Guests
Abhay Punjabi
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Abhay Punjabi is a Delhi-based filmmaker and editor, with over 10 years of experience in films. He hails from an education background of Zoology with experience in Ornithology.Pukam Pukai(To Fetch a Pail of Water) is his debut feature film which is also a reimagination of his personal stories and friendships.
Alex Agüera Pizarro
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Àlex Agüera is a Barcelona-born film and audiovisual director based in Madrid. His career in filmmaking began in sound, where he worked on various productions before making the transition to directing. His training includes studies in film directing and screenwriting, as well as a directing masterclass with director Lluís Quílez and screenwriting training with Rodar y Rodar.As a director and screenwriter, he made the short film "Dejar Ir", starring, among others, Alain Hernández. The film has been selected for more than 40 national and international film festivals and received the Audience Award from the University of Elche.
In 2026, he makes his feature film directorial debut with "El sueño de Aylan", a story set in Tuscany in 1993 and filmed entirely on location in the province of Huesca. The film marks his first feature as a director and reflects his interest in intimate stories, compelling characters and human emotions.
Alongside his film work, he has built an extensive career in the audiovisual and music industries, directing music videos for artists such as Estopa, Henry Méndez, La Pegatina, Suu, Jere and Juan Maya, among others.
He is currently developing new film and audiovisual projects, with a particular focus on human stories and emotionally driven storytelling.
Amélie Van Sprang
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Together with nine other Dementia Expertise Centres, we strive to create a dementia-inclusive SOCIETY in which PEOPLE living with dementia feel valued and supported.Our primary role is to serve as the point of contact in Brussels for healthcare professionals with questions about dementia, while referring families and anyone involved in dementia care to the appropriate resources and support.
We share knowledge on dementia prevention and research, provide training and peer consultation, and facilitate knowledge exchange. We also offer support and advice.
Anggi Frisca
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Anggi Frisca is an Indonesian film director and cinematographer based in Bandung. Her work brings children’s perspectives to stories about inclusion, community, and the environment. She directed the documentary Negeri Dongeng and the feature films Tegar and Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua. Through filmmaking, she hopes to spark conversations that continue beyond the screen.
Anna Mezencev
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Anna is a Director and Casting Assistant. She is the Casting Director of the short film "Precious Fantasy", directed by Nino Bouhnik.
Anne Gröger
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Anne Gröger was born in a small town in eastern Germany and grew up in Dresden. After graduating from high school, she spent a year in Kyiv, Ukraine, working at the ASPERN center for street children. After returning to Germany, she studied Media studies, business administration, and political science in Trier. During this time, she collaborated on various short film projects and completed internships in the film and journalism industries. From 2008 to 2010, Anne studied screenwriting at the Hamburg Media School. Since completing her studies, she has been working as a freelance writer for film, television, and radio plays. She also writes novels for children and young adults.
Annechien Strouven
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Annechien Strouven is a Belgian animation filmmaker and director. She works across various disciplines of animation, from directing and art direction to animation and compositing. She has worked on international feature films such as "La Sirène", "Allah n’est pas obligé" and "Le Secret des mésanges", as well as on several short films. She also directed her own award-winning short film "Maantunnel" and is currently developing other personal projects.
Arevik d'Or
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PRINT magazine writes: This Belgium-based freelance illustrator, animator, andanimation film director's work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York
Times, De Standaard Magazine and Times Square. Her work is engaging, humorous,
insightful, and, while witty, it's keenly socially aware and sometimes pokes fun at
feminist tropes. So, in this often stubborn world of art, it's refreshing to find an artist
who's willing to make a statement about what she believes in, and Arevik d'Or sees a
world filled with self confidence, independence, and self-acceptance.
Aude Van Schaftingen
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Aude Van Schaftingen is a Brussels-based visual artist, playwright, and scenographer. Graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, her multidisciplinary background spans contemporary puppetry and object theater. As a scenographer, she has collaborated with companies such as El mar del Norte and Pudding asbl, with productions staged in Belgium and abroad, including at Bronks and La montagne magique. Notably, El mar del Norte’s production "En el vientre de la ballena", for which she created the set design, won the Revelación de las Artes Escénicas de Aragón award in Spain in 2019. In 2022, she co-founded the arts collective Dessin Allumé – Les arpenteurs de nuages. Having published a play in a collective anthology with Éditions Lansman, she recently penned the 2026 production "La forêt intérieure / La caricia del lobo" for El Mar del Norte. Through both her writing and visual projects, Aude Van Schaftingen shapes a singular, deeply poetic, and philosophical universe.
