Ibtisam Salh Mara’ana, director
The Arab-Israeli director, screenwriter and producer Ibtisam Salh Mara’ana, has been awarded internationally for her documentaries ‘Paradise Lost’, ‘Al-Jiser - the Bridge’, ‘Badal’, ‘Three Times Divorced’, as well as for her ‘Lady Kul El Arab’ (2008), winner of the Big Stamp for the best international documentary film at the 2009 ZagrebDox and Special Jury Award at the 2008 IDFA Silver Wolf Competition. She graduated the school of cinema and television Givat Haviva and since then she has directed a number of reports for the ‘Feminine Outlook’ and ‘Arabeska’ programs on Israel’s Channel One. She has collaborated as assistant director with Simon Bitton, Ram Levi, and Duki Dror, while her main point of interest focuses on the position of women in the Arab- Israeli world.
Branko Ivanda, director
Branko Ivanda is a Croatian director and a professor of film and TV direction at the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts. He was born in Split in 1941. After completing high-school education and studying comparative literature and philosophy in Split, he obtained his degree in film and theater direction at the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts. He directs TV feature films, dramas, musical programs, documentary and commercial films. He has received a few international awards for his films (FIPRESCI Award in Berlin, Diploma of Bergamo Film festival). Filmography: ‘Konjanik’ (2003), ‘Dubrovački škerac’ (2001), ‘Poetry and Revolution – the 1971 Student Strike’ (2000), ‘Sestre’ (1992), ‘Zločin u školi’ (1982), ‘Court Martial’ (1979), ‘Gravitacija ili fantastična mladost činovnika Borisa Horvata’ (1968). He is currently working on his new film, ‘Lea i Darija - Dječje carstvo’.
Janko Heidl, film critic
Janko Hedl is a film critic. He was born in Zagreb in 1967. He studied film direction at the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts. Since late 1980s he has been writing reviews for various printed and electronic media, mostly in Večernji list. He worked as an assistant director on dozen feature-length documentary films.
Dragan Nikolić, director and screenwriter
Dragan Nikolić was born in Zaječar (Serbia) in 1974. He is about to complete his studies of dramaturgy at the Belgrade Faculty of Drama Arts. He is also studying philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy. He is a script writer, playwright and director. He was the assistant director of the short feature film ‘Run Rabbit Run’ (2005), for which he also co-wrote the script. He co-wrote the script for the feature-length documentary ‘Made in Serbia’ (2005). He was the director of photography of ‘Bar de Zi’ (2006) and the director, screenwriter and cinematographer of documentaries ‘Hot line’ and ‘National Park’ (2006). His film ‘Kavijar konekšn’ (2009) won Big Stamp for Best Film in Regional Competition at the 5th ZagrebDox.
Claas Danielsen, director of the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Films
Claas Danielsen, born in 1966 in Hamburg is a filmmaker, producer, teacher and festival director living in Leipzig. After working as a journalist and getting practical training in film production companies he became a student at the documentary film department of the Munich Film Academy (HFF München) in 1986. He made seven documentaries of which some were presented at international festivals winning different awards and being sold to European broadcasters. In 1997 he became an assistant of the professor in the documentary department of the Munich Film Academy. In 2000 he became Head of Studies at Discovery Campus. In April 2004 Claas Danielsen was appointed Director of the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Films, the biggest German and one of the leading international documentary festivals. He is a board member of the German documentary filmmaker’s association and the EDN and an advisor to the European Film Academy.
Goran Dević, director
Goran Dević was born in Sisak in 1971. He studied archeology and law. In 2008 he took his degree in film and TV direction at the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts. Today he works there as an assistant at the Department of Graduate Studies of Documentary Film. He also teaches film, video and TV at AGORA College. His documentaries have received awards at national and international festivals: ‘The Blacks’ (2009), ‘3 (2008), ‘Park under Construction’ (2008), ‘Everything Will Be All Right’ (2007), ‘I Have Nothing Nice to Say to You’ (2006), ‘Did I Fuck Up?’ (2004), ‘Imported Crows’ (2004), ‘Knin’ (2004). He is currently working on three new documentaries: ‘Don Juans’, ‘Željezara Sisak’ and ‘Pozitivne međunacionalne prakse’ (working title).
Matija Vukšić, student
Matija Vukšić was born in Čakovec in 1982. In 2005 he took his degree in journalism at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb. He is now a student of the second year of documentary film and TV direction at the Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADU). He works as a journalist in the news program of Croatian Radio and Television. He wrote and directed his debutant documentary film ‘Benjamin’ (ADU, 2009).
Raul Brzić, student
Raul Brzić was born in Split in 1979. In 2005 he obtained his degree in visual communications design at the Split Academy of Arts. He is now a student of the second year of film and TV cinematography at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has shot a dozen music videos. He was Arsen Ostojić’s assistant director on ‘A Wonderfull Night in Split’. He was the director of photography on the feature-length film ‘Predstava’ by Slobodan Jokić and the cinematographer on ‘Benjamin’ (directed by Matija Vukšić, ADU, 2009).
Goran Čače, student
Goran Čače was born in Split in 1979. He obtained his degree in film, video and electronic media at the Academy of Arts in Split (UMAS). Since 2005 has been working as an assistant at the Academy (Film and Video Department). He is also a student of the second year of the graduate studies of film and TV editing at the Zagreb Academy of Dramatic Arts. He wrote and directed ‘Shipyard Blues’ which was shown at a few international festivals, including Sarajevo Film Festival.
Zoran Pusić, representative of the Civil Committee for Human Rights
Zoran Pusić was born in Zagreb in 1944. He is a professor of mathematics at the Zagreb Faculty of Graphic Arts. He is a volunteer of the Civil Committee for Human Rights. In the past 20 years he has been active in building of a civil society in Croatia and in the region and in launching of a number of civic initiatives: returning the old name to the Square of the Victims of Fascism, founding Democratic Opposition Forum, GONG, the Igman Initiative, Documenta, CIVIS, Human Rights House. He is the co-president of two international associations for the protection of human rights: CIVIS and Igman Initiative, and the president of the Management Board of Documenta. Pusić is the Croatian representative in the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues and in the European Network for Fight against Racism.
Urša Raukar Gamulin, actress and activist
Urša Raukar Gamulin is an actress. She was born in Zagreb in 1960 where she completed her secondary education, music school and the Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has been a permanent member of the theatrical company of the Zagreb Youth Theater (ZKM). In ZKM she played more than 60 leading and supporting roles. She plays radio dramas and appears in national film productions and international co-productions. She actively supports Green Action, a non-government, nonpartisan, non-profit citizens’ organization for environmental protection. She is also a member of the Right to the City, a citizens’ initiative against excessive exploitation of space, urban mismanagement and exclusion of citizens from the urban development decisionmaking process.
Igor Galo, actor and director
Igor Galo was born in Ćuprija (Serbia) in 1948. He is an actor and director. His debutant role was the one in Krešo Golik’s film ‘I Have Two Mothers and Two Fathers’ (1968). He has been a professional actor since. Some of the sixty-odd roles he has played: ‘The Bridge’, ‘Action Stadium’, ‘Masquerade’, ‘Walter Defends Sarajevo’ and ‘Golden Years’. In 1985 he produced and directed short feature film ‘The Fan’. In 1988 he founded Histria Film working collective. He made numerous documentary, TV and commercial films and music videos. He is a member of the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association and Croatian Film Workers’ Association. He is an activist of the Pula-based human rights organization HOMO.