Ines Radić
Ines (Mostar, 1996) graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, majoring in Production. During her studies, she produced various student films and has just completed her documentary graduation film, “Mlada.” She was a member of the Student Association of the Academy of Performing Arts, where she worked as the executive producer of the Theater Student Festival – POSTFEST. The short film in development, “Dar” directed by Isidora Ratković and produced by Ines Radić, won the Best Project Award at the pitching forum of the Youth! Industry, held as part of the 18th ZFF. She worked for three years at the Ponta Lopud Festival as a coordinator for the DOP Masterclass. From 2020 to early 2022, she worked as the manager of Cineplexx Mostar. She is working as the festival manager for Slano Film Days. Currently, she is working as a producer on the development of the series “OJUŽILO” with director Bobo Jelčić and as a producer on the development of the short movie “USPAVANKA” with director Karmen Obrdalj. She worked as a professional associate on the script for the TV series “Tender,” created by Srđan Vuletić. She has been working at the Sarajevo Film Festival as an assistant for Avant Premiere. From 2020 to 2022, she was the program coordinator of the SFF in Mostar, and in 2023, she worked as the Location Manager for the largest Open Air location at the festival. She is currently the Head of Protocol at the SFF and project manager for “Sarajevo City of Film – UNESCO”. She is project manager of Sarajevo city of film UNESCO.
Magdalena Popović
Magdalena (Sarajevo, 1976) graduated in English Language and Literature from the School of Philosophy at the University of Banja Luka. She spent over ten years working as a translator and assistant for international organizations (OSCE, UNHCR, UNDP), and as a coordinator on development projects funded by the European Union and the Government of Japan in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She joined the Sarajevo Film Festival as an assistant for VIP guests and protocol in 2016. Currently she works as a sustainability coordinator for the Sarajevo Film Festival, and as a coordinator for Sarajevo UNESCO City of Film. Magdalena is a sustainability coordinator for the Sarajevo Film Festival.
Lejla Bešlagić
Lejla Beslagić was born in 1988 in Sarajevo, where she completed her primary and secondary education. She holds a degree from the Faculty of Public Administration, an affiliated member of the University of Sarajevo. Lejla began her career in the private sector, gaining valuable experience in the food industry. For the past eight years, she has been working as a civil servant in the City of Sarajevo. As a Project Manager and Expert Associate, where she has developed extensive expertise in the field of sustainable development, successfully managing and implementing projects that align with the city’s long-term environmental and developmental goals.
Mia Avdagić
Mia Avdagić (producer) was born and raised in Sarajevo. She graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts, specializing in production and management. Mia is also a part of the Sarajevo Film Festival team; as the Talents Sarajevo Project Coordinator and CineLink Industry Days Training & Skills Coordinator. She is also involved in the organizational team of the Slano Film Days as Head of Programming. Additionally, she worked as a coordinator on the APostLab Workshop project and was part of the organizational team at the AJB DOC Festival – Industry. Mia has produced multiple short fiction films and has experience working on local film sets. She is a member of the Association of Film Workers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently, she is developing two feature debut films and a documentary.
Ishak Jalimam
Ishak Jalimam (producer) has graduated at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, Department of Production and Management. He currently works at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where he heads CineLink, the regional co-production market and project development workshop, and coordinates Dealing with the Past program. He is also the producer at the Sarajevo War Theater. He works as a producer of the International High School Theater Festival: Juventafest, and was a technical director of the International Theater Festival MESS. He has worked on many films in varius positions, screened at these festivals: Sundance Film Festival, La Biennale di Venezia, Sarajevo Film Festival, Dokufest, Nashville Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival, Doxa Documentary Festival, HotDocs International Film Festival etc. Founder and President of Realstage productions and founder of the Students Association of Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. He is the recipient of the Young Producers Award at the Sofia Film Festival – Sofia Meetings 2020.