Barbora Kyas
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Barbora Kyas is a PhD student whose research explores the phenomenon of children’s film festivals and the role of festival programmers in shaping curatorial taste and the visibility of films for young audiences. She graduated from Masaryk University with degrees in Aesthetics and Film and Audiovisual Culture, where her long‑term interest in children’s and youth cinema first developed.She has worked across various festival environments and has recently returned to the programming team of the Zlín Film Festival, contributing to film selection for young viewers. Previously, she served as Programme Director of JUNIORFEST (2017–2023) and worked in the programme department of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
In both her academic and professional work, she aims to strengthen the quality, relevance, and visibility of cinema for children and young audiences.
Beatriz De Silva
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Writer and director of Oscar Academy shortlisted short film "Tula" in 2023. Poetry and novel writer. University professor at UTAD Madrid.
Britt Snel
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Screenwriter Britt Snel graduated from the Dutch Film Academy in 2016 with GREETINGS FROM KROPSDAM (2016), which was selected for more than 50 film festivals such as Palm Springs and Clermont-Ferrand and won several awards.After graduating, she worked on multiple animation films, television productions and feature films which had their premieres at the Berlinale, Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. Britt’s work shows an interesting dichotomy; on the one hand she likes to work on heavy character-driven dramas that take place on the edge of society, on the other hand she has a great passion for crazy and funny animation projects, albeit always with a socially critical undertone. Her latest feature film NUCLEAR BOY directed by Joren Molter sits perfectly in between.
Camille Bildsøe
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Camille Bildsøe is a Danish documentary filmmaker based in Copenhagen. With more than 12 years of experience in the film industry, she began her career collaborating with acclaimed directors including Lin Alluna, Mikala Krogh, Tomas Gislason, and Morgan Spurlock, while steadily developing her own artistic voice.Having lived and worked in conflict zones such as Palestine, Camille has developed a perspective that deeply informs her documentary practice. She is drawn to stories from regions shaped by conflict and political upheaval. This is reflected in her latest feature documentary, "If Luck Will Come", filmed over several years in Afghanistan. The film follows a group of children whose voices are rarely heard. It had its world premiere at CPH:DOX and will have its international premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Accustomed to working in high-risk environments with limited production resources, Camille creates the best possible conditions for both her crew and participants. She believes in the ethical responsibility of documentary filmmaking, maintaining that those she films should be able to recognize themselves in their portrayal. This approach is built on trust, openness, and an ongoing dialogue with her participants.
Camille's work exists at the intersection of the political and the deeply personal. Drawn to intimate spaces, she observes with precision and sensitivity, capturing moments of profound humanity in extraordinary circumstances. Her films allow characters to unfold naturally while remaining guided by a clear and distinctive directorial vision.
Caroline Vrijens
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Caroline Vrijens (1975) holds a law degree with a specialisation in International and European Law. She also obtained a postgraduate degree in Social Profit and Public Management. Caroline worked the last three years for an international NGO as an advocacy expert for the target group children in youth care. There she published the report 'Ordinary children in an unusual situation' (SOS Children's Villages, March 2017). She pulled the Leaving Care campaign and developed an innovative project to further deinstitutionalise youth care in Flanders. From 2007 to 2014, she worked as a policy officer within the Flemish government on the implementation of the Integral Youth Aid and worked on participation of children and young people and children's rights. Caroline Vrijens has been the Flemish Commissioner for Children's Rights since 1 August 2019. The Children's Rights Commissioner's Office detects signals from children, young people and professionals. It mediates, investigates complaints and advises the policy (www.kinderrechten.be).
Cécile Welter
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Cécile Welter studied film editing at the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles, where she trained under filmmakers including Howard Smith (Point Break), Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon) and Gill Dennis (Walk the Line). She received the American Express Scholarship Award and graduated in 2001.Her editing credits include the feature films "Le Monde à l’Envers", I"m Sog der Nacht" and "One Way Trip 3D", as well as numerous television productions, including "Tatort", "Der Teufel von Mailand", "Private Banking", "37 Seconds" and "La Chance de ta Vie".
She edited Nina Stefanka’s documentary "Miraggio", which won Best Documentary at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2021. Her feature film "Jill", directed by Steven Michael Hayes and starring Tom Pelphrey and Juliet Rylance, had its international premiere at the San Diego International Film Festival in 2022.
Most recently, Cécile Welter edited the feature film "Barry & Me / Mein Freund Barry".
Chandra Sembiring
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Chandra Sembiring is an Indonesian medical doctor, film producer, and co-founder of KUN Humanity System+. His work connects storytelling with humanitarian action, focusing on health, communities, and the environment. He produces films that invite audiences to care more deeply about one another and the world they share.
Chris Ross
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Chris Ross is a writer, director, editor and producer who strives to tell soulful stories that are warm, gentle and filled with everyday magic - stories that allow people to see themselves reflected in a fond light, no matter their circumstances.
