Amin Jafari

Amin Jafari is a distinguished Iranian Cinematographer renowned for bridging the gap between independent cinema and international festival success. His most recent collaboration with Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (2025), garnered global acclaim after winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Jafari previously served as the cinematographer for Panahi’s 3 Faces, solidifying a creative partnership defined by visual sophistication and resilience under restrictive filming conditions.

Jafari has lensed numerous award-winning independent features showcased at major international festivals, including Rainy Seasons, Bending the Rules, Snow, A Man Who Became a Horse, Parviz, Parole, and Immortal. His cinematography is characterized by a seamless blend of realism and poetic imagery, transforming the struggles of everyday life into cinematically striking atmospheres.

Throughout his career, Jafari has distinguished himself as a visionary capable of overcoming both artistic and logistical challenges. Whether navigating politically charged narratives or intimate stories, he consistently brings emotional depth and cinematic cohesion to every project he undertakes.

Georgi M. Unkovski

Georgi M. Unkovski is an award-winning Macedonian writer and director whose works have been showcased at over 200 international film festivals, as well as on HBO and MTV. Born in New York in 1988, Unkovski earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Eastman’s School of Photography.

Following his undergraduate studies, he moved to the Czech Republic to pursue his passion for cinema, enrolling in the prestigious graduate program at FAMU in Prague. After completing his education, Unkovski settled in Skopje, North Macedonia, where he currently serves as a full-time director at FUTURA 2/2, one of the country’s leading advertising agencies. He is also actively involved with Cinema Futura, a local production house dedicated to independent filmmaking. His debut feature film, DJ AHMET, garnered significant international acclaim, winning three prestigious awards at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Shadi Karamroudi

Shadi Karamroudi is an Iranian director, producer, and actress. Her acclaimed short film, It Turns Blue, won the Grand Jury Award at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and received numerous accolades at prestigious international festivals, including the Busan International Short Film Festival, Zinebi Film Festival, and the Izmir Short Film Festival.

A Berlinale Talents Alumna, Karamroudi was also honored with the Gold Fellowship for Women award from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Academy®) in 2024. Her work continues to gain global recognition for its cinematic depth and storytelling.