Ahmed Amer is a multidisciplinary filmmaker with over 10 feature films, some of which premiered at Venice, Cannes and major festivals. A recent focus on production through A. A. Films, alongside writing and directing, includes projects funded and recognized by major institutions.
Amer attended numerous workshops and labs including Torino Film Lab, EAVE and Sundance. He helps select projects for Torino Film Lab’s script and feature labs, and Rea Sea Film Festival’s Souk, and mentors on several regional and international programs. His most recent projects as a producer are “50 Meters” which premiered at CPH:DOX and “Hamlet From the Slums” currently in production. His latest writing credit is “My Father’s Scent” which premiered at the Warsaw Film Festival.

Taryn Joffe is a film curator and programmer who raises awareness of African and international cinema through festivals, dialogue and professional exchange. As Festival Manager of the Joburg Film Festival, she focuses on curating the JBX Talks industry programme, developing partnerships and festival strategy, and leading Cut to Story: The African Fiction Forum & Edit Lab.
Taryn previously served as Programmer and Industry Coordinator at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, where she also curated development initiatives, such as the Internship Programme in Festival Management and Film Curation and the Encounters Community Festivals: Doc Activate Season. Her broader experience includes work for the Durban FilmMart and Big World Cinema, and she served as Co-Chair of the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association of South Africa. Taryn has been a decision-maker at Cannes Docs and Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, and a juror for the SAFTAs and the International Documentary Association. Her practice is further informed by participation in programmes with Realness Institute, Talents Durban and Berlinale Talents. Taryn holds a Masters degree in Film Studies, Programming and Curation from the NFTS in the UK.

Paul Negoescu directed several short films that were awarded and selected in many international film festivals, including Cannes (Semaine de la Critique), Berlinale, Karlovy Vary or Rotterdam. Two of his short films (Renovation and Derby) were nominated at the European Film Academy Awards in 2009 and 2011. His first feature film, “A Month in Thailand” premiered at the Venice Film Festival (International Critics’ Week) in 2012 and was awarded with the FIPRESCI prize in the Sofia International Film Festival and Best Debut in Transilvania International Film Festival. His second feature film, “Two Lottery Tickets”, a micro-budget independent film, became one of the most successful Romanian film at the box-office and was also very well received by festivals and critics and it was distributed in many countries. In 2023 a sequel to this film called “Another Lottery Ticket” was released. His third feature, “The Story of a Summer Lover”, was distributed by Netflix in over 30 territories, while his fourth feature film, “Men of Deeds” won most important awards at the Romanian Industry Awards, including Best Film, Best Directing, Best Script, Best Male Actor, Best Supporting Role, Best Editing. His sixth film, “Atlas of the Universe” won the Special Mention of the Generation Jury at the 2026 Berlinale.

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