Christian Verelst
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Since 2007, I have been the coordinator of the Paradox Dementia Expertise Centre. As an organisation, we support organisations and professionals in providing high-quality care for people living with dementia and those around them. Raising awareness and promoting understanding of dementia throughout society are also part of the centre’s mission. The centre is a recognised partner organisation of the Flemish Government.
Claire Dietrich
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Claire Dietrich was born in Strasbourg, grew up in Nancy, studied film in Montreal, and then worked for a theatre company in Vancouver. Back in France, her first short film, "Perce-oreille", was produced by Don Quichotte Films with the support of France 2 and presented in official competition at the 2022 Premiers Plans d’Angers Festival. She then directed "Lazare", a fantasy short film featuring children, again produced by Don Quichotte Films with the support of Canal+, in 2025. In 2026, she co-directed "Où tout m’entraîne" withe Manon Klein, a medium-length film produced by Paraiso, continuing her exploration of youth and gender movies.
David Noblet
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After studying cinema in Nantes (France), I entered INSAS in the directing section. I was graduated in 2019. "Sur les flots" is my second fiction short movie.
Dennie Declercq
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Dennie Declercq is passionately involved in Kingfisher. His combination of being an autistic person, an IT professional, and having a strong focus on accessibility creates a truly distinctive perspective. Dennie started working as a programmer in 2012 at a coaching center for people with disabilities. Later, he founded his own non-profit organization, DDSoft. He has a strong and determined vision for both autism and accessibility. For Dennie, it is important that the lesser-known aspects of the autism spectrum are also addressed, such as under stimulation and comorbidities. Travelling, visiting theme parks, busy exhibitions, concerts, and speaking at international IT conferences are therefore some of the sources of energy that inspire Dennie! He uses this energy to develop accessible software, create accessible websites, and deliver training sessions.
Diego Martin Perez
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As an artist and theatre producer I have won several prizes since 1995. Due to my passion for film in 2020, I have founded Kante production company. With two feature films and four short films released, we are working on two new film projects. As I am interested in the development of children's cinema, I have become a member of ECFA to closely follow and participate in its industry.
Emmanuelle Vincent
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Emmanuelle Vincent is a Luxembourg-based film and animation producer and a key member of Doghouse Films, which she joigned 3 years ago, a leading independent production company specializing in high-quality animated and auteur-driven projects.Her work bridges creative development and production management, emphasizing international collaboration, artistic integrity, and emerging animation talent. Her projects often explore social, historical, and humanistic themes through visually distinctive animation. In addition to her producing work, Emmanuelle Vincent serves as President of the Luxembourg Association of Animation and Immersive Experience Producers (ALPA/XR), supporting the growth of the local animation industry and international collaborations.
Endre Lund Eriksen
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Endre Lund Eriksen is an Award-winning Norwegian author of children's and young adult books. His debut as a director, the animated short "Home Office" ("Hjemmekontor"), 2023, was successful at the festival scene and received several awards. He has also directed Children's TV for NRK Super and written several screenplays. "Nora's Ark" won the Award for Best Norwegian Short at Kristiansand International Children's Film Festival 2026.
Endre Skandfer
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Endre grew up north of the Arctic Circle, but has been living and working in Oslo for 25+ years. Rufus, The Sea Serpent that Couldn’t Swim is his directorial debut on a feature film. It’s an international co-production (Norway, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Malaysia, Indonesia), and the production ran from 2021-2025. Both the Norwegian and English version of the film were directed by Skandfer. Endre is a co-owner of the production company Fabelfjord, and is known for his work on the bande dessinné Krüger & Krogh.
Enya Teirlinck
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Enya works as a regional coordinator for Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, where she supports volunteer groups and grassroots projects on a local level. Previously she worked for some years on the Greek islands of Lesvos and Samos with different grassroots and international humanitarian organisations as a field and project coordinator.
Eva Nijsten
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Eva Nijsten (1990) works as a freelance documentary and television maker in Amsterdam. In 2011, she graduated from AKV | St. Joost in Breda, specializing in audiovisual design. Since then, she has developed and directed documentaries and programs for both children and adults for the Dutch public broadcaster.With an open and often humorous perspective, Eva explores how people navigate social and moral boundaries, and how their choices are shaped and judged by their environment. Her debut documentary, How to Be a Saint (2017), follows taxi driver Marcel, who dedicates his life to his role as Saint Nicholas, and exposes both the moving and absurd aspects of this Dutch tradition.
Her youth documentary Holy Moly (2019), about Merle (8) preparing for her first communion, screened at (inter)national film festivals and was nominated for Best Dutch Short Documentary at Cinekid in 2020.
Honestly (2024), about teacher Peter, who is gay himself and has converted to Islam and teaches about religious and sexual diversity, won the Youth Jury Prize at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen.
With her recent documentary Up to No Good (2026), Eva explores how young people make wrong choices early in life and how these life paths develop over time.
