Uta Arning is a German writer, director, and producer based in Stockholm. Her years living and working in Asia have shaped her cinematic voice and cross-cultural perspective. Her debut feature, a genre-driven fantasy drama made in Japan, received international recognition. She holds an MFA in Film Directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, serves on the Film Expert Jury for Region Västra Götaland, and chairs the Swedish Arts Council’s Minority Group.

Jānis Kalējs has worked for over 25 years in the film industry in Latvia and Canada and is one of the founders of Film Angels Studio. He has produced, co-produced, and provided services in Latvia for international productions from the US, Germany, the UK, Denmark, France, India, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, and South Korea. Representative of the Film Service Producers Association that brings together the most experienced film service producers of Latvia. The association works to promote and develop foreign film services in the Baltic region, to collect and distribute information, and propose legislative initiatives in the sector’s development.