JUDGING TEAM
EKATERINA BEHOR - PRODUCER
Ekaterina Behor is a dynamic and passionate producer, whose impressive career has been built on a solid foundation of journalism and filmmaking. Hailing from the highly competitive landscape of Los Angeles, she has managed to carve a niche for herself through her unwavering dedication and remarkable talent. As a firm believer in the power of cultural exchange and understanding, Ekaterina understands the importance of keeping the cultural bridge alive. In 2016, she became a proud member of the Eurasian Academy of Television and Radio, an esteemed organization that supports filmmakers and projects from Eurasia. This affiliation allows her to contribute to the promotion of diverse voices and narratives from the region, bridging the gap between Eastern and Western cultures. Throughout her career, Ekaterina has worked on various platforms, including Russian TV channels, commercials, TV shows, and YouTube productions. Her expertise spans across different mediums, demonstrating her versatility and adaptability in the ever-evolving world of media and entertainment. Whether it's producing captivating television content or crafting engaging advertisements, Ekaterina's attention to detail and creative vision shine through in all her endeavors.
MASSIMILIANO MAUCERI - DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER
Born and raised in Florence (Italy), Massimiliano is a film director and screenwriter, and founder and director of Florence Film Awards. He had a degree in film directing at the Immagina Film School of Florence. Between 1995-2003 he worked as assistant director, editor, camera operator, for more than 20 music videos and commercials (Gucci, Tim, Gas Jeans, UnoAerre Jewellery, Piaggio, Coop, etc). In 2000 he has taught film directing at Immagina Film School of Florence. Between 2000-2003 he has edited and conducted the movies column for Interpuntonet magazine. He has been a Jury member for: Roma Fiction Fest, London Indie International Film Festival, World Music & Independent Film Festival (Washington D.C), New York International Screenplay, Tulipani di Seta Nera Festival in Rome. He wrote and directed nine short films and one commercial and he wrote four feature-length screenplays. He won 144 awards (47 first places) around the world: 89 awards (31 first places) with his short films and 55 awards (16 first places) with his feature-length screenplays.
STELLA SACCA' - ACTRESS/WRITER
Born in Rome, Italy, and based in New York, Stella is an actress, playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has been working in Theater since the age of 16 as an actress and started writing and producing when she was 23 after graduating in Languages at the University Roma Tre. Among all her productions, she was awarded for several plays including “How To Become Widows Without Affecting the Criminal Record", “There It Comes The Light, “My Birthday", “Lions Don’t Hug". She also co-wrote, acted and co-produced the short movie L’Appuntamento (The Date), awarded with the Golden Globe in 2013. She is currently writing her first feature film in English and she is working on her first direction of the Off Broadway play Lions Don’t Hug, selected at the New York Theater Festival and on stage at the end of January 2020. In 2018 she founded the blog Ninablablà.
ABLAY NURMANBETOV - SCREENWRITER & DIRECTOR
Ablay Nurmanbetov is an award-winning screenwriter and director well-known for the short movie “The Burning Blue” that participated in 40 festivals and received 16 awards around the globe including nomination from Oscar qualifying The Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival. One of his recent works include film “Qash” (“Run”) with internationally acclaimed director Aisultan Seitov. It is the most anticipated film of 2022 year in CIS countries and the USA.
Currently, Ablay signed the contract with Tengri Production founded by Sergei Bodrov, Oscar nominated director and screenwriter. At the same time, he also works on the feature movie “Canary” with Radiance Pictures.
DANIELE GANGEMI - DIRECTOR
Daniele Gangemi is an award-winning director, born in southern Italy.
Raised as an author, speaker and presenter in the radio and television environments of his city, Catania, when he was only a teenager, he still loves to write and tell, possibly in images, his stories.
In 2009 he won the 42nd Worldfest International Independent Film Festival in Houston for "Best First Feature" with his debut feature, "Cobalt Blue Night".
In 2021 he was selected by over 90 international festivals, receiving more than 40 awards (more than one for each continent) with the pilot episode, written and directed by him, of the noir / comedy series entitled "Fratelli Noir" ( "Noir Brothers"). He recently passed the 50 official and certified awards on the IMDb platform (the World Cinema Database on the Internet) received from all over the world for his valuable author works.
EMANUELE LA PLACA - WRITER, SCREENWRITER
Writer and screenwriter, he lives in Modena (Italy).
Passionate about cinema and literature, in 2020 he wrote the screenplay "In Sign of my Love" a drama genre which won many awards in different Festivals, such as: Milan Gold Awards, London Movie Awards, Rome International Movie Awards, Reale Film Festival and others. In 2021 he wrote the screenplay "I need you" award winner in Absurd Film Festival. IMDB qualifying festival. In 2021 he wrote the novel "a Soulless Man", the same year, from the novel he wrote the screenplay "a Soulless Man" Feature Script, Honorable Mention in Florence Film Awards.
LANCEN GM - PRODUCER, COMPOSER, DIRECTOR
Gaoming Lu, formerly Gaoming Li and known in entertainment as Lancen Gm, is an award-winning filmmaker and artist with a unique array of accolades to his ever-growing catalogue. Born November 25, 1997, Hollywood filmmaker and musician Lancen Gm promises the artistic embrace of musical beauty and conceptual depth to audiences across the board. Fearless by design, with over seven film credits to his name and a clear talent across multiple single releases – Lancen’s streaming figures and audience attention continue to grow. Universally accessible thanks to a well-travelled background and an extensive understanding of multiple global cultures, Lancen Gm connects with music as if part of his soul; a beloved friend with whom the bond is unbreakable. Harmonic, melodic, hypnotic and powerful – the blissful escape of dance excels itself across a plethora of originals. Unconfined by genre, uniting story and rhythm with defiant skill and emotion, Lancen’s music transcends the walls of the industry; hitting with impact by keeping things fresh and inspiring every step of the way.