
George Ovashvili, Georgia
George Ovashvili is a Georgian director, writer and producer.
He is a graduate from the film department of the Georgian State university of Cinema and Theatre
(1996) and the filmmaking department of The New York Film Academy at Universal Studios in
Hollywood (2006).
He made his debut with two short films “Wagonnet” (1997) and “Eye Level” (2005).
His first feature film “The Other Bank” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation section in
2009 and won over 50 international prizes, was nominated at European Film Awards in the nomination
“European Discovery”
His second feature “Corn Island” won the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in
2014 and was shortlisted for the Academy’s best foreign language film in 2015.
“Khibula” ended the trilogy of long features, dedicated to the recent history of director’s home country.
Film was premiered in the main competition of Karlovy Vary IFF in 2017.
“Beautiful Helen” (2021) is his 4th long fiction which is in postproduction stage.
For this moment, he’s working on his new film “The Moon is a Father of Mine” (2022)
After having produced his own works, George started a film production company “Wagonnet Films” in
Tbilisi, Georgia in 2016. The company aims to produce various talented directors’ works, mainly
through international co-production.

Aliya Uvalzhanova, Kazakhstan
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Regular attendee to Berlinale, the Festival de Cannes and AFM.IMDb registration.
The Founder and Producer of the International Festival “Dialog of Cultures” /USA/
The Founder and Producer of the group of companies “ALDONGAR production”, “Astanatelefilm” and others
Professional activities and responsibilities:
– International co-production and production of life action films based on international standards. – International Promotion at film festivals.– Kazakhstan films promotion and films fond endowment to the American Library of Congress USA. – International Project development; – Project pitching, distribution of Kazakhstan film production abroad. – The head of Production center JCS “Kazakhfilm named after Shaken Aimanov” 2010:– The development concept of Production Center JCS “Kazakhfilm named after Shaken Aimanov” was suggested, the comparative analysis on effective functioning was provided using the film conglomerate activities and structure as an example.– The conceptual idea of effective budgeting, risks and financial management of film projects. – Education. The copyright in film industry.– Consultant on legal regulation of the film industry. – The development of School on producer’s techniques in Kazakhstan and CIS countries. – The Process manager of action films and series production – Author of the book «Profession producer: #cup_coffee for the million». Issued in 2021, Almaty

François D’Artemare, France
François d’Artemare established in 1996 the Portuguese film company Filmes do Tejo, nowadays running a library of more than 70 titles. He produced with the Paris-based company – Les Films de l’Après-Midi – he founded in 2001, three features by Manoel de Oliveira: CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA (Venice 2007), ECCENTRICITIES OF A BLOND-HAIR GIRL (Berlin 2009), THE STRANGE CASE OF ANGELICA (Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2010)
Les Films de l’Après-Midi has produced films from all over the world : Bosnia (SNOW by Aida Begic – Critics’s week Grand Prix Award, Cannes 2008 – CHILDREN OF SARAJEVO – Mention of the Jury Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2012), Angola (THE HERO by Zeze Gamboa – World Cinema Dramatic Jury Prize at Sundance 2005), Romania (ONE FLOOR BELOW by Radu Muntean – Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2015 – ALICE T. – Locarno 2018), Bangladesh (MADE IN BANGLADESH by Rubaiyat Hossain – TIFF 2019), France (I WANT TO TALK ABOUT DURAS by Claire Simon – San Sebastian 2021).

Diana Martirosyan
Diana Martirosyan is a film critic and cultural journalist, based in Yerevan, Armenia. Diana has graduated Russian-Armenian University, “Journalism” faculty and got a Bachelor’s degree, then studied at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, “Film studies” department.
Diana used to work at TV and radio stations, broadcasting cinematic news and interviews. Since 2007 she is involved in various cultural, urban and cinema events, festivals and projects. Part-time works for Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival and was involved in ReAnimania International Animation Film & Comics Art Festival of Yerevan activity. She has also covered many international film festivals for local Armenian outlets, some articles are published in English and Russian.
Curates auteur film events and promotes public discussions, Q&As and screenings among local audiences. Co-host and producer of YouTube show “Uzum em khosenq” discussing with social media personalities and bloggers burning social-cultural topics in an entertaining way.
Was a jury member at Torino, Cairo, Odesa and Kyiv international film festivals

