Juries
ICAFF 2023 Jury Panel
PROF. DR. MOHAN DAS (INDIA)
Chairman, Festival Jury & Director
Award winning Writer, Director, Prof. Dr. Mohan Das apart from film making has successfully conducted the Lakecity International Film Festival over the years and has now widened his horizons by taking the concept of film festivals to various cities across India and the globe. With Lakecity being a yearly event well entrenched on to the scene, he is all set to promote Indian Cinema, Art and Culture onto a global platform by joining hands and collaborating with a multitude of film festivals in many countries or offering support to a host of upcoming festivals across the world. Ayodhya International Film Festival which is now in its 17th edition is an offshoot of the same idea that aims at bringing the science, art and emotion through world cinema to the people of Ayodhya and Uttar Pradesh.
Offering a premier showcase opportunity for talented film makers and artists, celebrates avante garde cinema, felicitates masters and achievers from all walks of life, the aim of K Asif Chambal International Film Festival is to bring countries closer by building bridges to enable cross cultural exchanges, social understanding and creative ideation – Prof. Dr. Mohan Das is working tirelessly to bring films to new audiences across Eon Films through programme of screenings, working with partner organisations and of course, looking forward to deliver a great festival.
He has run short film competitions and workshops, organised screenings for international feature films, and is also working as the festival consultant for feature films. With so much of experience to gather, it was natural for him to be invited on many a film festival as jury including ICA Film Festival (Pune), Nilofer-e-Aabi International Film Festival (Mumbai), Penzance International Film Festival (Penzance, UK), HoHe International Film Festival (Germany), K Asif Chambal International Film Festival (Etawah), Chauri Chaura International Film Festival (Gorakhpur), Frames Film Festival (Mumbai), Aahan International Short Film Festival (Mumbai), Cotton City International Film Festival (Akola), Acharya Tulsi Short Film Festival (Bikaner), Kala Samruddhi International Film Festival (Mumbai), Sand Dunes International Short Film Festival (Bikaner), Cortokino International Film Festival (Mumbai) and others.
SANA NOROUZBEIGI (IRAN)
Iranian Film Designer & Film Maker
With an education in Bachelor of Architecture from Shiraz University, Iran and Master of Urban Design from Asad University, Iran; Sana Norouzbeigi has made her distinguished mark as a Film Maker, Art Director, Production Designer & Costume Designer for some really notable projects that include short films like Panah, A Morsel of Love, Painting, The Briefcase and Hello Mumbai.
From independent filmmakers to iconic feature film directors, women are pioneers and innovators in the film, television, and entertainment industries. Throughout history, female filmmakers have made award-winning films, showing unique perspectives and powerful narratives that deeply resonate with audiences from all over the world.
Sana broke ground as a woman Art Director & Production Designer who achieved such great success as a double threat, or multi-hyphenate, which is becoming more and more common. She has been associated for nearly a decade and had been involved with production designs for some really noteworthy projects that include Melbourne, Stolen, Confessions of My Dangerous Mind, Immortality, New Moon Hotel, Snake Venom, All Through The Night, Roshan, Siabaz, Ahoo & many other.
ANUSHA SRINIVASAN IYER (INDIA)
Film-maker, Director & Journalist
Best known as a Firebrand Journalist with a golden heart, Dr. Anusha Srinivasan Iyer is also a Global Award-winning Writer Director having won rave reviews across borders winning over 128 awards and having been screened in over 150 national as well as international film festivals!
A sought-after Writer, Director, Media Strategist, sought-after TEDx speaker, Life Coach, Social Entrepreneur, Gender-Animal and Environment Activist, and one of the driving forces behind the Make Earth Green Again MEGA Foundation, Pawsitive Farm Sanctuary, and Zindagi Helpline, Dr. Anusha Srinivasan Iyer is a woman of multiple facets!
On her work front, Anusha Srinivasan Iyer is the Founder and Mentor of Naarad PR & Image Strategists, one of India’s premier PR, Brand Strategisation and Image management agencies, besides being the Brand Custodian of respected actors. A strong believer that if you want to do something, you make time for it, Anusha also writes and directs films as well as pursues a fruitful life of social activism.
