Lisa Nawrocki
Lisa Nawrocki studied Digital Media Culture (B.A.) and Media Studies (M.A.) at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in Germany. During this time, she produced short films and worked four years for the International Student Film Festival Sehsüchte. In 2020 she was part of the festival management and led the festival during the pandemic to its first hybrid version. Since 2019 she is the
Focal Point for the UNESCO Creative City of Film Potsdam.
Jordi Hernàndez-Prat
A multi-potential creature of the Film Industry who is so happy to deal with complex technical challenges, creative solutions, talent transfer and disrupting strategic decisions. After 15+ years of frontline professional experience I have improved skills in very different fields, transforming and updating me so many times and not only after successful achievements but also as a result of the mistakes. Used to diving into the very muddy waters to turn an old ancient hospital, beginning from scratch (in 2006), into a topnotch film studio now including a hub of 30+ companies and 10.000+ m2 of production facilities, that was designated as “Best Practice in Innovation 2009” by the European Commission. 365/24h manager of all sort and unexpected issues, daily used to collaborating with the production’s teams of very significant companies (Netflix, Movistar+, Gestmusic-Endemol Shine, Lionsgate, RTVE, Filmax, CANADA…) Finally earning a deep knowledge of the whole content-production process, from the more creative part to the technical one, as of the entire audio-visual sector in Spain and Europe. One realizes that high efficiency, team-working and respect, resilience, rigor, honesty and good humor, are key points because they mean tons of money and trust.
Guillaume Rousseau
Guillaume Rousseau, Nov 1972. Born in Paris (France), he pursued his higher studies at Paris IX Dauphine University. At the age of 25, he decided to change his life and moved to Madrid, Spain. where he studied MBA at Ie school of economics. Then, he developed his career as a strategic consultant for large companies until he founded his own consulting company in Tourism, Gastronomy and Culture. He has carried out projects for the City Council of Madrid, Government of Cities from Barcelona County, Priorat County (Catalunya) and for the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
In 2018, he was chosen to carry out the candidacy of Valladolid (Spain) to the UNESCO creative cities network, culminating the project with the accession of the city in 2019. Since then he has been the technical coordinator of Valladolid City of Film and has participated in Gdynia Polish Film Feature Festival, Santos UNESCO Film Festival 2022 and in several SEMINCI editions. This year at International Film Week of Valladolid (SEMINCI), he has co-organized the WIFI meeting: Women in the Film Industry.
Sonia Bacchus
Sonia Bacchus graduated on the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódż in Stanisława Strzemińskiego. Already in Academy she started working on various film productions as an assistant costume designer. After graduation she continued working on costumes and on set design. She moved from Poland to England, but as she worked in film industry she traveled to different countries with productions: Lithuania, Luxemburg, Greece.
The films she worked are: Proof of life, Four Feathers, Nicholas Nickleby, George and Dragon, Elizabeth I, The Damned United.
She is a mother of two children and when her daughter (second child) was born in 2009, she quit her film work. That period she was self – employed in England as an Art Presenter and Art Teacher. In 2021, Sonia with her family decided to return from England to Poland. Since 2022 she has been working as a film education specialist at NCKF (National Center for Film Culture) at EC1 – Łódż City of culture, where she runs manual workshops.
Kinga Plicht
Kinga Plicht – born in 1977 in Gdynia. Graduated from Political Science at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Human Resource Management at the University of Gdańsk. While still a student, she collaborated with the Tri-City media, writing articles for newspapers. Since 2000, she has been associated with the cinema industry. For eleven years she was the director of the Gdynia multiplex, and since 2015 she has been managing the arthouse cinema at the Gdynia Film Centre. She was also associated with the Gdynia Town Hall, where she worked in the Office of the Mayor of Gdynia. For over a dozen years, he has been permanently co-organizing the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, organizing the work of festival cinemas and sales, and cooperating with the programming department. In addition to cinema and film, her passion is cuisine, for several years she has been running her own gastronomy.
Łukasz Cichowski
Deputy Head in Department of Culture in Gdynia City Hall. He studied sociology (B.A.) and administration (M.A.) at University of Gdansk. Finished postgraduate studies: public procurement (2015) and management in culture (2019). Experienced local government official, culture animator and event organizer. Basketball referee since 2004.
Bilyana Genova
Bilyana Genova was born in 1971 in Sofia. She graduated from the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. She specializes in the history of culture at the State University of Milan. From 1995 to 2016 is a gallery artist at the Natali Family Gallery, co-organizer of the Autumn Salon of Bulgarian Art Vadenoyen, the Netherlands and five exhibitions of Bulgarian art in Venice. From 2016 he is Director of the Culture Directorate in Sofia Municipality and coordinator of the Municipal Program “Culture”.
