Talent | Avfri

AVFRI TALENT BOARD

AVFRI Talent Board highlights filmmakers, performers, and creative voices who have drawn our attention through their distinctive work, vision, and artistic integrity. This curated section celebrates emerging and established talents discovered through festivals, collaborations, and independent cinema, offering visibility to creators shaping the future of film and visual storytelling.

Ines Berwing
Screenwriter & Poet

Ines Berwing is a German poet and screenwriter, known for Blutige Anfänger (2020) and Bube Stur (2015).

In poetry, Berwing published her debut collection muster des stillen verkabelns (2019), which was selected by Haus für Poesie Berlin as one of the best lyric debuts of the year, followed by her second collection zertanzte schuhe (2025).

She drew our attention with her work in short film Elisa (2016), a work distinguished by the originality of its idea and the strength of its plot.

Ines Berwing _ Screenwriter _ Elisa.jpeg

Darko Herič
Director of Photography

Darko Herič is award-winning Slovenian cinematographer who contributed to many projects such as Selitev (2016), Ne bom več luzerka (2018) and Dvojina (2013).

We spotted his work in short film A New Home (2016), masterfully directed by Žiga Virc.

For more information:

https://bsf.si/en/name/darko-heric/

Nina Rakovec
Actor

Nina Rakovec is a Slovenian actor. After taking part in numerous television projects and short films, her debut role in a feature film was Personal Luggage, directed by Janez Lapajne.
She also collaborated with Nejc Gazvoda in the feature films Dual and A Trip, as well as in Seduce Me, a TV film directed by Marko Santic.
We spotted her in A New Home, a short film by Žiga Virc, where she delivers an outstanding performance portraying a character who is a victim of her own fear.

Nicola Hens
Director of Photography

Nicola Hens is a German Cinematographer who worked in award-winning documentaries including Death and the Maiden (DE/IL 2014), about the Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon.

For her own short documentary film Babuschka, wo sind die Gäste? (2014) she won an award at the Grenzlandfilmtage in Selb.

We spotted her at Kristina Shtubert's short film Elisa (2016), for which she won the Jury Prize at the Watersprite Student Film Festival in Cambridge (England) for cinematography.

For more information:
https://www.filmportal.de/en/person/nicola-hens_f300d19521672f77e03053d50b371d4a

Alejandro Damiani
Director

Alejandro Damiani is an award-winning film director based in Montevideo.

He wrote and directed the viral short film M.A.M.O.N. (Monitor Against Mexicans Over Nationwide, 2016), which won more than 50 awards and was shortlisted at over 200 festivals worldwide, including Cannes. Currently, Damiani is developing feature films and TV series based on his original ideas.

He first captured our attention with his short film Made in China, which tells the story of a young couple who match on Tinder and become trapped in an apartment during their first meeting due to the lockdown during the 2019 pandemic. The film was screened in the Official Selection of the 1st Lisboeta International Short Film Festival in Lisbon in 2022.

Kristina Shtubert
Director & Producer

Kristina Shtubert is a Berlin-based director and producer. In 2024, she completed her feature-length documentary debut Abode of Dawn (also known as Sonnenstadt), which she directed and produced. The film is an observational, long-term study of a secluded religious community in the Siberian Taiga, founded in the 1990s around the spiritual leader Vissarion(Sergei Torop), who claims to be the reincarnation of Christ.

She captured our attention with her short film Elisa (2016), which she co-wrote with Ines Berwing -- a powerful work depicting the difficult and traumatic relationship between a mother and her daughter.

For more information:
https://grokipedia.com/page/Kristina_Shtubert

Magaly Teixeira
Actor

The actress Magaly Teixeira is a Luxembourg-born actress of Portuguese descent — she was born and raised in Luxembourg and also holds Portuguese heritage (dual Luxembourgish and Portuguese background).

She works internationally, including in theatre, film and television in Luxembourg and France, and acts in multiple languages (including Luxembourgish, French, Portuguese and others).

We spotted her in the short film Kintsugi, directed by Luc Spada and Maja Juric, where Magaly Teixeira delivers a powerful performance, portraying the evolving and challenging emotional stages of her character. Kintsugi was in Official Selection of 4th Lisboeta International Short Film Festival and screened in Lisbon, Portugal in March 2025.

Román Martínez de Bujo
Director of Photography

Román is a Cinematographer based in Barcelona, member of the Spanish Society of Cinematographers (AEC).

He is awarded as Best Director of Photography by The Spanish Association of Advertising Production Companies (APCP) in 2018 and 2023.

His international career has led him to work with actors such as Antonio Banderas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Longoria, Naomi Campbell, Diane Kruger, Ricky Martin and Jaime Lannister. as well as athletes like David Beckham, Leo Messi, and Rafa Nadal.

We first noticed his extraordinary work with light in Dany Fortuny's short film A Noa, was in Official Selection of 4th Lisboeta International Short Film Festival and screened in Lisbon, Portugal in March 2025.

Saulius Baradinskas
Director

Saulius Baradinskas is a film & music video director from Vilnius, Lithuania. In 2019, Saulius premiered his debut short film Golden Minutes. This short film was filmed on one take and the main role was created by famous Scottish actor Billy Boyd, who starred in Lord Of The Rings.

Saulius Baradinskas captured our attention with his short film Techno, Mama, which clearly demonstrates his distinctive and bold style in both narrative and cinematography.

