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Mike is a film Director, who brings grass roots appreciation of the production industries to his break-through work. Prized as a fixer for international crews, with a track record as Assistant Director to the like's of Peter Greenaway (Nightwatching), and with a Masters in Film from a Skillset Screen Academy, he marries deft production skills with an acute understanding of visual language.
When released to the festival circuit in the summer of 2007, his debut short film (the ambitious 35mm drama 'SICK') was quickly endorsed by Samaritans who called it 'a compelling and moving work'. Film London hailed it 'a subtle yet forceful story, sensitively portrayed'. The film won 20 International awards from over 60 festival selections across 25 countries, including Best Editing at the San Francisco Short Film Festival, Best Actor at the Festival de Cine de Granada, Best Integral Realization at the Festival de Cine Internacional de Barcelona, Best Director at the Festival du Cinema de Bruxelles, Best Actress at the New York Short Film Festival and Best Short Film at the Chicago Short Film Festival. It has been the subject of Mental Health Festivals in Portugal, Bosnia, Sarajevo and Nova Scotia, and trialled for educational use across the UK, with World Sales by Dazzle Short Film Label. In 2008 Mike was represented by the British High Commission when receiving Malta's prestigeous Golden Knight Award, and delivered a masterclass to delegates of the Euroshorts Film Festival in Warsar, which he is reprising for UK Universities.
Mike has now been awarded support from The UK Film Council, Skillset, Screen South and Film London to pursue his drama work. Adding certificates in Cinematography (BFS) and Two Camera Drama Directing (NFTS) to eclectic vocational experience, he has completed commissions for MTV Networks Europe and soft drink company TZU among others. | |
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International Jury Member
Ken Kimmelman
Ken Kimmelman is an award-winning filmmaker and recipient of the 1995 Emmy Award for his anti-prejudice public service film The Heart Knows Better, airing nationally on CNN and Bravo. His latest film, Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana, based on the 1925 Nation prize-winning poem by Eli Siegel, has been the official selection of numerous national and international festivals. It won the "Best US Short," Avignon / New York; Gold Remi Award - Worldfest Houston; "Platinum Best of Show" - Aurora Awards; "Grand Festival Award in the Arts" - Berkeley Film Festival, among others. His public service film against homelessness, What Does a Person Deserve? received the Silver Cindy Award and airs nationally on TV and in movie theatres.
He is president of Imagery Film Ltd. and a consultant on the faculty of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, a not-for-profit educational foundation in New York City. He has produced films for the United Nations against prejudice and apartheid: Asimbonanga, winner of the Newark Black Film Festival's "Paul Robeson Award", Atlanta Film Festival's "Director's Choice Award," "Cindy Award;" and Brushstrokes, winner of "Best Children's Film"--ASIFA-EAST Film Festival. He received a 1997-98 Emmy Award for his contributions to "Sesame Street", and 1992 & 1993 Emmy nominations, and an Ace nomination as a director on the animated TV series Doug.
