Festival jury
Lothar Herzog (Germany), born in Freiburg, Germany, grew up in Paris. He studied Applied Cultural Studies in Hildesheim. He worked on theatre productions and produced video installations. Then he studied ‚Film Studies’ in San Francisco, and ‚Film Directing’ at the German Film & Television Academy (dffb) in Berlin. His short films were shown at numerous international film festivals, among others in Cannes and at the ‚Berlinale’.
Vladimir Shuvannikov (Russia) — film director, creative producer of the Zvezda television channel. Graduate of VGIK (non-fiction film directing), Winner of the film festivals “Crystal Compass”, “Meridian of Hope”, “TRAVEL FILM in Russian”, “Sea Calls”, “Radonezh”, “Meeting”, “Vechevsky Bell”, “Patriot of Russia. Laureate of film festivals: “Radiant Angel”, “Salt of the Earth”, “International Film Assembly on the Dnieper”, “Golden Phoenix”.
Natalia Primakova (Russia) – film critic, director and screenwriter of documentary films, TV and radio presenter. TEFI laureate (film “Vertov and Riefenstahl”), Russian Guild of Film Critics Winner Award, Golden Aries prizewinner (for work at the Kinotavr film festival). Guild of Film Critics member, Fédération internationale de la presse cinématographique member.
Maria Bezruk (Russia) – journalist, film critic, TV presenter, TV program author, producer, director, screenwriter, program director of festivals, head of the “Cinema Club with Masha Bezruk. Domzhur.” Member of the Union cinematographers of Russia, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia, Member of the Council Federation of Cinema Clubs of Russia, record holder of the Russian Book of Records.
Since 2000 he has been engaged in professional journalism. Worked a full-time special correspondent in the publications “TV Park,” “Trud,” “Tribuna,” the author and programs’ presenter on TV channels “Online TV,” “Dom Kino Premium,” “Iland.”
Since 2006 he has been programming Russian film festivals abroad and national and international film festivals.
Helga Efre is a film director, screenwriter, producer and actress.
She has been a member of the Filmmakers’ Union since 2013. Her portfolio includes more than 30 film projects. Helga works with Russian film studios and international productions – in London, Berlin and Los Angeles.
She graduated from GITIS, the scriptwriting workshop of Yuri Korotkov and directing at Wordshop Academy. Playwright of Moscow theatres. The poetess.
Practises meditation and the Buddhist and Taoist lineages of mastery.