Wim Wenders (Germany) President

Wim Wenders was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1945. One of the most influential figures of the New German Cinema in the Seventies, his films – among them Der Amerikanische Freund  (The American Friend, 1978), Paris, Texas  (Paris, Texas, 1984), Der Himmel über Berlin  (Wings of Desire, 1987), Bis ans Ende der Welt  (Until the End of the World, 1991), Lisbon Story  (Lisbon Story, 1994) and Buena Vista Social Club  (Buena Vista Social Club, 1999) – have won numerous prestigious awards and international critical acclaim. A major survey of Wenders’ photography, Pictures from the Surface of the Earth, has toured museums and art institutions worldwide since 2001. Wim Wenders has also published various books of essays and photographs. He lives in Los Angeles and Berlin with his wife, the photographer Donata Wenders. He is President of the European Film Academy, and member of the order Pour le Mérite.

Yurij Nikolaevic Arabov (Russian Federation)

Yurij Arabov was born in Moscow in 1954. In the 1980s he was awarded his degree as scriptwriter at the VGIK (Russian State Institute of Cinematography). He had his debut in the cinema in 1978 with Aleksandr Sokurov’s Odinokij golos celoveka  (The Lonely Human Voice), a film that was prohibited in the Soviet Union until 1987. In the 1980s he began working as scriptwriter for Sokurov in numerous films. Many of his scripts are inspired by the so-called silver age of Russian culture, in particular the first Russian mystic thriller Gospodin oformitel’. Arabov has won numerous awards, the most prestigious being those for the best script at the Cannes Festival for Moloch  (Moloch) in 1999 and Nika, the most important Russian film award in 2002. A meta-metaphorical poet, he has written countless collections of poetry and books of prose and has won the Boris Pasternak prize for literature. During the 1980s he was one of the founders of the «Poetry» Club in Moscow. He has been teaching dramatic art at the VGIK since 2002. His main screenplays include: Odinokij golos celoveka  (1987), Gospodin oformitel’ (1988), Krug vtoroy  (The Second Circle, 1990), Prisutstvyie  (1992), Tikhie stranitsy  (1993), Mat i syn  (Mother and Son, 1997), Moloch  (1999), Teletz  (2000), Solnze  (The Sun, 2004), and Yuriev den  (2008).

Valeria Golino (Italy)

Valeria Golino (Naples, 1966) is the favorite actress of some of the most important Italian directors and the European actress who is most in demand in the United States. Her first leading role was in Peter Del Monte’s Piccoli fuochi  (Little Fires). In 1986 she was awarded the Coppa Volpi at the 43rd Venice Film Festival for her role in Francesco Maselli’s Storia d’amore  (A Tale of Love). She has participated in several international productions: Paura e amore  (Love and Fear) by Margarethe von Trotta, Gli occhiali d’oro   (The Gold Rimmed Glasses) by Giuliano Montaldo, Rain Man  by Barry Levinson and Puerto Escondido  by Gabriele Salvatores. In 1997 she was awarded the Grolla d’Oro as best leading actress for her role in Silvio Soldini’s Le acrobate  (The Acrobat). In 1998 she was at the Venice Film Festival with Francesca Archibugi’s L’albero delle pere  (Shooting the Moon) and Tony Gerber’s Side Streets; the following year she returned as patroness of the prize-giving ceremony. Over the past years, she has confirmed her multifaceted talent with countless roles: Frida  by Julie Taymor, Respiro  by Emanuele Crialese (Nastro d’Argento as best leading actress), 36 Quai des Orfèvres  (Department 36) by Olivier Marchal, La guerra di Mario  (Mario’s War) by Antonio Capuano (David di Donatello as best leading actress), Texas  by Fausto Paravidino, A casa nostra  (Our Country) by Francesca Comencini, Il sole nero  (Black Sun) by Krzysztof Zanussi, La ragazza del lago  (The Girl by the Lake) by Andrea Molaioli and Caos calmo  (Quiet Chaos) by Antonio Luigi Grimaldi.