Florence Boone
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Florence Boone (born in 1998) is a Belgian filmmaker with a passion for documentary filmmaking. Her graduation film, Tijgerstrepen (Tiger Stripes), won the VAF Wildcard in 2024.
Floriane Hernalsteens
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Floriane Hernalsteens is a Belgian filmmaker based in Brussels. She completed her education in Film at LUCA School of Arts Brussels after a background in Business Engineering.Her graduation film “Mommy’s in charge” travelled to international documentary festivals including Belgium, France, the Netherlands and China, and was selected for Visions du Réel Film Market. The film explores contemporary motherhood through the story of her own sister.
Floriane is particularly drawn to what we tend to hide from view: our failures, our taboos, and the ordinary aspects of life we have stopped noticing. Her films are characterized by a meticulously chosen mise-en-scène. Her cinematic practice is sensory, grounded in texture and tactility, with close attention to image and sound. Through bodies, gestures, objects, and elements of nature, her work explores doubt, intimacy, feminine intuition and the cycles that shape our lives.
Growing up between Flemish and French culture in Belgium has shaped her work, with a particular sensitivity to language and perspective. Beyond her own film projects, she also works across multilingual audiovisual productions, moving between editorial, mise-en-scène and production support.
Floriane is currently developing her next documentary which explores first menstruation and is aimed at a young audience.
Fouzia El Hannouti
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My name is Fouzia El Hannouti and I am the director of the documentary "Dina Inou". I am a Dutch-Moroccan journalist and filmmaker. I was born in northern Morocco and grew up in Amsterdam, between different worlds and generations. My work often focuses on young people and the stories that shape how they see themselves and their place in society. With my work I explore what it means to define your own identity when you feel connected to more than one world.
Gesa Carstensen
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Gesa Carstensen is the administrative director of the Young Shortfilm Festival Hamburg Mo&Friese. She studied German language and literature and film studies, has carried out various projects on film education for children in Hamburg, and, through Mo&Friese, is committed to promoting inclusive film programmes for children. She also works in the distribution department at the Hamburg Short Film Agency, helping to raise the profile of filmmakers beyond the festival.
Gregory Zalcman
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Gregory Zalcman is a Belgian producer dedicated to animated films and series. At Take Five, he has co-produced acclaimed projects such as "Flow" by Gints Zilbalodis, selected at major festivals including Cannes, Annecy, and Toronto, and winner of the Golden Globe and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2025; "Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds" by Benoît Chieux, which won the Audience Award at the Annecy Festival in 2023; and the series "Boys Boys Boys" (Arte). He is currently producing several projects, including the series "Nino Dino" (co-produced with Folivari) and "Mare the Mermaid" (co-produced with Silex Films).
Hannah Vanlee
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Together with nine other Dementia Expertise Centres, we strive to create a dementia-inclusive SOCIETY in which PEOPLE living with dementia feel valued and supported.Our primary role is to serve as the point of contact in Brussels for healthcare professionals with questions about dementia, while referring families and anyone involved in dementia care to the appropriate resources and support.
We share knowledge on dementia prevention and research, provide training and peer consultation, and facilitate knowledge exchange. We also offer support and advice.
Jaroslava Hynstova
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Jaroslava Hynštová has been working as a film programmer at Zlín Film Festival – International Film Festival for Children and Youth since 2005. She studied Film and English Philology at the Palacky University in Olomouc. She is a screenwriter and director of an amateur theatre group in her hometown of Luhačovice. Jaroslava Hynštová was regional correspondent for the biggest Czech newspaper. She has participated juries all around the world (e.g. Japan, South Korea, India, Canada, France, Geremany, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine, Spain).
Jeroen Verhaeghe
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Jeroen Verhaeghe is the Flemish representative for the Creative Europe programme. The Creative Europe MEDIA desk supports the audiovisual sector on the application process.
Jimmy Bonesso
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Belgian pianist, accordionist and composer Jimmy Bonesso was born in 1991. He studied at Arts² and then at IMEP, where he obtained a teaching master’s degree in 2015. Drawn to improvisation from an early age, he has developed a musical language shaped by classical music, jazz, traditional music and film scores.Performing on both piano and accordion, he collaborates with numerous artists and transdisciplinary ensembles. He composes music for contemporary creative projects, theatre and film, including the score for Lily-Rose Bonesso’s short film Ciao Samantha. His discography comprises four albums, the most recent of which, Navire Terrestre, was released in 2025 and features artwork by Lily-Rose Bonesso. Jimmy continues to perform regularly in concert today.
JLee MacKenzie
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JLee MacKenzie is an American filmmaker and writer whose work explores childhood, imagination, memory, and resilience. His films have screened at festivals including Tribeca, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes Film Festival. His animated feature Definitely Gangster premiered in competition at Tallinn Black Nights’ Just Film international youth program and continues its festival run with Filem’On in Brussels. He earned his MFA in Film & Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts as a George Lucas Scholar.
