Iakovos Maimaris (he, him) SHEKERIKA 

Born in 1999 in Paphos, Cyprus, Iakovos Maimaris is a Berlin-based filmmaker and composer. He studied Classical Composition at the Ionian University and Creative Production in Film at Catalyst Berlin.

Drawing on his musical background, he approaches cinema as a synthesis of image, sound, movement, and performance. His latest short film, SHEKERIKA, is set to premiere at the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus in 2026. He is currently developing Longing Most Foolish, produced by A.B. Seahorse Films, whose screenplay was selected for the 5th SCREENPLAY ContesTIFF at the Tirana International Film Festival in 2026.

Nastasya Tsykolenko LAST WISH 

Nastasya Tsykolenko is a Cyprus-based director and screenwriter with a background in theatre, acting and film production. She holds degrees in Acting for Theatre and Film and Directing and previously served as Artistic Director of the Repertory Art Theatre in Limassol.

Her short film Warm Hands (2025) screened at CYIFF and WIFT, while her latest short, last wish (2026), has entered its international festival circuit. She is currently developing two feature films, The Bachelor and Moonrise Retreat. Her work focuses on complex female and queer characters, intimacy, power, identity and emotional truth.

Giulio Tonincelli MAME NGOR

Giulio Tonincelli is an independent documentary filmmaker, artistically born in 2015. Co-founder of Moonwalk Studio and programmer at Orvieto Cinema Fest since 2019. His projects move through West Asia, Latin America and Africa, focusing on social and anthropological issues.

Georgi Petkov (he/him) SILENT MODE 

Georgi Petkov is a Bulgarian writer/director and theater-trained actor. He has been involved in intensive acting programs in the T. Schreiber Studio in New York as well as The Lee Strasberg Film & Theater Institute in Los Angeles.

As a part of the writers’ team for the Rotten Tomatoes-certified platform Loud and Clear Reviews, Georgi has attended acclaimed European film festivals such as Berlinale as a critic and journalist, where he continues to solidify his understanding and passion for quality storytelling.

Georgi’s debut short “Silent Mode” with Halford Films (UK) and Studio Karakashyan (Bulgaria), was selected for the BAFTA, EFA, and Oscar-qualifying Drama International Short Film Festival in the International Competition. His second short film “Pill for Loneliness” just wrapped production in partnership with Bulgaria’s MustArt Short Film & Music Fest after being selected for their Cinema programme.

Emilija Povilanskaite MOBIUS BOND 

Emilija Povilanskaitė is a Lithuanian artist and filmmaker based in London.

Her work has been presented in major museums and galleries including the Saatchi Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, MO Museum, and the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius.

Alex Machlouzarides-Shalit (he/him) 20 EUROS 

Alex Machlouzarides-Shalit is a Cypriot Writer and Director. He has won multiple international awards for his previous short films. Most notably for “20 Euros”, “In the Mood for Food”, “Leonidas and the Fish” and “The Morning After”.

He represented Cyprus at the Cannes Young Lions in 2025 as the National Gold winner for the Film Category. He has attended BAFTA, Academy Award and European Award Qualifying events & festivals, invited and attended the prestigious, European Academy led “A Sunday in the Country” workshop as a 2026 participant, as well as leading short film juries for film festivals. He is working on his debut feature film with Caretta Films.

George Merabishvili BRASS 

George Merabishvili is a Georgian filmmaker who grew up in Cyprus and is based in London. His work is rooted in worldbuilding, exploring the tension between characters and the environments they inhabit.

He is the co-founder of AndWhy Studios, a London-based production company.

Dimitra Petmeza (she/her) THE QUIET WEIGHT OF THINGS 

Dimitra Petmeza is a screenwriter and director from Athens, Greece.

Her experimental film «Salome» (2018), won Best Experimental Film at Karlovac Four River Film Festival.

Her first short film, «Air-Condition» (2024), premiered at Tampere Film Festival 2024 (XYZ competition) and her next short, «The Quiet Weight of Things» (2025), won the Best Female Performance award (student competition) at Drama International Short Film Festival 2025 and was nominated for a Hellenic Film Academy Iris Award.

She is a Sarajevo Talents 2026 alumna.

She is currently developing her next short film «Twin Cherries», which won the Finos Film-Best Pitch award at Drama Pitching Lab 2026 and was selected at Sarajevo Talents Script Station 2026 and Linz Film Festival Short Film Lab 2025.

Thierry Mousset (he/him) FINAL MATTERS 

Thierry Mousset is a Luxembourgish director and screenwriter working across fiction, experimental film and theatre. His recent short films include “Die Letzten Dinge / Final Matters”, supported by the Film Fund Luxembourg, and “Un Ange Passe”, currently in development with Les Films Fauves.