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1-21 of 21
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Having graduated from FAMU in Prague film (1971), Agnieszka Holland returned to Poland and began her film career working with Krzysztof Zanussi as assistant director, and Andrzej Wajda as her mentor. Her first feature film was PROVINCIAL ACTORS (1978), one of the flagship pictures of the "cinema of moral disquiet" and the winner of the International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980. Subsequently, she made the films FEVER (1980) and THE LONELY WOMAN (1981). In 1981, just before the declaration of the state of emergency in Poland, Agnieszka Holland emigrated to France.
She directed ANGRY HARVEST (1985) which was nominated for a foreign-language Oscar. Her film EUROPA EUROPA (1990) also received a U.S. Academy Award nomination (best screenplay) and IN DARKNESS (2011) was again nominated as best foreign-language film. She also collaborated with her friend Krzysztof Kieslowski on the screenplay of his trilogy, THREE COLOURS (1993).
Holland's other films include TO KILL A PRIEST (1988), OLIVIER, OLIVIER (1992), THE SECRET GARDEN (1993), TOTAL ECLIPSE (1995), WASHINGTON SQUARE (1997), THE THIRD MIRACLE (1999), SHOT IN THE HEART (2001), JULIE WALKING HOME (2001), COPYING BEETHOVEN (2006), IN DARKNESS (2011), BURNING BUSH (2013), SPOOR (2017), MR. JONES (2019) and CHARLATAN (2020). She also directed several episodes of many notable TV series, including THE WIRE, JAG, COLD CASE, TREME (for the pilot of the latter she was nominated for an Emmy) and HOUSE OF CARDS. Agnieszka Holland has also written or co-written screenplays for films made by other directors and directed plays for Polish television. She was elected chairwoman of the Board of the European Film Academy in 2014 and was elected as its President in 2021.- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Writer, producer and teacher. Born in Madrid, the son of film director Carlos Saura and film teacher and journalist Adela Medrano, brother of film director Saura Medrano.
Either as executive of the film companies LolaFilms and Iberoamericana Films, or as executive producer for the film production companies Zebra Producciones and La Fiera Corrupia, Antonio Saura has produced many films in recent years, including Carlos Saura's Salomé (2002) (Best Artistic contribution Montreal 2002), Antonio Hernandez's En la ciudad sin límites (2002) (Berlin 2002, best film Toulouse 2002) and Miguel Albadalejo's Rencor (2002).
He has been actively involved in training activities both as founder and director of the Media Business School, and as teacher of audio-visual and development economics for programs such as EMAM, MEGA, Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Empresa of Madrid and Universidad de Valencia. As a scriptwriter, his credits include "Lisa", "El arbol del manzano", and "Dos tipos Duros".
Antonio Saura has also written for some of the most prestigious newspapers in Spain, including El Pais, El Mundo and Diario 16, and has contributed analyses on film aspects to "la Gaceta de los Negocios", "Viridiana" and other publications. He is member of the European and the Spanish Film Academies.- Additional Crew
Barbara Hexges has worked as a PR and Marketing Manager for several brands and companies before joining the European Film Academy in 2019. As Head of Sponsoring and Partnerships, she is responsible for the acquisition and management of all sponsors of the European Film Awards, as well as the development of new partnership opportunities for the European Film Academy.
Apart from this, Barbara has worked as a freelancer for various companies in the music and film industry as well as for some NGOs. She has a keen eye for marketing and communication and is often accompanied to the office by her dog Tilda.- While studying Film and Media Studies and Aesthetics at the University of Lüneburg, Bettina Schwarz worked at the university's cinema department, for the repertory film theatre Metropolis and for film production companies in Hamburg. After completing her studies with an MA, she moved to Berlin. Bettina worked for the Berlinale before joining the European Film Academy in 2002.
Being in charge of the Short Film category of the European Film Awards, as well as training projects like EFA Master Classes at the beginning she took over as Head of Awarding Procedures and Protocol at the European Film Academy in 2016.
