In Portugal, film directors, producers, actors, technicians, distributors, film festivals and cinema guilds wrote an open letter to the Portuguese government, for which they received the support of the international community of cinema.
For decades Portugal has distinguished itself in the international film world. Despite being a small country with a miniscule national film market (less than a dozen national feature films are distributed in theatres per year) the percentage of Portuguese films that are shown in international festivals is very high. Systematically, since the 1980’s, Portuguese cinema has been lauded with cinema cycles and tributes; retrospectives about the work of numerous Portuguese filmmakers have been hosted internationally – several of these authors are still active (some subscribing this text), others have unfortunately passed away (João César Monteiro, Paulo Rocha, Fernando Lopes, António Reis, José Álvaro Morais, António Campos and, of course, Manoel de Oliveira). The “miracle” of the high international visibility of Portuguese films in relation to the small number of films produced – throughout decades and generations – is unquestionably due to the merit of the filmmakers, technicians, actors and producers in Portugal. It was also due to a cultural strategy that stimulated the production of a Cinema marked by strong singular proposals and creative freedom.
The cultural policy that allowed for Portugal’s distinctively diverse cinema was established through a Cinema Law and a Public Institute – the ICA. ICA organizes calls for film production financing proposals, defines rigorous participation regulations, establishes evaluation criteria fitting the policy promoted by the Ministry of Culture, and selects the juries to analyze the submissions. The profile for jury members is defined by law as “personalities with recognized cultural merit and impartiality”. Thus, filmmakers and film technicians, as well as film critics, artists, writers, architects, musicians, cultural programmers or university professors were nominated to be part of the board of experts that approve film projects.
From 2013 onwards, a new decree-law (amendment) to the Cinema Law was passed and a new executive board of the Portuguese Film Institute (ICA) was established. This new board, seemingly allergic to it’s responsibility and ignorant of the ICA’s regulatory role, has outsourced the duty of nominating juries to a non-governmental committee composed of delegates with vested interests in the outcome of the support programs: representatives of television stations, cable operators, among others. This corporate committee now has the power to nominate the juries that evaluate and approve film projects financed by ICA, fomenting collusion and a clear conflict of interests since, in many cases, the committee that now selects the jury represents organizations that directly profit from the jury’s selection.
The outcome of this situation has been immediately evident: the requirement expressed in the regulation that jury members be “personalities of recognized cultural merit” has not been met. In recent years some of the jury members for cinema projects are bank managers with connections to cinema and marketing managers of telecom operators.
The current government – hostage to pressures exerted by TV cable operators – is now preparing to approve a new decree-law that perpetuates and exacerbates this problem, endangering the existence of the very cinema that has distinguished Portugal internationally. A very significant group of Portuguese filmmakers and producers stated their opposition to this promiscuous and flawed system, declaring to the government their refusal to participate in jury nominations. They do not wish to influence the appointment of juries, nor do they accept that anyone interested in the outcome of the financing programs can participate in the process. They believe that transparency can only be guaranteed if the nomination of juries is the exclusive responsibility of ICA., They call for the nomination of a directing board of ICA capable of accepting its responsibilities and conscious of ICA’s dual role as the executor of a cultural policy for Portuguese cinema and regulator of this activity.
The subscribers to this protest letter wish to remind the State that Portuguese Cinema is not exclusively a Portuguese concern. Therefore, they wish to show their solidarity with Portuguese filmmakers and producers who are opposed to this process and express their firm repudiation should the decree-law be approved.
Signatories
Portuguese Signatories
| Agência da Curta Metragem | |
| APCI – Associação dos Produtores de Cinema Independente | |
| Apordoc – Associação pelo Documentário | |
| APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores | |
| CENA – Sindicato dos Músicos, dos Profissionais do Espectáculo e Audiovisual | |
| Curtas Vila do Conde | |
| Doclisboa | |
| FIKE | |
| IndieLisboa | |
| Portugal Film | |
| Queer Lisboa | |
| SINTTAV – Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores das Telecomunicações e Audiovisual | |
| STE – Sindicato dos Trabalhadores de Espectáculos | |
