Jury '21 | AWL Filmfestival

JURY 2021

MAIN JURY

YLLKA GASHI

Yllka Gashi is an Albanian actress from Kosovo origin, best known for portraying Zana in the well-known series Modern Family which has shown for 10 years in a row on Kosovo public television RTK. Yllka began her acting career at the age of 17 after being included in her first audition in 1999 and has since appeared in numerous stage productions and feature films.

Among other successes, Yllka Gashi is the main protagonist in the well-known film HIVE by Blerta Basholli, which became the first film to win three main awards at the Sundance Film Festival at the official competition. Winner of the Audience Award, the Director Award and the Grand Prix of the World Cinema Jury at the Sundance 2021 Film Festival.

Yllka Gashi won the award "Best Actress" in the 66th edition of the film festival "Seminci" in Spain with her role in the film "Hive". She also won "Best Actress in a Leading Role" at this year's edition of the Scottsdale Arizona International Film Festival.

"Hive" starring Yllka Gashi also became news in the local and international media with its launch in selected cinemas in the United States of America. Also this film project is Kosovo's proposal for "Oscar" 2022.
Yllka Gashi lives in America with her husband and young daughter, she is passionate and active in human rights, caring as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and most recently with Save The Children in her hometown, Kosovo.

CRISTIANO PALOZZI

Cristiano Palozzi is a director, producer and cultural manager. Director and founder of film events (including the Genova Film Festival), he is author of shorts, documentaries, backstage films, selected and awarded in numerous festivals and exhibitions, presented in about 50 cities in Italy and abroad and broadcast by Rai and Mediaset channels. In his activities he has involved hundreds of professionals, bringing great directors and actors to Genoa. In over 25 years he has selected around 10,000 works for his festivals or events of others, tens of thousands of spectators have attended his exhibitions. Manager of cultural events, he has conceived, edited and coordinated exhibitions dedicated to more than 20 countries and regions of the world.

Member of jury in national and international events, he is invited and accredited as a filmmaker or artistic director in Italy and around the world (Albania, France, Norway, Russia, Spain, Hungary, USA).

AGRON DOMI

Founder of Tirana Film Institute, Production & Distribution co.

Founder & Director of Tirana International Film Festival (Academy Awards® qualifying)

Founder & Executive Director of Albania Film Commission

Distributor of European films in Albania, projects supported by Media Program, Creative Europe

Co-producer of the feature film Willow by Milcho Manchevski Member of EFA – European Film Academy

Jury Member in various International Film Festivals: Cork, Ireland – DokuFest, Prizren, Kosovo – ALTCINE, Athens, Greece – Skepto Film Festival, Cagliari, Italy – MAGMA Int. Film Festival, Acireale (Sicily), Italy –
IN THE PALACE Int. Short Film Festival, Bulgaria – RIFF Rome Independent Film Festival, Italy– Works in progress jury at Antalya Int’l Film Festival, Turkey – Molise Cinema Film Festival, Italy – Bosporus Film Festival, Istanbul, Turkey

Location Manager for the documentary film "Untitled" by Michael Glawogger, 2014

Production Manager feature film "No Country for Fairy Tales", 2015
Co-producer of Italian feature film Hotel Dajti, 2000

Director Manager of CreativeMornings Tirana, international project in more than 220 cities around the world, since 2014.

Co-founder of FASADA Studio as the first publicity, graphic design and video production company in Albania, 1998. Producer of feature, short & documentary films, TV commercials,

LOU FIGUEROA

Growing up in Southern California before moving to Colorado with his family in 1991, Lou Figueroa was an avid snowboarder and mountain biker who enjoyed the outdoors. At the age of 27 while out with a group of friends in the downtown district of Denver, Lou experienced a rapid onset of intoxication causing him to become lost and disoriented.

He walked nearly two miles before he was found lying in the Union Station rail yard. In the early hours of the morning a train was approaching and saw Lou's body at the last moment. The result would be the loss of both legs. After surviving a week long coma gripping to life, Lou awoke in the hospital.

Since his amputations, Lou has traveled across the globe sharing messages of hope and inspiration to hundreds of audiences including trade associations, chambers of commerce and universities. Lou is also a fashion model amputated patient, who advertises the brands of the big prosthetic company ossur,Today, Lou lives in Los Angeles where he speaks on wellness and quality of life.

lou@inspiredbalance.org

DONNA RUSSO

Donna Russo is a Dancer, Actress and Public Speaker. A Performer with two unrelated conditions FSH Muscular Dystrophy and Turner Syndrome. She has Danced in National Touring shows such as, Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Magic Camera, as Alvin, as well as Modern Dance Companies. Donna has appeared in many Tv and Film projects,. Donna Russo is Lead Actress/Dancer on the International Web Series Donna On The Go Created and Produced by Peggy Lane.

Donna has a degree in Dance from Mercyhurst University and was hit later in life with FSH Muscular Dystrophy. Having a passion for Dance Donna still Dances but differently.

ROLF KILLIUS

Rolf Killius is a consultant (museums, exhibitions, and media), oral historian, exhibition curator, ethnomusicologist (MMus SOAS, London University),

film producer/editor and radio journalist and is based in London, UK.

Presently Rolf is the curator for ‘Roots and Changes – Gujarati Influences’ (Brent Museum, London) and guest curator for non-European musical instruments (Musical Instrument Museum Markneukirchen, Germany.

Previously he was the "Specialist Consultant in Oral History Management" for the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) in Doha. Until recently he was the Curator of Oral and Musical Cultures at the British Library - Qatar Foundation Partnership in London. He lectures on Intangible Heritage and Oral History at the UCL in Doha, Qatar.

www.rolfkillius.com