Mehdi Fard Ghaderi, Iran
Iranian Director, Writer and Producer was born in 1986. He started his career in cinema in 2007 by making short films. Over ten years, he made Eight Formalist Short Films, which were screened at more than Fifty International Festivals and Won some Awards. “Immortality” (2016) His First Feature Film, was made in a One Single-Shot on 145min, The World Premiere of this film was at the Rome Film Fest. Then “Immortality” shown in Several International Festivals. he was highly acclaimed and received various Awards for this Film. “Weightlessness” (2019) his Second Film, which was Based on Long Shots and Influenced by the Literature of Magical Realism. This Film was Screened at Several International Festivals. His Third Movie “The Annoyed” (2023) an Episodic Film about Three Cinema Directors.
He has been a Jury Member International Festivals; Ischia (Italy) – Eurasia (Russia) – Brno Sixteen (Czech Republic) – Horror Moscow (Russia) – Tehran (Iran) – Bogura
(Bangladesh) Mehdi Fard Ghaderi Published; Criminal Novel “A man no woman loved” (2021)

Yalkin Tuychiev, Uzbekistan
scriptwriter, film director
Education
1999 – Faculty of TV Directing. M.Uyghur Institute of Arts, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
2002 – Faculty of Scriptwriting (Workshop of L.V. Golubkina and O. Dorman). The
Higher Courses for Screenwriters and Film Directors, Moscow, Russia.
Filmography
1999 – Diploma work “February”
‣ Prize for The Best Female Role” at the International Youth Film Festival
“Watch the new”, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
2003 – “Tulip in the Snow” (Qor qo!ynida lola). Co-directed with A.
Shahobiddinov. The film is based on the novel by A. Chulpan.
‣ Grand Prix of the Youth Film Festival “Creative Flight”, Tashkent,
Uzbekistan.
‣ 2004 – Participation in “Cinema de Sud” at the International Film Festival
in Cannes, France.
2004 – “Teenager” (Orzu ortida) (Format: 35 millimetre colour tape)
‣ 2005 – Participation in the International Film Festival “Three Continents” in
Nantes, France.
‣ 2006 – Prize for “The best visual solution” at the 2d Youth Film Festival
“Creative Flight”, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
‣ 2006 – The prize “The best feature film” at the International Film Festival
“Shaken Stars”, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
‣ 2006 – Grand Prix and the prize of distributors at the International Film
Festival in Obirvelie, France.
2006 – “The Source” (“Chashma”) (Format: 35 millimetre colour tape)
‣ Grand Prix of the competition “Perspective” at the 28th Moscow
International Film Festival, Russia.
‣ 2006 – Special Jury prize “For Originality” at the International Film Festival
in Vesoul, France.
2008 – “Silence” (“Sukunat”) (Format: 35 millimetre colour tape)
‣ Participation in the 30th Moscow International Film Festival, Russia.
2009 – “P.S.” (Ilova) (Format: 35 millimetre colour tape)
‣ Participation in the International Festival of the festival in Tokyo, Japan.
‣ Grand Prix of the 17th Asian Film Festival in Vesoul, France.
‣ Prize “Netpak” to promote Asian cinema in Europe.
‣ Prize of the The Guimet Museum, Paris, France.
2011 – “Not home of mine (“Afghon”) (Format: DCP)
‣ Prize for The Best Director, M&TVA, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
2014 – “In life” (“Hayotda”) (Format: DCP)
‣ Nomination for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA)
2016 – “House for mermaids” (Format: DCP)
‣ Participant of the Berlinare, Berlin, Germany.
‣ Prize for The Best Asian film, International Film Festival in Kyrgyzstan.
2017 – “Woman from the Heaven” (“Masuma”)
‣ Nominee at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA)
‣ Prize for The Best Female Role, International Film Festival in Kyrgyzstan.
2020 – “Two Thousand Songs of Farida” (“Faridaning Ikki Ming Qo’shig’i”)
‣ Participation in the 25th BUSAN International Film Festival (BIFF), South
Korea
‣ Contestant at the 2020 Adelaide Film Festival, Australia
‣ Longlist of the Golden Globe Awards 2021, USA
‣ Moscow Premiere Festival Grand Prix 2021, Russia
‣ Snow Leopard Audience Award at the Asian World Film Festival, Los
Angeles, USA
‣ Participant of the goEast Film Festival 2021, Wiesbaden, Germany
‣ Participant of the 6th Ulju Mountain Film Festival, South Korea