| Abi Feijó | Realizador |
| Aisha Rahim | Programadora, Festival des 3 Continents |
| Alexandre Oliveira | Produtor – APCI |
| Ana David | Programadora, produtora |
| Ana Isabel Strindberg | Portugal Film |
| Ana Pereira | Produção, programadora Doclisboa |
| Anabela Moreira | Actriz |
| André Albuquerque | Actor – CENA |
| André Gil Mata | Realizador |
| André Godinho | Realizador |
| André Marques | Realizador |
| André Principe | Realizador |
| André Santos | Realizador |
| André Valentim de Almeida | Realizador, Direcção Apordoc – Associação pelo Documentário |
| Anna Glogowsky | Programadora |
| Aya Koretzky | Realizadora |
| Beatriz Batarda | Actriz |
| Bruno de Almeira | Realizador |
| Bruno Sousa | Direcção executiva Doclisboa |
| Carla Bolito | Actriz |
| Carla Isabel Magro Dias | Direcção FIKE |
| Carlos Braga | Realizador |
| Carlos Conceição | Realizador |
| Carlos Ramos | Direcção IndieLisboa |
| Catarina Mourão | Realizadora |
| Catarina Requeijo | Actriz |
| Catarina Vasconcelos | Realizadora |
| Cintia Gil | Direcção Doclisboa, Direcção Apordoc – Associação pelo Documentário |
| Cláudia Varejão | Realizadora, Direcção da APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores |
| Cristian Rodriguez | Programador, Queer Lisboa |
| Dario Oliveira | Porto/Post/Doc |
| Davide Oberto | Direcção Doclisboa |
| Dinis Neto Jorge Gomes | Actor |
| Diogo Costa Amarante | Realizador |
| Diogo Dória | Actor |
| Dorte Schneider | Assistende de imagem |
| Duarte Guimarães | Actor |
| Duarte Nuno Tomé Guerreiro | Direcção FIKE |
| Edgar Feldman | Montador |
| Edgar Medina | Produtor, APCI – Associação de Produtores de Cinema Independente |
| Fernando Brizio | Designer |
| Fernando Galrito | Director da Monstra, realizador |
| Filipa César | Artista e realizadora |
| Filipa Reis | Realizadora, Direção APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores |
| Francisco Moreira | Montador |
| Gabriel Abrantes | Realizador |
| Glenda Balucani | Produtora, programadora, Doclisboa |
| Inês Oliveira | Realizadora |
| Isabel Machado | Produtora, Direcção Apordoc – Associação pelo Documentário |
| Ivo M. Ferreira | Realizador |
| Joana Cabral | Tradutora |
| Joana de Verona | Actriz |
| Joana Ferreira | Produtora, APCI – Associação de Produtores de Cinema Independente |
| Joana Frazão | Realizadora |
| Joana Gusmão | Produção, Doclisboa |
| Joana Manuel | Actriz |
| Joana Sousa | Programadora no Doclisboa |
| João Botelho | Realizador |
| João Canijo | Realizador |
| João Ferreira | Direcção Queer Lisboa |
| João Laia | Curador |
| João Maria Mendes | Presidente ESTC – Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema |
| João Mário Grilo | Realizador e Professor Catedrático FCSH – Univ. Nova Lisboa |
| João Matos | Produtor, APCI – Associação de Produtores de Cinema Independente |
| João Nicolau | Realizador |
| João Pedro Rodrigues | Realizador |
| João Ricardo Oliveira | Tradutor, assessor de imprensa Doclisboa |
| João Rosas | Realizador |
| João Rui Guerra da Mata | Realizador |
| João Salaviza | Realizador, Direcção APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores |
| João Tabarra | Artista e realizador |
| João Vladimiro | Realizador |
| Jorge Silva Melo | Realizador e encenador |
| José Filipe Costa | Realizador, Direção APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores |
| José Luís Lopes | Assistente de realização |
| José Miguel Ribeiro | Realizador e produtor |
| José Nascimento | Realizador |
| José Nuno Rodrigues | Curtas Vila do Conde |
| José Raposo | Actor |
| Júlio Alves | Realizador |
| Leonor Babo | Agente de actores |
| Leonor Noivo | Realizadora |
| Leonor Teles | Realizadora |
| Luciana Fina | Realizadora |
| Luis Alves de Matos | Realizador |
| Luis Fonseca | Realizador e professor na ESTC |
| Luís Urbano | Produtor, APCI – Associação de Produtores de Cinema Independente |
| Luisa Homem | Realizadora |
| Manuel Mozos | Realizador, Direcção APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores |
| Marcello Urgeghe | Actor |
| Marco Leão | Realizador |
| Marco Martins | Realizador |
| Margarida Gil | Realizadora |
| Margarida Leitão | Realizadora |
| Margarida Moz | Portugal Film |
| Margarida Rego | Realizadora |
| Maria Joana Figueiredo | Anotação, montagem e realização |
| Maria João Guardão | Jornalista e realizadora |
| Mariana Gaivão | Realizadora e montadora |
| Mariana Ricardo | Argumentista e música |
| Maureen Fazendeiro | Realizadora |
| Maya Booth | Actriz |
| Miguel Clara Vasconcelos | Realizador |
| Miguel Dias | Curtas Vila do Conde |
| Miguel Gomes | Realizador |
| Miguel Nabinho | Galeria Miguel Nabinho |
| Miguel Nunes | Actor |
| Miguel Ribeiro | Direcção Apordoc – Associação pelo Documentário, programador Doclisboa |
| Miguel Seabra | Realizador |
| Miguel Valverde | IndieLisboa |
| Mónica Lima | Realizadora |
| Nélson Cabral | Actor |
| Nuno Amorim | Realizador e produtor |
| Nuno Galopim | Jornalista e programador |
| Nuno Lisboa | Direcção Apordoc – Associação pelo Documentário, Director Doc’s Kingdom |
| Nuno Rodrigues | Curtas Vila do Conde |
| Olivier Blanc | Director de som |
| Patrícia Saramago | Montadora |