Bettina is the mother of two teen-aged sons, and lives with her family in Berlin. She speaks German and English fluently. - Managing Director of the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors' Fortnight) in Cannes and Director of Cinemed - Mediterranean Film Festival of Montpellier, Christophe Leparc has been working in the film industry since 1990. From the start, he specialised in the organisation and programming of film festivals. Notably, he has worked 10 years for the Créteil International Women Directors' Films Festival as one of the pre-selectors of films. He began working for the Mediterranean Film Festival of Montpellier in 1994 as pre-selector, member of the selection committee and he also developed retrospectives for the festival.
Christophe has worked for the International Critics' Week in Cannes from the year 2000 to 2007 as program manager. Since 2007, he is the Managing Director of the Directors' Fortnight, the other sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival, and was appointed Director of Cinemed in 2016. - Having a long track record in leading European training programmes for producers and filmmakers all over Europe, Graziella Bildesheim currently works as an international consultant for the Discovery Campus programme at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, she is also the founder and former head of the Maia Workshops (2005-2018), from which more than 400 active producers of over 35 nationalities graduated. Furthermore, she created and directed the HERMES training programme for producers from the Eastern Partnership countries (2009) and the Story Development and Producers' Workshops for filmmakers from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine (2012-2013).
As an independent producer and consultant, Graziella was involved in the creative development and financial packaging of feature and documentary films in co-production with European and international partners since 1991. With her own Rome-based company Fabulafilm (2003-2011), she also set up and co-produced a number of documentaries and features for theatrical and TV distribution.
From 2014 to 2016 she served on the National Film Board at the Italian Ministry of Culture where she participated in the selection of projects for features, shorts and documentaries.Graziella currently teaches at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and is a voting member of the David di Donatello Italian Film Academy. She joined the European Film Academy Board in 2018. - Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Heidi Frankl is project manager at European Film Academy Productions since she started working at the Academy in 2012. She has been one of the driving forces behind the successful Young Audience Award and the development of the new European Film Club, which will be launched by the European Film Academy in the near future. Also, she is instrumental in the production of the European Film Awards and a central part of the team behind this - keeping an overview of everything ranging from finding the right presenters to a smooth operation of all logistics. Heidi is behind the finishing touch.
Before working with us, Heidi worked closely for years with Wim Wenders at his renowned Neue Road Movies film production company and prior to this on several German film productions. She is the mother of two children and commands, besides the German, also the English and Polish languages perfectly.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Following a distinguished career in the theatre between the 1960s and the 1980s, Jim Sheridan wrote and directed his first critically acclaimed feature My Left Foot in 1989. The film was nominated for two European Film Awards. He followed this in 1990 with The Field which he also wrote and directed. In the same year he wrote the screenplay Into the West which was directed in 1992 by Mike Newell. In 1993 he wrote, produced and directed In the Name Of The Father, which again was nominated for a European Film Award, and in 1995 he wrote and produced Some Mother's Son, which was directed by Terry George. In 1997 he wrote, produced and directed The Boxer and in 1999 he produced Agnes Browne, directed by and starring Anjelica Huston. He was also executive producer of Borstal Boy, On The Edge and Bloody Sunday. In America, which he produced, directed and wrote, was released in 2003. In 2005 he directed and produced Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. Brothers was released in 2009 and Dream House in 2011. His most recent feature film is The Secret Scripture. He directed the short film 11th Hour at the end of 2016 and produced the documentary Shelter Me. Jim Sheridan's films have achieved popular and critical acclaim throughout the world. His films have garnered sixteen Oscar nominations and have won two Academy Awards as well as numerous prestigious international awards. Jim Sheridan is the father of Irish Actress Clodagh Amira Sheridan with his partner Filmmaker Zahara Moufid.- Producer
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
A graduate of Film Studies and Law, Joanna Szymanska is a Polish producer working both in fiction and documentary films. She is a Berlinale Talents 2011 alumna, graduate of the EAVE Producers Workshop (2015) and co-owner of the production company SHIPsBOY.