Elmedina Tirić
Elmedina Tirić (producer) was born in Vareš in 1995, where she completed her primary and secondary education. In 2023, she graduated with a degree in Production and Management in Performing Arts from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. Elmedina has produced several student graduation short films, including JUSTINE (2022) directed by Luka Vlaho and WHERE DO LOST CATS GO (2023) directed by Amar Komić. She also produced the short documentary-experimental film THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY (TGIF) directed by Šejla Kamerić, which is currently in post-production, and the short film BONACA (2024) directed by Luka Vlaho, which had its world premiere in the Short Film Competition at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival. From 2017 to 2020, Elmedina worked as an Assistant for International Relations at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. Since 2018, she has collaborated with the Sarajevo Film Festival in various roles: Welcome Desk Coordinator (2018-2019), Festival TV Coordinator (2020-), Creative Production Coordinator (2021-), and Executive Producer (2023-). In 2022 and 2023, Elmedina served as a script consultant for the second and third seasons of the series TENDER, which are currently in distribution. She has held various production roles in numerous student and professional films from 2016 to 2024. Since 2020, she has been an active volunteer with the Association for Research, Education, and Psychosocial Support TAVAN. Elmedina is currently developing two new projects as a producer and screenwriter: the short film LULLABY, an adaptation of the short story by Bosnian-Herzegovinian author Magdalena Blažević, and the feature film OUR WONDERFUL MOON, which she is writing and developing with director Luka Vlaho.
Korina Gutsche
Korina is Speaker, Teacher, Senior Consultant Sustainability Media industry & Sustainability Controlling UFA. She studied environmental engineering during the 80s, did environmental impact assessments in the 90s and became a freelance eco film production manager in in 2011 based in Berlin and Potsdam. As an Ocean & Wildlife Conservationist and Entrepreneur on global issues and with a Vision 2020: Babelsberg Goes Green, she did pioneering with a holistic concept the long term transformation to shift values in Film production. Trough leading youth film workshops about green storytelling along the Agenda 2030 Goals in Potsdam, teaching master classes for film professionals in the Region Berlin-Brandenburg, organizing panels at Film fest Events, rising awareness on the annual Potsdamer City Climate Award, developing the arthouse cinema initiative ‘Kino.Natürlich’ funded by the German environmental Ministry and became a guest lecturer at the Film University Potsdam Babelsberg in 2017 on environmentally friendly film production methods. As Sustainability Consultant she supported a huge variety on film producers like SKY, ZIEGLERFILM, Made for Film, Wiedemann & Berg, UFA and in 2022/23 the Berlinale and the Eurpoean Film market. Since Summer 2024 she works as Sustainability Controller in at UFA in Potsdam and oversees all their CO2 Data. From the early stages on she supported with her green film expertise and passion for films the application for Potsdam as UNESCO Creative City of Film.
HER FOCUS: ACTION PLEASE! WE LOVE MAKING MOVIES SUSTAINABLE!
Brian Barrett
Brian Barrett, an innovator, project manager, problem solver and fund raising machine, is Head of Economic, Tourism and Cultural Development with Galway City Council. He previously worked as a Director of Service with responsibility across the spectrum of local government operations including Corporate Services and Governance, Community Development, Climate Change, Economic Development, Tourism, Culture, Planning Water Services and Housing. His current role involves overseeing the Galway City Arts Office, Town Hall Theatre, Galway City Museum and Leisureland Events Centre, Tourism and Economic Development Sections, the Creative Cities network and Galway’s UNESCO designation as a City of Film. He played a key role in the establishment of the WRAP Regional film fund in the West of Ireland.
Brian is a graduate of the University of Galway with a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Arts in Community Development. He has worked as an external lecturer with the University of Galway on programmes including the MA in Community Development, Masters in Rural Development and various diploma and degree programmes within the University. For the past 30 years he has worked across the local, regional and rural development sectors in Ireland and Europe, employed in the public, private and community sectors. In his spare time, he relaxes by Climbing Mountains, Kayaking Lakes, rivers and Seas and bodyboarding in the wild Atlantic Ocean.
Eoin Butler Thornton
Eoin is a Facilitator and Coordinator of film and video game events and initiatives at Ardán. He is also the Project Coordinator for Galway UNESCO City of Film. He has a long history of arts involvement in the West of Ireland and is an avid supporter of local practitioners in various media including film, game development, theatre, music, and literature.
Jordi Hernàndez-Prat
With over 18 years of experience in the audiovisual field, Jordi is the Director of Audiovisual Projects at Parc Audiovisual de Catalunya and Terrassa City Council. Throughout his career, he has strived to combine the technical rigor of a multimedia engineer with the creativity of a filmmaker, leveraging these tools to tackle complex challenges with innovative solutions in the creative industries. Jordi is also a professor at the University of Barcelona and serves as the focal point for UNESCO’s City of Film in Terrassa, where he works to make audiovisual literacy accessible to everyone. His commitment extends to volunteering with the Red Cross, conducting workshops on media culture to promote critical understanding and reasoning about audiovisual content among diverse user communities. Additionally, as a jury member for the Xiaomi Imagery Awards, Jordi brings expertise and forward-looking insight into the phenomenon of (post)photography. In recent years, Jordi has delved into research on generative AI, exploring its impact on visual imagery and its role in shaping new cultural identities, including the implications of AI hallucinations.
