Jury

Ali Asgari is one of the leading voices of contemporary Iranian cinema. His films explore the lives of individuals confronted by the social, political, and institutional pressures of Iran, often revealing how private acts of resistance emerge within ordinary life. His debut feature, “Disappearance” (2017), developed at the Cannes Cinéfondation Residency, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was screened at the 41st Mostra. He then made “Until Tomorrow” (2022, 46th Mostra), which premiered at the Berlinale, and “Terrestrial Verses” (2023), screened at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section. The latter was latter released in over ten territories, drawing more than 100,000 admissions in France. His hybrid feature “Higher Than Acidic Clouds” (2024) was presented at IDFA, followed by “Divine Comedy” (2025), which was part of Venice’s Orizzonti section. Asgari has served as a jury member at Cannes, Venice, and many other festivals. His latest feature, “A Bit of Light”, is part of the 50th Mostra program.

Born in the United States in 1971. A filmmaker, screenwriter, and musician, he is the lead vocalist of the bands The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. He is also involved in political and social movements and took part in Occupy Oakland and the activist group The Young Comrades. He made his feature-film directorial debut with “Sorry to Bother You” (2018), presented at the Sundance Film Festival and winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. In 2023, he created, wrote, and directed the series “I’m a Virgo”. At the 50th Mostra, Boots Riley presents his second feature film, “I Love Boosters”.

Director and screenwriter César Augusto Acevedo was born in Cali, Colombia, in 1987. His debut feature, “Land and Shade” (2015, 39th Mostra), premiered at the Cannes Critics’ Week, where it won four awards, including the Caméra d’Or for Best First Feature. The film went on to garner over 25 national and international awards. He also directed the short film “Los Pasos del Agua” (2016), which was presented at Cannes. He served as co-writer and second assistant director on Oscar Ruiz Navia’s “Los Hongos” (2014), which won the Special Jury Prize in the Filmmakers of the Present section at the Locarno Film Festival. He also collaborated on films such as “Crab Tap” (2009), which received the Critics’ Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, William Vega’s “The Towrope” (2012), which was presented at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, and Ángela María Osorio and Santiago Lozano’s “Siembra” (2015), which won the Grand Jury Prize at Cinélatino, Toulouse. In 2021, he wrote and directed the series “Turbia”. His latest feature, “Horizonte” (2024), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was presented at the 48th Mostra.

Laís Bodanzky is a director, screenwriter, and producer. She holds a degree in film from FAAP, and her background also includes theater, with training at Antunes Filho’s Centro de Pesquisa Teatral (CPT). Her cinematic breakthrough came with her debut feature, “Brainstorm” (2000, 24th Mostra), a co-production between Brazil and Italy that won several awards and introduced actor Rodrigo Santoro to the world. She then directed “The Ballroom” (2007), a Brazil-France co-production, “The Best Things in the World” (2010), “Just Like Our Parents” (2017), and “Pedro, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” (2021, 45th Mostra), a Brazil-Portugal co-production. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has worked as a producer on award-winning films at the Berlin and Annecy festivals, such as Luiz Bolognesi’s “Rio 2096: A Story of Love and Fury” (2013) and “The Last Forest” (2021). For 15 years, she coordinated the social project Cine Tela Brasil, which took over 1.5 million people to the movies for the first time. She also served as president of Spcine, overseeing the São Paulo Film Commission.