Wanda Bendjelloul

Bio

Wanda is a Swedish film critic, author, filmmaker and TV producer with a background in current affairs: On a weekly basis, she reviews films for the biggest Swedish morning paper Dagens Nyheter. She also discusses the new releases on Sweden's Channel 4.

Yorgos Krassakopoulos

Bio

Yorgos he has been working in the film industry since the 1990s. He was a founding member and head programmer of the Athens film festival. He worked as a film critic in print, radio and television. In the early 2000s, he was co-founder of arthouse distributor Playtime. Since 1992 he has worked with the Thessaloniki film festival in various capacities, joining the team full-time as a programmer in 2011. In 2016 he became the festival's Head of Programming, also being in charge of the Thessaloniki documentary film festival. Yorgos has participated in numerous international festivals as a jury member and has been a member of the European Parliament’s LUX Prize selection committee for several years.

Yorgos Krassakopoulos

Bio

Yorgos he has been working in the film industry since the 1990s. He was a founding member and head programmer of the Athens film festival. He worked as a film critic in print, radio and television. In the early 2000s, he was co-founder of arthouse distributor Playtime. Since 1992 he has worked with the Thessaloniki film festival in various capacities, joining the team full-time as a programmer in 2011. In 2016 he became the festival's Head of Programming, also being in charge of the Thessaloniki documentary film festival. Yorgos has participated in numerous international festivals as a jury member and has been a member of the European Parliament’s LUX Prize selection committee for several years.

Yaara Ozery

Bio

Yaara is a film programmer, scholar and lecturer. She is a senior programmer and part of the selection committee of the Haifa film festival, and a co-editor of the industry events. Yaara teaches at the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, and at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. As a scholar, she focuses her research on women’s cinema and documentary cinema. She worked as a program manager for DocAviv, The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival. She served as a jury member for several film festivals and as a consultant for several film funds. In 2017 she founded Mirrors – The Tel Aviv University Women’s Film and Television Conference.

Yaara Ozery

Bio

Yaara is a film programmer, scholar and lecturer. She is a senior programmer and part of the selection committee of the Haifa film festival, and a co-editor of the industry events. Yaara teaches at the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, and at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. As a scholar, she focuses her research on women’s cinema and documentary cinema. She worked as a program manager for DocAviv, The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival. She served as a jury member for several film festivals and as a consultant for several film funds. In 2017 she founded Mirrors – The Tel Aviv University Women’s Film and Television Conference.

Vera Mijojlić

Bio

Vera Mijojlić is a cultural producer who founded the South East European Film Festival, SEEfest (seefilmla.org) in Los Angeles in 2006. SEEfest is the premier American cinematic showcase and cross-cultural bridge for celebrated and often-daring movies from 20 East and Southeast European countries. In her dual capacity as Director of the Festival and its Artistic Director, Vera brings European filmmakers to Los Angeles, serves as a catalyst for commercial distribution deals, and aligns corporate sponsors with the festival and its year-round activities.

She has curated major film retrospectives for the UCLA Film Archive and Austin Film Society, and initiated a national tour of landmark short films with the Los Angeles Filmforum, which was presented at the Pacific Film Archive, Harvard Film Archive, National Gallery of Art, and MoMA. In addition to the 2023 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Award nomination by the Los Angeles Business Journal and 2018 Women in Leadership Award from the City of West Hollywood, she has received multiple recognitions from the State of California, as well as the County and City of Los Angeles, and City of Beverly Hills.  Among other industry affiliations, mentorship and support for independent films, Vera also proudly serves on the Advisory Council of the Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, and is a member of the European Film Academy. 

Vera began as a cultural reporter and film critic in Sarajevo, where she was also the location manager for the N.Y.-based Jalbert Productions which filmed the official documentary of the historic 1984 Winter Olympic Games. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade, and has a distinguished record in humanitarian work. 
 

Vera Mijojlić

Bio

Vera Mijojlić is a cultural producer who founded the South East European Film Festival, SEEfest (seefilmla.org) in Los Angeles in 2006. SEEfest is the premier American cinematic showcase and cross-cultural bridge for celebrated and often-daring movies from 20 East and Southeast European countries. In her dual capacity as Director of the Festival and its Artistic Director, Vera brings European filmmakers to Los Angeles, serves as a catalyst for commercial distribution deals, and aligns corporate sponsors with the festival and its year-round activities.

She has curated major film retrospectives for the UCLA Film Archive and Austin Film Society, and initiated a national tour of landmark short films with the Los Angeles Filmforum, which was presented at the Pacific Film Archive, Harvard Film Archive, National Gallery of Art, and MoMA. In addition to the 2023 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Award nomination by the Los Angeles Business Journal and 2018 Women in Leadership Award from the City of West Hollywood, she has received multiple recognitions from the State of California, as well as the County and City of Los Angeles, and City of Beverly Hills.  Among other industry affiliations, mentorship and support for independent films, Vera also proudly serves on the Advisory Council of the Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, and is a member of the European Film Academy. 

Vera began as a cultural reporter and film critic in Sarajevo, where she was also the location manager for the N.Y.-based Jalbert Productions which filmed the official documentary of the historic 1984 Winter Olympic Games. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade, and has a distinguished record in humanitarian work.