Jonas Taul
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Born on November 12, 1986, in Tallinn, Estonia, he is a writer, artist, and film director. He studied audiovisual art at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and animation at the Estonian Academy of Arts. He has written and illustrated three children's books, two of which — Öömõtted and Leiwamasin — received awards in the annual “Best-Designed Estonian Books” competition. In 2021, he directed the stop-motion animated short A Most Exquisite Man, which has won several Grand Prix awards and has been selected for the official programs of 30 international film festivals.
Josan Bailac
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I am the producer and the scriptwriter of the "Aylan’s Dream", my first film that is based on the book of the same name written in 2020 by me.
Katia Papaspiliopoulos
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Katia Papaspiliopoulos studied Philosophy at the Sorbonne University in Paris, and she has a masters degree in Cultural Management from the Dauphine University.She worked at the cultural park Parc et Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris and at the V&M Theocharakis Foundation in Athens as an Educational Programs Manager.
In recent years, she collaborates simultaneously with various organizations and institutions where she programs, designs, coordinates, and implements educational programs and cultural events.
In this context, she has been the Director of Educational Programs at the Athens International Children's Film Festival since its first edition in 2018 and is responsible for the Educational Programs at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall.
Klinke Juliette
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Writer and director Juliette Klinke works between Switzerland and Belgium. Her first two short fiction films, "Nelson" and "Les Dauphines", and her short documentary "In the silence of an abyssal sea" have been selected for several festivals around the world and won numerous awards. Her first feature-length documentary "Everything is temporary" had its world premiere at the Visions du Réel international film festival in 2024, traveled in different festivals, was awarded and had a theatrical and tv release in Switzerland in 2025.
Laure Van Medegael
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Laure is a producer for both her own production company 'Pimple Productions' as for 'Fabrique Fantastique', with a background in production management.Pimple Productions focusses on authorsfilms e.a., while Fabrique Fantastique has built a portfolio based on strong own IP's.
Lily-Rose Bonesso
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Lily-Rose Bonesso is a young director from Belgium. Her biggest interests are based on animation, writing and illustration.
Louise Van Looveren
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Coordinator of Kinderwerking at Kom op tegen Kanker
Lucy Pizaña
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Lucy Pizaña, born in Mexico City, completed her Master's program in Film Cultural Heritage at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, following her undergraduate studies in Film and Theater Studies (BA) at the Freie Universität Berlin. Over the years, Lucy has immersed herself in various aspects of the film industry, including organizing and curating film festivals such as the Berlinale. She has also played pivotal roles in conference coordination, film distribution, and contributed to the activities of the DEFA Foundation. Currently, Lucy is engaged in research on Jewish film festivals at the Film University Babelsberg and serves as the co-head of the festival distribution branch at interfilm Berlin.
Luke McQuillan
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Luke is a screenwriter and former actor whose career span from Shakespeare to award-winning films, continue to shape his approach to writing character-driven stories. He has recently completed a deeply personal project, Halfbrother, and is now developing new work.
Maria Cervera Rodrigo
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Maria is an independent creative executive producer and consultant with over 20 years of experience in fiction development and production for local and international markets. Her career includes roles as Head of Content at Cattleya Producciones (part of ITV Studios) in Spain, Head of Content (EMEAA) at Paramount’s International TV Studio, and within the Netflix International Originals team, where she oversaw series for Spanish-speaking territories. Maria is also an adjunct professor at Universidad Carlos III Madrid and a frequent lecturer for diverse international writing programs, including DFFB Serial Eyes, IFS Serial Storytelling and the ALMA (screenwriters’ guild) master’s program in Spain.
Marieann Weißhuhn
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Marieann Weißhuhn is a cultural producer with a background in the world of documentary film festivals and the current project manager of KIDS Regio.Before joining KIDS Regio in 2026, she has been part of the DOK Leipzig team since 2019, organizing various events for their industry department like the DOK Archive Market, DOK Film Market, and the Animation Lab. In 2023, she also worked with the Institute of Documentary Film in Prague as the coordinator for the East Doc Market as part of the East Doc Platform.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and Cultural Studies and recently graduated with a master's degree in Cultural Studies.
Marijke de Valck
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Marijke de Valck is Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University. She specializes in film festivals, media industries, transnational media cultures, art cinema, and media and film literacy. She co-founded the Film Festival Research Network and serves as co-editor of the Festival Reviews section of the open-access journal NECSUS and the Framing Film Festivals book series (Palgrave Macmillan).De Valck is well known for her research on film festivals, and her publications are widely used in classrooms around the world. She is the author of the influential monograph "Film Festivals: From European Geopolitics to Global Cinephilia" (2007) and co-editor of numerous books, including "Art and Activism in the Age of Systemic Crisis: Aesthetic Resilience" (2020) and "Rethinking Film Festivals in Pandemic Times and After" (2023). She is currently preparing the second edition of the co-edited Routledge textbook "Film Festivals, Vol. 1: History, Theory, Method, Practice" and the accompanying second volume "Film Festivals, Vol. 2: Expanding the Frame".
