2019 Jury

DENA BLAKEMAN

Dena Blakeman has over thirty years of experience in the UK film industry and a strong affiliation with the arthouse and independent sector. Before working at New Wave Films she worked at Artificial Eye, with founding/owners Pam and Andi Engel, on ‘classic’, ‘arthouse’ films when they were first released; The Piano, Cyrano de Bergerac, Krzysztof Kieslowski 3 Colours and Andrei Tarkovsky’s last film The Sacrifice. Dena has also worked for the ICA; Institute of Contemporary Art, United Media and Skyline Inflight Entertainment distributing and acquiring World CInema to various airlines and UK cinemas.

ASA MADER

Asa Mader is an artist and filmmaker working between London, Paris and New York. His first narrative film, based on a novel by Marguerite Duras, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2003. Since Mader has directed and produced numerous films, music videos and art installations including projects starring Léa Seydoux, Melanie Laurent and Lou Doillon. Mader’s music video for Coldplay’s “Violet Hill” was the first ever to receive a simultaneous premiere on MTV, VH1 and others, before going on to receive multiple nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards. Mader’s installation work includes film portraits of the preeminent photojournalist James Nachtwey, legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Mader collaborated with Arthur Jafa, Kahlil Joseph and Malik Sayeed to produce DREAMS ARE COLDER THAN DEATH, which premiered at the 2013 New York Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival and received Best Documentary Feature Award at the BlackStar Film Festival. Mader recently produced and directed a 12-screen feature-length film installation that was presented in the chapel of a 17th century chateau in the South of France. He’s currently developing a screenplay for a feature-length narrative as well as a documentary on one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s closest associates.

JULIEN PLANTÉ

Julien Planté is co-owner and Producer at Minky Productions with 20 years experience in curation, TV/online and events production. Julien has programmed the Ciné Lumière at the Institut Français (London) for 8 years (2001-2008) and then ran Cinémoi channel on Sky and Virgin. He was the first Managing Director at Letters Live, and produced the Prince Street podcast for Dean & DeLuca. Julien also worked with the Tribeca Film Festival and produced the Power of Film and Moving Image conference for Finch & Partners. Currently Head of European productions for Cinémoi Network (USA) and executive producer of Bedlam, a VR installation by Mat Collishaw. Currently producer and co-curator of The Convention and Project director at Berlioz 150. Passionate about cinema, Julien covers the Festival de Cannes and the Venice Film Festival every year.