Joanna gained her professional experience being involved in the development and production of numerous fiction and documentary projects, including the Oscar-nominated short documentary JOANNA (directed by Aneta Kopacz) and award-winning short fiction MILKY BROTHER (directed by Vahram Mkhitaryan), a film which brought her the Best Producer of Shorts and Documentaries Award at the 54th Krakow Film Festival (2014). As Head of Production at Wajda Studio (2011-2013), Joanna was responsible not only for the company's production slate, but also for the studio's international activities such as the European programme EKRAN.
SHIPsBOY, founded in 2013, is her main professional activity. Joanna represents the company internationally and manages the co-productions produced by SHIPsBOY. Actively involved in her local film industry she is the Head of Industry at Off Camera Film Festival (Krakow) and guest lecturer at film schools in Warsaw, Krakow and Lodz. As an independent documentary consultant she works closely with HBO Europe.- Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Jürgen Biesinger is the managing director of European Film Academy Productions since 2006, the Academy in-house production company responsible for the European Film Awards. Apart from producing the annual awards ceremony, he is closely involved and the brain behind the development of concepts and the ongoing buildout of projects within the European Film Academy, such as the Young Audience Award, the European Film Club and the Month of European Film.
Before joining the Academy, Jürgen gained extensive experience in the theatre world and worked as executive producer for a Berlin based independent film production company. Jürgen has three children and is an avid runner who always has his running shoes with him wherever he travels.- Additional Crew
Before joining the European Film Academy team in 2017, Karolina Randerath organised limousine shuttles for public events and convoys for state visits. Starting as an assistant at the European Film Academy Productions, she is currently our Team and Event Co-ordinator and as such involved in planning and producing everything that happens within the Academy, from events such as several of the Sunday in the Country programmes to many projects within the annual Month of European Film and the European Film Awards.
Among all of us, Karolina is most familiar with digital solutions for our daily work. She is passionate about Yoga and a healthy lifestyle. Apart from German, she is fluent in English and Polish.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Executive
Leontine Petit is founder and CEO/Producer of Lemming Film, with offices in Amsterdam and Berlin. Since 1995, Lemming Film has successfully co-produced 54 feature films and 14 high end drama series in Europe and beyond. Their projects are sold to many countries around the world and have won various national and international awards.
Before working in film production, Leontine studied at the University of Amsterdam where she earned her Master's degree in Philosophy. She graduated from EAVE and is a member of the ACE Network. She was named "Producer on the Move" by European Film Promotion (2006). In 2014 she participated at EAVE+. She first participated in the Inside Pictures workshop in 2017. Today she teaches at various media programs and until 2020 she was also the President of 'Bridging the Dragon', an association that is connecting European and Chinese filmmakers.
Leontine is a passionate advocate of helping independent films cross boundaries and connect with international audiences. She won the prestigious Eurimages Co-production Award during the European Film Awards in 2016.
Amongst others, her most recent (co-)productions include PLEASURE by Ninja Thyberg (Sweden, 2020), DO NOT HESITATE by Shariff Korver (Netherlands, 2020), HOME by Franka Potente (Germany, 2020), DEAD AND BEAUTIFUL by David Verbeek (Netherlands, 2020), BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ by Burhan Qurbani (Germany, 2020), THE HEIRS OF THE NIGHT by Diederik van Rooijen (drama series, Netherlands, 2020), MONOS by Alejandro Landes (Colombia, 2019), FENIX by Shariff Korver (drama series, Netherlands, 2018), ZAMA by Lucrecia Martel (Argentina, 2017), MY GIRAFFE by Barbara Bredero (Netherlands, 2017) and THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece, 2015).- Producer
- Executive
Since 2021, Dutch-born Matthijs Wouter Knol is the CEO and Director of the European Film Academy. He is responsible for the executive management, the vision and all related programming of current and future activities of the Academy, including brand new audience development, film education projects, and the annual European Film Awards.
