Daniel Kušan – a Film Director Connecting Cinema with Children and Youth
Born in 1975 in Zagreb, Daniel Kušan graduated in Film and Television Directing from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. He has worked professionally on projects in television, film, and theater, and all three of his feature films – Koko and the Ghosts (2011), Love or Death (2015), and Bumblebee Summer (2025) – are aimed at children and young audiences. In his free time, he enjoys writing prose, photography, traveling, and playing board games
Shadi Adib – Animator and Filmmaker Bridging Art and Storytelling
Shadi finished with a master’s degree in Animation at Tehrean Art University and continued her studies at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Her film FUSE is currently competing at prestigious festivals worldwide.
After her work on The Amazing World of Gumball, she is collaborating with Studio SOI on a new short film and serves as a pre-selection jury member for the 26th ITFS. In 2022, she was also a jury member for commissioned films at the prestigious Ukrainian animation festival “Linoleum”.
Since 2022, Shadi has been directing the Spanish-German co-production Light of Aisha, a 3D animated feature family film, which also marks her feature-length debut. In 2024, she began developing a new art-house, anthology-style short film in hand-drawn 2D animation.
Nikola Janković – Actor and Sound Designer Whose Passion Bridges Film and Music
Nikola began his cinematic journey as a high school student in Belgrade at the Four River Film Festival in Karlovac, and today he is recognized as a talented sound designer and actor. He has led sound and music workshops at DUFF, a festival he returns to fondly, both professionally and as a friend.
After years working on Hollywood projects, Nikola enrolled in an international acting school and landed roles in series by Martin Scorsese and “Robin Hood” (MGM+/Lionsgate), acting alongside Sean Bean.
For Nikola, composing music is the language of love – he recently composed the soundtrack for an ATP tournament in collaboration with Novak Djokovic, blending ethnic instruments with a film orchestra. Nikola is an inspiration to young artists: he never gives up on his dreams and tirelessly combines his passion for film and music with professional success.