At Utrecht University, she leads the master's program in Film and Television Cultures and chairs the Media Industries and Infrastructures research group. Beyond academia, she currently chairs the committee that prepares the framework for film as a new A-level subject in secondary schools in the Netherlands.
Marina Andree Skop
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Marina Andree Škop is a director and producer who develops audiovisual projects for children and young audiences. She has directed and produced several titles for young audiences, including "My Grandpa Is an Alien", "Blue Teddy Bear" and "Let's Play a Story". Her latest children’s feature film, "Extraordinary", which she co-directed with Vanda Raymanová, was seen by around 80,000 viewers in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and will have theatrical releases in Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia and Serbia in autumn 2026. All her films for children explore important topics and are accompanied by educational materials designed for classroom use.
Marjo Kovanen
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Marjo Kovanen is Head of the Promotion for Audiovisual Culture Unit at the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency. She holds a PhD, and her doctoral research examined horror in children’s film and film literacy.
Markus Welter
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Markus Welter, born in Bonn, Germany, in 1968, is a Swiss film and television director.He made his feature directorial debut with "Im Sog der Nacht" (2008), which premiered at the Max Ophüls Festival and the Zurich Film Festival. He went on to direct the television film "Die Käserei in Goldingen", nominated for the Prix Europa, followed by the 3D feature One Way Trip 3D and the SRF/ZDF production "Der Teufel von Mailand", based on the novel by Martin Suter.
Welter directed the first three seasons of the successful SRF series "Der Bestatter", playing a key role in shaping the series, which received the Prix Walo in 2014. His further directing credits include "Tatort – Kleine Prinzen", "Seitentriebe" and "Weglaufen geht nicht".
For more than eight years, he has collaborated with Atlantis Film and MMC Zodiac on the feature film Mein Freund Barry.
Mira-belle Rose Bryld
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Mira-Belle Rose BryldBorn in Copenhagen in 1996, she completed her basic film education at the European Film College in Denmark. Afterwards she worked as continuity and in the directing department on several cinema productions. Since 2019 she has been studying feature film directing at the University of Television and Film Munich. Her second-year short "I only appear dead" was acclaimed at international festivals and won the German Camera Award in 2023. Her third film "Engine of Love" has since won numerous prizes nationally and internationally. She is currently working on her first feature-length script and on a Danish-German youth series.
Mirjam Marks
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After her studies in Theater Sciences at the University of Utrecht, Mirjam Marks started working for the Dutch national broadcast Vpro youth department; She realised many non-fiction series and have specialised in youth-documentaries, with an occasional trip to feature documentaries for adults. Between 1999 and 2011, Marks lived and worked for over 6 years with her husband and 4 children in Paramaribo, Suriname. There she set up Children’s museum Villa Zapakara in addition to my film work. Making youth documentaries remains my main activity, but I also do related projects such as programming of film festival CINEKID 2014-218 , film workshops , guest lectures and impact projects by my films.
Nino Bouhnik
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Born in Paris in 1996, Nino Bouhnik studied film at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He graduated from the university’s Master’s program in Screenwriting, Directing and Production, where he made his graduation film, "Mia et Lenny", in 2019 (broadcast on France 3). "Precious Fantasy" is his first produced film.
Nora Kotroo
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I work as a participation and policy officer at Pleegzorg Vlaanderen (Foster Care Flanders). In this role, I strive to ensure that the experiences and perspectives of everyone involved in foster care are reflected in policy and the broader social context.
Nora Lakos
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Nóra Lakos is a multi award-winning writer/director/producer. Founder of Cinemira Film Festival.Nora’s a European Film Academy nominated writer-director. Her latest feature film "I Accidentally wrote a book" (2025) became the most-watched live-action family film in Hungary, won over 40 international awards, including Best Film at the A-list Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival / Just Film Competition, and was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award, 2026.
Her debut feature Hab / Cream (2020) was released to critical acclaim, premiered on HBO and Netflix, and won 14 international awards, including Best Director and Best Feature Film.
Previously Nora has directed award-winning short films, which won awards at Sarajevo Film Festival and was traveling around the world. Nora also directs tv series regularly.
She is the founder and festival director of Cinemira – International Children’s and Youth Film Festival, the first festival in Hungary dedicated exclusively to children’s and youth cinema, presenting outstanding international films and organizing pitch forums and professional panels. She named the festival after her daughter, Míra.
She is a board member of the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) and the founder of Squirrel Film Productions, developing animation and live-action film and series for young audiences.