Before reading and graduating with an MA in Contemporary History at Leiden University (the Netherlands) and the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (Italy), he worked as a magazine editor and journalist. From 2001 onwards, he worked in Amsterdam as creative and associate producer on 30 award-winning documentary films, with renowned directors such as Heddy Honigmann, Maria Ramos, and Mani Kaul. For ARTE, he co-produced a digital edition of 40 re-mastered works of Dutch documentarian Johan van der Keuken, which was awarded the Prix Cahiers du Cinéma (2006). After a short stint at IDFA (2007-2008), he formed for 12 years part of the senior Berlinale team, first as Head of Programming of Berlinale Talents (2008-2014), then as Director of the European Film Market (2014-2020).
Apart from launching several new training and industry platforms over the course of his career, Matthijs is an advocate for more Diversity and Inclusion. He initiated D&I schemes at both EFM and the European Film Academy, and is one of the founders of the Anti-Racist Taskforce for European Film (ARTEF). He teaches and coaches at various film schools and is a regular moderator and speaker at international film industry events. Matthijs has been part of the main jury at the festivals of Buenos Aires, Jerusalem and Istanbul. He speaks Dutch, English and German fluently, can converse in French and Italian and is improving his Spanish and Portuguese language skills.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Mike Downey, producer, and CEO of Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME), launched his independent UK production company on the Frankfurt DAX in 2009. Since then, he has produced more than 40 feature films, with producing partner Sam Taylor and company chairman Stephen Daldry.
F&ME's catalogue includes UKFC funded WHITE LIGHTNIN', Saul Metzstein's GUY X, DEATHWATCH (with Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis), U.S. Academy Award nominated and Venice Golden Lion winning BEFORE THE RAIN and a slew of international co-productions written by Günter Grass, Thomas Keneally, James Ellroy and Clifford (HOAX) Irving. His award-winning South African production SON OF MAN premiered at Sundance, as did WHITE LIGHTNIN'. The film GLANCES opened the Venice Film Festival. Downey's books The Film Finance Handbooks - A Guide for European Producers are published by the MEDIA Business School.
Educated in theatre at the University of Warwick, with postgraduate studies at the University of Paris III (Sorbonne) and Paris X (Nanterre), he has long taught at the MEGA European Masters programme. Being a Quondam Thomas Ewing Professor of Film (Ohio University) and a member of the Film Board of Oklahoma University, he is also President of the Motovun Film Festival in Croatia and Artistic Advisor to the Zagreb Film Festival. He works closely with Amnesty International establishing Amnesty Human Rights Awards at several international film festivals and is a consultant for USAID, the American government programme rebuilding infrastructure (film) in the Balkans. Downey has served three terms as member of the Council of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as well as one term on the BAFTA Film Committee. He is a member of the board of the Berlin Golden Bear winning (U-CARMEN) South African Theatre Company Isango along with Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Simon Rattle. Mike is particularly proud to be a trustee of the White Ribbon Foundation - an international charity which works to eradicate women dying in childbirth in the developing world.
Mike Downey produced Agnieszka Holland's CHARLATAN (2020) which was in the Berlinale competition. He joined the EFA Board in 2004, was elected deputy chairman in 2014, and chairman in 2020. In 2021, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Mike Downey as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to European film.- Pascal Edelmann was born in Wolfsburg (Germany) and grew up in different international meditation and yoga communities in Switzerland, Austria, France and Germany. After graduating from school he went on a tour through the USA, Denmark, Germany, former Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands with an international education programme, before moving to Berlin.
In the following years he did his civil service in a workshop for people with a disability, worked in special effects for theatre, and as a PR representative and tour co-ordinator. During his studies of English and Communications, Pascal worked as a tour guide, translator and production manager for theatre, and eventually settled as a free-lance journalist and translator.
He did the press work for the first Berlinale Talent Campus in 2003. With a passion for Europe, Pascal came on board the European Film Academy in the same year. He is responsible for all communications around the Academy. He also is instrumental in the European Film Academy's A Sunday in the Country programme for film journalists and critics. - Additional Crew
- Executive
Rainer Pyls has been with European Film Academy since 2006, from 2008 acting as Head of Finances and Administration. Since 2021, he has also joined as managing director of European Film Academy's subsidiary, European Film Academy Productions, where he had already been working as Business Manager since 2008. In these two capacities, Rainer is the only colleague who works for both the Academy and its production company at the same time. When it comes to administration, budgeting, public funding and contract management, Rainer plays a significant role in the financial health of the European Film Academy.
