News
Jury of the Competition Programme – Documentary Film of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival
The Jury of the Competition Programme – Documentary Film at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival will consist of producer Mandy Chang, festival director Marek Hovorka, and director, writer and producer Wang Xiaoshuai.
Mandy Chang
Founder and Creative Director of Undeniable, Fremantle's label, USA
Mandy Chang is the Founder and Creative Director of Fremantle's premium documentary label, Undeniable, whose slate includes feature documentary Devo, premiering at Sundance 2024 and Whatever it Takes premiering at SXSW 2024.
Mandy is an award winning filmmaker known for provocative and thought-provoking films like The Mona Lisa Curse and The Camera that Changed the World, and for executive producing innumerable documentaries and series.
Mandy was Head of ABC Arts before taking on the leadership of Storyville – the BBC’s legendary international documentary strand. At Storyville she was responsible for many critically acclaimed documentary features and series, among them Collective, Welcome to Chechnya, The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea, Writing with Fire, Misha and the Wolves, The Mole Agent, Cartel Land, The Fourth Estate and Corridors of Power.
At Storyville, Mandy extended the strand’s breadth and diversity, while supporting new talent. She left the BBC to lead Fremantle’s new documentary division as Head of Documentaries. Mandy now heads up Undeniable, returning to her passion for creating powerful documentaries.
Marek Hovorka
Founder and Director of Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic
Marek Hovorka graduated in documentary film studies from FAMU Prague (Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Fine Arts), where he now teaches a seminar on festival studies. He is the founder and director of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, the key European documentary film event, which is renowned for its dedication to auteurs and experimental non-fiction cinema. Its innovative industry program includes Emerging Producers, New Visions Forum, Ji.hlava Academy and Festival Identity. Since 2022, Ji.hlava has organized the Conference on Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking, providing a platform for scholars, film professionals, and the general public to engage in dialogue on important ethical issues in filmmaking and to stimulate research activities. Marek is also a co-founder of Doc Alliance, a partnership of seven key European documentary film festivals that support the diversity of documentary filmmaking and its online distribution through DAFilms.com. He has served on juries at international festivals, such as Taiwan International Documentary Festival, FID Marseille, Cinema Verite Tehran, Visions du Réel Nyon, It's all true São Paulo or CPH:DOX. He is a member of the European Film Academy and the Czech Film and Television Academy.
Marek Hovorka graduated in documentary film studies from FAMU Prague (Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Fine Arts), where he now teaches a seminar on festival studies. He is the founder and director of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, the key European documentary film event, which is renowned for its dedication to auteurs and experimental non-fiction cinema. Its innovative industry program includes Emerging Producers, New Visions Forum, Ji.hlava Academy and Festival Identity. Since 2022, Ji.hlava has organized the Conference on Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking, providing a platform for scholars, film professionals, and the general public to engage in dialogue on important ethical issues in filmmaking and to stimulate research activities. Marek is also a co-founder of Doc Alliance, a partnership of seven key European documentary film festivals that support the diversity of documentary filmmaking and its online distribution through DAFilms.com. He has served on juries at international festivals, such as Taiwan International Documentary Festival, FID Marseille, Cinema Verite Tehran, Visions du Réel Nyon, It's all true São Paulo or CPH:DOX. He is a member of the European Film Academy and the Czech Film and Television Academy.
Wang Xiaoshuai
Director, writer and producer, China
Wang Xiaoshuai is one of very few masters who remains true to his art in spite of rampant commercialism in the Chinese film industry, directing fifteen feature films over the past three decades. By virtue of strong personal style, deep concern for humanity, and diligent independent way of filmmaking, his work has garnered international acclaim, winning five Silver Bear Awards at the Berlinale, the Jury Prize at Cannes, the Best Director at the Asia Pacific Film Awards, among other prestigious accolades.
The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 16 to 23 August 2024.
Wang Xiaoshuai is one of very few masters who remains true to his art in spite of rampant commercialism in the Chinese film industry, directing fifteen feature films over the past three decades. By virtue of strong personal style, deep concern for humanity, and diligent independent way of filmmaking, his work has garnered international acclaim, winning five Silver Bear Awards at the Berlinale, the Jury Prize at Cannes, the Best Director at the Asia Pacific Film Awards, among other prestigious accolades.
The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 16 to 23 August 2024.