Ashdod international film festival

Guests & Jury:
"Belgium



Stephan Streker

Journalist and film critic, now presenting his feature film debut as a director and screenwriter.

Films in Festival: Michael Blanco



Michael Goldberg

Actor with previous appearances in short films.

Films in Festival: Michael Blanco (lead actor and producer)



Georgy Lieberman

Film and theatre director (directed at the Palais-Royal in Paris) and film producer in Belgium.

Films in Festival: Michael Blanco (producer)







England


Norman Kaufman

Leading animation producer and former head of TV Cartoons London. At TVC produced award winning animation, including The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine". Currently working on independent projects while still a part of TVC.

Film in Festival: British Animation prgoram







India


Deepankar Mukhopadhyay

Head of the National Film Development Cooperation (NFDC India), supporting new filmmakers and modern Indian cinema through production and international promotion and marketing.

Films in Festival: 1:1.6 - An Ode to Lost Love, Autumn Bird, The Change, Five by Four



Sajal Datta

Head of the Kalkota Forum for New Cinema. A leader of modern Indian filmmaking and head of the Kalkota Film Festival.







The Netherlands


Sylvia Kristel

International actress and painter, now introducing her latest debut animation short as a director, the autobiographical "Topor et Moi".

Films in Festival: An Amsterdam Tale, Boorman & Co., Animation for Grownups (workshop)



Ruud Den Drijver

Leading Dutch producer, head of Cineventura production house which produces features and award winning animation shorts.

Films in Festival: An Amsterdam Tale, Boorman & Co., Animation for Grownups (workshop)



Dorna Van Rouveroy

Director and screenwriter who works under the Cineventura production house and directed Sylvia Kristel in her latest films.

Films in Festival: An Amsterdam Tale







Russia


Aleksandr Domogarov

An acclaimed award winning actor with well known parts in cinema, theatre and television. For the last decade has been working in the Mossoviet Theatre in Moscow, and received wide recognition for his role in the Dumas based "Grafinya de Monsoro" on television.



Alexsandr Gerasimov

Russian film producer leading modern productions at the MasterFilm production house in Moscow.

Films in Festival: Pakostnik



Garry Bardin

Bardin started off as an actor, but since 1975 discovered the world of animation and has created dozens of exceptional works. His award winning animations are currently produced in his own studio, Stayer, which he founded In 1991.

Films in Festival: Garry Bardin - Russian animation



Vycheslav Sorokin

Began his film career only at the age of 30, when he graduated from the Moscow Film Academy. During the 80's and 90's directed several commercially successful features. For the last couple of years has been working on TV series.

Films in Festival: Totalitarian Romance







Turkey


Ezel Akay

Director and producer who started in the advertisement business. The co founder of the IFR production group. At IFR he has been producing and directing since the mid 90's. Akay is the leader of a young and modern Turkish cinema.

Films in Festival: Boats out of Watermelon Rinds, Where's Firuze?



Sebnem Donmez

Young actress with an established experience in Turkish TV, cinema and stage.

Films in Festival: Where's Firuze?



Serkan Cakarer

Producer and developer at the IFR production group. Head of marketing and distribution for the different production divisions of the group (cinema, TV, commercials).

Films in Festival: Boats out of Watermelon Rinds, Where's Firuze?







USA


Barry Markowitz

Acclaimed cinematographer who has worked both in Hollywood and the independent scene. Filmed the directorial debuts of Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duval.

Films in Festival: Daddy and Them (as part of special workshop)



Amos Kollek

An Israeli author and filmmaker who published several books and is considered one of the leading independent directors in the USA. Working in New York for the last 20 years, the city and its people are at the center of his films.

Films in Festival: Happy End"