| Patrick Mendes | Assistente de realização e realizador |
| Paula Garcia | Actriz |
| Paulo Carneiro | Assistente de realização e montador |
| Paulo Pinto | Actor |
| Pedro Borges | Produtor – APCI – Associação de Produtores de Cinema Independente |
| Pedro Duarte | Produtor – APCI – Associação de Produtores de Cinema Independente |
| Pedro Filipe Marques | Realizador, Direcção APR – Associação Portuguesa de Realizadores |
| Pedro Madeira | 1º assistente de realização |
| Pedro Peralta | Realizador |
| Pedro Pinho | Realizador |
| Pedro Sabino | Argumentista |
| Raquel Freire | Realizadora |
| Raquel Shefer | Artista |
| Renata Sancho | Realizadora |
| Ricardo Aibéo | Actor e realizador |
| Rita Azevedo Gomes | Realizadora |
| Rita Loureiro | Actriz |
| Rui Macedo | Assistente de realização |
| Rui Moreira | Artista |
| Salette Ramalho | Agência da Curta Metragem |
| Salomé Lamas | Realizadora |
| Sandro Aguilar | Realizador |
| Sergio Gomes | Porto/Post/Doc e Curtas Vila do Conde |
| Sofia Marques | Actriz e realizadora |
| Susana Nobre | Realizadora |
| Talita Araujo | Porto/Post/Doc e Curtas Vila do Conde |
| Telmo Churro | Realizador, argumentista e montador |
| Teresa Villaverde | Realizadora |
| Tiago Dias dos Santos | Porto/Post/Doc |
| Tiago Guedes | Realizador |
| Tiago Hespanha | Realizador |
| Tiago João Silva | Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores das Telecomunicações e Audiovisual (SINTTAV) |
| Tomás Baltazar | Realizador e montador |
| Vasco Pimentel | Director de som |
International Signatories
| Abbas Fahdel | Filmmaker | France / Iraq |
| Adriana Komives | Film editor | France |
| Agnès Jaoui | Screenwriter and filmmaker | France |
| Agnès Wildenstein | Programmer | France / Portugal |
| Aily Nash | Programmer, New York Film Festival | USA |
| Aki Kaurismaki | Filmmaker | Finland |
| Akira Ito | Shop Development | Japan |
| Alain Guiraudie | Filmmaker | France |
| Alban Ravassard | Filmmaker | France |
| Alberto Barbera | Director at Venice Film Festival | Italy |
| Alejandro Bachmann | Head of Department, curator at Education, Research, Publications Dept., Austrian Film Museum | Austria |
| Alessandro Comodin | Filmmaker | Italy |
| Alex Baciu | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Alexander Bohr | ZDF, ARTE | Germany |
| Alexandra Gramatke | Short Circuit – European Network of Short Film and Video Art Distributors | Germany |
| Alexandre Rockwell | Writer and filmmaker | USA |
| Alice Rohrwacher | Filmmaker | Italy |
| Alina Marazzi | Filmmaker | Italy |
| All filmmakers from ACID (Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) | France | |
| Amélie Chattelier | Agence du Court Métrage | France |
| Ana Domínguez | (S8) Mostra de Cinema Periférico, co-director | Spain |
| Anaïs Lebrun | International Programming Director of Mubi | France |
| Andrea Guzmán | Festival director of Documenta Madrid | Spain |
| Andrea Lissoni | Senior Curator International Art (Film) Tate Modern | UK |
| Andréa Picard | Film curator of Wavelenghts, TIFF | Canada |
| Andrei Ujica | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Andrès Duque | Filmmaker | Venezuela / Spain |
| Ane Rodríguez Armendariz | Cultural Director – Tabakalera Cultural Art Center | Spain |
| Ángel Rueda | (S8) Mostra de Cinema Periférico, co-director | Spain |
| Ángel Sánchez Cardell | Play-Doc, co-director | Spain |
| Ángel Touza | Festival director Novos Cinemas | Spain |
| Anita Reher | Executive director, The Flaherty Film Seminar | Denmark |
| Anna Feillou | Filmmaker | France |
| Anna Novion | Filmmaker | France |
| Anne Alix | Filmmaker | France |
| Anne Parent | Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market organizer | France |
| Anne-Laurent Delage | Austrian Film Commission | Austria |
| Annie Tresgot | Filmmaker | France |
| Annyssa Bellal | Member of the Rui Nogueira Foundation | Switzerland |
| Anthelme Vidaud | Programme director, Odessa International Film Festival | France |
| Antoine Barraud | Filmmaker and producer | France |
| Antoine Thirion | Film critic | France |
| Anurag Kashyap | Filmmaker | India |
| Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Filmmaker | Thailand |
| Ariane Labed | Actress | France / Greece |
| Arnaud des Pallières | Filmmaker | France |
| Arnaud Desplechin | Filmmaker | France |
| Arnaud Gourmelen | Curator, Director’s Fortnight in Cannes, artistic director Festival Premiers Plans | France |
| Athina Rachel Tsangari | Filmmaker and producer | Greece |
| Aude Léa Rapin | Filmmaker | France |
| Auguste Orts | Production platform | Belgium |
| Aurélie Ricard | Film editor | France |
| Aurelien Marsais | Programmer | France |
| Aurélien Vernhes-Lermusiaux | Filmmaker | France |
| Avi Mograbi | Filmmaker | Israel |
| Barbara Schock | Head of the Film Department, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts | USA |
| Barbet Schroeder | Filmmaker and producer | France |
| Bee Thiam Tan | Producer | Singapore |
| Ben Rivers | Filmmaker | UK |
| Ben Safdie | Filmmaker | USA |
| Benjamin Hameury | Filmmaker | France |
| Bert Redhandl | Journalist and film critic | Germany |
| Bertrand Bonello | Filmmaker | France |