JALALADDIN GASIMOV (AZERBAIJAN)
Award Winning Writer, Producer & Director
An author of 6 historical novels and an award winning writer, producer and director of movies, such as “Sholler’s Archive”, “Execution day”, “The first success of Nobel brothers” and “Stalin’s dark past”, Jalaladdin Gasimov was born in Tovuz, Azerbaijan. After graduating from high school, he was enrolled into Moscow Automobile And Road Construction Institute. He also served in military as a Chief of Confidential Communication Station (It was the most confidential communication station of USSR) in Nohra, Weimar, Germany during 1985-1987. A keen learner, he later pursued education in Baku State University as well from International Law and Trade Academy in Kiev and Police Academy in Baku. He had been working as a Chief in Khatai District Police department since 1997.
With 3 diplomas and having worked in 3 diverse fields and succeeded, nevertheless, his biggest passion in life has always been to write scripts and shoot movies. He shot his first movie “Sholler’s Archive” at the age of 50 which is based on a true story. It not only became very successful in international festivals, but the gained the most number of awards and achievements that any film from Azerbaijan could ever receive in international festivals. This inspired him to produce more movies, and they were successful as well. An added feather, his film “Shollers Archive” received a certificate signed by American congressman Jimmy Gomez.
DIBYA CHATTERJEE (INDIA)
Writer, Director & Holistic Filmmaker
A Writer, Director, creator – Dibya Chatterjee is a holistic film maker who has a penchant to tell stories that are slightly unusual in nature and explore the world of irony and humanity. He was born in Calcutta to a family of filmmakers who had earlier produced and distributed Bengali movies of Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Uttam Kumar among others. A chemical engineer by degree, Dibya worked in Infosys and IBM before making a deep dive into the world of cinema.
Apart from writing and directing several advertising, documentaries and digital films. He is the writer and co-creator of the highly acclaimed Indian Dark comedy show ‘Afsos’ (2020) streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime Video. He was nominated for Best Script (Original Comedy Series) by Screenwriters Association Awards and won the Best Web Series Award at Los Angeles Film Awards in January 2022. He was also nominated for Best Original Story (Series), Best Comedy (Series / Specials), Best Actor, Series (Male) – Comedy – Filmfare OTT Awards, 2022.
He’s currently developing bunch of projects that include an international film, a tv series and feature film with a production house of international repute. But at the end of the day, he’s just another left hander trying to fit into the right-handed world.
ICAFF 2022 Jury Panel
MOHAN DAS (CHIEF JURY)
Award Winning Writer , Director and Producer
- Honorary Doctorate for Humanity & Peace by ITMUT, Brazil.
- Writer, Director, Producer & Journalist.
- Publisher & Editor in Chief LABELS INDIA magazine.
- Jury – Penzance (UK) Film Festival, K Asif Film Fest, Cotton City, Nilofer-E-Abi, Bollywood and many more International Film Festivals.
- The organizer of Lakecity, Ayodhya & Karnavati International Film Festival.
- Started his career as Asst. Director with Legendary Filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Tapan Sinha.
- Associate Producer of IFFI 97 Opening film DAUGHTERS OF THIS CENTURY.
VALMIR TERTINI (ALBANIA)
Film Director, writer & lecturer
Winner of several important international prizes for films that he made, Film director Valmir Tertini is based in Tirana, Albania. After his basic studies, he completed his higher studies for medial arts in Pristina and later a master’s degree in film and television at the Academy of Arts in Tirana. His projects have been part of hundreds of festivals around the world. He has conducted some workshops in Europe for the 7th Art, Cinema. Founder of the educational project for younger students, SKENA workshop, a training in the field of cinematography. Coordinator of DoART organization in Tirana as well as a Lecturer at the university in the liberal arts department, directed film & mass communication, he is the winner of 19 international and 3 national prizes. He writes for TV and movies in newspapers in Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia and has published four books.
