Film Funds

Film Centers

Slovenian Film Centre

Nika Gričar, Head of Film Development

Nika Gričar graduated in cultural studies with a master’s degree in political science. She has been collaborating with the Slovenian Film Center (SFC) for the past six years, where she was Head for the development of film culture (2019-2020), and since December 2021 she works as the Head of the development of film projects and minority co-productions. In cooperation with the SFC, she published two studies on gender equality in the national film program; was the editor of the special edition on Slovenian cinematography on the 30th anniversary of independent Slovenia and was coordinating the industry program of the Slovenian Film Festival. Before that, she worked with film festivals, film educational organizations and production companies as a production assistant and organizer of film distribution. She  assisted Dr. Vesna Čopič in the design of the law on the status of artists in Mauritius within the framework of UNESCO. In collaboration with Kinodvor, she prepared a chronology and research on the 90-year history of the cinema at Kolodvorska 13, today’s city cinema Kinodvor. She is European Graduate in Documentary Production through EURODOC international program (2019).

North Macedonia Film Agency

Veronika Buchkovska, Younger Associate for Film Industry and Contact Person for International Cooperation

Studied at the Faculty of Philology in Skopje – English major. She is part of the Film Industry Department at the North Macedonia Film Agency since 2011. Has been in charge of promotion of national film production both nationally and internationally and monitoring film festival realization. Has experience of organizing events of various formats, ranging from one-day training sessions to international conferences and festivals.

Croatian Audiovisual Centre

Christopher Peter Marcich, Chief Executive

Chris was appointed CEO of the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC) on 1 May 2019.

He has been President of the Board of AGICOA, the association of audiovisual producers and their collective rights management groups since 2013.

Upon deciding to divide his time between Brussels and Croatia for personal reasons, Chris was appointed President for International at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in January 2015 to assist with a transition within the MPA. He was responsible for coordination of the MPA’s international offices (EMEA, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Brazil & Mexico).  

Chris joined the MPA in 1995. From 1995 through 2014 he served as President in charge of MPA’s regional office for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The office’s principal areas of activity include work on legislative and regulatory issues related to the media sector at the European and national levels.

Prior to joining the MPA Chris spent sixteen years working in the U.S. Government on international trade issues as a negotiator and shaping U.S. trade policy.  When he left the Government in 1995, he was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe, responsible for trade relations with the region.  Prior to that, Chris was appointed to the newly created position of Assistant US Trade Representative for Trade and Environment, pioneering efforts to integrate health and environmental principles with those of international commerce.  

Chris holds Croatian and U.S. citizenships, holds a Master’s degree from Georgetown University, and speaks English, Croatian and French and has working knowledge of Italian and Spanish.

Greek Film Centre

Athena Kalkopoulou, Director of Hellas Film

Athena Kalkopoulou is the Director of Hellas Film, the promotion and distribution branch at the Greek Film Centre. She is a creative producer with twenty years of experience in film funding, producing and outreach in the US and Europe. Her latest documentary A Growing Thing (US-German co-production, director Sarah Gross) broadcast on Deutche Welle and PBS World Channel in 2020. She has collaborated with the Sundance Institute, SXSW, Catapult Film Fund and the San Francisco International Film Festival. Previously, she oversaw the San Francisco Film Society’s documentary, fiscal sponsorship and project development program. She holds an MA in Film & TV Production from the University of Bristol and a BA in Media with Cultural Studies from the University of Sussex.

Albanian Center of Cinematography

Eduart Makri, Director

Graduates as an ACTOR in 1981 at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana, Albania. Right after he starts a fast and successful carrier in the Albanian Movie Industry. He learns his film-making craft with the best well known Albanian movie directors (educated in Moscow, Bucharest, Prague, Budapest): Kristaq Dhamo, Viktor Gjika, Hysen Hakani, Piro Milkani, Kujtim Çashku, and especially with Dhimiter Anagnosti.  In the meanwhile he plays a few leading ​characters, becoming a celebrity when he was only 25 years old.  

On April 17, 2019, he was appointed President of the National Center of Cinematography.

Kosovo Cinematography Center

Lum Citaku, Head of Kosovo Cinematography Center

Lum has over 15 years of experience as a filmmaker and visual artist, working with film, new media, and anthropologically informed media creation as a film director, researcher, and producer in Prishtina. 

He holds a Masters in Visual and Media Anthropology (Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology) from Freie University in Berlin.  Prior to that he has received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences from Rochester Institute of Technology. In January 2019 he joined the Kosovo Cinematography Center serving as head of communications and portfolio.

Lum is currently expanding on his ‘Anthropology of Interface – Dialectics and Aesthetics of Creating with the Digital’ – a multi-sited ethnographic research and interactive film project which investigates the lives of digital creators through a shared exploration of layers of belief systems and beliefs, to then analyzing with them their current relationships with their formed philosophies, daily engagements and their creations.

His latest films include: “Women of Liberty” (2020), “GOF – Filmworld” (2019), “Voices From Within” (2018), “The numerous thoughts and things” – Interactive film (2017), “Machinima Film” (2016) etc.

National Film Center Bulgaria

Gergana Dakovska, National Representative of Eurimages

Graduated in Film Critics at the National Theater and Film Academy. Assistant Director in Boyana Film Studios to leading Bulgarian directors as Rangel Valchanov, Zako Heskia, Nikola Rudarov and others. Script editor in Interfilm Studio – author and script editor of more than 50 documentary films. Editor and author in “7 plus” press group. Deputy editor in chief of the magazine “Sacrament”. General manager/owner (together with SBS Scandinavian Broadcasting System) of TV2, one of the 4 national terrestrial broadcasting programs. Head of International Relations at the National Council for Radio and Television. Chief expert responsible for co-productions (1996 – until now) at the Bulgarian Natioanl Film Center. Bulgarian National Representative in the Board of Eurimages Fund at the Council of Europe (1999 – until now). Member of the Executive Committee of SEE CN. Member of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers (2004-2007 member of the Managing Board; Vice Chairman of the Guild of Scriptwriters). Member of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists. Member of Selection Committees: Bulgarian National Television, Sofia Film Fest, Media Program.

Film Centre of Montenegro

Marija Nikčević

Marija Nikčević was born in Nikšić. After graduating from the Faculty of Law in Podgorica, she acquired the academic title of TV producer at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje (UCG). She also graduated from master studies of Production at the same faculty. Marija is producer of several short feature films as well as the feature film “Iskra” (d. Gojko Berkuljan), which was the Montenegrin candidate for the Oscar Award in category for best foreign film in 2018. She is editor of several publications in the field of culture. Marija worked on numerous film, theater and other cultural projects, as coordinator or manager: International Festival KotorArt, Kotor Festival of Theater for Children, International TV Festival Bar, Light Residence Workshop – ArTVision, Cultural Development Support Program in Niksic, IPA CBC CIRCE Project, Agro Design, International Festival of Actor Nikšić, etc. She is currently employed at the Film Center of Montenegro as an advisor for international cooperation and promotion.