| Bertrand Mandico | Filmmaker | France |
| Bertrand Tavernier | Filmmaker | France |
| Bill Morrison | Filmmaker | USA |
| Birgit Kohler | Co-director of Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art (Berlin), Programmer for Berlinale Forum | Germany |
| Bodo Knapheide | Head of studies, German Film and Television Academy, Berlin | Germany |
| Boris Lehman | Filmmaker | Belgium |
| Boris Levy | Cinematographer | France |
| Brady Corbet | Actor and filmmaker | USA |
| Brigitte Roüan | Filmmaker | France |
| Bruno Dequen | Director of programming Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire Montréal, Editor in chief 24 Images Film Magazine | Canada |
| Bruno Dumont | Filmmaker | France |
| Carlo Bernardo Dias | Amstelfilm | The Netherlands |
| Carlo Chatrian | Director Festival del Film Locarno | Switzerland |
| Carlos F. Heredero | Director of ‘Caimán Cuadernos de Cine’ | Spain |
| Carlos Ferrand | Filmmaker | Canada |
| Caroline Champetier | Cinematographer | France |
| Caroline Deruas | Filmmaker | France |
| Catherine Breillat | Filmmaker | France |
| Catherine Colas | ARTE ZDF TV | Germany |
| Catherine Corsini | Filmmaker, co-president Société des Réalisateurs de Films | France |
| Catherine Krassovsky | Film editor | France |
| Catherine Libert | Filmmaker | Belgium |
| Cécile Tollu-Pollonowski | Production staff, The Match Factory | Germany |
| Cédric Klapisch | Filmmaker | France |
| Céline Sciamma | Filmmaker and co-president Société des Réalisateurs de Films | France |
| Celine Wald | Producer Tambo Films | Peru |
| Chantal Steinberg | Director École Documentaire de Lussas | France |
| Charles Tesson | Artistic director, Critics’ Week Cannes | France |
| Charlotte Selb | Programmer (RIDM, Hot Docs) | Canada |
| Chema Gonzalez | Curator, Head of Cultural Activities Museo Reina Sofia | Spain |
| Chloé Lorenzi | Public Relations | France |
| Christelle Lheureux | Filmmaker | France |
| Christian Jeune | Head of Cannes Film Festival’s Film Office | France |
| Christian Rouaud | Filmmaker | France |
| Christine Delorme | Filmmaker | France |
| Christine Laurent | Screenwriter and filmmaker | France |
| Christine Seghezzi | Filmmaker | France |
| Christinne Dolhofer | Director, Crossing Europe Film Festival | Austria |
| Christophe Honoré | Filmmaker | France |
| Christophe Pellet | Filmmaker | France |
| Christophe Ruggia | Filmmaker | France |
| Christopher Allen | Executive Artistic Director, UnionDocs | USA |
| Christopher Small | Film critic | England |
| Claire Atherton | Film editor | France |
| Claire Simon | Filmmaker | France |
| Claude Barras | Filmmaker | France |
| Cláudio Marques | Filmmaker, producer and programmer | Brazil |
| Clément Rauger | Scholar | France |
| Corneliu Porumboiu | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Costa-Gavras | Filmmaker, President of La Cinémathèque Française | France |
| Cristèle Alves Meira | Filmmaker | Brazil |
| Cristi Puiu | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Cristian Mungiu | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Daichi Yoshino | Radio director | Japan |
| Daisuke Akasaka | Film critic | Japan |
| Damien Manivel | Filmmaker and producer, MDM films | France |
| Dan Uzan | Filmmaker | France |
| Daniel Edinger | Filmmaker | France |
| Daniel Hui | Filmmaker | Singapore / USA |
| Daniel Kasman | Director of Content MUBI Online Cinema, Founder and Editor of MUBI’s Notebook | USA |
| Dante Desarthe | Filmmaker | France |
| Dario Zonta | Producer, film critic | Italy |
| David Pendleton | Programmer Harvard Film Archive | USA |
| David Varela Alvarez | Director of Programming Documenta Madrid | Spain |
| Davide Oberto | Head of TFFdoc, Torino Film Festival | Italy |
| Delphine Jeanneret | Programmer Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur | Switzerland |
| Denis Côté | Filmmaker | Canada |
| Denis Gheerbrant | Filmmaker | France |
| Dennis Lim | Director of programming, Film Society of Lincoln Center. Artistic Director New York Film Festival | USA |
| Dominic Gagnon | Filmmaker | Canada |
| Dominique Auvray | Film editor | France |
| Dustin Defa | Screenwriter and filmmaker | USA |
| Édouard Meier | Cinéma Galeries et Wrong Men production | Belgium |
| Eduardo Ades | Filmmaker | Brazil |
| Eduardo Serrano | Film editor | Brazil |
| Eiji Kobayashi | Editor, writer | Japan |
| Elena López | Filmmaker, Programmer at Entrevues Belfort Festival International du Film | France |
| Elisabeth Perceval | France | |
| Eloy Enciso | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Elsa Charbit | Artistic Director, Rencontres du Moyen Métrage de Brive | France |
| Emilie Bujes | Artistic Director Visions Du Réel | Switzerland |
| Emilie Deleuze | Filmmaker | France |
| Emily Wardill | Artist and filmmaker, Professor at Malmo Art Academy | UK |
| Emmanuel Burdeau | Film critic, programmer | France |
| Emmanuel Lefrant | Director of Light Cone | France |
| Enrico Ghezzi | Fuori Orario RAI3 TV | Italy |
| Eric Baudelaire | Filmmaker and artist | France |
| Etsuko Murata | Distributor at Shin-Nippon Films Co Ltd | Japan |
| Eugène Green | Filmmaker | France |