Nóra graduated from the University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest (SZFE) and studied film directing at the London Film School and INSAS / Brussels Film Academy.
Orlando Verde
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Orlando Verde is author and film programmer.
Pantelis Panteloglou
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He was born in Athens in 1976. He studied Social Anthropology and has a master's degree on Social Exclusion and Minorities. He has been working in the cultural and audiovisual sector since the early 2000s, in various creative, technical and managerial posts. He is the artistic director of Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People and the president of the board of the European Children's Film Association (ECFA).
Petronella Van der Hallen
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Petronella Van der Hallen is the screenwriter and director of "O", a hybrid fiction short film shot in Beveren Prison following three years of research in Flemish prisons. She also made the dance film "The Body Will Thrive" and the short documentaries "Ik zou je graag zien" and "Papa = (g)een boef".She is currently completing the short fiction film "Zilverreiger" and writing her first two feature-length films: a fiction film and a documentary exploring the process of healing after sexual violence.
Polina Piddubna
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Filmmaker, artist and activist with Ukrainian and Central Asian Tatar and Bashqort roots. Polina was born and raised in Kharkiv, started her career in Kyiv, and has been living in Berlin since 2019. She has a bachelor's degree in animation and is currently doing her master's as an animation director at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf in Potsdam. Polina also organises social and educational projects, works at film festivals and does artistic research on anthropological topics.
Remke Oosterhuis
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Together with others, Remke founded Taartrovers in 2004, an art collective creating for children, with a special focus on preschool audiences. Taartrovers offers film programmes, art installations, workshops, film labs, and programmes developed in collaboration with museums, festivals, schools, theatres, and other organisations.
Rémy Schaepman
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Rémy is a graduate of Gobelins and La Poudrière. He worked as an animator, as art director during the development of Pachamama, and as director of animation sequences for My Family and the Wolf. New York, Miriam et moi is his first feature film.
Renate Zylla
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Renate Zylla - Born in Bielefeld in 1955.1986 to 2002, she was the director of the Children's Film Festival at the Berlin International Film Festival. Today, this Berlinale section is called Generation. 1991 to 2002, she was a consultant in the establishment and development of the Tokyo Children’s Film Festival, now called KINEKO International Film Festival. 2003 to 2010, she was the director of this film festival in Tokyo. To this day, she is a consultant and partner for children’s and youth film festivals in various countries. She is currently the primary international consultant for the CINEDU International Film Festival, the only children's and youth film festival in Slovakia.
In 2009, inspired by the remake of the German children's film
VORSTADTKROKODILE (The Crocodiles), she created the role of Festival Agent for children's and youth films: VORSTADTKROKODILE received 110 festival invitations and 50 awards. Initially, she successfully brought only German films to festivals worldwide as a freelance Festival Agent.
From 2017 onward, she added foreign films, including productions from the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, India, the USA, Colombia, Italy, and Switzerland.
Ruben Vandenborre
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After obtaining his master's degree in Applied Economic Sciences at KU Leuven, Ruben studied film at the Luca School of Arts in Brussels.His first feature, "The Claus Family", became the most watched Flemish film of all time and was in the top 10 most streamed films on Netflix in more than 20 countries for two weeks. A second and third film in the series quickly followed. He also conceived and produced the youth series HACKED, which won the Shortform competition at Canneseries in 2022. That same year, he also produced the successful series "High Tides", which reached number one internationally in Netflix's top 10 non-English language series.
With his production company, De Argonauten, he creates high-quality and meaningful productions. Realising groundbreaking projects for a wide audience by bringing together experienced film and television professionals with emerging talent. This focused approach creates an in-depth dialogue with the creators, which translates into strong, authentic productions.
Sarah El kasmi
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Sarah El Kasmi is a Belgian film and television producer and the founder of Movie Bank Productions. She develops and produces projects with a strong focus on socially relevant stories, youth, identity and cultural diversity. Her work spans fiction, documentary and television formats, with a particular interest in stories that combine strong characters with contemporary social themes.As a producer, Sarah is involved in the development of Lisa’s Ballet Battle, a coming-of-age feature film selected for the Cinekid Script LAB 2026–2027. She is also developing several other film, documentary and television projects in Belgium and internationally. Through Movie Bank Productions, she aims to bring distinctive and underrepresented perspectives to a broad audience and to build meaningful collaborations across borders.
Sarah Van Dale
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Sarah Van Dale works as a film director, writer & editor.She’s fascinated by the environment of youth.
The way they think, look, dream, fight… It causes magic in front of the lens.
And brings solace for the adult world who might have forgotten what youth is made of.
Senda Berkane
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I graduated from Agnès Varda's school and from the TV series writing course at INSAS in Brussels. I have already autoproduced and directed a few short movies and I am now developping my first produced short movie.
