International Expert Jury for Feature Films in the Children’s Category
Jitka Čvančarová/Czech Republic
actress, singer, and philanthropist
She graduated from JAMU. She's had many film and theatre roles with nominations for the Czech Lion Awards, e.g. Thalia. She is active in charitable activities and is an ambassador of goodwill of the United Nations Children's Fund - UNICEF and patron of the Debra CR (for butterfly wing disease).
Tamara Bos/Netherlands
screenwriter and author of children´s books
She has also worked on many TV series and several plays. Her screenplays have earned her international attention and awards. Considered the Dutch "Astrid Lindgren", she's adapted the works of the writer Annie M.G. Schmidt for her films.
Kenneth Kainz/Denmark
director
He graduated from the National Film School of Denmark. He makes feature films and series, e.g. the fantasy film The Shamer's Daughter (Skammerens datter, 2015) and the series The Rain (2018–2020), shot for Netflix. He is currently developing several serial concepts.
International Expert Jury for Feature Films in the Junior and Youth Category
Tereza Kopáčová/Czech Republic
film director and screenwriter
She studied documentary filmmaking at FAMU. She has shot commercials, video clips, TV documentaries, series, and shows (e.g. GEN, Genus, Cestomania, Krásný Ztráty). She later focused on directing and producing films and series for TV, e.g. Methanol (2018) and The Defenders (2021).
Jonathan Murray/United Kingdom
film publicist
He is based at the Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh, where he lectures on film and visual culture. He has been a long-time contributor to Cineaste magazine and has worked as an editor for Visual Culture in Britain and Animation Journal. He is the author of many books on film and Scottish cinema.
Rodrigo Litorriaga/Belgium, Chile
director and producer
A screenwriter and director of Chilean descent who lives between South America and Europe. He studied economics, political science, and literature. He received his film education in Belgium, where he also made his short films. His debut feature is the drama Francisca (La Francisca, una Juventud Chilena, 2020).
Joint International Jury of Children and Adults for Short Animations for Children
Arba Hatashi/Kosovo
festival director
She's been working in the volunteer sphere with a focus on cultural development since she was young. She studied information systems in Pristina. She currently leads the Anibar International Animation Festival, where she previously held the positions of program coordinator and managed the Animation Academy with its educational projects.
Filip Pošivač/Czech Republic
illustrator, artist and director of animated films
He's focused mainly on children's works. He graduated in film and TV graphics at UMPRUM in Prague. He's received many awards for his work, e.g. Golden Ribbon and Czech Lion (nomination). He is on the list of the best illustrators – the international IBBY Honor List.
Corinne Destombers/France
film distributor
Director of Development at Folimage animation studio, where she has been working since 2005. She focused mainly on series and short films, as well as supervising the program for art residents. She is also focused on projects for young people. She is a frequent participant in juries, debates, and workshops up to the international level.
ECFA – International Jury for Documentary Films
Kateřina Hager/Czech Republic
director and producer
She studied sociocultural anthropology and filmmaking in Prague. She focuses on topics reflecting contemporary society, films for young people, and music projects. For example, she made feature documentaries Children of Flamenco (2013), Children Online (2017) and Marriage (2021).
Teresa Lima/Portugal
festival programmer
Educated as a teacher. She also completed postgraduate studies in contemporary art history at the FCSH-Universidade Nova de Lisboa. She is co-founder and director of the PLAY film festival for children and youth in Lisbon, where she focuses on dramaturgy and pedagogical coordination.
Alicia McGivern/Ireland
expert in film education
A highly experienced and enthusiastic film educator working at the Irish Film Institute to deliver an extensive film education programme. A former teacher, she combines an understanding of education and film with a commitment to access and facilitate different audiences’ engagement with film.
International Expert Jury for Student Films Zlín Dog
Martin Smatana/Slovakia
animator and director
He studied animation at FAMU. He made his successful debut with the short film Circus of Red Poppy (2015). His graduation film Fly a Kite (2019) was internationally acclaimed and included in the MoMA film library in New York. He’s published an illustrated book, A Year of Good News (2021).
Adéla Komrzý/Czech Republic
documentary filmmaker
She graduated in documentary film from FAMU. She got her first film experience with HBO. Her work includes Teaching War (2016), Viva Video, Video Viva (2019) and Intensive Life Unit (2021), for which she has won many awards, e.g., the Czech Film Critics Awards and the Czech Lion.
Mano Khalil/Switzerland
director and producer
Director and producer originally from the Kurdish part of Syria. He studied history and law in Damascus and graduated in film directing in Prague. As an independent filmmaker he worked in the former Czechoslovakia, later in Slovakia, then moved to Switzerland, where he founded his own film production company.
International Ecumenical Jury
Barbora Cihelková/Czech Republic
journalist
She's a journalist for the daily Právo, where she focuses on culture, education, and interviews. She studied film studies at Charles University and Czech studies at the Silesian University. She focused on film spirituality, the dimension of sacred and audiovisual media, and on films of the Czechoslovak New Wave.
Adriana Răcăşan/Romania
producer
She works as a producer at several film companies. She studied directing and has been working in film for almost 20 years. Aside from production work, she has helped organized many film festivals and events. She is vice-president of SIGNIS in Romania and this year sat on the ecumenical jury at the Berlinale.
Katrin Rudolph/Germany
theologian and historian
Pastor of the Zossen-Fläming church district. She studied theology in Berlin and Prague and has a doctorate in contemporary history. She focused on the theme of the culture of memory. During her vicariate she worked in Berlin parishes. She considers film to be the art of storytelling and especially likes those from Eastern Europe and Israel.