Ai Weiwei

Artiste et Défenseur des Droits de l’Homme

Président d’honneur du Jury (Chine)

Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 in Beijing and is a leading figure on the international art scene. Photographer, sculptor, curator, writer, filmmaker, performer and architect, this multifaceted artist participated in the design of the National Stadium for the Beijing Olympic Games. Internationally renowned for his committed and provocative performances, his work is exhibited in the most prestigious spaces (Venice Biennale, MoMa, Tate Modern, The Royal Academy of Arts, Jeu de Paume). Named ambassador of conscience by Amnesty International, alongside Joan Baez, Ai Weiwei transmits to us the art of resistance, faced with the erasure of individual freedoms. His social and political commitment stems from his vision of art as a means of emancipation, revealing to the conscience of each individual and encourages us to engage against all forms of domination. In 2022, he was awarded the Praemium Imperiale Sculpture Prize, considered the Nobel Prize for Art. His documentary “Human Flow”, a migratory kaleidoscope with powerful visual expression, has been shown at the world’s major festivals. As honorary president of this 15th anniversary edition, the Millenium Festival celebrates the dissident artist and dedicates to him an exclusive masterclass at Bozar, which will explores his work and his disruptive relationship to reality

Paul Rassam

Producteur (France/US)

In 1979, Paul Rassam produced «Apocalypse now», by Francis Ford Coppola. This first masterpiece, which no one wanted, won the Palme d’Or in Cannes. He continued with “Valmon” (1989) by Milos Forman and “Kafka” (1991) by Soderbergh. After a decade spent in the United States, he followed his faithful friendship with Coppola’s Family and produced “Marie Antoinette” (2006), “Somewhere” (2010) and “The Bling Ring” (2013) by Sofia Coppola. He recently co-produced the animated film “The Little Prince”. Patriarch of the Rassam family, Paul has an unstoppable culture and gifts of oriental storyteller, at the crossroads of the two most romantic families of French cinema. Nicknamed the “Frenchy” of Hollywood, this producer is as discreet in the media, as he shows his unstoppable flair.

Elisheva Weil

Actrice (Israël)

Elisheva Weil is an Israeli actress and screenwriter. As a film studies student, she began acting in theatre before playing her first film role in Hadas Ben Aroya’s “All Eyes Off Me”, selected for the 2021 Berlinale. Elisheva’s role as a young woman in search of sensations was brilliant and she won the “Best Actress Award” at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2021. After various courses, she followed up with “Night Visit”, selected the same year at the Cannes Film Festival. Free and well-travelled, Elisheva weaves a singular and audacious cinema trajectory. Now based between Paris and Tel Aviv, she is finishing a short film (France/Israel) and developing her first feature film.

Nadejda Ilieva

Directrice artistique et Productrice (Géorgie)

Nadejda Ilieva is Artistic Director, Producer, Screenwriter and Film Designer. She is a media expert for six years at the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-East Europe, chaired by UNESCO, she has initiated and produced a lot of documentaries, selected for international festivals. Nadejda is also responsible for promoting the work of filmmakers, ethnologists and anthropologists in their documentation of living heritage.

Antonio Vigilante

Spécialiste et superviseur des objectifs de développement durable ONU – Millenium Festival (Italie)

Antonio Vigilante worked as director of the United Nations (UN) office in Brussels until 2016. A specialist in sustainable development goals, he has worked for the United Nations Development Programme since 1981 and has served as the United Nations representative in Bolivia, Bulgaria, Egypt and Liberia. He also served with the UN in Ethiopia, Barbados, Honduras and New York. Antonio Vigilante has been Senior Adviser at the Millenium Festival since its inception, bringing his excellent insight and expertise on the Sustainable Development Goals, the core values of the festival.

Wim Willaert

Acteur – Musicien (Belgique)

Wim Willaert is a Belgian actor and musician, born in Nieuwpoort, Flanders. He became well known after his role in the film “Quand la mer monte” with Yolande Moreau, which won two Césars. Continuing in various mainstream and underground roles, he won the prestigious Ensor Award for Best Actor in 2013 for his performance as Rudy Vandekerckhove in Peter Monsaert’s “Offline”.  In 2016, Wim won the Magritte for best actor for the French-language film “Je suis mort mais j’ai des amis”. 

Always surprising, he continues to move between different roles and countries, always with the same thirst for a strong and committed cinema

Christian Collin

Christian Collin has a degree in Romance philology and art history. He has been a film critic and member of the Union de la Critique de Cinéma for more than 20 years. He has contributed to the publications of Cinematek and Studio 4 in Flagey

France Soubeyran

France Soubeyran Is part of the team of CinéFemmes, an association of women united by a passion for cinema, They organize regular “Coups de Cœur “previews and the awarding of a CinéFemme Prize each year. She is part of the association “LesAmisdmamère” which support young young artists to know better their rights.

Simon Lionnet

Graduated from IHECS in 2019 and passionate about cinema, Simon Lionnet worked as editorial policy manager for the VOD platform Sooner (UniversCiné Belgium). Since 2020, he has been writing for the blog Le Suricate Magazine and recently joined the editorial team of the new Belgian film magazine Surimpressions.

Fernand Denis

Fernand Denis is film critic since 1984. He worked successively in the Belgian dailies La Cité, Le Soir and La Libre Belgique.