
ARTAN MAKU
Director, Animator, Painter - Producer
He has written 12 film scripts and made 22 animated short films. After 1990 he participated in 70 international festivals and was honored with several awards. Creator, organizational director and artistic director of 14 international film festivals for children "AniFestROZAFA". The Administrator of the film company MAKU shpk: - he made 3 artistic short films and 19 animated short films. Professor 2013-2023 at "Luigj Gurakuqi" University, Department of Arts, taught "Pedagogical basis of animated films". In 2018, Member of the International Jury, DUBROVNIK FILM FESTIVAL of the Mediterranean film for children and young people "DUF". He has conducted several seminars, trainings and workshops with children and teachers in Permet, Kukës, Gjirokastër, Shkodra etc.
KATHARINA WEIKL
Curator, Filmmaker and Science Communicator
Born in Erlangen, Germany, is a curator, film maker, and science communicator. She earned a PhD in history of science from HU Berlin. As Deputy Head of the Graduate Campus of the University of Zurich, she is committed to promoting young scientists, transdisciplinary exchange and dialogue with the public. As a curator, she promotes the dialogue between art and science through exhibitions such as: 100 Ways of Thinking, Kunsthalle Zürich, 2018; Transactions, Manifesta 11, 2016.
JURY OF THE CATEGORY OF FILMS
"Rights of Persons with Disabilities"
ARBEN FEJZULLAHU
Director, Producer
Arben Fejzullahu was born in 1979 in the village of Hotël, Municipality of Likova. Graduated in Film and Television Production at "ESRA" University Skopje. Director and Producer of FRAME IN PRODUCTION - Kumanovo. The projects realized by him consist of over 25 video clips of the Pan-Albanian variety show, commercials (such as RC Cola, Suisse phone, Hera Fashion Design etc.) shows, film series etc. He has produced over 10 films such as "STATION", "TAXI", "IDENTITY" etc. – winning several awards such as Suisse AUDIENCE AWARD, Prilep-Grand Prix Award, etc.
GANIMETE MORINA
Activist of Persons with Disabilities
Ganimete Morina, born in February 13, 1989, lives in the town of Samadrexha in the municipality of Suhareka. She is employed as a secretary at SHFMU "Dituria", where her anwavering support enriches the educational experience for students and staff. Ganimetja completed her Master's studies in Business Administration, becoming an accomplished economist, despite her limited abilities. Her commitment to making a difference extends beyond her professional life and makes her an inspiration to others. In addition to working on her career, Ganimetja also holds the position as President of the "Wheelchair Tennis Association", where she works tirelessly to promote inclusiveness and sportsmanship. Also, she is a board member in the Kosovo Paralympic Committee and the Kosovo Tennis Federation, where she actively contributes to the development of disabled sports in her community.
BRANIMIR ZUGIC
Producer, Journalist
C o-founder and Programme Director of Creative Industries and Media Forum – Kotor, Montenegro, and director of the Film Festival "Seize the Film" in Kotor. For over 20 years he has worked in the media. Since 2012, he has been employed by RTCG National Public Television of Montenegro. He is the author and editor-in-chief of different television formats. From 2018-2022 he was the editor-in-chief of the the entertainment and commercial program of RTCG. Over the last 10 years he has been involved in organizing various cultural activities. He is a producer and co-author of several projects from different domains of cultural practice. He is also in film production - he is producer of feature documentaries and feature films and executive director of NGO Art 365. Through the production of cultural content, Branimir strives to improve the cultural space of Montenegro to strengthen young Montenegrin artists and give them a chance for the general public to become acquainted with their work.