JURY OF THE MAIN COMPETITION

Sandy Lieberson entered the film industry as an agent working in Los Angeles, Rome and London. Among his clients were Sergio Leone, Richard Harris, Peter Sellers, Lindsay Anderson and The Rolling Stones. In 1977, he became the president of 20th Century Fox. Movies like “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back” by George Lucas, “1900”, “La Luna” and “La Tragedia di un Uomo Ridicolo” by Bernardo Bertolucci, “Alien” by Ridley Scott, “Kagemusha” by Akira Kurosawa and many more were created under his supervision. From 1989 to 1993, Sandy Lieberson was the president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; during this time he was involved in the production of ridley scott’s “Thelma and Louis” and “Not Without my Daughter” by director Brian Gilbert. other mega productions in his filmography are “Once Upon a Time in America” by Sergio Leone and “P.O.V” – a concert movie for Peter Gabriel with line producer Martin Scorsese; “Blade Runner” – again by director Ridley Scott, “Flesh and Blood” – Paul Verhoeven’s debut and the three times Academy award winning “A Room with a View” directed by James Ivory. oberto directс mostly commercials and music videos.

Sergey Astakhov is cinematographer of more than 40 feature and TV films including films from directors Sergey Selianov, Aleksey Balabanov, Pavel Lungin. In 1980 he graduated from Russian State Institute of Cinematography. Since 1982 he has worked as cinematographer at the Lenfilm Studios. He is a winner of many prestigious awards, such as BAFTA, Golden Camera and Golden Ram. An extraordinary visual mimicry is demonstrated by Sergey Astakhov as a cameraman in his vast documentary and feature shooting practice. Astakhov believes that a professional cameraman must “retreat from his own personality” for realisation of his goal; and he always follows this declaration.

Nevelina Popova is a scriptwriter and screenwriter. She is a member of UBFM and BAFTRS (Bulgarian Association of Film, heater and Radio Scriptwriters). nevelina Popova won the UBFM’s script fund award for the screenplay of "The Other Possible Life Of Ours". She also won the second national competition  for  new  Bulgarian  dramaturgy  for  her  play Underneath the Hill of Hope. Teaches in the department of Cinema, Advertising and Show Business at new Bulgarian University.

JURY OF IN BETWEEN COMPETITION

Pierre Bismuth is a contemporary artist whose work constitutes a creative intervention into familiar codes, habits and objects, in order to expose the mechanisms of visibility and the creation of value and meaning. Bismuth has recently exhibited at the British Film Institute in London, the Team Gallery in new york, Kunsthalle Bern, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, and the Kadist Art Foundation in Paris. In 2005 he won an oscar for co-authoring the screenplay of the film “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”, alongside with Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman.

JURY OF TV COMPETITION

Yael Elyat Van-Essen is the head of the digital Media in Camera obscura School of Art, in Tel-Aviv, Israel, since its foundation in 1992. She is a graduate of the Fine Art department in Bezalel Academy of Art and design in Jerusalem and has a Master degree from Tel-Aviv University in new-Media Theory. She has been working in various media as installations, performances, video-art and documentary and lately she is working on the theoretical aspects of new Media.

Venelin Shurelov - the bulgarian juror of the In Between Programme. Theatre and performance arts are the main influences in his works, others include sculpture, drawing, installation, video and art territory. The composition called “Inhuman Curiosity” (wooden figures, gathered in a circle around a huge metal box), was exhibited at the St. Catherine Square in central Brussels as part of the Eropalia Festival, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the European Union. Shurelov is co-founder of and lecturer in the Master of digital Arts Programme in the national Arts Academy, Sofia.

Ivan Tokadjiev was born in 1952 in Razgrad. He graduated from the national Academy of Fine Arts (Sofia) in 1978. From 1978 till 1986 he worked as Production designer for Bulgarian national Television (Regional TV Center – Rousse). He was Head Artist and designer of Rousse Municipality for 8 years since 1986. He was a lecturer at the department of Industrial design in Rousse Technical University. He was a Municipal Councillor and a deputy Chairman of Municipal Council – Rousse. In 1995 Ivan Tokadjiev became Executive director of the Bulgarian national Television, and from 1996 till 1997 he took up the post of director-General of the national Television. He was Executive director of M-SAT Television for the period 2001–2005. Ivan Tokadjiev was a Production designer of multitude of opera and ballet performances at the Rousse and Varna operas; at The State Music Theatre “Stefan Makedonski”; at Rousse, Gabrovo, Veliko Turnovo and Smolyan drama Theatres; “Sofia Theatre”, “Pandance” Theatre and Rousse Puppet Theatre. In 1997 Ivan Tokadjiev presented individual exhibitions in Leipzig and dresden, in 1998 – in Rousse, and in 1999 – in Sofia.

Antony Tzonev was born in 1957 in Sofia. In 1985 he graduated from the National School of Photography and Polygraphy with a diploma in Art & Applied Photography. After graduating from the University as cinema and TV director he worked in the major Bulgarian film and TV studios “Vreme” and “Ekran” and he made as writer, producer and director more than 10 documentary films which were screened at the Bulgarian National Television, as well as at Pirin Regional TV in Blagoevgrad. Afterwards he worked in National Film Distribution Company. Currently he prepares new film project as producer and director.  
Antony Tsonev is a bachelor at Cinema and TV directing.

Plamen Maslarov is a renowned Bulgarian film and stage director, actor, screenwriter and producer. He is born in 1950 and graduated "drama Theatre directing" at The national Academy of Theatre and Film Arts, Sofia in 1974. during his academy years he worked as an assistant film director and made his acting debut with the lead role in one of the most significant Bulgarian films of the 70-s "And the Day Came" (1973) directed by Georgi djulgerov. After several years stage directing in foremost national theatres, Plamen Maslarov specialized film directing and writing in Paris (CRUS) and made his film debut, the short &fiction "Situation". His first full length feature film "Miron’s Love" (1980) won the Best Actor Award in San Remo Film Festival. In 90-s Plamen Maslarov took part in the European Council’s programme "Ulysses" for cultural cooperation with Eastern Europe. From 2001 to the first months of 2004 he was director of the Bulgarian national drama Theatre "Ivan Vazov". Since 17th of november 2004 he is director of the Bulgarian national Film Archive. Plamen Maslarov has made over 50 documentary and 10 feature films, lot of TV productions as screenwriter, director and producer.