Lupita Nyong’o is president of Berlinale international jury
Actress Lupita Nyong’o will chair meetings of the international jury of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, which opens in Berlin, Germany, on February 15, as President. The festival will run till February 24. Nyong’o will lead a multitalented International Jury that will decide who will take home the Golden and the Silver Bears at the Berlinale 2024. The members of the International Jury are: Brady Corbet (USA), Ann Hui (Hong Kong, China), Christian Petzold (Germany), Albert Serra (Spain), Jasmine Trinca  (Italy) and Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine). The short film competition has the director and screenwriter Ilker Çatak (Germany), the sound artist and researcher Xabier Erkizia (Spain) and the director, screenwriter, video artist and lecturer Jennifer Reeder (USA) as members of International Short Film Jury for the 2024 Berlinale Shorts. From the 20 nominated films, they will be choosing the winner of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film, the winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) and the Berlin Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards.

Meanwhile, the organizers of Berlinale 2024 have invited 12 WCF films to the programme. In addition, the annual WCF Day will hold on February 21, 2024, this year under the motto “Dealing with the complexity of the world – Enjoying the multiplicity of cinema languages.” The World Cinema Fund (WCF) was founded in 2004 on the initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlinale to fund high-quality filmmaking in countries with a weak film infrastructure and at the same time to promote cultural diversity in German cinemas. WCF-funded films are successful with critics and audiences and are regularly included in the programmes of the most prestigious international festivals.

Award Winning Writer, Producer and Director, Bree West, To Speak At GBIS
Chief Creative Officer of OCTET Productions, Bree West, has been announced as distinguished speaker at the Global Black Impact Summit (GBIS) scheduled to take place in Dubai on February 27. The GBIS is a yearly event uniting the global Black community. As an award -nominated writer, showrunner, director and film and music video producer, West’s participation will be valuable for those interested in growing their contributions to the global media industry and unlocking their potential. Starting her film career in 2015, West has seen widespread success in production.

Shortly after co-executive producing The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story with Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere, she established OCTET Productions – a full-service film, television and event production company. In 2019, OCTET produced two films for television network BET Network – Angrily Never After and Twas the Chaos Before Christmas – the second of which was the highest-rated holiday film in BET Network’s history.

A recipient of the Washington DC’s Office of Cable Television Film Music and Entertainment’s Filmmaker of the Month in 2022, West is committed to empowering the next generation of filmmakers. During GBIS 2024, West will provide further insight into the opportunities available for young filmmakers. Joining other media representatives from the global Black community, West will share her multifaceted experience in the industry, driving discussions around film, production and the next generation of creatives.

Pitcher Festival Collaborates With Godmother Romania For Exchange Programme
Organisers of Pitcher Festival of Creativity have announced the collaboration with Godmother, Romania to organise a creative cultural exchange programme with the youths of Romania and the Future Creative Leaders Academy (FCLA). The programme will provide a platform for intensive learning, discovering talents, as well as inspiring and immersing hopeful professionals into the world of advertising and marketing communications.

The programme which is also designed to provide an opportunity for the participants to learn about each other’s cultures to be held in partnership with Godmother, a Romanian advertising agency with over 25 years’ experience and a team of senior professionals will include cultural exchange sessions, presentations on advertising and marketing communications, a group activity to create a joint advertising campaign, and a creative workshop. Alice Gavril, Managing Partner at Godmother, said, “partnering with Pitcher Festival for the FCLA 2024 Creative Cultural Exchange Programme is an exciting opportunity to bridge cultures, inspire talents, and shape the future of the way we see advertising and creativity in all its forms.

We, at Godmother, believe in the power of collaboration, as exemplified in our collaboration with other agencies as members of the European professional group, 27 Names. We look forward to fostering creativity and innovation through this unique initiative.” Dr. Nnamdi Ndu, Chairman, Pitcher Festival of Creativity said, “we are excited to work with Godmother to make FCLA 2024 a great success. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and we are eagerly looking forward to the ideas and relationships that this cultural fusion will birth.” The Future Creative Leaders Academy, now in its 17th year is an intensive professional immersion programme organized annually for students in tertiary institutions who intend to take up careers in advertising and related fields on graduation and has been a pathway to the Cannes Lions Roger Hatchuel Academy in France. The 2024 Future Creative Leaders Academy programme will take place online from March 19 to 22, 2024.