Vjosa Berisha – born in 1972. Co-founder and director of the Prishtina International Film Festival. Following her education in London (MA in Media and Communication) she worked as a PR
agent for ten years, e.g. in the field of political communication. In 2005, she founded the first PR agency in Kosovo. She was hired by the government to organize all official events concerning the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo in 2008. In 2011 she took part in the Hope Fellowship program for Democracy and Diplomacy
study tour in Washington DC.
Matthieu Darras – born 1979 in Nizza. Founder of NISI MASA, the European network of young cinema, he managed dozens of international workshops related to scriptwriting and filmmaking. He worked as programmer for the Cannes Critics’ Week and the Alba Film Festival in Italy. He assumed the artistic direction of the IFF Bratislava in Slovakia. Matthieu Darras has been working for the Torino Film Lab since its inception, currently as Head of Programmes. He also is delegate of the San Sebastián Film Festival, in charge of Central & Eastern Europe.
Olga Dihovichnaya – born 1980 in Minsk, Belarus. Leading actress, co-author and co-producer of the FilmFestival Cottbus main award winner TWIGHLIGHT PORTRAIT (2011). Studied directing in Moscow under the tutorship of Aleksey German and Svetlana Karmalita and has since shot documentary films. Best known to audiences for her roles in THE KOPECK (2002), VKHOD – VYKHOD (2006) and TAYNY LYUBVI (2009). Was married to the director Ivan Dihovichny with
whom she worked for the „Volya“ film studio. Currently works for the „Masterskaya“ cinema society. Tobias Schenke – born 1981 in Rüdersdorf near Berlin. As a teenager he played roles in KNOCKIN‘ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR (1997) and LOVE SCENES FROM PLANET EARTH (1998). Achieved breakthrough success in 2000 with his portrayal of Florian in HARTE JUNGS, for which he received the German DIVA award. Followed up his early success with roles in KNALLHARTE JUNGS (2002), DER LETZTE LUDE (2003) and KLEINRUPPIN FOREVER (2004). Has to date featured in over fifty television and cinema productions.
Branko Schmidt – born 1957 in Osijek, Croatia (Yugoslavia). He graduates from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb with a degree in film and tv directing. His first feature film SOKOL GA NIJE
VOLIO (1988) gained a lot of attention, as did the award winning VUKOVAR SE VRAĆA KUĆI (1994), KRALJICA NOĆI (2001) und METASTAZE (2009). Throughout his career, Branko Schmidt has directed plays, documentary films and children’s television series. His latest film LJUDOŽDER VEGETARIJANAC (2012) is the Croatian candidate for the Academy Awards 2013. International Jury Short Feature Competition. In the short feature competition eleven entries compete for a total endowment of 3,500 Euro. A three-member international Jury decides on the winners:
Ylljet Alicka – born 1952 in Tirana, Albania. He is a writer and poet, publishing his novels and prose in Albania and France. In 2001, he wrote the script for the adaption of his most popular book SLOGANS, which won the Main Prize for the Best Film in Cottbus, the Golden Prize at the International Film Festival in Tokyo and the „Award of the Youth“ in Cannes. In the late 1990s, Alicka was appointed Director for foreign affairs in the Ministry of Culture for five years. He is the communication officer for Albania at the European commission and since 2007 Albania’s embassador in France and Portugal.
Pit Bukowski – born 1988 in Berlin. Prior to taking up acting he played guitar for various Berlin bands. Made his first screen appearance in THEY'VE GOT KNUT (2003), which was followed by roles in films such as MAX UND MORITZ RELOADED (2005), DORFPUNKS (2008), SHIFTING THE BLAME (2012) and DER SAMURAI (2012). Has appeared in various short films. Has also made his mark on German dramatic television, appearing in popular series such as “Tatort”, “Großstadtklein” and “Kreuzer komt ... ins Krankenhaus”. He has to date played a total of more than fifty roles in television, film and theatre productions.
Christine Dollhofer – born 1963 in Wels, Austria. She was both artistic and managing director of the art house cinema “Filmcasino” in Vienna as well as of the Austrian film festival “Diagonale” in Graz. She is a board member of “Sixpack Film” and a jury member of the Austrian Film Fund. In 2004 she founded – and is still managing – the film festival “Crossing Europe” in Linz, Austria. Since 2011 she is program delegate for Austria, Germany and Switzerland for the International Film Festival San Sebastián. The other prizes will be awarded by the Jury U 18 German-Polish Youth Film Competition, the Jury DIALOGUE Prize for Intercultural Communication, the Jury of the Debut Film Prize, the Jury of the Féderation Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique (FIPRESCI), the Ecumenical Jury and the Jury of the “Cottbuser FilmSchau”.
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FilmFestival Cottbus – Festival des osteuropäischen Films
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