Pre-Jurys of FILMFEST DRESDEN

For some of our special awards, pre-juries nominate films from the competitions with a special thematic focus. These nominated films are then presented in special screenings during the festival and the respective jury determines the winning film. This applies to the three film awards Golden Horseman Film Sound, LUCA Film Award for Gender Diversity and "fully political" - Short Film Award for Democratic Culture.

ELISABETH THOMAS

Film – and especially short film – has accompanied me for many years: from visits to film festivals that shaped me through to organising my own open-air short film event in the small town in Saxony where I grew up. Already during my studies of cultural and media education, I explored audio and sound intensively. For me, sound and music are central elements of film that decisively mould the perception, atmosphere and emotional depth. When watching films, over and again I notice how much the sound influences my experience and frequently has a lasting effect on me.

MARIA MARINA

I am a 21-year-old filmmaker and graduate of the performing arts programme at Université Paris 8. I started making films at 16 and have since explored cinematic language through short films and film reviews, as well as my participation in film festivals. I am currently studying documentary filmmaking at Zelig Film School. Inspired by Robert Bresson’s idea that “the eye sees better when the sound is great”, I am especially interested in how sound shapes emotion, rhythm and meaning in film.

IVAN OLARTE

Iván Olarte is a Colombian sound artist and producer of ambient music for films and soundtracks. He is also an independent filmmaker, author and researcher of the connection between sound and image.

THOMAS STILLE

is a sound visionary whose work evolves at the intersection of art, music and technology. Since 2019 he has moulded the Schmalfilmtage film festival in Dresden as its Technical Director. His artistic journey began in the 90s when he created experimental soundscapes as a DJ and sound artist. As a founding member of the electronic band K.Pelle and as a composer of film music, he has shaped acoustic narratives. At the same time, Stille moves between the fields of art and engineering artistry: He was a sound designer for Daimler AG, developed studio monitors with M. Zoller Acoustic and constructed recording studios for innovative music productions. As an IT consultant at the Jamaican Embassy in Berlin, he combined technological know-how with intercultural communications.

MAX GAUSEPOHL

is a musician and sound designer. In addition to designing the sound for animated films, his work also includes live electronics and spatial audio performances in ensembles or theatres. As a member of the DETEKTOR collective, he develops the sound concept for radio plays that are produced in performative formats. His enthusiasm for film sound results from the effectual power of the tone and sound. This eludes conscious perception, and yet it is the decisive factor for the immersion in and intensity of a film. A film’s score can be expressly arranged in countless different ways, with there being no “one right” way, for which reason the basis of good sound design is always a deeper engagement with the narrative.

SHAHRUKH KHAN

I was awarded my Bachelor Film Studies from SZABIST University in Pakistan, where I began writing and producing short films and documentaries. My first documentary WHAT A WASTE was selected for the 2017 International Cannes Short Film Corner. Since then, films including WOLF MAN, MY NAME IS SHAHRUKH KHAN, I SHALL NOT HEAR LOVE, A HEREDITARY HEART, BENEATH THE FEET, FOOD FOR THOUGHT and 6/6 have received accolades locally and internationally. My recent documentary THE FLOATING FAMILY was screened at the United Nations. I am currently pursuing a masters in expanded media at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. I believe sound is the soul of film, as it transcends audiences into worlds full of possibilities, creating a deeply intimate auditory experience.

FATMA KÜTLE

studied ethnology and completed educational and cultural studies in Leipzig and Jena. Since mid-2025, she has worked as an educational advisor with the Genderkompetenznetzwerk Sachsen (Gender Competence Network Saxony) in Dresden. Her earlier focus on anti-racist perspectives, and especially anti-Muslim racism, has been expanded at the Genderkompetenznetzwerk through her engagement with gender and issues of gender justice and equality, where she applies an intersectional approach.

ANTHONY RIN KLUGE (dey)

has been part of the FILMFEST DRESDEN Team since 2022. They are committed to issues relating to, for instance, trans* and non-binary identities, neurodiversity and mental health. As part of the queer scene, dey attends events and demonstrations – at times being loud and proud, at other times quiet and emotional, sometimes angry, at other times hopeful. They are a film enthusiast with a great passion for storytelling in all its forms, ranging from (short) films and literature to video games and “Dungeons & Dragons”.

THOMAS QIU HÖNEL

Dresden-based men’s coach and trainer (born 1967), advisor with the LAG Jungen- und Männerarbeit Sachsen e. V. (Saxony Association for Boys and Men’s Work), artist and visualiser. His focus is on progressive, gender-reflective men’s work in Dresden.

MAIKE VON HARTEN

works at the Montagscafé at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden – an open space with a changing cultural programme for Dresden residents with and without a migration background. She is also part of the FLINTA* tech collective Kabelbrand, which supports rallies, demonstrations and events.

LEO LENTZ

Diversity and equality have always been integral to my professional and private commitments. I am a volunteer at the Wir AG sociocultural centre in Neustadt, a space for political, cultural and neighbourhood projects. A place where ideas can be created, discussed and implemented. Films have the potential to address social issues and convey perspectives that are often overlooked otherwise – and this is exactly what makes working on the pre-jury so exciting for me.

LAURA SCHULZE

is interested in political issues and conducts commemorative work on a voluntary basis. She is impressed by the opportunities provided by cinematic expression for dealing with sociopolitical issues. For a while, she was as a project coordinator at FILMFEST DRESDEN, where she was responsible for the section etc. – events.trainings.connections., among others. She now works for the Neisse Film Festival, DOK Leipzig and more.

FANNY VILDEBRAND

Initially studied something involving media and theatre in Leipzig, before rambling eastwards via Dresden to Upper Lusatia, always on the trail of great film festivals and small but excellent arthouse cinemas, which can also be found in the middle of nowhere. As an observer, co-creator of and ambassador for rural areas, she provides a unique perspective on film art and democratic culture.

SARAH CHRISTOPHER

studied Romance languages, cultural studies and literature, before developing an early interest in the connection between artistic expression in film and social representations. Her focus here is on how films are capable of depicting, questioning and renegotiating social realities, especially through emotional and aesthetic strategies that reveal power relations. Before working with FILMFEST DRESDEN, she gained a wide range of festival experience at Filmfest Hamburg and the Berlinale, among others. She has been part of the team since November 2025 and is deeply impressed by short film as a condensed, experimental and politically concise form of expression.