Erke Dzhumakmatova, Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek city (Frunze). More than 20 years of experience in the film industry of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, as a TV presenter, actress, executive, creative and line producer, screenwriter for doc, feature and advertising films and videos and manager of international projects.
Participant international workshops for producers and screenwriters
in Germany, France, Estonia, South Korea, Lithuania and Russia.
Vice Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers KG.
Chairman of Board of the Kyrgyz Association of the film producer.
Filmography:
2020 – The Lake
2013 – Beyond
2011-2012 – Kyrgyzstan I love you

Sandra Engler, Spain
Sandra Engler majored in Film, Theatre and Media Studies at University of Vienna, Austria. During her studies, she was a part of various theatre productions, street happenings, and essay compilations. She has contributed to the festival circuit in many different positions: at Miami Film Festival, San Sebastián Film Festival, Sevilla Film Festival, and flimmern&rauschen, among others, she has been a guest manager, industry liaison, jury member, moderator, and usher. Currently, she lives in Munich, Germany, where she works at FILMFEST MÜNCHEN and FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH as a program manager.

Daniyar Alshinov
Daniyar Alshinov is a Kazakh actor and producer.
Before starting acting career Daniyar worked as an aerospace engineer. International career took off in 2019 after the premiere of “A dark dark man” at San Sebastian film festival (movie now streaming in U.S. on MHz). Daniyar is a winner of several international acting awards. His latest work “Goliath” was premiered at Venice Film Festival, where Daniyar won a “BISATO D’ORO 2022” Independent Critics Award. Another achievement this year is the lead role in CANALPLUS and STUDIOCANAL’s big hit “INFINITI” (6ep series) premiered at CANNESERIES festival.

Sergey Stanoyovskiy, Germany
He studied documentary film and directing at the Film Academy FAMU (Prague / Czech Republic). His student film “Nevena” received the “Pavel Juracek Film Award” of the Film Academy FAMU. During his professional career he worked as a director, producer, cinematographer, editor, writer, festival founder, producer and jury member atinternational film festivals. His first feature length film “Kontakt” (financed by Eurimages,Macedonian Ministry of Culture, NRW Filmstiftung, ARTE / ZDF, Kuratorium Junger deutscher Film) was shown at about 60 int. Film festivals, won awards and was an official Oscar candidate for Macedonia. After a series of short films and works for the LAB2010 platform, a
project of RUHR2010, he launched and produced “Avvantura Film Festival & Matchmakingforum”, an international film festival and matchmaking platform focusing on European co-productions. In collaboration with French label Eye On Films, the festival launched the first Eastern European online film festival initiative “Sunday Avvantura”, presenting arthouse films and emerging talents on
the online platform. He has been an international jury member at numerous film festivals (Haifa, Bitola, Mallorca, Barcelona, Minsk, Pune, Bari…)





Zhunusova Aigerim, Kyrgyzstan.
I, Zhunusova Aigerim Kamaldinovna was born on January 26, 2000 in the city Ozgon of the Osh region. I live in Bishkek.
Graduated from a special secondary educational music school named after Mukash Abdraev, in piano studies in 2018.
I am studying the 4th year in the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema at the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University.
I have been working as a content maker, journalist and data journalist in the Bashtan Bashta civil movement since November 2021 till now.

