Gela Babluani – Head of JuryGela Babluani was born in Tblisi in Georgia. He is the son of the prominent directorTemur Babluani. At 17 years of age, he and his three siblings were sent to study inFrance. His first short film, A Fleur de Peau (2002), received critical appraise. His firstfeature length film is 13 Tzameti (2005), won the World Cinema Jury Prize for a Dramaticmotion picture at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2017 he shoot film “Money” in France.

Film & TV director Katarzyna Klimkiewicz graduated from Polish Film School in Lodz whenshe was 21. But it took her many years and many short films to gain confidence to make herfeature film. Her short HANOI-WARSAW was named Best Short by the European FilmAcademy in 2010. This film was screened at BIAFF too and received In 2012 her featuredebut FLYING BLIND, starring Helen McCrory, premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival.She wored on several TV series since 2012. In 2021, her second movie “Autumn Girl”premiered in cinemas in Poland and later on Netflix worldwide. Now Katarzyna is indevelopment of her third feature film “Burnt Grass”.

Since 1992, when he decided to pursue a life in writing, Nicos has written almost a dozeninternationally awarded feature film screenplays, four collections of short stories, and fournovels, translated in several languages.He has taught screen-writing in Film Schools, International Workshops and Seminars andhas worked as a Script Consultant for production companies, the Greek Film Center and theGreek National Television, as well as a script editor for numerous projects in Greece andabroad.A senior trainer for MFI’s Script2Film Workshops since 2006, he has also served as theprogram’s Head of Studies between 2013-15. He is currently an adjunct professor ofCreative Writing at the Hellenic Open University.

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1978, she graduated with a degree in film directing from the StateTheatre and Film University of Georgia in 2001. She attended the producer’s workshop ofthe European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) and made several short films before herfeature film debut BRIDES. The film premiered in the 2014 Berlinale Panorama and went onto screen at many international festivals. Her most recent feature HORIZON had its worldpremiere at Berlinale Panorama 2018. Her latest work is CITIZEN SAINT (2023), selected atthe Karlovy Vary IFF. Film aslo was screened at BIAFF 2023 and recieved Best FilmDirector award

SŁOWICKI ANDRZEJ was born on 27 January 1945 in Rejowiec, Poland. He has been anoutstanding creator of cinema culture for 57 years and the president of legendary FilmSociety KWANT in Warsaw for many years. He developed KWANT into the most importantcentre of cinema culture in Eastern Europe. Słowicki organized many festivals and filmseminars with participation of outstanding people of cinema, culture and politics[Michelangelo Antonioni, Julio Cortazar, Roman Polański, Andrzej Wajda, KrzysztofKieślowski, Sydney Lumet, Fernando Arrabal, Ettore Scola, Claude Lelouch, Miklós Jancsó,István Szabó, Nikita Michalkov, Andrej Konchalovsky, e.t.c.], both in Poland and abroad. Aneditor and author of books. Laureate of many awards (Sergo Parajanov Award –Pomegranate 2006, International Fund Tbilisi and Parajanov “for great contribution topreserving the memory and popularization of the Great Master’s oeuvre”). Programmer ofthe Batumi International Art House Film Festival in Batumi / Georgia since the first festival.He was a member of jury at festivals (I Batumi International Film Festival, Lubuskie LatoFilmowe in Łagów / Poland, Film Festival of the Polish National Film, Television and TheaterSchool in Łódz, Film Society KWANT in Warsaw / Poland)..

Film expert, graduate of the Jagiellonian University, also studied at the Institute of Art of thePolish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He was the founder and head of the Mikro Film ArtClub, the Graffiti Film Center and the Polish Film Foundation. He also served as deputy mayor ofthe city of Krakow and director of the Polish Television Film Agency and general director of thePolish Filmmakers Association. Member of the first council of the Polish Film Institute in 2005-2008.Founder and in 2003-2021 president of the Krakow Film Foundation, festival producer andpromoter of Polish documentaries and short films abroad. In 2013-2020 lecturer at the KrakowAcademy. Juror at many international film festivals. Member of the Polish and European FilmAcademy.Director of the Krakow Film Festival since 2000..

Lithuanian producer has more than 15 years of experience, working in Georgia and Lithuania, cooperatingwith major international agencies and clients (banks, telecommunications, beverages and food industrycompanies, etc.)Ringaile is the owner of Lithuanian production company Nuline Kopija (ZERO COPY)https://www.zerocopy.lt/, Georgian production company FUNKY PRODUCTION HOUSE and internationalTVC production company LINE PRODUCTION which produces films, video commercials and TV projects.In Lithuania she’s working as a producer in TV, Film production and distribution companies.Ringaile has made over 100 video commercial projects in Lithuania, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia,Estonia, Romania, France, Germany and Russia. She produced 10 feature TV series, 1 documentary TVseries and 3 short films. One of the latest commercial tourism projects Dinner with Georgia is the WINNERof PR Lions 2018 at Cannes International Festival of Creativity 2 Bronzes and the Silver Lion, making it thefirst silver for Georgia. 2019 Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, Silver Award for best tourism film.2018 WINNER at the Golden Hammer Silver in Media / Special Events & Stunts, PR / Events – Shortlist,Promo / Stunts and Live Advertising – Shortlist, Digital / Platforms – Shortlist in Riga, Latvia. More than 30different gold and 40 silver bronze and special awards, also thereafter, have been presented at variousfestivals across Europe.

Giorgi  (born 1963, Mtskheta, Georgia, USSR) graduated from the Georgian State Institute of Cinema andTheater (1996) and from the New York Film Academy filmmaking course at Universal Studios in Hollywood(2006). He is a director of both dramas and documentaries that he often produces. He has made a numberof memorable shorts: Eye Level (Zgvis donidan… / Mzeris doneze…) received an award at the Berlinaleand the fest in Odense, both 2005. In 2009 KVIFF’s East of the West Competition presented his featuredebut The Other Bank (Gagma napiri, 2008); the film won almost 50 awards and was nominated forEuropean Discovery of the Year by the European Film Academy. His second picture Corn Island (Simindiskundzuli, 2014) took the Crystal Globe for Best Film at KVIFF and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.Last year he sat on Karlovy Vary’s main jury. His last film KHIBULA was premiered at Karlovy Varyinternational film festival in 2017 and was shown at BIAFF as opening film. Beautiful Helen, is his last film