Producer and director Jan Harlan was Stanley Kubrick’s executive producer from “Barry Lyndon” (1975) to “The Shining” (1980), “Full Metal Jacket” (1987) and “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999). He also worked with Steven Spielberg on “Artificial Intelligence: AI” (2001). As a director, Harlan made, among others, the documentaries “Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures” (2000) and “O Lucky Malcolm!” (2006), about the British actor Malcolm McDowell. He also lectured at the European Film College in Denmark and at various film-schools in the UK and Germany. During the Festival, Jan Harlan will give a master class titled “Music as a Dramatic Element of Filmmaking and Script Structure”.

Associate Professor at the Film Department of York University in Toronto. Barta has extensive experience as a director, writer, and researcher, having worked on more than 25 documentaries, a feature film and several television productions. Her films have been screened at prestigious international festivals. For 12 years, she was a writer and a director at the Romanian National Film Board in Bucharest. In 1989 she fled the communist regime of her native country, Romania, and became a political refugee in Austria, where she produced the documentary “Through Her Own eyes”. In 1991 she settled in Canada and in 1994 her first Canadian documentary “Our Home Is Here” was honored with a Gemini Award. During the Festival, Prof. Tereza Barta will give a lecture about contemporary Romanian cinema titled “Romanian Cinema: New Wave - Old Traditions”.

Arben Zharku is an Actor and Producer from Kosovo. He is the founder of SKENA UP International Students Film and Theatre Festival in Prishtina and its current executive director. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Prishtina in 2004, in Acting, and in 2009 he graduated at EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs). Alongside his commitment at SKENA UP, since 2003 Arben has also been working as a Manager at the Multimedia Centre in Prishtina which has the aim to develop contemporary and children’s theatre. As an actor he has perform in different theater performances as well in different films. As a producer he has been involved in various film productions trying to build the respective infrastructure and he makes efforts to extend his knowledge by gaining experience from film production experts. Arben has produced TONIGHT IS CANCELLED (feature) THREE MINUTES OF SOLITUDE (short) PINK RIVER (short). He is currently producing three documentary films and one short film and in development he has one feature.

As a screenwriter and director, Contreras is one of the most promising cinematic voices in the contemporary Mexican film industry. A Graduate of the University Centre for Cinematographic Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. His first feature film, “Blue Eyelids” (2007) was nominated for the Camera D’Or at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, as part of the Critics’ Week official selection. The film also received numerous awards, including Best Film at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Special Jury Prize at Sundance and the Ariel Award of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences for Best First Work. In March 2010, he premiered his feature documentary “Seguir Siendo: Café Tacvba”, a film about Mexico’s most important rock band. During the Festival, Ernesto Contreras will present his film “Blue Eyelids”.

Pro-rector at the National University of Theatre and Cinematography “I.L.Caragiale” in Bucharest and one of the leading documentary filmmakers in Europe. His films have gathered numerous awards at prestigious festivals. Damian was Secretary of the Romanian Cinematographers Union between 1990-1995 and worked as an artistic manager of several film festivals. Since 1998, he is the general manager of the “Editura Video” documentary studio. He wrote over 600 articles on history and cinematographic esthetics, was General Manager at “Cinema” Magazine and published two books – “Where Are You, Childhood?” and “About Documentary... and Even More”. During the Festival, within the tribute to the New Romanian Cinema, Dr. Laurentiu Damian will present a compilation of short student films from UNATC.

Acclaimed director and actor, whose films have achieved great success in his home country and abroad. Among his films: the short film “Day After Day” (2000), which won the Arte European short award; his feature debut “Pleasant Days” (2002), which won the Silver Leopard award for first feature film in the Locarno Film Festival; “Johanna” (2005), that was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival; and his most recent film “Delta” (2008), winner of the FIPRESCI award in Cannes, where he was also nominated for the Golden Palm. During the Festival, Kornél Mundruczó will give a master class about his cinematic work and vision.

Born in Moscow, Nikitin studied film and television sciences, cultural history and theatre sciences in Bochum University, where he now teaches. In 1995 He founded the film magazine “Schnitt”, and since then he publishes books, gives speeches, writes and translates articles and moderates discussions about film. He is a member of FIPRESCI and the European Film Academy. Since May 2002 he works as delegate for the Berlin Film Festival. Besides running and editing the FILM+ festival in Cologne, he also curates European and International festivals’ competitions. During the Festival, Nikolaj Nikitin will give a special lecture about film festivals, titled “There Is Always a Right Festival for My Movie: Festival Strategies - Dos and Don’ts for Producers Working with Film Festivals”.

Feature film programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, where she has been a short films programmer for 4 years. Yutani is also the director of programming of Outfest, where she programs the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Fusion: the Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival, the screening series Outfest Wednesdays, and oversees the Access LA program, which includes the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. She was recently a guest curator for Cinemasia and the Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. Served on juries at the Toronto Film Festival for the Short Cuts Canada Award and the Berlin Film Festival for the Teddy Award. Prior to her film festival work, Yutani was a film critic and freelance journalist focusing on independent film.

Film critic for “Ha'aretz” newspaper since 1987. Studied English and French culture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and graduated the Film and Television department at the Tel Aviv University. In the 70's he co-edited the film magazine “Close-Up” and worked as a critic for the “Kol Israel” radio station. Between 1979-1982 he was the film critic of “Davar” newspaper. Klein published articles about cinema in periodicals such as “Politics” and “The 7th Eye” in Israel, and “Film Comment” in the U.S. He taught at Tel-Aviv University, Haifa University, Sapir College, Camera Obscura school of arts and more. In 2007, Klein received the Sokolov Award for Journalism for his lifetime achievements.