Techno, Mama was in Official Selection of 2nd Lisboeta International Short Film Festival and screened in Lisbon, Portugal in March 2023.

Evi Gjoni
Director

Evi Gjoni is a film and tv director. She studied film and tv directing, as bachelor and master program in the University of Arts in Tirana. She started by working as assistant director and script supervisor in different international film projects and television.

Her debut short Sheets immediately captured our attention with the originality of its idea, strong narrative and powerful cast. The film was in Official Selection of 3rd Lisboeta International Short Film Festival and screened in Lisbon, Portugal in March 2024.

October 10, 2025

Interview | Sergios DeLaurentis | Director | Screenwriter

AVFRI - How did the idea for your short film first come to you?

Sergios DeLaurentis - There is a very emotional and controversial novel called ‘’The Seven Who Were Hanged’’ (1908) by Leonid Andreyev that I love. The story reflects on an existential crisis rooted in extreme violence, deception, and injustice that pushes ordinary people of its time to a breaking point. I have always wanted to place the characters from that story in a contemporary setting, as it seems to me that more than 100 years later not much has changed, and we are still involved in the same destructive notions, where the decisions of just a few in power can inflict generational pain and suffering on millions of innocent people. And there is no one to stop it. That’s when violent resistance is born in young minds. And, of course, driven by raw emotions, this resistance is also not an answer.

A still image from the short film Crimson Silence

A. - What were the main challenges you faced during production, and how did you overcome them?

S. D. - I’m of the mindset that perfect casting is responsible for 90% of the success of any film. Therefore, finding the right cast was the main challenge. Regarding everything else, I was lucky to have a group of very talented and passionate friends and colleagues who helped me bring this story to the screen. I guess if you have a good enough script that everyone believes in, they will always give their best, and the whole production will go smoothly.

A. - Was there a particular moment during filming that defined the tone or spirit of the project for you?

S. D. - During post-production, while editing, we were shocked by recent cruel and unjust developments in particular parts of the world, and this had an influence on the final cut of the film. In particular, we incorporated real footage from areas devastated by the war.

In ‘’Crimson Silence’’ we have a 6-second shot of a huge explosion in the city from a helicopter above. Just five years ago, this shot would have cost me a couple of thousand dollars. Today, you can do it with AI for just a small monthly subscription to an AI service. It’s clearly a game changer that will transform filmmaking forever.

A. - What do you hope the audience feels or thinks after watching your film?

S. D. - To be honest, I don’t bother with these thoughts. As a creator, you can only tell a story the way you see it. You can’t control anything else. The audience will always react through their own prism, taste, and perspective. My goal is to make the best film that I possibly can, from what I have. Everything else after that is not up to me.

A. - How do you usually begin a project — with a theme, a visual image, or a character?

S. D. - I never start a project because I want to do something. I only start something because I have to. It’s when the story is so good that I don’t have any other choice but to write it and bring it to the screen.

A. - Who or what have been the most significant artistic influences on your work?

S. D. - Everything Chris Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson do is an inspiration to me. In my subjective view, they define the modern era of storytelling in cinema.

A. - How was your film financed, and what advice would you give to other filmmakers navigating low- budget or independent production?

S. D. - I think this ties in to an earlier question about challenges during production. In every low-budget project (or any other, for that matter), the strongest point is the people around you. If you surround yourself with truly talented people who believe in the project, your ship will reach its destination no matter what. Also, today you don’t really need much to shoot a short film, as long as you have a strong script and a vision of how to do it.

A. - Did you collaborate with any institutions, collectives, or funding bodies during the process?

S. D. - During production, administrative institutions of the city helped us a lot by allowing filming at busy locations inside the city limits. Without their help, we would not have been able to shoot important and technically complicated scenes. Establishing good connections and relations can be crucial to your production.

A. - What role do new technologies (such as AI, virtual production, or new distribution models) play in your filmmaking today?

S. D. - In ‘’Crimson Silence’’ we have a 6-second shot of a huge explosion in the city from a helicopter above. Just five years ago, this shot would have cost me a couple of thousand dollars. Today, you can do it with AI for just a small monthly subscription to an AI service. It’s clearly a game changer that will transform filmmaking forever.

However, I have a very strong stance when it comes to acting. AI will never replace human acting,

no matter how good it can imitate it. There is a real debate right now in the industry on this topic.

Producers and agencies are pushing for the development of AI synthetic actors. SAG-AFTRA is

rightfully pushing back. To me, it’s a big mistake to introduce AI synthetics when it comes to

human-centered acting, and it will never succeed. We should just define AI as its own genre. I just

don’t see a world where AI could truly imitate or even come close to the genius and originality of, for example, Tilda Swinton or Daniel Day-Lewis. It’s impossible. And unnecessary.

A still image from the short film Crimson Silence

A. - How do you feel the short film format is evolving in the digital age?

S. D. - We clearly see a boom in the production of short films. It’s cheaper and more accessible now than ever. You can literally shoot a high-quality film on a smartphone today. It’s amazing. But... again… As long as you have a really great story to tell. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. With accessibility comes mediocrity. I would always encourage new filmmakers to write a very strong and original script first.

A. - Lastly, what’s next for you? Are you already working on a new project or idea you’d like to share with our readers?

S. D. - The sci-fi genre is something that I will dive into next. I’m working on a screenplay for a sci-fi feature film, set in the distant past and based on the theories of a very prominent scientist, a Nobel Prize winner. That’s all I can share without spoiling anything.