Jury 2015

Jury Competition Fiction

Andrea Štaka (Switzerland / Croatia)

Andrea Štaka, born in 1973 in Lucerne, is a Swiss citizen of Bosnian and Croatian descent. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in Zurich. Štaka’s diploma film HOTEL BELGRAD as well as the documentary YUGODIVAS were received to great international acclaim. Her first feature film DAS FRÄULEIN won the Golden Leopard at Locarno Festival del Film, the Heart of Sarajevo, and the Swiss Film Award for Best Script. In 2007, Štaka co-founded Okofilm Productions. CURE – THE LIFE OF ANOTHER premiered at Locarno Festival del Film and was awarded at the Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis.
Films (selection): HOTEL BELGRAD (1998, short), YUGODIVAS (2001, doc), DAS FRÄULEIN (2006), CURE – THE LIFE OF ANOTHER (2014)

Michael Stütz (Germany / Austria)

Michael Stütz, born in Linz, studied in Vienna and Berlin. Since 2006, Stütz works for the Panorama section at the Berlin International Film Festival as a program coordinator, as the head of the office, and as the coordinator for the Teddy Awards. Stütz is also part of the section’s advisory board. Since 2011, he serves as the co-director of the Xposed International Queer Film Festival Berlin.

Syllas Tzoumerkas (Greece) 

Syllas Tzoumerkas, born in 1978, is as Greek filmmaker and actor from Thessaloniki. He studied Theater, Film Directing, and Acting in Athens, Utrecht, and New York. His short films were screened at festival such as the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival. THE DEVOURING EYES won the Jury Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. His acclaimed first feature film, HOMELAND, marked its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. A Blast premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2014.
Films (selection): THE DEVOURING EYES (1999, short), RAIN (2002, short), HOMELAND (2010), A Blast (2014)

Jury Competition Documentary

SEBASTIAN BRAMESHUBER (Austria / France)

Sebastian Brameshuber, born in 1981, is an Austrian filmmaker from Gmunden. His early films stand in the tradition of the Austrian avant-garde cinema and his documentaries often focus on human relations and sociopolitical aspects. Brameshuber’s work has been presented at major international film festivals, such as the Berlin International Film Festival, the Marseille Festival of Documentary Film, and the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema. His feature documentary AND THERE WE ARE, IN THE MIDDLE was nominated for the 2015 Austrian Film Award.
Films (selection): MIT DEM LÖFFEL ZUM MUND (2011, short), MUEZZIN (2009, doc; CE '09), UND IN DER MITTE, DA SIND WIR (And There We Are, in the Middle, 2014, doc; CE '14), OF STAINS, SCRAP AND TIRES (2014, short doc; CE '15)

INA ROSSOW (Germany)

Ina Rossow, born in 1975 in Halle/Saale, is a German festival manager for both documentary and fiction films. She graduated from the Leipzig University with a degree in Cultural Sciences, Journalism, and Ethnology. Rossow worked as a freelancer for museums and exhibitions, before joining d.net sales/Deckert Distribution (2002 to present), ma.ja.de. (2011 to present), and Egoli Tossell Film (2002 to 2011). Ina Rossow works and lives in Leipzig.

ZAZA RUSADZE (Georgia / Germany)

Zaza Rusadze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1977. In 1996, he was accepted at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf in Potsdam to the Directing class and moved to Germany thereupon. In 2007, Rusadze founded the film production and distribution company Zazarfilm in Tbilisi and commutes between Europe and Georgia since. Rusadze’s feature length directorial debut A FOLD IN MY BLANKET premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2013 as the opening film in the section Panorama. Recently appointed member for the DOK LEIPZIG selection committee.
Films (selection): A STAR FOR ANETI (2005, doc), FOLDS AND CRACKS (2009, short), TIME FORWARD (2013, doc), CHEMI SABNIS NAKETS (A Fold in My Blanket, 2013)

Jury Local Artists

MAGNUS HOFMÜLLER (Austria)

Magnus Hofmüller, born in 1976 in Linz, is an Austrian curator, designer, and cultural manager. He works at the Lentos Art Museum Linz in the fields of exhibition management, development, and as a curator. He has developed several art and cultural projects since 1998 both for institutions and as a freelancer. Hofmüller has lectured at the FH Joanneum in Graz (Exhibition Design) and at the FH Hagenberg (Media Design).

PETER SCHERNHUBER (Austria)

Peter Schernhuber was born in 1987 in Wels, Upper Austria. Along with Sebastian Höglinger, he managed the YOUKI International Youth Media Festival until 2014. As of mid-2015, the duo will be heading the Diagonale, Festival of Austrian Film in Graz. Schernhuber has worked as an author (CINEMA, Edition netPOL, The Gap, FAQ, et al.), for several festivals (Crossing Europe, Diagonale, Vienna Design Week, et al.), and institutions (e.g. Medien Kultur Haus Wels) as well as for Ana Berlin Communications.

ALEXANDRA SCHNEIDER (Austria)

Alexandra Schneider was born in 1979 in Switzerland and grew up in Germany, the US, Denmark, and Austria. She studied Comparative Social Studies in Maastricht and London as well as Directing and Editing at the Vienna Film Academy. Schneider has worked for several film production companies in various fields. As a filmmaker, she has realized projects in Europe and Africa. Schneider’s documentary PRIVATE REVOLUTIONS marked its world premiere at CROSSING EUROPE 2014.
Films (selection): TANTE BAUM (2009, doc), FEMINA ENERGETICA (2010), PRIVATE REVOLUTIONS (2014, doc; CE '14)