Séverine Lebrun
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Born to a Walloon father and a Flemish mother, she grew up in Belgium, where she studied Romance languages and theatre. After moving to Paris at the age of 25, she discovered children’s television and began working for Canal J while developing a passion for children’s literature.Deeply committed to childhood and the importance of fostering a love of reading from an early age, she went on to spend 15 years working at the Montreuil Children’s Book Fair, where she was responsible for programming and promoting reading in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. She subsequently turned her attention to animated series production at Darjeeling Production.
Shufau Damilola Abdulateef
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Nigerian 3D character artist and film director based in France. My work centers around telling stories about societal pressures and the impact they have on African women.
Silja Saarepuu
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Silja Saarepuu (1973) is an artist and animationauthor. Graduated Estonian Academy of Arts in 2004.
Project manager of children's and youth animation festival ANIMINIMIST.
First animation project together with Piret Sigus
animation "The Turnip" (2022) has been selected for
couple of hundred festivals and has reserved numerous recognitions
and is still touring around festivals.
Selected filmography:
"The Turnip" (2022); "Robot Leo" (2025)
Sonja Maria Kröner
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Sonja Maria Kröner was born in Munich in 1979. She studied literature and philosophy at Ludwig Maximilian University, followed by studies in screenwriting and directing at the University of Television and Film in Munich. She received a media art scholarship from the Kirch Foundation to realize her video installation SIX DOORS, which was exhibited at Munich's renowned Haus der Kunst.Her debut film SOMMERHÄUSER (THE GARDEN) was shown at numerous festivals – Munich, Toronto, São Paolo, Tallinn, and Thessaloniki, among others, and won several awards, including Best Film and Best Director at the Munich Film Festival as well as the Bavarian Film Award for Best Screenplay.
After taking an extended parental leave, she directed the children’s film HORSE ON A STICK as her second feature. Currently she is preparing her third feature film, THE GIRL IN THE TREES.
Sven De Potter
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Sven De Potter, schrijver, redacteur en ghostwriterHet woord is de schaduw van de gedachte.
Maar soms raakt het woord zoek. En dan is er TienTonTaal.
Tom Van Gestel
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Tom Van Gestel is a Belgian animation producer, director and creative entrepreneur. Originally from Antwerp, he graduated with honors from RITCS Brussels in 2008 and gained experience across animation as a director and art director before founding Fabrique Fantastique in 2014. The company focuses on developing and internationally distributing original IP, with projects including "Sir Mouse", "Interstellar Ella and Bim". As a director, Tom has worked on "Picnic with Cake" and "Fox and Hare", and as art director on the acclaimed animated feature "The Monster of Nix". Under his leadership, Fabrique Fantastique has also expanded into live shows, interactive experiences and large-scale events based on its original characters and stories.
Vinciane Le Men
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Actress and director. She has performed in films (Stephan Streker, Dominique Standaert, Jacques Doillon, Degesves, Booder, etc.), theater (Parc, Rideau de Bruxelles, independent companies, etc.), and television (Matthieu Frances, Gary Seghers). She is also a voice-over artist in radio and TV commercials. She directed her first short film in 2021: "Duo en sous-sol” with Claire Beugnies and Bach Lan Lê Bà Thi, produced by Massala Productions in co-production with RTBF.Duo en sous-sol has been selected for several international festivals:
Grenoble (Vues d'en face), Brussels (Pink Screens), Toronto (Shorts not pants), Kingston/Canada (Reelout Queer Film Festival), Amsterdam (Rozen Filmdagen Festival, Dublin (Gaze Film Festival), Hanover (Perlen Queer Festival), Australia (Swan Perth International Women in Film Festival), United States (Washington DC International LGBTQ Film Festival).
It has received three awards:
• “Best First Short Film” in Stockholm
• “Best Short Film” in Amsterdam
• “Best Director Award” in Perth
Filmography – Vinciane Le Men :
CM 2026 : « Mammoletta »
CM 2021 : « Duo en sous-sol »
Wim De Bent
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For over five years, I have been working as a home support worker and team coordinator at Het Raster vzw. We support families in which one of the family members is autistic. This has given me extensive experience and expertise in autism in (young) children and young adults. In addition, I regularly deliver training sessions for staff at both for-profit and non-profit organisations, as well as for parents.
Yema Marie Gieskes
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I’m a graphic designer and aspiring filmmaker. I love dramatic and colorful movie which centers poc women and queer people.
Zoë Croegaert
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My name is Zoë Croegaert, and I work as an educator for Studio Globo.Studio Globo is an NGO for solidarity education. We support teachers in addressing issues such as poverty, climate (in)justice, migration and inequality in the classroom in a nuanced and hopeful way. This ensures that pupils not only gain a better understanding of the world, but also learn that they themselves can make a difference.
