The Festival Jury 2023

Fitore Muzaqi

Fitore Muzaqi lives as a screenwriter and director in Cologne. As an author, she deals with cultural differences, feminist issues and injustice, which she conveys in an absurdly funny yet serious way. After her studies, she worked as an author, director and creative producer for WDR and various Cologne production companies. Fitore completed the Serial Storytelling course at the International Film School Cologne (ifs). She is a founding member of Female Filmmakers CGN and has been a board member of the DDV – German Screenplay Association since 2023.

Fotocredit: Florian Liedel

Jennifer Stahl 

Jennifer Stahl is managing director of the PAIQ Producer Alliance Initiative for Qualification. In this position, she would like to advance the topics of promoting young talent and recruiting skilled workers. This includes, among other things, the cooperation with the NewMotion project initiated by Previously, she led the young talent initiative FIRST STEPS together with Anna Ballschmieter and was responsible for three successful editions of the award ceremony. From 2015 to 2020, Jennifer worked alongside Linda Söffker as program coordinator for the Berlinale section “Perspective German Cinema”.

Fotocredit: Paul Bronstein

Karl Schirnhofer

Karl Schirnhofer came to his job as a casting director through internships and a casting assistant. Among other things, he was responsible for the casting of the award-winning films The Ordiniairies and We Might As Well Be Dead as well as the film Between Us the Night, which premiered at the Munich Film Festival in 2023. In order to make new discoveries, Karl looks around the German film landscape every day, visits theaters and regularly tours the state drama schools and ensembles of small and large theaters. He gives every role equal attention, regardless of size. Diversity and a balance of experienced actors and new discoveries are his priority.

Patrick Vollrath

Patrick Vollrath initially worked as a film editor before studying at the Vienna Film Academy in 2008 with, among others, two-time Oscar winner Michael Haneke. His short film Everything Will Be Well received the most important German young film awards and was invited to the short film competition at the “Semaine de la Critique” in Cannes. After winning the Student Oscar in 2015, Patrick Vollrath was nominated for an Oscar in the “Best Live Action Short Film” category at the 2016 Academy Awards. His feature film debut 7500, starring Joseph-Gordon Levitt, celebrated its world premiere in Locarno in 2019. Patrick was a guest at the Munich Film Festival in 2022 with his film Das Seehaus as part of the series anthology Punishment after Ferdinand von Schirach.

Paula Essam

Paula Essam is an actress and author. After studying in France and Seoul and working, among other things, as a travel reporter for a Korean television station, she has appeared in numerous series and film productions since her acting training (How to sell Drugs online fast, Three Lives, Sam - A Saxon). She began working on her feature-length film debut in the Women Writing Lab at the Munich University of Television and Film (HFF). As an author, Paula is interested in female and diverse perspectives today and in the past. She is on the board of ProQuoteFilm and volunteers to promote greater gender equality and diversity in the German film industry.