Diana Andreeva – Popyordanova Ph.D.
Dr. Diana Andreeva – Popyordanova is director of the Observatory of Cultural Economics. She earned a PhD in Cultural Economics from the University of National and World Economics – UNWE. Since 2009, she teaches “Marketing and advertising” and “Financing of performing arts”; at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts. In 2014, she became a permanent assistant professor at the University of National and World Economy. Diana Andreeva has published numerous articles in recent years and has participated in various Bulgarian and international research teams in the field of cultural economics and financing. Since 2010, she is co-editor of the Compendium of Cultural Policies of the Council of Europe, (together with Assoc. Prof. BilyanaTomova).
Ralitsa Assenova
Ralitsa Assenova, graduated from the Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 in Theatre and in Cinema Studies. She also studied in the University of Bologna, where she wrote a research paper on the work of Pier Paolo Pasolini. Ralitsa Assenova has worked on many cultural projects both in France and in Bulgaria. She also has experience in the field of cultural journalism and has specialized in European policies and cultural projects. Co- founder of the Bulgarian NGO and initiator of its “Cinema in school” programme. Ralitsa is lead organizer and director of the festival Meetings of Young European Cinema in Sofia and coordinator for Bulgaria of the projects CinEd – European Cinema Education for Youth and Le Cinéma cent ans de jeunesse. She is also a PhD student in the field of film education policies and practices in Europe.
Vesna Ristovska
Vesna Ristovska is highly qualified and experienced person in the film industry. She has organized several film festivals, worked in the casting and directing of short films, and has successful experience working as assistant director and casting director of feature films. She graduated Master of Film Directing at the Neofit Rilski Faculty in Bulgaria, and upgraded her work experience in several countries across Europe with skills in organization, management, pressure work and teamwork, in addition to her language skills, which include fluency speaking English and Bulgarian. In 2012, she founded her own film production company with which she works on several short and long film projects in the country and the region and also was part of many film projects and events like project coordinator. From 2019 she is President of the Bitola Films Center and until now, under her coordination and in cooperation with the film cities of UNESCO, successfully were held and realized three editions – Forum of Creative Cities of UNESCO in Bitola.
Marija Dzidzeva
Marija Dzidzeva is film director, born on 24.12.1970 in Gevgelija, Macedonia. She graduated Macedonian Literature in 1994 at the Faculty of Philology and Film and TV direction in 2000 at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje.
She is the author of the films: “Miss Amnesia”, “Tony Mandza’s List”, “Look at life through my eyes”, “Looking for happiness”, “Some different stories” (segment “Macedonian story”), “Second chance”, ” A man with two faces”. She also works as a director of several television documentaries, as well as the realization of various television projects. In the period from 2015 to 2018, she was employed at the Film Academy at “Goce Delchev” University in Shtip.
She actively participates in film education of children and youth by creating and implementing film workshops.
Marina Trajkova
Marina Trajkova graduated from the Institute for Gender Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje. She is an associate at Agency for Audio and Audio-Visual Media Services of the Republic of North Macedonia (AVMU), in the Department for Human Rights and Media Literacy at the Department for Program Affairs. She works on analyzes and reports related to gender and LGBTI topics in the media, hate speech and discrimination in media content, as well as in the field of media literacy. She is the author of many papers in the field of gender and media.
Mimi Gjorgoska-Ilievska, M.A.
Mimi Gjorgoska-Ilievska is a film professional, university professor, senior film archivist and film researcher actively been involved in the film industry and in the field of audiovisual heritage preservation for more than 20 years. Current she holds an advisory /councilor position in the Directorate for Protection of Cultural Heritage within the Ministry of Culture regarding legislation, strategy, identification, protection and use of audiovisual and written heritage. After her initial employment in the Cinematheque of Macedonia and working as a trainee and expert in the Secretariat of the intergovernmental organization Audiovisual Eureka in Brussels, she has served for eight years as a Director of the National Film Archive – Cinematheque of Macedonia and as an Executive Director of the Macedonian Film Agency.
From 2011 until 2017 she was a national representative of Macedonia in Eurimages (Council of Europe’s European Cinema Support Fund) and was also an active and first Macedonian member of the Executive Committee of FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) and Executive Committee of ACE (Association of European Film Archives). She is member of the European Film Academy, recipient of numerous awards at home and abroad, including Svecena gramota from the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria and the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres), one of the four most prestigious awards of the French Republic.
