Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Jury announced

Kati Outinen, Finland

Katie Outinen has worked after graduating from Theatre Academy in Helsinki 1984 in several theatres (Komteatteri, Helsinki City theatre and Ryhmäteatteri among others) and in radio theatre, where she also wrote. She worked from 2002 to 2013 as a Professor of acting in Helsinki Theatre Academy.

Kati Outinen has participated in about 50 films over the years. The most important of them are the ones she has made with Aki Kaurismäki, about 10 films between 1986–2011. For one of them, “The Man Without a Past”, she won the best actress award at the Cannes film Festival in 2002. Nowadays she is a freelancer and in addition to acting she is in the middle of writing and directing a play of her own.

Andrei Proshkin, Russia

Andrei Proshkin is a Russian film director. His films includes “Spartacus And Kalashnikov” (2002) which won the Golden Eagle – an annual prize of the National Academy of Film Art And Science for best first film, special prize at National Film Festival in Kinotavr and prizes for the best film at Festivals in Zlin and Buenos Aires; “The Moths Games” (2004), won the special jury prize in Kinotavr; “Soldiers Decameron” (2005), “Minnesota”; “Orange Juice” (2010); “The Horde” (2012), which won the prizes for the best director and the best actress at the 34th Moscow International Film Festival, 5 Golden Eagles, including for best director and 7 Nikita prizes. At the moment Andrei is finishing his next film “Orlean.”

Benson Taylor, UK

Hollywood composer, Benson Taylor's, music has strong British influences. Studying his craft at UCLA in California, Taylor learned to create music scores on a modern platform,  fusing the traditional film score sound with electronics & other musical settings. It’s this unique skill that earned him being called ‘The new sound of Hollywood’ by MovieScope Magazine. His work spans the Ricky Gervais Show, Ray Donovan Show, Comedy Centrals 30 Rock, Two and Half Men, Justified, The Big Bang Theory, Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, and video games including CSI:New York and Football Manager. In December 2013, Taylor won ‘Best Original Music’ at the Monaco International Film Festival for his emotive score to ‘Fear of Water’, and he is currently writing music for Mathew Cullen’s film adaptation of the Martin Amis novel “London Fields”, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Amber Heard, and Johnny Depp.

Tomas Wasilewski, Poland

Tomasz Wasilewski is a Polish scriptwriter and director. He gratuated from Academy of Film and Television and The National Film School in Łódź. His full-length film debut “In a Bedroom” had it's world premiere in Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2012, Ecumenical Jury Avard in Mannheim-Heildelberg International Film Festival 2012 and was one of the most often presented Polish films at the international film festivals. His second feature film “Floating Skyscrapers” had it’s world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, 2013 and American film critics chose this as the best movie presented at Tribeca. “Floating Skyscrapers” won the East of the West competition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2013, Audience Award at International Competition New Horizons in Wrocław, Best New Directing Talent and Grand Prix of Juth Jury at Gdynia Film Festival – Poland and Best Directing Award at Transilvania International Film Festival 2014. Currently Tomasz is working on his third feature film “United States of Love”, script of which was presented at Cinemart during Rotterdam International Fim Festival 2014 and at the Berlinale Coproduction Market at the Berlinale International Film Festival 2014.

Mark Axelrod, USA

Mark Axelrod is a professor of Comparative Literature and Creative Writing at Chapman University, Orange, CA. He has taught screenwriting throughout the US, UK, Europe and Latin America at Universidade of São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil , University of Stockholm, Sweden, Hamburg Media School, University of Hamburg in Germany among others.

Mark has written several books on screenwriting, as “Character & Conflict: Corner Stones of Screenwriting”, 2004, “I read it at the Movies”(screenwriting/adaptation) 2006 and more. The latest being on dialogue, “Constructing Dialogue: From Citizen Kane to Midnight in Paris”, 2013. Mark Axelrod is also director of the John Fowles Center for Creative Writing.

Elina Reinold, Estonia

Elina Reinold graduated from the Drama School of Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with a BA in 1994 and with a MA in 2014. In 1993 she joined the Estonian Drama Theatre, creating her best roles in collaboration with legendary Estonian stage directors, Mikk Mikiver and Mati Unt. Since 2006 she has been working as a freelance actress with different private companies (R.A.A.A.M., Kell Kümme) and stage directors (Homayun Ghanizadeh, Marat Gatsalov, Adrian Giurgea, Lev Erenburg, Andrei Moguchi). She has taken part in special projects (Antigone, Tühermaa) and participated in international theatre festivals (Teatterikesä in Tampere, Golden Mask in Moscow, Dialog in Wrocław, Fadjr in Tehran, WienerFestwochen etc). She stars in the performances of the new venue of performing arts in Tallinn, Vaba Lava (Open Space). Elina Reinold has played roles in classical plays (Chekhov, Miller, Calderón) as well as in contemporary ones (Churchill, Boytchev, Jablonskaya, Ayckbourn, Norén). She has given her voice to characters in animated films (Lotte series), played roles in TV-series (Kättemaksukontor) and fictional films (Mushrooming). She has been awarded the best actress prize at the 29thInternational Theatre Festival Fadjr in Iran (2011) and the best film actress in the 12th International Film Festival in Marrakesh, Morocco (2012).

