Short Film Competition Jury
Film critic, Distributor, France, Burkina Faso
Claire Diao is a French-Burkinabè film critic and distributor. She founded the short film program Quartiers Lointains in 2013, co-founded the Pan-African film critic magazine AWOTELE in 2015, and has been the CEO of the Pan-African film distribution company Sudu Connexion since 2016.
As a TV host and columnist, she has worked for Canal +, France O, and TV5 Monde. A Programmer at Large for the Lincoln Center and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival since 2016, she was also a member of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight official selection committee (2018-2022) and the FESPACO 2023 selection committee. Additionally, she served on the Short Film Committee of the French César Academy.
In 2023, she was honored as a Knight of the Order of Merit for the Arts of Letters and Communication by Burkina Faso. In 2024, she will join Africa No Filter as a Film Consultant.
Claire Diao is a French-Burkinabè film critic and distributor. She founded the short film program Quartiers Lointains in 2013, co-founded the Pan-African film critic magazine AWOTELE in 2015, and has been the CEO of the Pan-African film distribution company Sudu Connexion since 2016.
As a TV host and columnist, she has worked for Canal +, France O, and TV5 Monde. A Programmer at Large for the Lincoln Center and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival since 2016, she was also a member of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight official selection committee (2018-2022) and the FESPACO 2023 selection committee. Additionally, she served on the Short Film Committee of the French César Academy.
In 2023, she was honored as a Knight of the Order of Merit for the Arts of Letters and Communication by Burkina Faso. In 2024, she will join Africa No Filter as a Film Consultant.
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Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Germany
Silvana Santamaria is a German-Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. She graduated in 2010 from the renowned Film Academy Baden-Württemberg with a degree in Film Directing. Santamaria gained international attention as a director with her documentaries.
Since 2007, she has regularly collaborated with TV channels such as ARTE, ZDF, BR, 3Sat, SWR, and various German and international film funds. In 2013, she co-founded the film production company SOILFILMS. Their films have received awards and have been screened at major festivals worldwide, including Cannes, San Sebastián, Karlovy Vary, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Cairo, and Shanghai.
Santamaria is a member of the European Film Academy. Her latest work, PAMIR, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and was nominated for the European Film Award (Discovery) in 2022. In 2023, she was selected for the Producers on the Move program during the Cannes Film Festival.
Silvana Santamaria is a German-Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. She graduated in 2010 from the renowned Film Academy Baden-Württemberg with a degree in Film Directing. Santamaria gained international attention as a director with her documentaries.
Since 2007, she has regularly collaborated with TV channels such as ARTE, ZDF, BR, 3Sat, SWR, and various German and international film funds. In 2013, she co-founded the film production company SOILFILMS. Their films have received awards and have been screened at major festivals worldwide, including Cannes, San Sebastián, Karlovy Vary, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Cairo, and Shanghai.
Santamaria is a member of the European Film Academy. Her latest work, PAMIR, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and was nominated for the European Film Award (Discovery) in 2022. In 2023, she was selected for the Producers on the Move program during the Cannes Film Festival.
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Director, Egypt
Sandra Nashaat Bissal is an Egyptian director, born in Cairo. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the High Institute of Cinema in the directing department and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts with a major in French. She also received a scholarship to study in the United States and another scholarship at La Fémis in France.
She began her artistic career with the short film “Akhir Sheta” (The Last Winter), and her debut in feature films was with “Mabrouk and Bulbul.” She later directored a number of successful films, including “Leh Khallteni Ahibak,” “Haramiya Fi KG 2,” “Haramiya Fi Thailand,” “Al-Rahina,” “Malaki Alexandria,” “Masgoun Transit,” and “Al-Masleh.”
In addition to directing films, she has created interactive films featuring the Egyptian citizen, such as “Bahlam” (I Dream) and “Misr Gamila” (Beautiful Egypt), both of which resonated widely with various segments of Egyptian society.
Sandra Nashaat Bissal is an Egyptian director, born in Cairo. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the High Institute of Cinema in the directing department and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts with a major in French. She also received a scholarship to study in the United States and another scholarship at La Fémis in France.
She began her artistic career with the short film “Akhir Sheta” (The Last Winter), and her debut in feature films was with “Mabrouk and Bulbul.” She later directored a number of successful films, including “Leh Khallteni Ahibak,” “Haramiya Fi KG 2,” “Haramiya Fi Thailand,” “Al-Rahina,” “Malaki Alexandria,” “Masgoun Transit,” and “Al-Masleh.”
In addition to directing films, she has created interactive films featuring the Egyptian citizen, such as “Bahlam” (I Dream) and “Misr Gamila” (Beautiful Egypt), both of which resonated widely with various segments of Egyptian society.
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