Şirin Fulya Erensoy
Academic | Activist | Feminist
Şirin Fulya Erensoy is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Post-doctoral Fellow at Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. Şirin was the host of independent Turkish media outlet Medyascope TV’s English news bulletin This Week in Turkey from 2019-2021 and worked as a lecturer in Film and Television at Istanbul Bilgi University. She also has practical work experience in documentary film production.
Valentina Vitali
Film Historian | Theorist | Programmer
Dr. Valentina Vitali is Professor of Film Studies at the University of East London and Director of the Moving Image Research Centre. Her research explores the intersection of economics, history and film aesthetics from a comparative perspective. Publications include Capital and Popular Cinema, Hindi Action Cinema, and Theorising National Cinema (co-edited with Paul Willemen). She has curated, among other events, Contemporary South Asian Films by Women (FACT, Liverpool) and Alia Syed: Recent Works (Whitechapel Gallery, London).
Poulomi Pal
Feminist | Queer | Researcher
Poulomi Pal has over a decade of experience in the development sector, working on issues of gender rights including women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence, and critical analysis of policies. She has worked full time with Research Institutes [Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS), Gender Studies Chair, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)]; NGOs [Women Power Connect (WPC), Programme for Women’s Economic, Social, Cultural Rights (PWESCR), Partners for Law in Development (PLD), and International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)]; Donor [International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Asia Regional Office]; and as a consultant [ Government of India ( National Mission for Empowerment of Women as part of the Ministry of Women and Child Development); UN Women; MicroSave Consulting; A R Consulting; Save the Children; Institute for Policy Advocacy and Governance, Bangladesh; Queen Mary University of London; ICRW, DC; NEDWORC and Nazariya. Currently Poulomi works as Programme Specialist ending violence against women with UN Women India.
Rita Capucho
Feminist | Curator | Producer
Rita Capucho is a feminist interested in cinema and poetry. She believes that fighting for social change is possible through the arts. She is is founder and co-director of the Porto Femme International Film Festival, programmer of the Femme Sessions and Shortcutz Aveiro. She works as curator, producer, and events manager in several cultural organizations.
Elizabeth Weitzman is the author of Renegade Women in Film & TV, which chronicles the remarkable hidden history of Hollywood pioneers onscreen and behind the scenes. She was also a film critic for the New York Daily News from 2000-2015, and currently covers movies for The Wrap. She has interviewed hundreds of actors and filmmakers, and written about entertainment for publications like the New York Times, the Village Voice, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from NYU, and is a longstanding member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Amarjit (Amar) Dass
Mentor | Consultant | Humanitarian
Amarjit is the founder of Moonlight Hubb Consulting, a consulting hub that brings together a diverse network of health, academic, and community organizations that share a vision of creating infrastructure that results in more just and equitable conditions for some of the world’s underrepresented communities. She’s an advocate for creating space for the underrepresented communities to be leaders and make decisions that impact their lives. Amarjit’s passion is to empower global citizens to live their full potential and positively affect the world around them. Growing up in a multicultural household, Amarjit has interests in learning about world cultures and enjoys cooking various cuisines and watching foreign films.
Elizabeth Weitzman is the author of Renegade Women in Film & TV, which chronicles the remarkable hidden history of Hollywood pioneers onscreen and behind the scenes. She was also a film critic for the New York Daily News from 2000-2015, and currently covers movies for The Wrap. She has interviewed hundreds of actors and filmmakers, and written about entertainment for publications like the New York Times, the Village Voice, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from NYU, and is a longstanding member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Patrícia Nogueira
Filmmaker | Documentary Lover | Feminist
Patrícia Nogueira is a documentary filmmaker and a professor, based in Porto (Portugal). She produces and directs documentaries and works regularly with other directors, both in fiction and documentary. During 2015 she was in residence at the National Film Board of Canada and in 2016 she was a visiting scholar at the Film department of the University of Texas at Austin. Her documentaries have been selected for festivals both in Portugal and abroad. She earned her Ph.D. in Digital Media, under the international program at the University of Texas, with an MA in Documentary Film and Photography. Patrícia is a professor at the University of Maia and an invited professor at the University of Coimbra. She co-directs MDOC – International Documentary Film Festival of Melgaço, and co-leads the European research group Cinema and Contemporary Visual Arts, at NECS – European Network for Cinema and Media Studies. She is a researcher at ICNOVA – iNOVA Media Lab.
Elizabeth Weitzman is the author of Renegade Women in Film & TV, which chronicles the remarkable hidden history of Hollywood pioneers onscreen and behind the scenes. She was also a film critic for the New York Daily News from 2000-2015, and currently covers movies for The Wrap. She has interviewed hundreds of actors and filmmakers, and written about entertainment for publications like the New York Times, the Village Voice, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from NYU, and is a longstanding member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Hillary P. Thilavong
Youth Jury Member
My passion for film started in the small town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. I’ve been exposed to a world of creativity and storytelling, and importantly, an art form that allows one to express themselves. I’ve created short films that amplified the stories I had to share as an artist. I am beyond excited to support and connect with this year’s filmmakers!
Estrella Barcenas
Youth Jury Member
In 2020, I had the amazing experience of being a part of the Girls’ Voices Now program, which allowed me to learn about intersectional feminism and begin my journey towards creating and learning about women’s rights locally and globally. As a student, I believe it’s important to incorporate activism and raise awareness among my peers and school community. I’m a co-founder and cabinet member of a Self Care club at my high school, aiming to inform students on how to take care of themselves and bring attention to issues which can affect their wellbeing both mentally and emotionally.
Alona Shylova
Youth Jury Member
I’ve always seen filmmaking as a tool to talk about things that are meaningful to you, so in my short films I mainly focus on topics of womanhood and female gaze. I’m excited to be a part of a jury team because it’s a great opportunity to see remarkable films all across the globe and to hear various female voices. My film, Mavka, won the best youth film prize in the 2021 Women’s Voices Now Film Festival.