JALALADDIN GASIMOV (AZERBAIJAN)
Award Winning Writer, Producer & Director
An author of 6 historical novels and an award winning writer, producer and director of movies, such as “Sholler’s Archive”, “Execution day”, “The first success of Nobel brothers” and “Stalin’s dark past”, Jalaladdin Gasimov was born in Tovuz, Azerbaijan. After graduating from high school, he was enrolled into Moscow Automobile And Road Construction Institute. He also served in military as a Chief of Confidential Communication Station (It was the most confidential communication station of USSR) in Nohra, Weimar, Germany during 1985-1987. A keen learner, he later pursued education in Baku State University as well from International Law and Trade Academy in Kiev and Police Academy in Baku. He had been working as a Chief in Khatai District Police department since 1997.
With 3 diplomas and having worked in 3 diverse fields and succeeded, nevertheless, his biggest passion in life has always been to write scripts and shoot movies. He shot his first movie “Sholler’s Archive” at the age of 50 which is based on a true story. It not only became very successful in international festivals, but the gained the most number of awards and achievements that any film from Azerbaijan could ever receive in international festivals. This inspired him to produce more movies, and they were successful as well. An added feather, his film “Shollers Archive” received a certificate signed by American congressman Jimmy Gomez.
ICAFF 2021 Jury Panel
MOHAN DAS (CHIEF JURY)
Award Winning Writer , Director and Producer
- Honorary Doctorate for Humanity & Peace by ITMUT, Brazil.
- Writer, Director, Producer & Journalist.
- Publisher & Editor in Chief LABELS INDIA magazine.
- Jury – Penzance (UK) Film Festival, K Asif Film Fest, Cotton City, Nilofer-E-Abi, Bollywood and many more International Film Festivals.
- The organizer of Lakecity, Ayodhya & Karnavati International Film Festival.
- Started his career as Asst. Director with Legendary Filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Tapan Sinha.
- Associate Producer of IFFI 97 Opening film DAUGHTERS OF THIS CENTURY.
GURUDUTT SONSURKAR (JURY)
Writer, Director, Film Critic, Art Director.
Vice President 9XM & 9X Jhakkas, Content Selector for Amazon Prime Marathi Cinema.
Abby & AAAI Award winner for Coca-Cola & Indian Idol Advertise Campaign.
Koimoi.com Creation and Publisher.
Spotboy.com Creation and Product Head.
Author of Yadon ka Gulmohar, Parambya, Ajgar & Varkh.
RAJEEV SHANKAR GOHIL (JURY)
Independent Film Director, Cinematographer & Screenplay Writer
- Worked as Assistant Director with Saeed Mirza for ‘Saleem Langade Pe Mat Ro’, ‘Naseem’, ‘Nukkad’ and Many more Films and TV Serials.
- Started his Career as Documentary Filmmaker in 1994 and Made 180 Documentary Films, He had Won many Awards for National and International Broadcast.
- Lecturer – CINEMA & VIDEO in the Centre for the Audio-Visual Studies Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication Bhopal for 8 years.
- Worked as Professor for Direction and Cinematography Dept at Jagran Lakecity University.
- Still works as a guest faculty for Film and Video in many Universities for Film and Broadcast courses.
- He has translated different types of material from world literature.
USHA DESHPANDE (JURY)
Independent Film Director, Writer & Producer Graduate of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune - (Film Direction & Screenplay Writing)
- Producer, Director and Writer of Gulzar, Khayal, Song of Silence,
Heritage of Faith, Changing Face of Chor Bazaar and Many More Short
Films Documentary Films, Promotional Films and Television Program - Currently making a film on Devika Rani, The first Lady of Indian
Cinema. - President of Indian Documentary Producers’
Association. (2018 to 2020) - Member of the Organizing Committee for Mumbai
International Film Festival for Documentaries and short films
(MIFF 2020) - Written many articles for prestigious publications. Won the Best Book of the Year award from Sahitya Parishad.
RITESH TAKSANDE (JURY)
Film Maker, Media Educator, Editor
Director at My First Film Organization
The program director at www.myfirstfilm.org
Worked in-
Disney’s Planes II – Fire and Rescues (Feature Film) – Sequence
Producer • Shaktimaan – The Animated (TV – Series Season 1)
Course Director for Film Orientation Courses
Mobile Journalism Courses at SKIFT Intiative by FTII.
ICAFF 2020 Jury Panel
MOHAN DAS (CHIEF JURY)
Award Winning Writer , Director and Producer
- Honorary Doctorate for Humanity & Peace by ITMUT, Brazil.
