MENTORS

Giovanni ROBBIANO Born in Genova in 1958, Giovanni Robbiano is a screenwriter, director and producer as well as film trainer. He studied film at Bologna’s University and later at Columbia University School of Arts in New York. After returning to Italy he worked as a screenwriter, writing for both TV and feature films. He directed three feature films FIGURINE (1997), 500! (2001) and HERMANO (2004). His screenplay TUTTI I RUMORI DEL MARE (2012) directed by Federico Brugia won prizes in Annecy, Bari, BAFF and was selected in many international festivals. Robbiano has been teaching film at Bologna University (It), IULM in Milan (It),Genoa University (It), Evry Val d’Esonne University UEVE (Fr). He has been a trainer for the EEUU Media Program since 2000, teaching at MFI in Greece, Midpoint and SMS (Lithuania). Robbiano is the head of international department at FAMU in Prague. He recently joined the faculty at FIOFA Film Institute of Ohrid Film Academy, in Macedonia.

Amedeo D'ADAMO teaches film directing and marketing at the Catholic University in Milan and Brescia, as well as film producing in “Réseau Du Cinéma”Master at the Italian Swiss University in Switzerland. He teaches at the Documentary Summer School at Locarno Film Festival. He often mentors in various programs including the MAIA Film Producing Workshop. As a filmmaker, Amedeo’s work has traveled to many festivals such as Rome, Miami, Austin, Torino, Bologna and others. His published work includes essays on Science Fiction, film and TV music. His new book Empathetic Space On Screen: Crafting Powerful Place and Setting is a key title forthcoming in December 2017 from Palgrave: it is about how to write stories where the character is expressed in the film’s production design, cinematography, costume and music. He was the founding Dean and then President of the Los Angeles Film School. He holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University.

Blerta ZEQIRI is a writer and director from Kosovo known for the short film THE RETURN that won the Best International Short Fiction Award in the Sundance 2012. She graduated from the filmmaking department of University Paris 8 in France. She has written and directed several shorts, many of which were selected in top festivals such as Oberhausen Short Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Leeds international Film Festival, Sarajevo International Film Festival etc. Blerta teaches scriptwriting and directing at Academy Evolution in Prishtina. She often mentors to workshops in the Balkan region. Blerta Zeqiri is a member of the European Film Academy and just completed her debut feature film THE MARRIAGE.

Dimitris EMMANOUUILIDES is a screenwriter and script consultant based in Athens. He wrote the feature films APPROACH (2016), THE HEIRESS (2009) and co-wrote MEMBRANE (in development). He also wrote the short films SHOULDER FOR HIRE (2007), DESTROY ALL BRAINS! (2003), ERROR (2001) and co-wrote the short films MESECINA (2009) and TRANSIT (2007).He wrote several episodes for the TV series STORIES FROM THE OTHER SIDE (2007) & REAL LOVE (2008). Dimitris Emmanouilides works as a script development mentor for MFI Script 2 Film Workshops in Greece.