Caine will receive the Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema award at the opening ceremony. Hawke will be honoured with the Festival President’s Award. The festival will pay tribute to Depp with a selection of his works. At the closing ceremony, Sverak will receive the President’s Award.

The main jury will consist of Danish filmmaker Eva Mulvad, Polish actress Marta Nieradkiewicz, Greek director Christos Nikou, and German fest director Christoph Terhechte. The East of the West jury includes Latvian producer Alise Gelze, Macedonian producer Atanas Georgiev, Czech director Michal Hogenauer, Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali, and Israeli film critic Ariel Schweitzer.

The festival’s nod to COVID safety protocols includes the introduction of a wristband which confirms the wearer’s virus-free status. All film attendees will also be required to wear a mask during screenings.