10 fiction, documentary and animation films are taking part in this year’s VIFF Competition. Emerging, and some already awarded, directors from Europe in their first or second feature films demonstrate astonishing ambition, skill, and distinctive authorship. They choose different, but important themes, and have a bright outlook, piercing gaze and strong ability to immerse the viewer in the story. The films in the Competition will be judged by an international jury and the Best Film will be awarded a prize of €8 000.

JURY MEMBERS

Since 1998 Jakub Duszyński acts as artistic director at Warsaw-based art house film distribution company Gutek Film. He promoted, overlooked campaigns and released in cinemas in Poland over 350 feature films including classic Ingmar Bergman masterpieces, all films by Pedro Almodovar, Lars von Trier, Asghar Farhadi and Michael Haneke, just to name a few.

Miguel Valverde is the progammer and director of IndieLisboa – International Film Festival, as well as director of Portugal Film – Portuguese Film Agency. He served as a juror of CPH Doxs, Sarajevo, Torino. Producer of two short films and a feature “Aqui, em Lisboa” co-directed by several directors, among them short segments shown in Berlinale and IFFR.

Dounia Sichov studied theater, editing and producing. For the last 12 years, she’s been working with such directors as Abel Ferrara, Denis Côté, Danielle Arbid, Catherine Breillat, Sharunas Bartas and Damien Manivel. Editor of "That Kind of Summer" by Denis Côté (Berlinale), "Return to Seoul" by Davy Chou (Cannes), and "Mariupolis II" by Mantas Kvedaravicius (Cannes, European Film Awards).

Judith State is a professional dancer and actress with a classical ballet foundation. She worked on Cristi Puiu's "Sieranevada" (Cannes Film Festival) and "Malmkrog", Marius Olteanu's "Monsters." (Berlin IFF), Daniel Sandu's "The Father Who Moves Mountains", Liviu Marghidan's "Refuge", Gyuri Kristoff's “Zenith”, and Cristian Mungiu's “RMN” (Cannes Film Festival).

Laurynas Bareiša graduated with Bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Cinematography. Latest film - SLOW (dir. Marija Kavtaradze, Sundance 2023). His debut film Pilgrims (2022) won Orizzonti Award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.