MESTIA INTERNATIONAL SHORT AND MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 29.07-02.08 2026
Jury
Siddiq Barmak
Siddiq Barmak is an Afghan film director and a graduate of the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow (1987).
His debut feature film, Osama (2003), received international acclaim and won numerous prestigious awards at major film festivals, including Cannes, Busan, and London. In 2004, the film was also awarded the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.
His second feature, Opium War (2008), received Best Film awards at the Rome Film Festival and Batumi International Film
His latest feature, The Postman (2026), marks his return to feature filmmaking.
Elif Dağdeviren
Elif Dağdeviren is a Turkish media executive, producer, journalist, and film industry professional.
Over the years, she has served as the director of the Antalya International Film Festival, editor-in-chief of the Turkish edition of Cosmopolitan, and co-founder of the film production company Hermes Films.
She has produced several internationally acclaimed and award-winning films, including Ice Cream, I Scream, which was Turkey’s official submission for the Academy Awards (Oscars).
Kim Hyung-Koo
Kim Hyung-Koo is one of the most respected figures in South Korea’s film industry. A professor of Film and Multimedia at Korea National University of Arts, he was educated as a cinematographer and photographer, studying at Seoul Chung Ang University, the Korean Academy of Fine Arts, and the American Film Institute.
He is the recipient of numerous national honors(blue dragon award , the grand bell award) and international awards.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has worked alongside some of Korea’s most renowned filmmakers, including Bong Joon-ho, Hong Sang Soo, Lee Chang-dong, and Im Kwon-taek.
Guillaume de Seille
Guillaume de Seille is a French producer and film distributor.
He worked for ten years in the Cinema Department of Canal+ before serving as Artistic Director at France 2, the French public broadcaster.
Under his leadership, the France-based production company Arizona Films has co-produced and distributed more than 60 art-house feature films. Many of these films have been screened at major international film festivals, released theatrically in France, and broadcast on European television channels.
Arizona Films primarily focuses on co-producing auteur films by emerging non-French directors. Among its notable collaborations are projects with Georgian filmmakers George Ovashvili and Nana Ekvtimishvili.
Mariam Kandelaki
Mariam Kandelaki is a Georgian animation director, producer, and cultural organizer, the founder of several key animation initiatives in the Black Sea region, including the Animation Project Development Workshop together with Annecy festival, the Georgian Animators Association SAQANIMA, and the ANIMA Tbilisi International Animation Conference, contributing significantly to the development of the regional animation industry and international co-production networks. She is also the organizer of the Nikozi International Animation Film Festival.
Mariam Kandelaki is a board member of CEE Animation and the EMILE European Animation Awards, and a member of the European Film Academy. In 2026 she was honored with the Giannalberto Bendazzi Award at the Paris International Animation Film Festival for her outstanding contribution to animation culture and industry development.
MIFF №6 