Born in 1946, M.A. in art history (Moscow University), professor, Ph.D. in cultural studies, Director of the Russian Institute for Cultural Research, author of 14 books and more than 300 articles on art history, film and the media, cultural policy and development. Organiser of film festivals and TV programmes on film and art. Previous positions: researcher at the Russian Film Archive (Gosfilmofond), special assistant to the president of the State Film Committee, professor of film history, media and cultural studies at the State Film Institute (VGIK), High courses for film directors and script writers and the Institute for European culture in Moscow.

Born in Stepanavan, Armenia, in 1936. Ronald Kazaryan is a soundman, author of the monography on sound-visual counterpoint theory, Film Phonography Aesthetics (2011), the Honoured Art Figure of RF (1997), a VGIK Professor (2002), a member of Union of the Cinematographers of Russua since 1972. In 1959 he graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Film Engineers. Worked as a sound engineer at the Hayfilm Studio, 1959-63. Since 1963 has been a soundman at the Mosfilm Studio. He is the author of the phonography for over 30 feature films, including Run, Teheran-43. Kazaryan is the author of “concrete music” for the Lev Kulidjanov’s film Crime and Punishment as well. He is the soundman of the first Soviet film in Dolby-Stereo, Mother by Gleb Panfilov, which was awarded the Special Prize of Cannes IFF for Artistic Achievements (1990). A Nika National Cinema Award laureate (1990), Nika Academy Full Member. Since 1976 he has been conducting “Sound Solutions for film” course at the Higher Courses of Film Writers and Directors under UC of Russia. Since 1992 Roland Kazaryan is the head of the first workshop of audio engineering at the Directing Department of the VGIK. He was the head of Audio Engineering Chair, VGIK, 1999-2004.

Studied directing at the Higher Institute for Theatre Arts (Sofia) and at the State Institute for Theatre Arts, GITIS (Moscow); she holds Master’s Degree in authorial documentary film from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, VGIK (Moscow). In 1990, as a TV documentary filmmaker Paskaleva focused on the ethnic conflict in South Ossetia and made a film devoted to these events. In 1991-94 she worked in Nagorno Karabakh as a journalist, filmmaker and camerawoman to cover the evolving conflict. During these years she produced 7 documentaries (the Karabakh's Wounds chronicles) and numerous reports for TV channels in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Russia, and the USA (Reuters, CNN, NBC, Antenne 2, ZDF, etc.). Paskaleva received a number of awards at international film festivals for her Karabakh's Wounds series. She has made over 20 TV documentaries on social and environmental issues, as well as biography and travel. Paskaleva has been hosting programs at the Armenian Public TV Company since 1995. She conducts master classes on documentary film at professional schools in Armenia, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, etc. Paskaleva has been awarded numerous state decorations for humanitarian and professional achievements. She is a member of the International Documentary Association (USA), the Union of Journalists (Bulgaria), and the Union of Cinematographers (Armenia).

Journalist and Media Expert. For the past 17 years has been working as the Managing Director of Internews Media Support NGO in Armenia, oversights production of TV and radio programs, documentary films as well as journalism and other media related trainings for the students and professionals. Nouneh Sarkissian has over 25 years’ experience in broadcast journalism. In 1986-96 she served as a reporter, editor and producer with the Armenian National TV Company and later with A1 - Armenia’s first independent news production TV studio. Nouneh Sarkissian is the author and producer of hundreds of TV reports and programs and documentary film projects (Dialogue through Films 2007-2010; World of Conflict 2007-2012; Workshop on a Crossroads 2007, 2009, 2012; Memory without Borders 2012, etc.). She is a member of the Union of Journalists of Armenia, board member of the Yerevan Press Club, advisory board member of EPF-Armenia. She served as a jury member for several professional competitions and festivals locally and internationally, including Emmy International (2005, 2011), Sunchild IFF (2009), ReAnimania IFF (2011).

Born in Dushanbe. Made her film debut as actress at the age of 7. In he following 9 years played about ten roles in feature and television films. In 1987 graduated from the Scriptwriting and Film History Department of the Moscow All-Union Institute of Cinematography (VGIK, E. Surkov’s and L. Mamatova’s master class). In 1987-88 - expert of the Culture Fund. From 1987 to 1991 - senior film-editor at the Tadjikfilm Studio. Since 1991 lives and works in Moscow. In 1991-93 - editor at the Fund for Cinema Support. From 1994 to 1996 - assistant to D. Dondurei, editor-in-chief of the journal Iskusstvo Kino, at the same time film program coordinator of the Kinotavr IFF in Sochi. In 1999-2005 - director and member of the selection committee of the IFF in Sochi, the Faces of Love IFF, and the International Children’s Arts Festival Kinotavrik. In 2002-2005 executive director of the Kinotavr Open Russian FF. Since 2005 - program director of the ORFF Kinotavr. Served in jury of the FFs in Hyderabad, Tallinn, Mar del Plata, Cottbus, Berlin, Karlovy Vary, Venice.

Born in Ukraine, in 1960. Film director and screenwriter, member of the Unions of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, member of the Guild of Russian Screenwriters, member of the Guild of Documentarists in Russia, a member of the Guild of Russian Filmmakers, board member of the Crimean branch of the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine. In 1982 he worked as an assistant operator at the Leningrad Documentary Film Studio. In 1984 he entered the screenwriting department of the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and directors of the USSR State Committee for Cinematography (master class of Leonid Gurevich). In 1989 he graduated as a director of documentary films. In subsequent years, more than 40 documentaries were made based on his scripts and he made more than 60 films.

She is one of the field’s pioneers in broadening contemporary art. Armenian born in Istanbul, Swiss citizen, married to the photographer Franz Egon von Fürstenberg, she is one of the first curators who showed an interest in non-Western artists, thus opening the way for a multicultural approach in art. During her studies of Political Sciences at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Adelina founded the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva; later on she directed Le Magasin, Centre d’Art Contemporain of Grenoble, France and its School of Curators. In 1993, she was awarded by the Jury of the 45th Venice Biennial for her direction of Le Magasin and her educational work. In 1996 she founded Art for The World, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) associate to the UN Department of Public Information for the diffusion and promotion of the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through art, the organization of exhibitions and the production of films around the world. Knowing that cinema is peculiarly potent to familiarize cultures to each other, to create endless possibilities that regenerate and enrich our social lives, Adelina von Fürstenberg, in 2008 for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), produced successfully a long feature film Stories on Human Rights and composed a series of 22 short movies directed by Hany Abu Assad, Sergei Bodrov, Pablo Trapero, Apichapong Weerasetakul, Jasmila Zbanic, etc. In 2011, under the patronage of UN’s Alliance of Civilizations and the Council of Europe she produced a second series of 7 short films Then & Now: Beyond Borders and Differences, by Fanny Ardant, Idrissa Ouedraogo, Jafar Panahi, etc. Currently, Adelina is working on a new series of short films Myths and Misconceptions (tentative title), on the subject of cancer.