ABOUT CINEMANDA
ELIZA PETKOVA
Eliza Petkova was born in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. After completing her Master’s degree in Philosophy and Modern Japan at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in 2008, she studied directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. In 2015, her short film Absent was selected for the Cinéfondation programme at the 68th Festival de Cannes. In 2016, her first feature film ZHALEIKA premiered at the 66th Berlinale. The film was nominated for Best First Feature and received a Special Mention from the international jury of the Generation section. It subsequently screened at numerous festivals worldwide, earning multiple awards. In 2018, she was part of Berlinale Talents. Her second feature, A FISH SWIMMING UPSIDE DOWN, premiered at the 70th Berlinale in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section in 2020. For this film, she received the Best Director Award at the Tirana International Film Festival. In 2020, she was awarded the Wim Wenders Grant for SILENT OBSERVERS. In 2021, her screenplay THE WORKER won the Kompagnon Award at the 71st Berlinale. That same year, her documentary MAYOR, SHEPHERD, WIDOW, DRAGON premiered in competition at the Shanghai International Film Festival before its German premiere at the 43rd Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis, where it won the Film Critics’ Award for Best Documentary. In 2023, she was selected for an artist residency at Villa Kamogawa (Goethe-Institut Kyoto). In 2024 SILENT OBSERVERS premiered at IDFA, and subsequently screened at a large number of festivals, including CPH:DOX and the 40th Dokfest Munich—where it won the main award VIKTORIA in the international competition. It also received the Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement at Docaviv, as well as three prizes from the National Bulgarian Union of Filmmakers for Best Film, Best Director and Best Music, among other international awards.
Eliza Petkova was born in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. After completing her Master’s degree in Philosophy and Modern Japan at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in 2008, she studied directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. In 2015, her short film Absent was selected for the Cinéfondation programme at the 68th Festival de Cannes. In 2016, her first feature film ZHALEIKA premiered at the 66th Berlinale. The film was nominated for Best First Feature and received a Special Mention from the international jury of the Generation section. It subsequently screened at numerous festivals worldwide, earning multiple awards. In 2018, she was part of Berlinale Talents. Her second feature, A FISH SWIMMING UPSIDE DOWN, premiered at the 70th Berlinale in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section in 2020. For this film, she received the Best Director Award at the Tirana International Film Festival. In 2020, she was awarded the Wim Wenders Grant for SILENT OBSERVERS. In 2021, her screenplay THE WORKER won the Kompagnon Award at the 71st Berlinale. That same year, her documentary MAYOR, SHEPHERD, WIDOW, DRAGON premiered in competition at the Shanghai International Film Festival before its German premiere at the 43rd Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis, where it won the Film Critics’ Award for Best Documentary. In 2023, she was selected for an artist residency at Villa Kamogawa (Goethe-Institut Kyoto). In 2024 SILENT OBSERVERS premiered at IDFA, and subsequently screened at a large number of festivals, including CPH:DOX and the 40th Dokfest Munich—where it won the main award VIKTORIA in the international competition. It also received the Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement at Docaviv, as well as three prizes from the National Bulgarian Union of Filmmakers for Best Film, Best Director and Best Music, among other international awards.
CONSTANZE SCHMITT
Constanze Schmitt was born in 1985 in Lichtenfels. In 2011, she began studying cinematography at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin. There she made numerous films that celebrated both national and international successes. The short film "Absent", directed by Eliza Petkova, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Cinéfondation section. There she met the director Qiu Yang, with whom she made the short film "A Gentle Night". It premiered at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or for best short film. Two years later, the two made another short film entitled "She Runs", which premiered at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes and was awarded the Leitz Cine Discovery Prize there. A long-term collaboration developed with director Eliza Petkova and sound engineer/sound designer Hannes Marget. Their joint feature film at the German Film and Television Academy entitled "A Fish Swimming Upside Down" premiered at the Berlinale in 2020 in the section "Perspektive Deutsches Kino". "Mayor, Shepherd, Widow, Dragon", their first documentary together and graduation film at the DFFB, made as part of the Leuchtstoff programme. Eliza and Constanze received the Wim Wenders Scholarship in 2020 for their next documentary "Silent Observers", which they plan to shoot in 2022. She was a participant in the Berlinale Talents in 2020.
Constanze Schmitt was born in 1985 in Lichtenfels. In 2011, she began studying cinematography at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin. There she made numerous films that celebrated both national and international successes. The short film "Absent", directed by Eliza Petkova, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Cinéfondation section. There she met the director Qiu Yang, with whom she made the short film "A Gentle Night". It premiered at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or for best short film. Two years later, the two made another short film entitled "She Runs", which premiered at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes and was awarded the Leitz Cine Discovery Prize there. A long-term collaboration developed with director Eliza Petkova and sound engineer/sound designer Hannes Marget. Their joint feature film at the German Film and Television Academy entitled "A Fish Swimming Upside Down" premiered at the Berlinale in 2020 in the section "Perspektive Deutsches Kino". "Mayor, Shepherd, Widow, Dragon", their first documentary together and graduation film at the DFFB, made as part of the Leuchtstoff programme. Eliza and Constanze received the Wim Wenders Scholarship in 2020 for their next documentary "Silent Observers", which they plan to shoot in 2022. She was a participant in the Berlinale Talents in 2020.
HANNES MARGET
Born in 1983, he works in the field of production sound, sound design, editing and everything else that comes up in post-production. He studied sound- and visual engineering at the Institute for Music and Media at the Robert Schumann University and the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf.
Born in 1983, he works in the field of production sound, sound design, editing and everything else that comes up in post-production. He studied sound- and visual engineering at the Institute for Music and Media at the Robert Schumann University and the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf.