Jury | JUNGER FILM

Director of cinematography | born 1991 | lives in Berlin and Istanbul

Ayşe studied at Istanbul Bilgi University, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. Since 2015 she has been working on digital, 16mm and 35mm projects in Berlin and Istanbul. Ayşe worked as a cinematographer on DIE MÖLLNER BRIEFE, which celebrated its world premiere in the Berlinale Panorama in 2025 and won the Panorama Audience Award and the Amnesty International Film Award.

Director and Writer | born 1979 | lives in Berlin

Ester, director and writer, was born in Kfar Saba, Israel. She studied art before moving to Berlin. Ester studied film directing at the HFF Konrad Wolf in Babelsberg. Her cinema debut ANYWHERE ELSE won awards at numerous international festivals. Ester realizes and creates television films and series and is currently developing a new cinema project. She is the mother of an 11-year-old daughter.

Film- and TV-Expert | born 1954 | lives in Berlin

Lothar teaches at the Film University Babelsberg and the Free University of Berlin. His standard work “Film and Television Analysis” is already in its fourth edition. At the Film University he was responsible for the international student festival “Sehsüchte” for 25 years. Lothar is a regular jury member at film festivals and other committees, for example at the Televisionale or the Grimme Prize.

Solmaz, part of the management team at Studio Zentral, created the Berlinale Series and successfully managed and curated it for five years. With twelve years of experience at the Berlinale, she moved to YouTube to gain new perspectives in gaming. Her most recent projects are MADE IN GERMANY (ARD) and ANGEMESSEN ANGRY (RTL+), which recently won the Televisionale Award and two Grimme Awards.

Artistic director of Max Ophuels Film Festival | born 1988 | lives in Berlin and Saarbrücken

Svenja is artistic director and co-managing director of the Max Ophuels Film Festival, one of the most important festivals for up-and-coming German-speaking filmmakers. Among other things, she teaches cultural financing at Saarland University, is a regular jury member at festivals and is committed to the position of film festivals and the interests of talent at a national political level.

Cultural Mediator | born 1990 | lives in Berlin and Hannover

Melika studied film studies, French and cultural mediation in Germany and France. As section manager of the Berlinale Generation section, she is primarily responsible for film education. Her work also focuses on festival work and commitment to young cineastes.

Lisa manages the UNESCO CITY OF FILM POTSDAM office and works as a production assistant at BANDENFILM. During her studies of media science at the Film University Babelsberg she produced short films and gained festival experience in programming, marketing and festival management at the International Student Film Festival Sehsüchte.