Malve Lippmann
Malve Lippmann is an artist, curator, and cultural manager. She is co-founder and artistic director of bi‘bak and SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA in Berlin where she was responsible for various programs, events and exhibitions such as the international symposium Cinema of Commoning (2022+2024) and the documentary exhibition project Bitter Things - Narratives and Memories of Transnational Families (2018). Before 2014 she has been internationally responsible for the design of numerous performances, opera- and theater productions as a freelance stage designer and artist.
With the question: “How can a new cinema be collectively shaped in a transnational society?” she launched IN 2020 with CAN Sungu the cinema experiment SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA, envisioning cinema as a space for social discourse, exchange, and solidarity. Since 2023 at its new location in Berlin-Wedding, SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA establishes itself as a transnational space for film culture, art, knowledge and community, creating a bridge between urban space and film as cultural practice.
Heleen Gerritsen
Heleen Gerritsen studied Slavic studies, Eastern European history, and economics in Amsterdam and St. Petersburg. In Germany, she trained as a film producer and worked in that field, as well as in archival research. Since 2017, she has been director of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film in Wiesbaden and has curated symposia on film history topics, among other things. Since June 2025, she has been artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek. She is particularly committed to making marginalized voices visible and promoting emerging talent.
Riah Knight
Riah Knight is a British-Romani artist based in Berlin. The musician, actress, and writer first gained recognition in theatre, performing with the Maxim Gorki Theatre and the Glossy Pain collective. Rooted in feminist thought, her work challenges dominant ways of knowing, using music, poetry, and performance to question hierarchical narratives and reclaim the female gaze. She has performed across Europe, co-authored award-nominated plays, and composed for numerous productions. Her latest EP, Wicked Laughter, was released in November 2024.
Zejhun Demirov
Zejhun Demirov is a German film actor. His acting career began in the youth club of the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus. He first gained recognition in front of the camera as the student Mehmet Yilmaz in the television series Der Lehrer (2009-2016). This was followed by further roles in German television series. For his portrayal of the young Muslim Oray in the feature film Oray, he was awarded the Götz George Young Talent Award at the First Steps Film Awards in 2018 for his acting achievements. Zejhun Demirov lives in Düsseldorf.