In 1968 he produced and directed the documentary People Are Trying to Put Opposites Together, about Eli Siegel, the American poet, critic, and founder of Aesthetic Realism, televised on WNET-TV Channel 13. He also produced political films, theatricals, TV commercials, and a film for New York City Opera's Beatrix Cenci, performed at Lincoln Center. He has made many films for the Children's Television Workshop's "Sesame Street", including Elmo's World; was a director of Clifford's Puppy Days for Scholastic; and animated an Italian TV series titled Mr. Hiccup. In 1995-96 he was director on the animated series Daria for MTV; in 1999 he was a director on The Wild Thornberries, for Clasky-Csupo. He produced films for the Children's Museum of Manhattan for a major exhibit titled "Body Odyssey." He is currently in development on documentaries about Anna Ella Carroll, a Civil War heroine; a 55 year-old African- American bus driver who begins studying the cello; Horn & Hardart's Automat; also two animated TV series titled Pig William and The Fuzzy Dice Report; and an animated TV special Thomas Comma. | |
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International Jury Member
Riad Galayini
RIAD GALAYINI is a photographer - actor - filmmaker. She is a Fellow of Film Independent's Directors Lab and Project Involve, a program dedicated to increasing cultural diversity in the film industry. She is the producer-director of three award winning short films: Nude Descending (Taos Talking Pictures George Melies Award, Universal Studios, American Cinematheque and Hypnotic Directors Series, Anthology Film Archives) the festival favorite, Parking, directed by James Morrison (New Directors/New Films at the Museum of Modern Art, Slamdance - Audience Award, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Florida Film Festival - 3rd place Narrative, Sundance Channel) and her most recent, Crossing, (FIND Cinema Lounge, Vail Film Festival, Method Fest, Malibu International Film Festival, New Filmmakers Anthology Film Archives, Salento Film Festival) was the recipient of the Gold Medal for Excellence at the 2006 Park City Film Music Festival, Grand Prize Winner in the 2006 Chicks with Flicks Film Festival in Manhattan, Best Story at the Big Mountain Film Festival New Zealand, Second Place Best Narrative Urban Mediamakers, nominee for the Best Narrative at the Miami Short Film Festival, Best Fiction Film at the New York Short Film Festival, second place at the Johnstown Film Festival and winner for Best Direction at the Festival Du Cinema de Paris.
As an actor she has worked with directors Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes, and Ridley Scott. She has performed at regional theatres, including the Mark Taper Forum and the Salt Lake Acting Company.
She has directed television commercials, plays and staged readings in Los Angeles for the Ensemble Studio, The Stella Adler, The Hudson and The Tiffany theatres, and her photographs have been published in national magazines. She is developing two feature films, The Last Nail and Far Across Yonder (FIND Directors Lab, IFP Market Emerging Narrative Award Finalist, Script Pimp Competition Finalist, Winner Century City Screenplay Competition) written by her husband and partner, James Morrison. | |
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International Jury Member
Abhijit das Gupta
Abhijit Das Gupta has been associated with news since the early 60's and with television for over three decades.
He is an alumnus of the Film & TV Institute of India, Pune. He was also trained at The BBC London, AIBD Malaysia, NDR Germany, ABC (Australia)
He took voluntary retirement from Indian National Television (Doordarshan) as a Station Director in 1995. He was the Bureau Chief of WTN (Worldwide Television News) and was Production -in-charge of ESPN. He was the Executive Director of Tara Bangla, a regional TV channel, -and designed the first TV news "Khas Khabor" produced by the private sector.
Abhijit was the Media head of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi?s trips to ? Egypt, Algeria, France, Switzerland and the USA.
Abhijit was the Chief producer of the Election telecasts of NDTV & Doordarshan with Dr Prannoy Roy for two elections. He was the Chief Producer of two other election broadcasts for Aajtak & Doordarshan lasting 72 hours LIVE.
Abhijit was the first to extensively photograph & write about the Onge tribe of Little Andaman Island and the Head Hunters of Nagaland in the late 60s. His articles were published worldwide.
Abhijit was the youngest war correspondent to cover the Bangladesh Freedom war. His articles got published through out the world including TIME, Newsweek, Asahi etc.
Abhijit is the Secretary of Kolkata Sukriti Foundation, an eNGO that uses TV to reach the unreached with socially purposive programmes.
To his credit are over 1500 LIVE telecasts of Football, Cricket, Kabaddi and Cultural programmes including, World Cup Cricket, Asian Games (New Delhi, Beijing & Hiroshima) BSI World Masters Cricket. He also produced the "highest revenue earned" program of India - Lata in concert LIVE for Sony TV.
Abhijit Dasgupta was invited in 2009 by UNESCO to give a lecture in Sao Paulo on visual communication as a unique way to solving multilingual communication problems.
He is a Visiting Professor & Examiner of several Universities.
Abhijit is the National coordinator for India of INPUT (INternational PUblic Television) the largest TV association of Public TV broadcasters.
He has received 2 National and 22 International Awards for Best Documentary films. | | |
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Chicago Short Film Festival - The Jury