| Eugenio Renzi | Film critic | France |
| Eva Markovits | Programmer, Les Cinémas, Centre Pompidou | France |
| Eva Truffaut | Artist and Photographer | France |
| Fabianny Deschamps | Director and co-president of ACID (Association du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) | France |
| Federico Delpero Bejar | Film editor | Argentina |
| Felipe Lage Coro | Film producer | Spain |
| Fernando Vílchez Rodriguez | Director FILMADRID International Film Festival | Spain |
| Festival International du Film de La Rochelle | France | |
| FJ Ossang | Writer and filmmaker | France |
| Fleur Knopperts | Producer, Volya Films | The Netherlands |
| Florence Alexandre | Public Relations | France |
| Floor van Spaendonck | Director Cinekid | The Netherlands |
| Fran Gayo | Programmer, Bafici | Argentina |
| François Bonenfant | Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains | France |
| François Farellacci | Fillmmaker and producer | France |
| Françoise Lebrun | Actress and filmmaker | France |
| Franz Müller | Filmmaker and co-editor of Revolver film magazine | Germany |
| Frédéric Bonnaud | Director La Cinémathèque Française | France |
| Frédéric Cornet | Director Cinéma Galeries | Belgium |
| Frédéric Farrucci | Filmmaker | France |
| Frédéric Jaeger | Film critic, executive board member German Film Critics’ Association | Germany |
| Frédéric Maire | Director Cinemathèque Suisse, former Director of Festival del Film Locarno | Switzerland |
| Frédéric Sojcher | Filmmaker, Director of the Master Scénario, Réalisation, Production de l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne | France |
| Fumika Saito | Japan | |
| Gabe Klinger | Filmmaker | Brazil / USA |
| Gabriel Mascaro | Filmmaker | Brazil |
| Gaël Pache | Founder of La Barje | Switzerland |
| Gerald Weber | Assistant Manager, Sixpackfilm | Austria |
| Gianfranco Rosi | Filmmaker | Italy |
| Gilles Porte | Filmmaker | France |
| Giovanni Vimercati | Film critic | Italy |
| Gonzalo de Pedro Amatria | Programmer, Locarno Film Festival | Spain |
| Guillaume Brac | Fiilmmaker | France |
| Guillaume Letellier | Filmmaker | France |
| Gustavo Beck | Programmer, filmmaker, producer | Portugal / Brazil |
| Haden Guest | Director of Harvard Film Archive | USA |
| Hans Hurch | Artistic Director of the Viennale, Vienna International Film Festival | Austria |
| Hartmut Bitomsky | Filmmaker, former director of the California Institute of the Arts, Professor at Berlin Film School | Germany |
| Héléna Klotz | Filmmaker | France |
| Henri Maïkoff | Sound | France |
| Hiroki Kubo | Film critic | Japan |
| Hiroki Kumamoto | Critic and editor of film magazine “NOBODY” | Japan |
| Ian Gailer | Cultural Adviser at Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, Festival de Cinema de la Ville de Quebec | Canada |
| Ian Soroka | Filmmaker | USA |
| Irene M. Borrego | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Isabel Orellana Guarello | Programadora Festival Int. de Cine de Valdivia / Productora Araucaria Cine | Chile |
| Ivan Granovsky | Filmmaker, producer | Argentina |
| Jacopo Chessa | Centro Nazionale del Cortometraggio | Italy |
| Jacques Audiard | Filmmaker | France |
| Jacques Doillon | Filmmaker | France |
| Jacques Kermabon | Bref Magazine | France |
| Jacques Loeuille | Filmmaker | France |
| Jaime Pena | Film critic, Director of CGAI Filmoteca de Galicia | Spain |
| James Latimer | Programmer Berlinale Forum (Germany) writer Cinema Scope Magazine | Canada |
| Jan Sitta | Filmmaker | France |
| Jasmin Basic | Programmer (Solothurn Film Festival, Visions du Réel, FIFDH) | Switzerland |
| Javier Garcia Puerto | Director, Festival REC Tarragona, Film programmer Tallinn Black Nights IFF | Spain |
| Javier H. Estrada | Head of programming FILMADRID International Film Festival, Contributing editor Caimán Ediciones | Spain |
| Jean Michel Roux | Filmmaker | France |
| Jean-Baptiste Morain | Journalist and Film critic, Les Inrockuptibles | France |
| Jean-François Rauger | Head of programming at La Cinémathèque Française | France |
| Jean-Michel Carré | Filmmaker and producer | France |
| Jean-Michel Frodon | Film critic | France |
| Jean-Philippe Tessé | Cahiers du Cinéma (and all the Film Critics of Cahiers du Cinéma) | France |
| Jean-Pierre Rehm | Director FIDMarseille – International Film Festival | France |
| Jeanne Crépeau | Filmmaker | France |
| Jelena Maksimovic | Film editor | Serbia |
| Jérôme Baron | Artistic director, Festival des 3 Continents | France |
| Joana Hadjithomas | Filmmaker, artist | Lebanon |
| Joana Preiss | Actress and filmmaker | France |
| Joanna Grudzinska | Filmmaker | France |
| João Laia | Curator | Portugal |
| Joelle Bertossa | Producer Close Up Films | Switzerland |
| John Campos Gomez | Director, Tanscinema Film Festival | Peru |
| Jonas Rothlaender | Writer and filmmaker, producer – Berlin/Helsinki | Germany / Finland |
| Jonathan Millet | Fiilmmaker | France |
| Jonathan Rosenbaum | Film critic | USA |
| Joost De Vries | CEO, An Original Picture | The Netherlands |
| Jorge Costa Vila | Film critic, El País | Spain |
| José Luis Guérin | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Josh Safdie | Filmmaker | USA |
