The EFA Excellence Jury

Marta Billingsley, sound editor, Italy

Learning from her father Hugh Michael Billingsley, one of the first sound editors to change the concept of sound editing in Italy in the 60s, Marta has worked in sound for more than 20 years. She has collaborated with directors such as Nanni Moretti, Matteo Garrone, Marco Tullio Giordana, Alice Rohrwacher, Francesca Archibugi, Marco Bellocchio, Ciro Guerra and many others. In 2009 Marta opened her own company, Rec&Play, with three others partners.

John Gürtler, composer, Germany

John Gürtler is a film composer based in Berlin. He has written over 40 film scores and produces electronic music, songs and orchestral work and has won several awards, including ‘Best Song in a Film’ at the 2014 German Film Music Awards the ‘German Documentary Music Award’  and the ‘European Original Score 2019’ for SYSTEM CRASHER, presented by the European Film Academy. An adamant improviser, John uses the studio as a room for electro acoustic experimentation, straying away from standardised sounds whenever possible and finding an individual language for each project where the borders between score, sound and source music start to dissolve.

Rein Kotov, cinematographer, Estonia

Tallinn-based Rein Kotov graduated from All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK, Moscow) in 1991, by which time he had already started his professional career at Tallinnfilm. Since 1991, Rein has been the DOP for numerous features, short films and documentaries, among them TRUTH AND JUSTICE by Tanel Toom, LITTLE COMRADE by Moonika Siimets, TANGERINES by Zaza Urushadze (nominated for the Golden Globes and Estonia’s foreign-language entry for the Oscars 2015), THE SPY AND THE POET by Toomas Hussar, LETTERS TO ANGEL by Sulev Keedus, GOODBYE MOM by Svetlana Proskurina and 1944 by Elmo Nüganen.

Rein was nominated for European Cinematographer 2001 at the European Film Awards for THE HEART OF THE BEAR.

Catherine Marchand, costume designer, Belgium

After her studies at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts visuels and the Haute Couture cycle “Grenier de Paris” (1979-84), Catherine Marchand started working in costume design in 1985. She has great experience in short and full-length fiction and documentary films, among them ALMAYER’S FOLLY by Chantal Akerman, VIJAY AND I by Sam Garbarski (for which she won a Belgian Magritte Award) and MARINA by Stijn Coninx (for which she won another Magritte). Catherine has also worked on various commercials and regularly does pattern cuts for men and women. She has her own design studio in Brussels.

Jonathan Morris, editor, UK

Jonathan Morris first worked a child actor and sang with Judy Garland in her final film. Deciding against the uncertainties of life as an actor, he took a job in 1966 as a trainee second assistant film editor. In 1976, he was promoted to editor, editing many documentaries and dramas and working with many well-known directors. In 1982, Jonathan formed a post-production company in London and edited numerous award-winning films. Throughout his career, he has worked with Ken Loach, cutting many films for him; and has worked on 12 films selected in Cannes as well as three in Venice and Berlin. He has given editing seminars in Denmark, France and the USA, and has mentored students at the NFTS in Beaconsfield, UK. His latest films are I, DANIEL BLAKE (Palme d’Or) and SORRY WE MISSED YOU.

Anne Cathrine Sauerberg, make-up designer, Denmark

Born in Copenhagen, Anne Cathrine Sauerberg completed make-up school in 1986. She has been working in TV, film and theatre since 1984 and is a multiple winner of the Danish Robert award, notably so for BLACK HARVEST (1994), EN SOAP (2007) and MEN & CHICKEN (2016).

Andraž Sedmak, visual effects supervisor, Slovenia

With about 15 years of experience as a motion designer, compositor and Vfx supervisor, Andraž Sedmak has worked for TV-series, films, shows. Now he manages his own VFX company Fingertrix. His credits include commercials and several feature films such as Life in a Year, Planet Single and Brigitte Bardot cudowna.

Sylvia Steinbrecht-Aleix, production designer, Andorra

For more than 20 years, Sylvia Steinbrecht-Aleix has been working in each of the art department positions. Among the films she has been involved in are BIUTIFUL (2010) by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, SUNDAY’S ILLNESS (2018) by Ramon Salazar, ELISA & MARCELA (2019)- for which she won the Gaudi 2020 for best art direction and nominee as best film in the Berlinale 2019 and FOODIE LOVE (tv series 2019) directed by Isabel Coixet. Most recently, she has been involved in the production design of Oriol Paolo’s tv series EL INOCENTE.