Jury 2026

1. Bernd Buder – Head of the Jury

Bernd Buder studied Political Science at the Free University of Berlin and is a freelance curator, lecturer, and film journalist with extensive experience in European cinema and film programming. Since 2015, he has served as Programme Director of the FilmFestival Cottbus, and since 2021 as Programme Co-Director of the Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg. He is also a programme advisor for the Cinedays Festival. Throughout his career, he has held several important positions in the European film industry, including Head of the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus, Programme Director of the Babylon Filmkunsthaus, and programme consultant for numerous international festivals such as the PriFest, Skena Up Film and Theatre Festival, goEast Film Festival, dokumentART, Zagreb Film Festival, and the Berlinale Forum. He is also a member of the European Film Academy.

2.Elly Senger-Weiss – Member of the Jury

Elly Senger-Weiss is an Austrian producer, director, and screenwriter with an international career in film and television. Since 2012, she has led ELLLY Films GmbH in Vienna, and currently also works as a producer for OCTEL Films in Madrid and ARSEL Films in Tirana. Throughout her career, she has produced and directed numerous feature films and documentaries, collaborating on international projects across Europe and the United States. Her filmography includes titles such as AGIA, TOO HOT TO DIE, BLINKER, DER VISIONÄR, MAN OF THE HOUSE, BRÛLE LE SANG, LAROY, and PEAK OF EMOTIONS, where she has worked as producer, director, and co-director. Graduated in Law from the University of Vienna and trained at the New York Film Academy and the London Film Academy, Elly Senger-Weiss has developed a multidisciplinary profile combining cultural management, film production, and international communication.

Bilyana Raeva – Member of the Jury

Bilyana Raeva is a cultural policy expert and film producer whose career combines public service, international cooperation, and the audiovisual industry. A former Member of the European Parliament, she has worked for the European Commission, EUROCITIES in Brussels, the Bulgarian government, and the Municipality of Varna, where she currently serves as a city councillor promoting culture as a driver of urban development. In recent years, her work has focused on cinema and audiovisual production. She is the Executive Producer of the International Red Cross and Health Films Festival and is involved in developing a regional film production fund in Bulgaria. She has produced and supported Bulgarian and international film and television projects, including 18% Gray, Benzin, Mister X and the Sea, La Piovra, L’Opera, and Wild and Happy. She has also served as a jury member at the Coliseum International Film Festival and the Girona International Film Festival, bringing a broad international perspective and strong commitment to the development of cinema and culture.

Rovena Lule – Member of the Jury

Rovena Lule, known artistically as Rovi, is an Albanian actress, director, and acting teacher with a distinguished career in theatre and film. She studied acting, directing, and flute at the University of Tirana, building a strong foundation in the performing arts and artistic education. As an acting teacher, she has contributed to the training of young actors, while also establishing herself as one of the most active and respected actresses in Albania and the region. She has appeared in notable film projects such as The Delegation directed by Bujar Alimani, as well as Maya and Ndërkombëtarët directed by Pluton Vasi. Beyond acting, Rovi has directed more than ten theatre productions, demonstrating her versatility as an artist. Her directorial work has received awards and recognition, establishing her as one of the most respected figures in Albanian theatre and cinema.

Arian Krasniqi – Member of the Jury

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arian Krasniqi is a playwright, screenwriter, scholar, and university professor from Kosovo, holding a PhD in Literature and maintaining extensive activity in theatre, film, and dramatic studies. He currently teaches Film and TV Screenwriting at the University of Prishtina, where he has long been engaged in teaching, research, and artistic mentorship. He is the author of several books and monographs on dramaturgy, theatre, and the figure of Skanderbeg in dramatic arts, and has written numerous theatre productions staged in Kosovo. He also co-wrote the feature films Cold November, Sleep and Love, and A Story from the Rooftop, which were presented at major international festivals including the San Sebastián International Film Festival, GoEast Film Festival, and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Krasniqi has also held leading positions in Kosovo’s cultural life, including serving as General Director of the Teatri Kombëtar i Kosovës, and as co-founder of the Skena UP International Theatre and Film Festival. He remains active in academic conferences, festivals, and regional theatre and film juries.