| JP Sniadecki | Filmmaker and scholar | USA |
| Judith Abitbol | Filmmaker | France |
| Judith Lou Levy | Producer, Les Films du Bal | France |
| Judith Revault d’Allonnes | Programmer, Les Cinémas, Centre Pompidou | France |
| Jukka-Pekka Laakso | Tampere Film Festival | Finland |
| Julie Lopes Curval | Filmmaker | France |
| Julie Paratian | Producer at Sister Productions, Paris/Bordeaux | France |
| Julien Gester | Film critic, Libération | France |
| Julien Samani | Filmmaker | France |
| Julien Selleron | Filmmaker | France |
| Junko Watanabe | Film editor | Japan |
| Justin Taurand | Producer, Les films du bélier | France |
| Kaori Oda | Filmmaker | Japan |
| Karen Akerman | Filmmaker | Brazil |
| Karine e Mario Brenta | Filmmakers | Italy |
| Kate Reidy | Co-director Festival Black Movie | Switzerland |
| Katell Quillévéré | Filmmaker, co-president Société des Réalisateurs de Films | France |
| Katharina Narbutovič | Head of Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD | Germany |
| Katharina Woll | Writer and filmmaker | Germany |
| Katia Rossini | Nova Cinema Brussels | Belgium |
| Ken Daimaru | Curator Hiroshima Film Festival | Japan |
| Keren Marciano | Filmmaker | France |
| Khalil Joreige | Filmmaker, artist | Lebanon |
| Kieron Corless | British Film Institute / Sight and Sound | UK |
| Kimi Takesue | Filmmaker, Associate Professor Dep. of Arts, Culture and Media, Rutgers University – Newark | USA |
| Kléber Mendonça Filho | Filmmaker | Brazil |
| Koichi Nagasaka | Japan | |
| Krysztof Gierat | Director Krakow Film Festival | Poland |
| Kumi Sato | Producer | Japan |
| Laura Huertas Millán | Filmmaker | France / USA / Colombia |
| Laurence Reymond | Quinzaine des Réalisateurs Cannes, programmer | France |
| Laurent Bouhnik | Filmmaker | France |
| Laurent Cantet | Filmmaker | France |
| Laurent Heynemann | Filmmaker | France |
| Lav Diaz | Filmmaker | Philippines |
| Léa Fehner | Filmmaker | France |
| Leo Goldsmith | Film editor, The Brooklyn Rail Magazine | USA |
| Leos Carax | Filmmaker | France |
| Lili Hinstin | Director Festival Entrevues Belfort | France |
| Lionel Ariel Guedj | Filmmaker, producer | UK |
| Lionel Baier | Filmmaker, Head of the Cinema Department at ECAL – Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne | Switzerland |
| Lisandro Alonso | Filmmaker | Argentina |
| Lois Patiño | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Lorenza Pignatti | Journalist and film critic, Duels | Italy |
| Lorna Tee | Producer and Festival director – CinemAsia Film Festival | The Netherlands |
| Louidgi Beltrame | Artist and filmmaker | France |
| Louis-Do de Lencquesaing | Filmmaker | France |
| Louis Henderson | Artist and filmmaker | UK |
| Louise Traon | Filmmaker | France |
| Loukianos Moshonas | Filmmaker | Greece |
| Luc Battiston | Filmmaker | France |
| Luc Béraud | Screenwriter and filmmaker | France |
| Luc Gallissaires | Filmmaker | France |
| Luca Guadagnino | Filmmaker | Italy |
| Lucas Belvaux | Filmmaker | France |
| Luce Vigo | President Jean Vigo prize | France |
| Lucía Casani | Directora La Casa Encendida de Fundación Montemadrid | Spain |
| Luciano Barisone | Director, Festival Visions du Réel | Switzerland |
| Luciano Rigolini | Former commissioning editor ARTE | Switzerland / France |
| Lucien Castaing-Taylor | Filmmaker, Professor and Director of Sensory Ethnography Lab, Harvard University | USA |
| Lucrecia Martel | Filmmaker | Argentina |
| Ludovic Lamant | Journalist and Film critic | France |
| Luis Ospina | Filmmaker | Colombia |
| Lydia Frost | Screenwriter and artist | Switzerland |
| Mads Mikkelsen | Head of programme, CPH:DOX Film Festival | Denmark |
| Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Fillmmaker | Tchad / France |
| Malik Chibane | Filmmaker | France |
| Manon de Boer | Artist and filmmaker | Belgium |
| Manuel Asin | Artistic director, Circulo de Belas Artes de Madrid | Spain |
| Manuel Fernández-Valdés | Filmmaker, Producer | Spain |
| Marco Müller | Film curator | Italy |
| Maren Ade | Filmmaker | Germany |
| Maria Bonsanti | Artistic director Cinéma du Réel | France |
| Maria Clara Escóbar | Filmmaker, writer | Brazil |
| Maria Watzlawik | Co-director Festival Black Movie | Switzerland |
| Mariangela Mondolo-Burghard | Producer | Spain / Switzerland |
| Marie Amachoukeli | Filmmaker | France |
| Marie Lanne-Chesnot | Cinephile | France |
| Marie Voignier | Artist and filmmaker | France |
| Marie-Christine Questerbert | Filmmaker | France |
| Marie Mandy | Filmmaker | France |
| Marie-Pierre Duhamel Müller | Film curator | France |
| Marilia Rocha | Filmmaker | Brazil |
| Mark Peranson | Head of programming Festival del Film Locarno, Editor and publisher Cinema Scope Magazine | Switzerland / Canada |
| Marta Andreu Muñoz | Producer, scholar | Spain |
| Martin Pawley | Producer and film critic | Spain |
| Martine Markovits | Head of programme Fine Arts College l’ENSBA, Paris, President Les Yeux de l’Ouïe, Selection comittee Festival Jean Rouch | France |
| Masamichi Matsumoto | Director of the Film School of Tokyo | Japan |