Maria Loreto Arenales Gomez
With extensive international experience in marketing and tourism, Loreto Arenales currently heads the International Tourism Department at Valladolid City Council, promoting the city as a leading destination around the globe. One of her competences is overseeing the Valladolid Film Commission, ensuring the success of audiovisual productions by managing locations, permits, and green shooting policies, while fostering connections between institutions and local professionals. Her work aims to strengthen the local industry and promote Valladolid as a top filming destination, creating synergies that drive both tourism and industrial growth.
Filip Grzędowski
Cinema programmer in National Center for Film Culture at EC1 – Łódź City of Culture. His work includes arranging film repertoire, holding conversations with cast and crew and organizing a film discussion club. Graduate of film studies at the University of Łódź. For a period of time, he was the leader of the University of Łódź film students’ academic circle, where he organized introductions and discussions in Łódź’s art cinemas. Enthusiast and contributor to many film festivals. He is passionate about the cinema of the New French Extremity, Jerzy Skolimowski and Werner Herzog.
Diana Andreeva – Popyordanova Ph.D.
Dr. Diana Andreeva – Popyordanova is director of the Observatory of Cultural Economics (OCE), an organization for independent research in cultural economics in Bulgaria. She is a lecturer in the University of National and World Economy/UNWE/, Department “Media and Public Communications”- UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy and Cultural Policies for Sustainable Development and National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts. She is co-editor of the Bulgarian profile of cultural policy in the Compendium of Cultural Policies and Director of the Centre for Media Research, Audiovisual Policy and Cultural Industries „Assoc. prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova” in UNWE, Sofia. Diana Andreeva is part of the research team of the international Horizon 2020 CICERONE/Creative Industries Cultural Economy Production Network/ project.
Menche Hadzi-Kosta Milevska
Menche Hadji-Kosta Milevska is a Film Programmer at the NI Center of Culture in Bitola, North Macedonia, where she has been actively contributing since 2013. She organize and plan the film program and coordination of 3D Kino Bitola, along with organizing diverse cultural events such as film festivals, concerts, and exhibitions. Menche has active role in the organization of the film festivals happening in Bitola, like the Manaki Brothers Film Festival and the International Ethnographic Film Festival “Ilinden Days.” She has extensive experience collaborating with international institutions, including embassies, and is involved in the UNESCO Creative Cities of Film initiatives. She is graduate in Marketing Management from the University of St. Kliment Ohridski, her work bridges culture and sustainability, promoting Bitola as a hub for creative collaboration and city of film art.
Marija Dzidzeva
Marija Dzideva is a filmmaker with over 25 years of film experience. She works as a screenwriter and director of creative documentaries and feature films. Author of “Toni Mandza’s List”, “Look at Life through My Eyes”, “The Pursuit of Luck”, “Some Other Stories”, “Second Chance”. Renowned for her realistic and emotional storytelling, her works have been selected and awarded at various international film festivals. Also, she works on TV documentary projects, bringing different genres, from history to real-life stories to the screen. In addition to her film career, she is an active film lecturer and educator. She worked as a professor at the Film Academy of the “Goce Delchev” University in Shtip. She has created and implemented numerous educational film workshops for students, promoting film literacy among children and young people.
Damjana Patcheva
Damjana Patcheva was born on August 27, 1987 in Skopje. She graduated from the Department of General and Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Philology “Blaže Koneski” in Skopje. After completing her undergraduate studies, from 2010 to 2012 she worked as a journalist in the Culture and Entertainment Department of the daily newspaper “Vreme”. In November 2012, she volunteered at the National Film Archive of Macedonia until 2015, when she became an external collaborator of the Film Archive of Macedonia. In December 2016, she was employed as a filmologist at the Cinematheque of Macedonia, where she still works as the editor of the film program at the Cinematheque of Macedonia, and in 2020 she received the title of senior filmologist as well as the title of master in general and comparative literature at the Faculty of Philology “Blaže Koneski” in Skopje, Department of General and Comparative Literature. In 2016, she completed the Summer School for Film Restoration in Bologna, where she received a diploma for a final course in film restoration. Since 2015, she has been part of the team organizing the IFFK “Manaki Brothers”, and is also an external collaborator at many domestic film festivals. As a filmologist, she is part of the Laboratory for Development of Innovation and Audience for Cinematographers organized by Europa Cinemas in Seville (2021) and Bologna (2022). Since 2020, she has been the project coordinator of the CLASSIC FILM SEASON in North Macedonia at the Cinematheque of North Macedonia, a project aimed at attracting a younger audience to share the film cultural heritage. And since 2024, she has been the project coordinator of FilmED, a film education project of the Cinematheque of North Macedonia and the Goethe-Institut Skopje, funded by the MEDIA sub-programme of the European Union.