More Raça – Head of the Jury

More Raça is a writer, director, and film scholar from Kosovo holding a PhD in Film Studies. Her work combines filmmaking, academic research, and film education. She is the director of the acclaimed films Home, Ajo, and Andromeda Galaxy, as well as the upcoming documentary Home Is Where the Films Are. Her films have screened and received awards at major international and Oscar-qualifying festivals, including the San Sebastián International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, AFI Fest, and the Raindance Film Festival. Her debut feature Andromeda Galaxy won the Glocal in Progress Award at San Sebastián, and in 2021 she received the Annual Award for Achievement in Kosovo Cinema. Dr. Raça teaches Film Directing at the University of Prishtina and is a Graduate School Fellow at Middlesex University London. A Fulbright Fellow, she was a visiting researcher at the New York Film Academy and a guest professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the European Film Academy and an alumna of Berlinale Talents.

Merita Cocoli Sali – Member of the Jury

Merita Sterjo Çoçoli-Sali is an actress, director and screenwriter with a career spanning more than four decades across the Albanian and Balkan cultural sphere. A graduate in Drama from the University of Arts in Tirana, she has performed dozens of leading roles in theatre and film, beginning her career at the “Andon Zako Çajupi” Theatre in Korça and at the “Shqipëria e Re” Film Studio in Tirana. Since 1996, she has developed an extensive professional career at the Macedonian Radio Television in North Macedonia, where she headed the Department of Documentary, Feature Film and Theatre at MTV2. As an author and director, she has created more than 1,000 cultural programs, reports and documentaries, establishing a distinguished profile in Albanian artistic and cultural documentary filmmaking, while also receiving recognition at international festivals for her creative approach and socially engaged themes. Her professional activity also includes university teaching, cultural journalism and the development of important audiovisual projects across the Balkans and Europe.

Renis Hyka – Member of the Jury

Renis Hyka is a film director, screenwriter and writer from Albania, representing a new generation of contemporary Albanian filmmakers and authors. His work explores experimental narratives and socially reflective themes, moving between cinema, literature and visual storytelling. His short film The Curious Case of Teresita received the award for Best Short Film at the Festival Internacional de Film de Autor 2023, while his feature project Furacaku, premiered in 2025, won the award for Best Screenplay at the Sapienza Film Festival. In October 2025, he presented the animated short film Antimuseum, further expanding his creative work into animation and hybrid audiovisual forms. In 2026, he received the Jury Special Recognition award in the The Dream Makers competition during the 76th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival for his project Day One. Alongside his filmmaking career, he is also an active writer and author of four books: Cadavre Exquis (2016), Samsara (2018), Minotauri (2024) and Mizat (2025). He lives and works in Tirana, Albania.

Fjodora Fjora – Head of the Jury

Fjodora Fjora is an Albanian journalist, author, and producer with a well- established career in Albanian media and television. She graduated from the Academy of Arts with a degree in Theatre Directing and has been actively involved in journalism since 1998, contributing to the production of television
programs and formats focused on culture, art, and public life. Throughout her career, she has created and hosted numerous television programs and  interviews with prominent figures from the worlds of art, culture, and public life, building a distinguished profile in Albanian cultural journalism. Fjodora Fjora is also a member of Albanian Women in Audiovisual and currently works as an author and TV host at the Albanian Public Broadcaster.

Luela Myftari – Member of Jury

Luela Myftari is a journalist and creator of the cultural program KULT, with 17 years of continuous contribution to Albanian media through articles, reports, documentaries, and programs dedicated to culture in Albania. Graduated in Comparative Literature and trained internationally in journalism, she has devoted particular attention to books, theatre, and cinema throughout her professional career. She began her career writing for Kult magazine and later published thousands of articles in the newspaper Shekulli. Her passion for print media and culture continued through her work with News Bomb magazine since its founding. She has also worked with the television channels Albanian Screen and Vizion Plus. Currently, she works as a cultural journalist at A2 CNN, where she hosts the program KULT and contributes to the production of a cultural podcast. At the same time, she is engaged in media management and the promotion of cultural events focused on literature, cinema, theatre, and music.

Florian Markeci – Member of the Jury

Florian Markeci studied Journalism and Communication and has been actively engaged in socio-cultural journalism for several years. Throughout his career, he has conducted dozens of interviews with iconic figures of Albanian art, highlighting important stories and contributions to the country’s cultural life. He has also covered topics related to culture, theatre, music, and Albanian cinema through articles, reports, and media content with informative and promotional value. Through his work, Florian Markeci has focused on promoting art, film, and human stories in the media, while emphasizing Albanian cultural values. His professional interests are closely connected to cultural communication and to showcasing artists and projects that contribute to the development of the Albanian artistic and audiovisual scene.