| Massimo Causo | Film critic and Onde, Curator at Torino Film Festival | Italy |
| Mati Diop | Filmmaker | France |
| Matias Meyer | Filmmaker, writer and producer | Mexico |
| Matias Piñeiro | Filmmaker | Argentina |
| Matthijs Wouter Knol | Director European Film Market (Berlinale) | Germany |
| Maui Alena | Programmer Centro Cultural Recoleta, Head of audiovisual Bienal de Arte Jóven | Argentina |
| Mauro Herce | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Maxime Martinot | Author, filmmaker | France |
| Maxime Roy | Producteur, mixeur | France |
| Mia Hansen-Love | Filmmaker | France |
| Michael Chanan | Professor Film & Video, Roehampton University | UK |
| Michael Hack | Managing Director, Berlin Critics’ Week | Germany |
| Michael Weber | The Match Factory, Internacional distributor | Germany |
| Michel Leclerc | Filmmaker | France |
| Michel Lipkes | Filmmaker | Mexico |
| Mick Hannigan | IndieCork Film Festival | Ireland |
| Mikaël Barre | Sound editor and mixer | France |
| Mikael Buch | Filmmaker | France |
| Mike Hoolboom | Artist and filmmaker | Canada |
| Milos Stehlik | Founder/Artistic director, Facets Cinema | USA |
| Monika Sosnowska | Artist | Poland |
| Myriam Sassine | Producer, Abbout Productions | Lebanon |
| Nadav Lapid | Filmmaker | Israel |
| Naeem Mohaiemen | Artist and filmmaker | Bangladesh / USA |
| Naël Marandin | Filmmaker | France |
| Nanako Tsukidate | Film curator at Hiroshima Film Festival | Japan |
| Nashen Moodley | Director, Sydney Film Festival | Australia |
| Natacha Seweryn | Programmer, Festival Premiers Plans | France |
| Natalia Marín Sancho | Filmmaker, scholar | Spain |
| Nick James | Editor in chief Sight & Sound | UK |
| Nicolas Klotz | Filmmaker | France |
| Nicolas Philibert | Filmmaker | France |
| Nicolas Provost | Filmmaker | Belgium |
| Nicole Brenez | Historian, programmer, teacher, investigator at Sorbonne Paris III | France |
| Nils Bouaziz | Founder, Potemkine | France |
| Nobuya Kigami | Distributor | Japan |
| Nuria Cubas | Artistic director, Film Madrid | Spain |
| Oana Ghera | Next International Film Festival | Romania |
| Olivier Assayas | Filmmaker | France |
| Olivier Chamard | Photographer | Switzerland |
| Olivier Hadouchi | Research Associate IRCAV Paris3 / Sorbonne Nouvelle, Independent Film Curator | France |
| Olivier Lévêque | Filmmaker | France |
| Olivier Marboeuf | Producer, Spectre Productions | France |
| Olivier Pélisson | Programmer Critic’s Week, Cannes | France |
| Olivier Père | Directeur de l’Unité, Cinéma / ARTE France, Directeur Général / ARTE France Cinéma | France |
| Olivier Sigaut | Filmmaker | France |
| Pablo Larrain | Filmmaker | Chile |
| Pamela F Cohn | Still in Motion | Germany / USA |
| Paolo Moretti | Director Festival du Film de La Roche Sur Yon | France |
| Pascal-Alex Vincent | Filmmaker | France |
| Pascal Knoerr | Department of Culture and Sports City of Geneva | Switzerland |
| Pascale Breton | Filmmaker | France |
| Pascale Ferran | Filmmaker | France |
| Patricia Aufderheide | Professor and founder Center for Media & Social Impact, School of Communication American University | USA |
| Paul Marques Duarte | Filmmaker | France |
| Paul Poet | Filmmaker, author, film curator (FILMARCHIV AUSTRIA) | Austria |
| Paula Pripas | Producer | Brazil |
| Pedro Almodóvar | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Peggy Rajski | Producer and filmmaker | USA |
| Peter Taylor | Artistic director Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, Programmer International Film Festival Rotterdam | Scotland / The Netherlands |
| Peter Watkins | Filmmaker | UK |
| Philippe Faucon | Filmmaker | France |
| Philippe Garrel | Filmmaker | France |
| Pierre Pinaud | Filmmaker | France |
| Pierre-François Sauter | Filmmaker | Switzerland |
| Pieter-Paul Mortier | Artistic director, Courtisane Film Festival | Belgium |
| Pietro Marcello | Filmmaker | Italy |
| Pippo Delbono | Filmmaker and theater director | Italy |
| Quentin Carbonell | Director of acquisitions MUBI | UK |
| Quentin Lestienne | Filmmaker | France |
| Rachel Ellis | Producer | Brazil |
| Radu Muntean | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Raul Camargo | Director Festival Internacional de Cine de Valdivia | Chile |
| Raymond Walravens | Director World Cinema Amsterdam Film Festival, Programmer Rialto Theater | The Netherlands |
| Razvan Radulescu | Filmmaker | Romania |
| Rebecca Zlotowski | Filmmaker | France |
| Rémi Bonhomme | Critics’ Week Cannes | France |
| Richard Brouillette | Filmmaker and producer | Canada |
| Richard Copans | Filmmaker | France |
| Rinaldo Censi | Film critic and curator | Italy |
| Rithy Panh | Filmmaker, producer, writer | Cambodia / France |
| Robert Daudelin | Film historian and critic, former curator of Cinémathèque Québécoise (Montréal), former president of FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) | Canada |
| Roberto Turigliatto | Fuori Orario RAI3 | Italy |
| Rodrigo Teixeira | Producer, RT features | USA |
| Roger Koza | Film critic and programmer (Filmfest Hamburg Germany, FICUNAM Mexico) | Argentina |
| Romain Ozanne | Sound editor | France |
| Ruth Beckermann | Filmmaker | Austria |
