Italian writer and filmmaker Edgardo Pistone pursued studies in directing and photography at the Accademia di Belle Arti in his hometown, Naples. Along with his budding movie career, Pistone also took on the role of educator, teaching filmmaking to young people on the outskirts of Naples. Pistone crafted an impressive portfolio of short films, Per un’ora d’amore (2013), Il viaggio premio (2017) before winning the Best Director Award for Le mosche (2019) at the 35th Venice International Film Festival. Edgardo’s full-length debut, Ciao bambino premiered at the Rome Film Festival where it took the Best First Feature prize.

Elkjana Gjipali is an Albanian filmmaker and producer and a member of the European Film Academy. Her work includes both short and feature films, among them Two Lions to Venice, Albania’s official entry for the 2021 Academy Awards. An alumna of the School of Film Advancement (SOFA), she now focuses on sharing her passion for cinema through teaching and developing film literacy initiatives. Gjipali is the founder of the Tirana Film Commission and the Tirana Film Club, both initiatives created to nurture a love for cinema and inspire the next generation of storytellers. Elkjana Gjipali is also the co-founder of the Tirana European Youth Film Festival (TEYFF), a cultural platform dedicated to spotlighting fresh voices and bold visions from first- and second-time filmmakers.

Albanian movie and television actor Kreshnik ‘Nik’ Xhelilaj has delivered over thirty solid acting performances, leading and supporting, in numerous Albanian and international co-productions. Only one year after attending the Academy of Arts in Tirana, Xhelilaj was selected by veteran filmmaker Piro Milkani and co-director Eno Milkani to star in the Albanian-Czech co-production Trishtimi i zonjës Shnajder (The Sorrow of Miss Schneider) (2008), Albania’s entry into the 81st US Academy Awards. Nik Xhelilaj has given acclaimed performances in German director Johannes Naber’s Der Albaner (The Albanian) (2010), writer and director Artan Minarolli’s Gjallë (Alive) (2009) and Jamil Dehlavi’s multiple award-winning Seven Lucky Gods (2014). Currently, Nik Xhelilaj gives a memorably strong turn as a sleazy businessman in Florenc Papas upcoming Luna Park.

Albanian publisher, linguist, literary obsessive and cinephile Arlinda Dudaj is the CEO and executive director of the Dudaj Publishing House. Arlinda Dudaj studied German and English translation and interpretation eventually working as an assistant professor in German at the Faculty of History and Philology at the University of Tirana. Recognizing the need to bring contemporary international literature to Albanian readers, Arlinda Dudaj formed the Dudaj Publishing House in 2001.