As it was last year, the primary focus of the Festival will be education and future of young professionals. Within Cinema Now Live Academy programme our special guests will hold a series of master classes, sharing that way their considerable professional experience. 

Renowned German director, Andreas Dresen, who is also the main guest of this year’s Festival, will hold a master class in film direction. Nik Powell, one of the most significant British producers, co-founder of Virgin Records and Director of the National Film and Television School in London, will reveal the secret of successful production and alphabet of a quality film story. Brilliant Slovenian director Jan Cvitkovič will speak of the mystery of creating and of his, sometimes surprising, methods. French director Valérie Massadian, who wrote, shot and edited her debut feature film, that later went on to fascinate juries of great festivals and audience around the world, will speak of the art of wielding a camera. Miško Nećak will speak in an endearing way of pains and pleasures from an editing studio. Bruno Chatelin, board member of the European Film Academy and International Film Festival Summit, will introduce us to the secrets from the world of festivals and new virtual ways to watch, finance and distribute films. 

Special word will be given to young authors, whom we will ask if there is some new film scene being born in Serbia, and how it presents Serbia and time we live in. We want to know what happens with storytelling at a time of an endless multiplying of screens, fragmentation, clicks and new media. This is why we have invited Srđan Koljević and Elma Tataragić. Using black humour, one of the selectors of the Festival, Petar Protić, will tell us of the Black Wave and its historical context. Laurence Herszberg, director of Forum des Images, will have the honour of opening Cinema Now Live Academy.

Cinema City juries, comprised of famous names from the world of film, will be rating films in four competition selection.

Jury of National Class selection is comprised of – Martin Schweighofer – member of the European Film Academy and president of the Austrian Film Academy, Tiziana Finci – former co-director of Locarno Film Festival, Mary Nazari – screenwriter, producer and programme director of the Pioneer Cinema Network in Moscow, Davide Manuli – Italian director, and Laurence Herszberg – president of the jury.

Jury of Exit Point selection is comprised of – Fridrik Thór Fridriksson, Iceland’s most significant director, Simon Perry – president of Ateliers du Cinéma Européen network (ACE),Jean Roy – former director of the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival, current vice-president of the French Film Journalists Union and FIPRESCI president, Mira Staleva – director of Sofia Film Meetings, and Will Tizard – American journalist, lecturer and director.

Jury of Educons Hungry Days is comprised of – João Pedro Rodrigues – an exceptional Portuguese director, Zvonimir Jurić – Croatian director, and Santiago Fillol – renowned Spanish screenwriter and lecturer.

Jury of Up to 10,000 Bucks are: Irena Škorić – Croatian director and last year’s winner of this selection, Nevena Matović – journalist and editor of two TV shows (“Cultural Circles” and “Club Two”) on Radio Belgrade 2, and Rajko Petrović – director of the Free Zone Film Festival in Belgrade.