| Ryosuke Tanaka | Critic and editor, Film magazine “NOBODY” | Japan |
| Sacha Wolff | Filmmaker | France |
| Samantha Leroy | Head of programming Festival du Film Restauré Toute la Mémoire du Monde, La Cinémathèque Française | France |
| Sandrine Dumas | Filmmaker | France |
| Sandro Fiorin | Sales Agent, Figa FIlms | Brazil / USA |
| Sara García Villanueva | Play-Doc, co-director | Spain |
| Satoshi Kuzuu | Film critic | Japan |
| Sayombhu Mukdeeprom | Cinematographer | Thailand |
| Seamus Kealy | Director Salzburger Kunstverein | Austria |
| Sebastien Lifshitz | Filmmaker | France |
| Serge Bozon | Filmmaker | France |
| Serge le Péron | Filmmaker | France |
| Sergei Loznitsa | Filmmaker | Ukraine |
| Sherman Ong | Filmmaker | Malaysia / Singapore |
| Shiguehiko Hasumi | former President of the University of Tokyo, critic and historian of cinema | Japan |
| Shingo Kido | Office worker | Japan |
| Shinji Aoyama | Filmmaker | Japan |
| Shinsuke Ohdera | Film critic, editor, lecturer in Waseda University, director of cineclub L’Institut Franco-Japonais de Yokohama | Japan |
| Société des Réalisateurs de Films (S.R.F.) | France | |
| Sompot Chidgasornpongse | Filmmaker | Thailand |
| Soon-mi Yoo | Filmmaker | South Korea |
| Soue-won Rhee | Selection committee, Busan International Film Festival | South Korea |
| Stanley Schtinter | Artist and curator | UK |
| Stéphane Brizé | Filmmaker | France |
| Stéphane Delorme | Editor-in-chief Cahiers du Cinéma | France |
| Stoffel Debuysere | Artistic director, Courtisane | Belgium |
| Stucki Valeria | Filmmaker | France |
| Sylvain George | Filmmaker | France |
| Sylvie Pras | Director of Cinema Department, Centre Pompidou – Paris | France |
| Takashi Sugimoto | Filmmaker | Japan |
| Takehiro Ito | Filmmaker | Japan |
| Tanja Vrvilo | Performer and filmologist, Artistic director Film Mutations: The Festival of Invisible Cinema (Zagreb) | Croatia |
| Tanya Valette | Head of programme DOCTV, Directora Carrera Cine Altos de Chavón | France |
| Taro Sekiguchi | Office worker | Japan |
| Tatiana Lista | Programmer Comédie de Genève | Switzerland |
| Tatsuzo Takahashi | Lawyer | Japan |
| Tazz Nishihara | Kyoto University for the Arts | Japan |
| Teruki Uehara | Director and editor-in-chief of Outside in Tokyo | Japan |
| Theo Tsappos | Swedish Film Institute | Sweden |
| Thibaut Bracq | Programmer at Festival Premiers Plans | France |
| Thierry de Peretti | Actor and Filmmaker | France |
| Thierry Garrel | Former Head of Documentaries at ARTE France, 1987/2008 | France |
| Thierry Frémaux | Director of the Cannes Film Festival and Lumière Institut | France |
| Thom Andersen | Filmmaker | USA |
| Thomas Cailley | Filmmaker | France |
| Thomas Jenkoe | Filmmaker | France |
| Thomas Lilti | Filmmaker | France |
| Thomas Ordonneau | Producer and distributor, Shellac | France |
| Thorsten Trimpop | Filmmaker and lecturer Massachusetts Institute of Technology | USA |
| Tim Redford | Programmer, Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival | France |
| Todd Solondz | Writer and filmmaker | USA |
| Tomokazu Sagara | Office worker | Japan |
| Tomonori Sato | Producer | Japan |
| Tomoyo Kawai | La Jetée | Japan |
| Tonino de Bernardi | Filmmaker | Italy |
| Ulrich Kohler | Filmmaker | Germany |
| Un-Seong Yoo | Film critic, former artistic director of Jeonju Film Festival | South Korea |
| Una Feely | IndieCork Film Festival | Ireland |
| Ute Aurand | Filmmaker | Germany |
| Valentina Novati | Producer at Norte | France |
| Valérie Loiseleux | Film editor | France |
| Valérie Massadian | Filmmaker, artist | France |
| Valérie Mitteuaux | Filmmaker | France |
| Vanina Vignal | Filmmaker | France |
| Verena Paravel | Filmmaker, Faculty associate, Sensory Ethnography Lab, Harvard University | USA |
| Veton Nurkollari | Director Dokufest | Kosovo |
| Victor Erice | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Victor Gresard | Distributor and programmer (Collectif Jeune Cinéma / Festival des Cinémas Différents de Paris) | France |
| Victor Paz Morandeira | Film critic, Programmer CGAI – Filmoteca de Galicia | Spain |
| Vincent Dieutre | Filmmaker | France |
| Virgil Vernier | Filmmaker | France |
| Virginia García del Pino | Filmmaker | Spain |
| Vitor Graize | Producer and filmmaker | Brazil |
| Walter Salles | Filmmaker and producer | Brazil |
| Wissam Charaf | Filmmaker | France |
| Wouter Jansen | Go Short – International Film Festival Nijmegen, Some Shorts distribution | The Netherlands |
| Xavier Henry-Rashid | Managing director, Film Republic | UK |
| Yann Gonzalez | Filmmaker | France |
| Yasuhito Ohchi | Actor | Japan |
| Yousri Nasrallah | Filmmaker | Egypt |
| Yu Koreyasu | Movie Assistant Director | Japan |
| Yu Shibuya | Student | Japan |
| Yuji Ikeda | Animator, Imagineering.Inc, Kobe | Japan |
| Yuki Hidetake | Critic and editor of japanese film magazine “NOBODY” | Japan |
| Yukinori Kurokawa | Filmmaker | Japan |
| Yuko Fukuzaki | Sophia University | Japan |
| Yuko Tanaka | Journalist | Japan |
| Yvonne Irimescu | Next International Film Festival | Romania |
| Zelimir Zilnik | Filmmaker | Serbia |
| Zita Carvalhosa | Kinoforum | Brazil |