Juries

The award-winning Iranian-German director, video artist, and editor was born in Tehran in 1984, studied film directing in Iran and at the HFF Munich, and lives and works in Germany. Narges Kalhor's works span documentary film, experimental art, and fiction, and often explore themes such as exile, identity, feminist perspectives and political resistance.
Her films "Shoot Me" (2013), "In the Name of Scheherazade" or "The First Beer Garden in Tehran" (2019) and "Sensitive Content "(2023) have been screened internationally and have received numerous awards. Her feature film debut "Shahid" (2024), with which she competed at the Neisse Film Festival in 2024, received the Caligari Film Prize and the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award at the 2024 Berlinale, as well as the Hessian Film Prize for Best Feature Film.
She is currently developing her feature film "The Inverted Well," which has been selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market 2025.

Soňa Morgenthalová is a film professional with a background in film theory and cultural management. She began her career in international production and casting, working with Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer and collaborating on numerous films and series.

In 2017, she joined the MIDPOINT Institute, where she shapes and runs training program. She supports the development of both feature and short film projects and helps authors and producers build craft, confidence, and industry-relevant skills. She also initiated Focus Queer, which supports LGBTQ+ storytelling and expanding their representation across the industry.

Beyond MIDPOINT, Soňa is regularly involved as an expert for various institutions and initiatives, including the Czech Film Center, the Kosovo Cinematography Center or PITCH_IT. Across these roles, she is motivated by a consistent focus: discovering bold, original filmmakers, supporting unique and diverse cinematic voices, and helping new talent find momentum within the international film landscape.

Maria Zbąska ist Absolventin der Filmhochschule Łódź, später der Wajda-Schule. Sie arbeitet als Fotografin und Filmemacherin; ihre fotografischen Arbeiten erschienen u. a. in National Geographic, Gazeta Wyborcza, M Magazin und NRC Handelsblad und wurden in Einzel- und Gruppenausstellungen gezeigt. Als Regisseurin realisierte sie Musikvideos, Werbespots und Kurzfilme, darunter den mehrfach ausgezeichneten „Psubrat“ (2013). Gemeinsam mit ihrem Bruder Kazimierz Zbąski entwickelte sie die Kult-Sozialkampagne „Mafia dla psa“ („Mafia für Hunde“). Ihr Spielfilmdebüt „To nie mój film“ (Das ist nicht mein Film) wurde vielfach ausgezeichnet, u. a. bei FPFF in Gdynia (Złoty Pazur), PNF Orły 2025 (Entdeckung des Jahres sowie Nominierung für den besten Film und Regie), TIFF Thessaloniki (Grand Prix / Smart7), dem Europäischen Filmfestival „CinEast“ in Luxemburg – Young Talents Award 2024, 3KINO Praha (Grand Prix) sowie mit Preisen für das beste Drehbuch (Neisse Film Festival, Script Fiesta) und die beste Kamera beim Festival „Młodzi i Film“ (Jugendliche und Film) in Koszalin.