Daniela Stankovska Plachkovska
Graduated in political science and master’s degree in cultural studies. Since 2008 actively works and contributes to the film sector as an employee of the Film Agency, which is the legal successor of the Film Fund of R.M. During its entire operation, it is actively involved, as well as making a great contribution to building a consistent film policy, according to which a model and concept was built for the continuous development of film and film activity in our country.
She was a national representative in the European network of film commissions EUFCN, a member of the executive committee of SEE Cinema Network, as well as a member and deputy national representative in the organization of the same name, President of the interdepartmental commission for determining the conditions and criteria for approving funds and providing a proposal for payment of funds intended for the production of a domestic documentary and a domestic feature program at the Ministry of Information Society and Administration, member of the Commission for the Right to Return at the Film Agency, Executive Director of the third edition of the Youth Film Festival “Giffoni Macedonia”.
She participated in the realization of international events and projects such as: presentation of Location Pavilion -Japan Content Showcase 2015, FOCUS location and production event 2015, project manager of EAVE Producer Workshop 2015, project manager of Film Festival for Youth “Giffoni Macedonia” and the project “Giffoni Travels”, implementation of the European Film Academy Young Audience Award 2015 project, etc. She is one of the authors of two editions of the Location and Production Guide brochure, co-author of five editions of the Macedonian film production catalog, as well as participating in the implementation of the “Filmographies” Project (data from the Film Fund of the Republic of Macedonia). On her initiative in December 2021. a Film Literacy Working Group was established as part of the structure of the Media Literacy Network, and she is its coordinator. From April 2022 was selected as an assistant professor at the International University Europa Prima-Skopje.
Smilka Janeska-Sarkanjac
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje. She has a Bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje, Department of Computer Engineering and Automatics. She earned her M.Sc. degree in 2009 on the subject “Information Technology in the Strategy of the Company”. In June 2011, at the same faculty, she has defended her doctoral dissertation titled “Strategic Models of e-Governance”. She has years of experience in the ICT sector in Macedonia, and has worked in ICT departments in several companies in the private sector, on various positions, starting as a programmer, business analyst, IT administrator, team leader for development of application software, and as Director of Department of Information Technology. Also, she has worked on several projects as a senior IT expert for the European Union, EBRD and for the World Bank.
She is the General Manager of Media Solutions, one of the first full service digital marketing agencies in the country, which gives her an opportunity to work in the new media industry. Since December 2017, she is the President of the Program Council of Macedonian Radio Television.
Snezana Lupevska Sozen
Snezana Lupevska is one of the senior journalists in investigative journalism and journalism in conflict situations with 17 years of experience in media and journalism. She had many trainings and seminars in USA and EU countries regarding investigative journalism. In 2004 USA embassy in Macedonia also awarded Ms.Lupevska for extraordinary and outstanding accomplishments in supporting democratic values and principles that have contributed to the progress in Macedonia. She was awarded the Golden Ladybug award as Best TV reporter in Macedonia, 2001, and was handed the Award from the Association of Journalist of Macedonia for best investigative stories magazine KOD in 2011.
Since August 2021, she is a Manager of TV Telma, one of the first private broadcasters in Macedonia.
Elena Bojadjieva – Cvetkovska
Elena Bojadjieva Cvetkovska is more than ten years’ professor at the photography department at International University “Europa Prima” in Skopje and for three years dean of the Faculty of Film at the University “Europa Prima”. Since 2019th she’s is President of UMPACI (Union of Macedonian professional associations in creative industries). She has worked on numerous projects and exhibitions, as well as a selector for international competitions. Her activities are connected with creating and promotion of educational projects and activities in the field of creative industries, as well as development, preservation and nurturing of culture and cultural heritage, through participation and organization of various activities. Since 2021, she is the President of AKI, Association of creative industries under the Economic Chamber of N. Macedonia.
Sasha Stanishik
Sasa Stanisic is an independent director, producer and writer. He graduated in World and Comparative Literature and Film and Tv directing in Skopje. He is an assitant professor of Film and Digital Media at International University Europa Prima. He is a director of several short films and TV shows (Down from Heaven, Mangava Disko Punk, Sara The Myth). He is the manager of Cutaway d.o.o.e.l. – a production company based in Skopje, engaged in distribution and production of films. With Cutaway he started cinesquare.net, a VoD platform in South Eastern Europe that is focused on European and Independent content, which covers all countries from the region. He is a regular visitor to biggest film festival in Europe (Berlinale, Cannes) and is regular guest to European forums and events concerned with online distribution as well filmmaking.