Dr Martin Botha, South Africa

Dr Martin Botha is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Film and Media Studies at the University of Cape Town. He is a member of FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) and was South Africa’s correspondent for International Film Guide from 1991–2012. He has published more than 200 articles, reports and papers on the South African media, including six books on South African cinema, namelyImages of South Africa: the rise of the alternative film (1992), Movies Moguls Mavericks: South African cinema: 1979–1991, Marginal Lives and Painful Pasts: South African cinema after apartheid (2007), South African Cinema 1896–2010 (2012) etc. At the 1994 Giffoni International Film Festival and at the 2009 Ischia Global Film and Music Festival he received awards for his contribution to South African cinema.

Zaza Urushadze, Georgia

Georgian director, writer and producer Zaza Urushadze is currently the head of the Union of Georgian Filmmakers. In 1982-1988 he studied film directing at Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film School at Georgian State University. His most acclaimed films are “Here Comes the Dawn” (PÖFF 1998), “Three Houses” (2008), “Stay With Me” (PÖFF 2011), “The Guardian” (PÖFF 2012) and “Tangerines” (PÖFF 2013, Georgian-Estonian co-production). Zaza Urushadze has partizipated in many international film festivals, including festivals in Montreal, Gotteborg, Montpelier, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Cottbus, Stuttgart, Anon, Tallinn, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Kiev, Minsk and others. In 2012 he won International Film Festival “Kinoshock” Anapa -award for best director. He’s coproduction with Estonian production company Allfilm lead to movie “Tangerines” which has won several prizes at festivals around the world and was nominated by Estonia for an Oscar in the foreign language movie category.

Anu Veermäe-Kaldra, Estonia

Anu Veermäe-Kaldra has studied in Tallinn University and has a degree in advertising and media, additionally she has studied psychology and has a diploma from Media Business School, Ronda/Spain in European Audiovisual Management. Anu has been active in audiovisual and advertising industry for seventeen years, managing companies in the audiovisual field including Rudolf Konimois Film company. Anu Veermäe-kaldra has been the sales manager, executive producer and co-producer of various films. She has produced music videos, TV serials and more than 1000 ads with various creative teams for Baltic, Swedish and Finnish TV channels. These creative teams received several domestic and international awards in audiovisual field. In 2004 Hollywood Reporter named Anu Veermäe one of the 100 most influential women in film production in the world.

Judy Ahn, South Korea

Judy Ahn majored in English Literature and graduated in 1993. She joined production company Cine 2000 in 1997, where she worked in marketing Korean films.  She has worked for Pusan International Film Festival as a member of the promotional team. In 2000 she joined Tube Entertainment and began her career in international sales for Korean films. After two years she moved to KM Culture and continued international business for two years. Since 2004, she’s leading the international business department by working international sales, acquisition and co-production, at Showbox/Mediaplex, one of Korea’s biggest film finance and distribution companies.

Yohann Comte, France

Yohann Comte is Deputy Head of Sales in distribution company Gaumont France. In addition to handling international sales, Comte supervises the international marketing and leads most discussions with programmers of film festivals. Comte also scouts for projects in territories that he covers like Spain and South Korea, with “The Target” and “Yesterday Never Ends” some of projects sourced by Comte. He also negotiates non-English language remake deals.

Kristjan Kongo, Estonia

Kristjan Kongo is the Director of Baltic Operations at Forum Cinemas, he manages the business activities of the biggest cinema group in the Baltic countries. He joined the Forum Cinemas group in 2012 and until the summer of 2013 he was the Chairman of the Management Board of the Estonian unit of the company. Kristjan Kongo graduated from Tallinn Tehcnical University majoring in Business Management.

György Báron, Hungary

György Báron is a professor at the University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest, and is president of the Hungarian Society of Film Critics within FIPRESCI. Staff-critic of weekly magazine Élet és Irodalom and monthly film review Filmvilág. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of several institutions, including the Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation, the Visegrad Documentary Library and the European Parliament Lux Prize Selection Panel. Since the 1970s he has published more than thousand reviews, essays and studies, both in Hungarian and other languages. He has made educational documentaries for various television channels, radio programs on film topics and he is the author of the books Hollywood and Marienbad and Descent to the Underworld. He received a Béla Balázs Prize, a Mihály Táncsics Prize, an Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic and a Necktie Prize (voted for the best teacher of the University). 

