DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION JURY

Italy

CHAIRMAN

Graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in 1978. During the 80’s, he directed actuality shows for TV, such as Mixer, and science films like Quark. In the 90’s, he realized reportages in Nicaragua, Colombia, China, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Peru, Algeria, the USA, Senegal, and Germany. From 1997 to 2000, he produced and directed the shorts “Arrivano i sandali” (shown in Venice IFF and Cannes IFF) and “Zittitutti” (winner of the Turin IFF in 2001). He won the Foreign Press Golden Globe for Best Italian Documentary in 2009 for the film “We, Who Are Still Alive”. From 2011 to 2012, he led, with deaf guys, the workshop “Il cinema dei segni” in L’Aquila, realizing the short films “Lasciare un segno” and “La realtà al contrario”. His numerous documentaries include among others “In Iraq dopo la guerra” (1991), “Fatti e Fantasmi” (1992), “Sogni.com” (2002), “Last Food” (2003), “Tanos” (2007), “Little Warriors” (2014), “Out of Control”, “Hungry and Foolish” (2015), “La Febbre di Gennaro” (2019), “The Boy with the Leica” (2021), “The Body and the Name” (2023), “The Touring Band” (2025), which was a participant at the FIPADOC Biarritz, MIFF, and winner of the Jury and Public Award at the Flahertina IFF in Perm. In fiction, he has created numerous shorts, features and TV series. As a writer, he has published three novels.

 

 

Russia

Director, screenwriter, producer. He was born in Omsk city in 1982. In 2004 he graduated from historical faculty of Omsk State University. In 2005 he received the diploma of Independent School of Cinema and TV Internews in Moscow. The participant in and winner of Russian and international film festivals. His filmography includes the documentary films “Unwordly” (2008), “The Curtain” (2008), “The Game” (2010), “Two Childhoods” (2016), “Letsplay” (2018), “Long Shot” (2021), “Experienced Way” (2022), “Folk Hero” (2024), and the feature films “Nice to See You” (2020, short), “Scurvy” (2025).

 

 

China

Documentary filmmaker who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and currently serves as a professor at the Communication University of Zhejiang. His work consistently focuses on the lived realities of ordinary people amid the process of modernization, as well as issues such as climate change. His documentary projects have been awarded multiple times at The Asian Pitch and have been co-produced with international broadcasters including NHK, KBS, Mediacorp, and PTS. His documentary “24th Street” (2017) was selected for the Main Competition at the 30th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 55th Golden Horse Awards. His short documentary “Flower Chasers” (2023) was selected for the International Short Film Competition at the 30th Sheffield International Documentary Festival. His most recent work, “Ms. Hu’s Garden” (2024), spans nearly a decade, won Best Documentary Film at the 26th Shanghai IFF, the Silver St. George for Best Documentary at the MIFF, the Silver Nanook Award at the Flahertiana IFF, and the Special Jury Award in the Main Non-Fiction Film Competition at the 31st Minsk International Film Festival Listapad among other awards. His filmography also includes the documentary films “Hide and Seek” (2010) and “Bee Whisperer” (in production).