Previously, Rainer worked for several years as Accountant Manager at Road Movies, the former production company of Wim Wenders.
He has three grown-up children and loves trips and tours by motorcycle as well as by bicycle.- Producer
- Production Manager
- Location Management
Rebecca O'Brien has been an independent film producer for thirty five years. Prior to becoming a producer she worked her way up through the industry in various production roles including location manager on MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (1985) and production manager on some early Channel 4 films.
She has produced fourteen feature films directed by Ken Loach, including LAND AND FREEDOM (European Film Awards winner, 1995), SWEET SIXTEEN (European Critics' Award 2002 - Prix FIPRESCI), MY NAME IS JOE (1998) and LOOKING FOR ERIC (2009). In 2006 THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY and in 2016 I, DANIEL BLAKE won the Palme d'Or in Cannes. THE ANGELS' SHARE (2012) won the Jury Prize at last year's Cannes. She also produced Ken Loach's acclaimed archive documentary THE SPIRIT OF '45 (2013), an essay on the moment, immediately post-war, when Britain elected its first socialist government and introduced the National Health Service, the Welfare State and nationalized key industries.
She has also produced a number of films by other directors including BEAN (Mel Smith, 1996) and PRINCESA (Henrique Goldman, 2001). Rebecca O'Brien is currently a member of the UK Film Industry Training Board and the British Screen Advisory Council. She runs the production company Sixteen Films with Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty.
She joined the European Film Academy Board in 2013.- Additional Crew
Sandra Leege originally stems from Hamburg and studied in Frankfurt/Oder. She started working for the European Film Academy in 2009, predominantly for the press department. Since 2016, she is co-ordinating the awarding procedures for the Animation, Documentary and Short Film categories of the European Film Awards. She is Head of Knowledge Sharing at the European Film Academy, which include Sunday in the Country editions, and the supervision of master class and seminar programming within the framework of the Academy.
Sandra is a gifted with a talent for drawing, is the mother of two children, and currently resides between Berlin and Switzerland. She is fluent in German and English, but you'll find her speaking Swedish quite well too.- Viviane Gajewski is a foreign-language administrative assistant by profession, specialized in French and English, and joined the team of the European Film Academy in 2001. She's running the Academy offices and co-ordinates the director's appointment schedule. Additionally, she is the main contact for all inquiries by European Film Academy members. During the months prior to the European Film Awards, she is actively involved in the preparations and members attending the ceremony will be greeted by Viviane at the welcome desk.
After a busy day, Viviane likes going for a walk, playing the violin - and watching films! Viviane speaks German, French and English fluently. - Additional Crew
A technology-savvy marketer with entrepreneurial spirit, Yves Wilken is a self-employed project manager working freelance for the European Film Academy. He helps companies to become more successful through innovation, technology, and marketing. As an independent project lead he plans and executes digital projects for startups and corporate clients to successfully innovate their business models. He specializes in data-driven marketing, analytics and e-commerce to drive maximum business impact.
Combining marketing and technology expertise with successful leadership and a proven track record of client acquisition and retention, Yves's long-standing experience in customer relationship and project management as well as his hands-on skills in various digital marketing disciplines will play a key role in the projects the European Film Academy is currently working on.- Additional Crew
Yvonne Apt has started working for the European Film Academy in 2014 and is in charge of Accounting and Membership Administration. She is the main contact for all inquiries regarding invoices and membership fees. During the months prior to the European Film Awards, she is actively involved in the preparations and members attending the ceremony will be greeted by Yvonne at the welcome desk.
Before working with us, Yvonne was part of the management of various film production companies in Austria, Germany, South Africa and Spain. Today, she lives in Brandenburg and grows her own vegetables and flowers in her garden, which she brings to the office to surprise her colleagues.