Ayan Sadymanov, Kazakhstan.
In 2020, graduated from Turan University with a degree in Directing.
During his studies, he took many courses and trainings, also participated in competitions and pitchings. In 2016, together with the team, took second place in the competition from Altyn Bank for shooting social advertising.
Passed a master class at the Stalker School on the basics of directing.
Participated with the team in the pitching of film projects of Eurasia International Film Festival.
Took a course on creating screenlife films from Timur Bekmambetov’s Bazelevs studio.
Worked for the El Arna TV channel. Was the Kinokafe TV program administrator.
Was one of the organizers of the Baikonur Short Film Festival 2018.
He has written about 10 scripts of short films.

Tasbolat Kanagat, Kazakhstan.
Date of birth: 02/27/1998. He was born in Zhezkazgan city. He graduated from college with a degree in Drama Theater Actor. Currently he is a 5th year student of KazNAI named after T.K.Zhurgenov, specialty Directing of Feature Films. Screenwriter, editor of television projects, series, feature films.
Author, screenwriter, director of BOSS PRODUCTION
Author, screenwriter, director of HAZ MEDIA GROUP
Author, screenwriter of ERTAL FILM

Gulnara Abikeyeva, Kazakhstan
Dr. Gulnara Abikeyeva, known Kazakh film critic and film researcher. Since 2005 to 2013 she was an artistic director of the International Film Festival Eurasia in Almaty. During different years she made film magazines Asia-kino, Territoriya Kino as editor-in-Chief, TV programmes about Kazakh cinema. In 2001-2002 she was a Fulbright scholar at Bowdoin College, read lectures in Pittsburgh University and made presentation in Harvard, Yale, Tafts Universities in USA. She is the author of ten books about cinema, mostly about Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries. First book was New Kazakh Cinema (1998), next – Cinema of Central Asia: 1990-2001 was awarded by “White Elephant” award of Gild of film critics of Russia as the best book about cinema of the year published in CIS. The book Nation-Building in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian States, and How This Process is Reflected in Cinematography’ (2006) was awarded by national prize “Kulager” as the best book of 2007 in Kazakhstan. As a member of FIPRESCI and NETPAC she was jury member on different international film festivals. Now she is a professor in Turan University in Almaty were she gives lectures on film history and film theory. In 2013 she has three international publications: in Great Britain – Cinema in Central Asia. Rewriting Cultural Histories, co-edited by Michael Rouland and Birgit Beumers, in South Korea – The Unknown New Wave of Central Asian Cinema, co-edited by Kim Ji-Seok and in Russia in one of the best publishing houses (New Literary Observation, Film texts series) Mahmalbaf’s Film House.

Gulbara Tolomusheva, Kyrgyzstan
Honored Art Figure of Kyrgyzstan. Member of the Filmmakers’ Union of Kyrgyzstan, of FIPRESCI and NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema). Born in Kyrgyzstan, graduated from the Film Art Department of VGIK, Moscow. Expert of Bishkek Aitmatov House of Cinema at the Cinematography Department of the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic. Program director of the CIS Young Cinema Forum «Umut». Editor and author of the website of the Cinema Development Fund – kyrgyzcinema.com Author of the journal «Forum» (edition of IFESCCO, Moscow). Author of scientific works, published in the Kyrgyz Republic and abroad. Author of the online film magazine Kinokultura.com. Jury member at many international film festivals. In February 2020 the government of the Federal Republic of Germany invited her a guest of the Berlin International Film Festival. In July 2021 she took part at the Film Market of the Cannes IFF

Olga Khlasheva, Kazakhstan
Olga Khlasheva is a producer in Kazakhstan. She graduated from Philology and Literature Department of Kazakh State University of International Relations & Foreign Languages. She received her Master’s degree in Film Studies and Film Criticism from T. Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts. Since 1997 she has been working in film industry and contributed in progress of Kazakh films. She is working at Kazakhfilm JSC as a head of international relations. She is a member of NETPAC, Asia Pacific Screen Academy, EFA (European Film Academy)