Croatian filmmaker Jozo Schmuch holds a Master’s in Film and TV Direction from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. His narrative and documentary shorts often explore identity, memory and social tension. Shallow Ground is his latest film and has already screened at a number of festivals including PÖFF Shorts, Sarajevo and Zagreb where it won the Best Short Film Award.

Marie Lukáčová is a visual artist and film director who in recent years has showcased her work both internationally and domestically. Her film Moréna Rex (2019) won an award in the experimental film category at the Jihlava IDFF while film Milena’s Song (2019) received an honorable mention for at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival. Her latest film Orla, developed within the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Talents scheme, premiered at IFF Rotterdam 2026.

Helsinki born Helmi Donner studied film directing at Aalto University. Fascinated by the interplay between past and present, she has also sourced archive material for several feature films. The Lightning Rod is Donner’s MA project and was selected in 2025 for La Cinef, the official section of the Cannes Film Festival for short films made in film schools. The film has gone on to screen at festivals such as Uppsala and Helsinki – Love and Anarchy where it won the Audience Award.

Son of a French trapezist and an English aerialist, Teilo Quillard Eliot grew up in the circus. Trained in theatre and then at La Fémis film school, he has directed both fiction and documentary short films. He is developing a feature rooted in the circus world, a legacy of his childhood.

Arnas Balčiūnas is a Lithuanian film director and a graduate of KIMO (Lithuanian National Film School). His debut short, Through Gloom (2022), won Best International Film at Friss Hús ISFF in Hungary. His follow-up, Hubble’s Law (2024) has screened at more than 25 international festivals, while his 2026 film Class Photo premiered at Semaine de la Critique 2026. His 2025 bachelor’s graduation film, Past The Hill of Napoelon’s Hat, received a Special Mention at Drama ISFF, Greece.

Ollie Launspach is a Dutch filmmaker. After studying History and working on a number of set jobs in the production and camera departments, he began the Documentary Directing course at the Netherlands Film Academy in 2020. His latest film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang premiered in the short film competition at IDFA.

Ljubljana born David Champaigne is an American Slovenian film director and screenwriter. He completed his MA in Film Directing at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) in Ljubljana. His short films 2030 (2022) and After (2024) received multiple awards, including the Vesna Award for Best Student Short Film at the Festival of Slovenian Film. He is currently developing his debut feature film Self Sown.

Júlia Coldwell Serra is a Spanish director and screenwriter who graduated in Directing from the Catalonia Film and Audiovisual School (ESCAC) with Nobody Barks. The film premiered at SEMINCI Valladolid and has continued its journey at festivals such as Busan (Grand Prix winner), 2ANNAS Riga (Best Fiction Film), Brussels Short Film Festival (Grand Prix & Youth Jury Prize), Clermont-Ferrand and many others.

Swedish filmmaker André Vaara holds a bachelor’s degree in film from HDK-Valand and a master’s degree in film directing from Stockholm University of the Arts. In his filmmaking, André often explores intimate stories about identity, gender roles, and power. His latest film Sister of Mine premiered in Startsladden at the Gothenburg Film Festival. André is currently developing his first feature film, which received the Swedish Film Institute’s Wild Card award.

Hae-Sup Sin is a Swiss-Korean director from Opfikon in Switzerland. In 2015, he began his studies at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), which he completed in 2019 with a bachelor‘s degree in 2019, followed by a master‘s degree in feature film directing in 2025. His work focuses on cross-cultural stories set in diasporic communities. He is currently working on his first feature film Some Korean Summer.