2024 Contrechamp Feature Films Jury

Alexandre GAVRAS

Producer & Director
KG Productions
France

Since 2012, Alexandre Gavras has been a producer at KG Productions, created in 1973 by Costa-Gavras and Michèle Ray Gavras.

Some prominent works he has produced include Xavier Legrand: Custody and The Successor, along with The Restless by Joachim Lafosse, which was in the official competition at Cannes 2021, and Légua by Filipa Reis and João Miller Guerra, in competition at Directors’ Fortnight 2023.

In 2016, he produced the 30 x 3-minute animation series Blaise for ARTE, directed by Jean-Paul Guigue and adapted from Dimitri Planchon’s comic strip books.

Alexandre was a member of the CNC’s commission for Aide Avant Réalisation de Courts Métrages and recently Vice-Chairman of the first Avance Sur Recette committee.

He is also the director behind Little Fish Killer, nominated for the César Award for Best Short Film in 1999.

José Miguel RIBEIRO

Director, Animator, Producer
Portugal

After studying at the Art University of Lisbon (ESBAL), José Miguel Ribeiro studied animation at Lazennec-Bretagne (Rennes Métropole) and Filmógrafo (Porto) in 1993.

In 2000, his 25-minute film The Suspect received the Cartoon d'Or. In 2012, he founded the production company Praça Filmes with Ana Carina. In the last few years, he has directed the stop-motion children’s TV series Home Things, the short films Journey to Cape Verde, and Fragments (in selection at Locarno Film Festival 2016, and Best Documentary Award at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival 2017).

In 2022, he produced his first animated feature Nayola, which premiered in the official competition at Annecy Festival.

José Miguel is currently working on the animated short film The Flower and the Fish, based on Afonso Cruz’s book.

Inna SAHAKYAN

Director & Producer
Bars Media Documentary Film Studio
Armenia

Inna Sahakyan is a documentary film director/producer from Armenia, whose films reveal forgotten stories and explore humanity. Her works include the award-winning The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia and Mel, a recent documentary highlighting the journey of a transgender weightlifter from Armenia. Her animated documentary Aurora’s Sunrise (2022), selected at Annecy in the Contrechamp section, garnered critical acclaim, winning multiple awards like the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2022 for Best Animated Film, a Special Mention and the Audience Award at Movies that Matter 2023 and the Grand Prix at FIFDH – International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva 2023, among others.