- Writer, Director, Producer & Journalist.
- Publisher & Editor in Chief LABELS INDIA magazine.
- Jury – Penzance (UK) Film Festival, K Asif Film Fest, Cotton City, Nilofer-E-Abi, Bollywood and many more International Film Festivals.
- The organizer of Lakecity, Ayodhya & Karnavati International Film Festival.
- Started his career as Asst. Director with Legendary Filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Tapan Sinha.
- Associate Producer of IFFI 97 Opening film DAUGHTERS OF THIS CENTURY.
AVINASH DAS (JURY)
Film Writer, Director, Poet & Journalist
Writer-Director of Anarkali of Aarah (Feature Film)
Director of She (Netflix web series)
Worked for Satyamev Jayate as Correspondent
The writer of Mohalla Live – Blog
Former Output Editor at NDTV
Former Editor of Dainik Bhaskar and Prabhat Khabar
RITESH TAKSANDE (JURY)
Film Maker, Media Educator, Editor
Director at My First Film Organization
The program director at www.myfirstfilm.org
Worked in-
Disney’s Planes II – Fire and Rescues (Feature Film) – Sequence
Producer • Shaktimaan – The Animated (TV – Series Season 1)
Course Director for Film Orientation Courses
Mobile Journalism Courses at SKIFT Intiative by FTII.
VAIDEHI SANCHETI (JURY)
Screenplay Writer
Country Focus Cinema of Iran Jury Panel 2020
AJAY DHOKE
Ajay Dhoke is a Government Officer. He is working as Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Pune. His main interest is in arts and culture. He has been Organized Four Buddhist International Film Festivals at Nagpur and Pune. He has been mentoring new talented young filmmakers coming from grassroots. His team’s first film Kastoori – The Musk has been selected for MAMI, Sydney, Norway, Indo German Film Festival and New York International Film festival 2020. The Film has been released recently online on moviesaints.com & Kastoori Won National Award in 2020 .
DR. PRADNYAWANT DEOLEKAR
Dr. Pradnyavant Deolekar is medical practitioner. But apart from his profession, art is his passion. He is a skilled painter and Also a good critics of films. He analyse films very accurately and present his views. He studied deeply in literature and cinema.
Cine Quiz Jury 2020
GURUDUTT SONSURKAR
Writer, Director, Film Critic, Art Director.
Vice President 9XM & 9X Jhakkas, Content Selector for Amazon Prime Marathi Cinema.
Abby & AAAI Award winner for Coca-Cola & Indian Idol Advertise Campaign.
Koimoi.com Creation and Publisher.
Spotboy.com Creation and Product Head.
Author of Yadon ka Gulmohar, Parambya, Ajgar & Varkh.
ICAFF 2019 Jury Panel
MOHAN DAS (CHIEF JURY)
Award Winning Writer , Director and Producer
- Honorary Doctorate for Humanity & Peace by ITMUT, Brazil.
- Writer, Director, Producer & Journalist.
- Publisher & Editor in Chief LABELS INDIA magazine.
- Jury – Penzance (UK) Film Festival, K Asif Film Fest, Cotton City, Nilofer-E-Abi, Bollywood and many more International Film Festivals.
- The organizer of Lakecity, Ayodhya & Karnavati International Film Festival.
- Started his career as Asst. Director with Legendary Filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Tapan Sinha.
- Associate Producer of IFFI 97 Opening film DAUGHTERS OF THIS CENTURY.
USHA DESHPANDE (JURY)
Independent Film Director, Writer & Producer Graduate of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune - (Film Direction & Screenplay Writing)
- Producer, Director and Writer of Gulzar, Khayal, Song of Silence,
Heritage of Faith, Changing Face of Chor Bazaar and Many More Short
Films Documentary Films, Promotional Films and Television Program - Currently making a film on Devika Rani, The first Lady of Indian
Cinema. - President of Indian Documentary Producers’
Association. (2018 to 2020) - Member of the Organizing Committee for Mumbai
International Film Festival for Documentaries and short films
(MIFF 2020) - Written many articles for prestigious publications. Won the Best Book of the Year award from Sahitya Parishad.