Ognen Antov
Ognen Antov is a highly regarded film producer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. A graduate of International Marketing, he founded Dream Factory Macedonia in 2007, a company dedicated to producing feature films, TV productions, and documentaries. Throughout his career, Ognen has produced award-winning documentaries such as Seamstresses and Grandmothers of Revolution. He has also worked as an associate producer on “Punk Is Not Dead” and co-produced “Mission London”. His co-productions “Not an Ordinary Monday” (2014) and “Monument to Michael Jackson” (2014) gained global attention. Ognen’s Macedonian debut AMOK (2016) became the biggest hit in Macedonia that year, securing festival success. In 2021, he produced Macedonia’s first children’s film, Stela, and in 2022, his film Vera Dreams of the Sea, directed by Kaltrina Krasniqi, competed at the Venice Film Festival. He is also the founder and president of the Macedonian Film Producers Association.
Kristina Hristova Nikolova
Krisitina Hristova Nikolova, MA is a Macedonian actress. Since 1998, she has been working as an actress at the National Theatre – Bitola, where she has successfully played over 30 roles. Now, she is part of the NI Theater Komedija ensemble. Also from 2010 to the present, she has worked as a screenwriter for several short films and TV series, and from 2011 to the present, she has worked as an Assistant Professor of Dramaturgy and Film Scriptwriting at the first private University in the field of audiovisual arts in Macedonia, the University of Europa Prima. From 2011 to 2016, Hristina was the Executive Director of the International Festival of Mobile Films “Mobile Festival”, www.mobilefestival.net, founder of the competition for the best Macedonian “Website of the Year” in Macedonia, board member of AFP Macedonia Skopje (Association of Film Professionals and TV Collaborators), member of the jury of the short film competition at the Tirana Film Festival 2014 as well as the protocol organizer of the 36th edition of “IFFK Manaki Brothers” 2015. Kristina Hristova Nikolova has produced or co-produced 4 feature films, three short films and one short animated film. She has interest in multimedia projects, new media and globalization.
Jovan Angjeleski
Jovan Angjeleski is currently completing his studies in photography at the University “Europa Prima” in Skopje, with only three exams remaining before graduation. As a professional photographer, he has amassed extensive experience capturing various events. Notably, he served as one of the two official photographers for the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council held at the Boris Trajkoski Arena in 2023. Since 2022, he has been the photographer for the prestigious annual event Zlatna Bubamara, as well as the A1 Game fest, an annual gaming festival he has covered since 2021. Jovan holds certificates from the “Fotosofia” photo seminar led by Damir Hoyka (2022) and the WordPress photo seminar in Skopje (2022). His expertise extends to film, serving as the director of photography for the short films Elka by Luka Jovanoski and Nur by Marija Perchinovska. With over eight years of experience at “Foto Zoran,” he specializes in wedding, event, and studio photography.
Ana Marija Tikova
Ana Marija Tikova, digital content creator and student at the “Faculty of Film Arts” in the Film and TV Editing department at “Europa Prima” University. Born on 12.12.2003 in Bakirkoy, Istanbul. She completed primary school at “Tosho Arsov” primary school, secondary school at “Slavcho Stojmenski” and primary music school at “DMUC Sergej Mihajlov” in Shtip. She is fluent in Macedonian, Vlach, English and Serbian, and has basic knowledge in German and Turkish. She has work experience in making jewelry from polymer clay and epoxy resin, as well as in television editing at the Macedonian National Television.
Svetislav Podleshanov
Born on 29 of September 1992 in Bitola, Macedonia. Graduated film directing on University of Audio-Visual Arts, ESRA-Skopje. Later he continued his studies in master degree of Film and TV Production. He is co-founder of “OPIUM Film” production company based in Skopje. His interests about cinematography shown up in his youngest age, he started to make films since he was 12 years old. As writer and director he has worked on many film projects including the feature fiction “Theosis” (2016) and the short documentary “The water” (2018). In the past six years he is working on feature-length documentary with a working title “Ironman”, which was developed on through many European workshops and festivals. He has two projects in development: “The soil” – short environmental documentary and “Wild child” – feature fiction film. During the last 8 years he has also worked as a mentor for creative documentary films for high school and primary school students. Since 2022 he has been an organizer/producer of the event “Center for Interdisciplinary Activities”.