Nando Salvá, Spain

Nando Salvá is a Spanish journalist and film critic. He currently writes movie reviews for El Periódico de Catalunya and the movie magazine Cinemanía. He’s also directed the TV documentaries “Un viaje en el tiempo”(A Travel Through Time, 2009)and“Manual de comedia adolescente”(A Guide to Teen Comedy, 2010), produced by Canal + Spain. He’s the author of “Paisaje abstracto con hombre al fondo. Visita guiada a través del cine de Bruno Dumont”(A Man Looks at an Abstract Lanscape. A guide through the films of Bruno Dumont, 2006), and he has contributed chapters to several other books. Based in Istanbul since 2012, he’s also been contributing to several Turkish magazines (Sinema, XOXO, Time Out, Bone Magazine) and newspapers (Hürriyet, Radikal).

Kaarel Kressa, Estonia

Kaarel Kressa  has published movie reviews since 2003. Since 2006 he has worked in Eesti Päevaleht, an Estonian daily where he mainly writes interviews and reviews about arts and culture. Kressa is a member of Estonian Film Critics’ Union and Estonian Writers’ Union. During his 8-year career in journalism, he has interviewed a variety of actors and directors from Estonia and abroad (including Bence Fliegauf, Andrzej Chyra, Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Pilou Asbæk, among opthers). Kressa has published two collections of poetry: “Oidroon” in 2005 and “Vereurmarohumesi” in 2011.

Ed Lejano, The Philippines

Ed Lejano has been a NETPAC member since 2006 and has been a jury in various festivals in Europe and Asia. He is the current Executive Director of the Quezon City Film Development Commission as well as Vice President for CILECT (International Association of Film & Television Schools) Asia-Pacific. His other academic stints include Program Director of Mint College and the IAFT/Bigfoot Entertainment in Cebu. He finished his masters in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines (2004) & obtained his Certificate in Film Production from New York University (1996). He has 5 feature films to his credit as writer/director, the most recent of which is “QWERTY” (Grand Jury Prize, 2012 FDCP National Film Competition). As a film journalist, he has been a contributor for Philippine Daily Inquirer, Playboy Magazine, Screen International and other publications.

Bina Paul, India

Bina Paul graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) with a specialisation in editing. She has edited over 35 feature films and has worked with illustrious directors like G Aravindan, John Abraham and P N Menon. She is a recipient of two National Awards and numerous State Awards for editing. She has been the Artistic Director of the International Film Festival of Kerala for the last twelve years. She has served on the juries of various international film festivals including those held in Locarno, Durban, Morocco and Berlin. Bina is a regular faculty at the FTII, CDIT (Science & Development Documentary Course). She is currently the Regional Director of the LV Prasad Film Academy in Trivandrum, a premier institute for the teaching of cinema.

Rein Kotov, Estonia

Rita Boronyák, Hungary

Rita Boronyák (1961) is a film critic who studied Hungarian and French literature and aesthetics at the Faculty of Humanities of ELTE, Hungary (1979–1985), French literature at Sorbonne (1984), and journalism at Journalist School of Association of Hungarian Journalists (1995). Since 1998 she works at Hungarian National Film Archive. She made her Doctoral Program at the Film, Media and Contemporary Culture of ELTE, preparing her thesis concerning the history of Hungarian documentary films after the regime change. Since 1999, she is leading a documentary film club at the MaNDA’s movie, Örökmozgó. Her writings are generally published at the MaNDA’s website and at Filmkultúra Online. She was member of different international and Hungarian juries (e. g. 2002-2003 Visegrad Documentary Library; 2006; 2009 Hungarian Film Week, 2003; 2004 Bratislava Film Festival; 2009 FIKE Évora, Portugal; 2012 Jameson CineFest IFF Miskolc, Hungary). Member of the Committe of Film Critics of the Organization of Hungarian Journalists.

Odd Vaagland, Norway

Odd Vaagland was born and lives in Årendal, a small town in the South of Norway. He has been a teacher in upper secondary school (Gymnasium, cand philol, teaching subjects: Norwegian literature, English and History and Film and Media). Odd has spent two years as a teacher in Kenya. He is a journalist for 30 years and has been reviewing films, books and theatre. Odd has been chairman of a Filmclub in Flekkefjord, and at the moment he holds the position of chairman in the local Filmclub in Årendal. He has been a member of an international jury at the Film Festival in Tromsø, in the North of Norway. Odd has published two books and two plays and at the moment he is working on a historical cabaret and a children’s book. He is 73-year-old ardent film lover.

Raivo Raam, Estonia

Raivo Raam is a geographer who has always appreciated the film world phenomenon of creating contacts with other nationalities and cultures, bringing them closer to each other. Raivo is a fan and a visitor of PÖFF, an introducer and a moderator of the films at PÖFF since the beginning of the student film festival. Raivo has been a part of the works of film clubs both in Tallinn and Tartu. In 2011 he participated in the Matsalu Nature Film Festival program “Wonderful World” with his documentary “Pissi ja sügis” (“Pee and Autumn”). He has helped to involve young people with hearing impairment to the process of filmmaking through the non-profit NPO Puerto. Raivo has said that it’s really difficult to choose the best film screened at PÖFF, but an imprint has been left by movies about kindness and a relationship with the higher power – for example Özer Kızıltan’s “Takva”.