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JUNE 22 to 26, 2021
OUR JURY MEMBERS FOR 2021
Premendra Mazumder
Film critic and Vice-President, Federation of Film Societies of India
Premendra Mazumder has been writing about cinema for over four decades and he has been active within the Film Society since 1977. He is currently Vice-President of the Federation of Film Societies of India and Asia-Pacific Secretary of the International Federation of Film Societies (IFFS). He holds the office of the Secretary for the India chapter of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). He works as an advisor with many international film festivals and runs a few festivals as well, as program director, coordinator and consultant. He has served as a jury member on about 30 film festivals around the world.
Premendra Mazumder has been writing about cinema for over four decades and he has been active within the Film Society since 1977. He is currently Vice-President of the Federation of Film Societies of India and Asia-Pacific Secretary of the International Federation of Film Societies (IFFS). He holds the office of the Secretary for the India chapter of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). He works as an advisor with many international film festivals and runs a few festivals as well, as program director, coordinator and consultant. He has served as a jury member on about 30 film festivals around the world.
Mirona Radu
Festival programmer and filmmaker
Mirona Radu has been working in the film industry, including international film festivals, for ten years. She has been programming the Peasant Museum Cinema in Bucharest since 2019 and, in 2020, she became Program Manager of the Bucharest International Film Festival. Mirona has training and experience in the development of cultural knowledge and intercultural interaction. She also studied film directing and holds a Master’s Degree in film production. She also attended various art residences in Poland, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and the Ukraine. She is also a director. Her short film Ana was selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Romanian Short Waves program in 2013.
Mirona Radu has been working in the film industry, including international film festivals, for ten years. She has been programming the Peasant Museum Cinema in Bucharest since 2019 and, in 2020, she became Program Manager of the Bucharest International Film Festival. Mirona has training and experience in the development of cultural knowledge and intercultural interaction. She also studied film directing and holds a Master’s Degree in film production. She also attended various art residences in Poland, China, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and the Ukraine. She is also a director. Her short film Ana was selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Romanian Short Waves program in 2013.
Swarnavel Eswaran
Filmmaker and Associate Professor, Michigan State University
Dr. Swarnavel Eswaran is a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India and of the film studies program at the University of Iowa. His most recent documentaries include Tsunami: Waves from the Deep (2018), Hmong Memories at the Crossroad (2016) and Migrations of Islam (2014). He is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and the School of Journalism at Michigan State University and his research focuses on the history, theory and production of documentaries. He is also a specialist of Tamil cinema and its complex relationship with Hollywood and popular Hindi films. His fiction feature film Catamaran (2019), a collaboration with Tamil cinema’s leading director Mysskin, is currently on the festival circuit.
Dr. Swarnavel Eswaran is a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India and of the film studies program at the University of Iowa. His most recent documentaries include Tsunami: Waves from the Deep (2018), Hmong Memories at the Crossroad (2016) and Migrations of Islam (2014). He is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and the School of Journalism at Michigan State University and his research focuses on the history, theory and production of documentaries. He is also a specialist of Tamil cinema and its complex relationship with Hollywood and popular Hindi films. His fiction feature film Catamaran (2019), a collaboration with Tamil cinema’s leading director Mysskin, is currently on the festival circuit.
Nina Kochelyaeva
Director, New Institute for Cultural Research, and festival programmer
Nina Kochelyaeva has a PhD from the Russian Institute for Cultural Research (2004) and has been the Director of the New Institute for Cultural Research since 2014. She has also been a senior researcher at the Russian Film Institute (VGIK) since 2917, as well as a teacher at several prestigious Russian institutions and abroad, including VGIK, the National Research University Higher School of Economics and the Sao Paolo University in Brazil. Her field of research covers, among other subjects, history and theory of culture, cultural policy and cultural memory. She is also a documentary producer and a programmer for various festivals around the world (Sochi, Dhaka, Kazan, Barnaul).
Nina Kochelyaeva has a PhD from the Russian Institute for Cultural Research (2004) and has been the Director of the New Institute for Cultural Research since 2014. She has also been a senior researcher at the Russian Film Institute (VGIK) since 2917, as well as a teacher at several prestigious Russian institutions and abroad, including VGIK, the National Research University Higher School of Economics and the Sao Paolo University in Brazil. Her field of research covers, among other subjects, history and theory of culture, cultural policy and cultural memory. She is also a documentary producer and a programmer for various festivals around the world (Sochi, Dhaka, Kazan, Barnaul).
Diana Ashimova
Festival programmer and CEO/producer, A TEAM Production
Diana Ashimova is a festival programmer, NETPAC member and film producer, with a Master of Arts degree in filmmaking from Turan University. She was Head of Programming of the Eurasia International Film Festival for nine years and ran several international film festivals in Kazakhstan and abroad. She has been Artistic Director of the Bastau International Student and Debut Film Festival since 2011. In 2017, she founded A TEAM Production to support young filmmakers and produce short and feature films as well as documentaries. Her productions have been shown at several important festivals and awarded many prizes.
Diana Ashimova is a festival programmer, NETPAC member and film producer, with a Master of Arts degree in filmmaking from Turan University. She was Head of Programming of the Eurasia International Film Festival for nine years and ran several international film festivals in Kazakhstan and abroad. She has been Artistic Director of the Bastau International Student and Debut Film Festival since 2011. In 2017, she founded A TEAM Production to support young filmmakers and produce short and feature films as well as documentaries. Her productions have been shown at several important festivals and awarded many prizes.