2025 Edition
Artists Jury
HALFDAN ULLMANN TØNDEL
Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, born in 1990 is a Norwegian director and screenwriter, based in Oslo. He studied directing at Westerdals School of arts. His debut feature Armand (2024), starring Renate Reinsve, won the Camera d’or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and the European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI at the 37th European Film awards. In 2025, he earned a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for a First feature at the 77th Directors Guild of America Awards.
Anamaria Vartolomei
Anamaria Vartolomei made her screen debut at age 10 in Eva Ionesco’s My Little Princess, starring alongside Isabelle Huppert – a role that earned her a Lumières Award nomination for Most Promising Actress. She went on to appear in Riad Sattouf’s Jacky in the Kingdom of Women (Jacky au royaume des filles), Marc Dugain’s The Royal Exchange (L’Échange des princesses), and Martin Provost’s How to Be a Good Wife (La Bonne épouse). In 2021, she portrayed Anne in Audrey Diwan’s Happening (L’Événement), the winner of the Golden Lion in Venice, and was awarded the César for Most Promising Actress in 2022. In 2024, she filmed The Empire (L’Empire) with Bruno Dumont and Maria with Jessica Palud. She also appeared in The Count of Monte Cristo (Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, Traffic by Teodora Ana Mihai, Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17, and the HBO Max series Merteuil, directed by Jessica Palud.
Malick Bodian
Malick Bodian is a Senegalese photographer born in Mbao in 1997. He lives and works between France and Senegal.
He first began his career in front of the camera, working as a top model for the most prestigious international fashion houses.
Self-taught artist, Malick started out taking photographs through the discovery of his roots and the African continent. Sensing positive and optimistic representations, his gaze observes both the modernity and refinement of his subjects.
While being commissioned regularly by leading fashion brands and publications, he’s been focusing his personal work on documenting and celebrating the beauty and singularity of Africa.
Paul Kircher
In 2019, at just 18 years old, Paul Kircher made his screen debut in How to Make Out (T’as pécho ?) by Adeline Picault, followed by a role in A Little Lesson in Love (Petite leçon d’amour) by Ève Deboise, opposite Lætitia Dosch and Pierre Deladonchamps. In 2022, he portrayed the title role in Christophe Honoré’s Winter Boy (Le Lycéen), acting opposite Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lacoste. His luminous, magnetic performance earned him the Silver Shell for Best Actor at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, as well as the Best Actor Award at Cinemania. He was nominated for the César Award for Best Newcomer in 2023, and again in 2024 for his role in The Animal Kingdom (Le Règne animal) by Thomas Cailley. He next appeared in And Their Children After Them (Leurs Enfants Après Eux) by Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma, and will star in Colours of Time (La Venue de l’Avenir) by Cédric Klapisch and Meteors by Hubert Charuel in 2025.
Sofia Carson
Sofia Carson is an award-winning actor, singer, and producer acclaimed for her role in Netflix’s Purple Hearts which she also executive produced and co-wrote the soundtrack for. She starred in Netflix’s Carry-On and The Life List with all three films debuting at #1 globally. A multi-platinum artist, she recently duetted with Andrea Bocelli and BTS’s Jimin, and earned an Oscar nomination for Applause by Diane Warren. A UNICEF Ambassador, she advocates for youth and education, speaking at Capitol Hill and the UN.
Mallory Wanecque
Mallory Wanecque, born in 2006, is best known for her breakout performance, at 15, in The Worst Ones (Les Pires), where she portrays Lily, a teenager from a housing project cast to star in a film. The feature won the Un Certain Regard Award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Her compelling performance earned her a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 2023 César Awards. In 2023, she took on the roles of Mélissa in Like A Prince (Comme un prince) and Océane in The Good Teacher (Pas de vagues). The following year, she portrayed the young Jackie in Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts (L’Amour ouf) – a role she shares with Adèle Exarchopoulos. In 2025, Wanecque continues to build a remarkable career with roles in Peter Dourountzis’ Rapaces and Mélissa Drigeard’s Le Gang des Amazones.
Ludovic et Zoran Boukherma
Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma, born on June 5, 1992, in Marmande, have been film enthusiasts since childhood. After studying at La Cité du Cinéma in Paris, they co-directed their first feature film, Willy 1er (2016), alongside Hugo P. Thomas and Marielle Gautier. The film won the Prix d'Ornano for Best First Film at the Deauville American Film Festival. In 2019, they released Teddy, that was part of the Official Selection at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. The following year, they directed Year of the Shark (L'Année du requin) before being approached by Hugo Sélignac and Alain Attal to adapt Nicolas Mathieu’s novel And Their Children After Them, which was selected in competition at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.
Sally
Sally, whose real name is Salima Poumbga, embodies the new wave of journalism in France. Originally trained as a lawyer, she turned to journalism to give voice to her beliefs. On social media, she offers sharp, accessible analysis and investigations, blending clarity with purpose. She is also the creator of Chez Sally, a heartfelt interview series. A devoted film buff, she directed Motherland, a documentary series celebrating the richness of the African continent. Both curious and committed, Sally tells stories designed to enlighten and spark awareness.
Students Jury
Wen-Di Huang
A passionate film lover and festival enthusiast, 22-year-old Wen-Di has long been interested in environmental issues, gender, and native communities. She brings strong experience in film programming, event coordination, and research. As Programming and International Relations Coordinator for the Guandu Film Festival – one of Taiwan’s leading student-run festivals – she oversaw thematic sections, curated panel discussions, and led cultural outreach. She also managed the festival’s international partnerships for two years. Her academic research focuses on museum communication and the use of cinema in art institutions, particularly through her project Reconstructing Yi Yi: A Retrospective of Edward Yang.
Victoria Hollup
Victoria Hollup is a Norwegian filmmaker known for Gerry, starring Joan Collins, which won multiple awards, was longlisted for a BAFTA and acquired by Amazon. She is the producer of BFI-supported Tortoise, starring Emily Beecham. With a passion for character-driven narratives, she is currently pursuing an MFA at The Norwegian Filmschool and focusing on international co-productions. Hollup has twofeatures in early development: a psychological folk horror and a drama based on the book Iggy by the author Edy Poppy, known for
her candid explorations of love, sexuality, and personal identity.
Hanane Saïdi
Originally from Marrakech, 23-year-old Hanane Saïdi is in her final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Cinema & Audiovisual at the École Supérieure des Arts Visuels (ESAV), where she majors in cinematography. A passionate storyteller with a love for all forms of art, she is particularly drawn to photography, screenwriting, and reading. Through both fiction and documentary work, she explores personal and emotional narratives tied to memory and collective history, always with a keen eye for strong visual and narrative expression.
Carmela Román
Carmela Román, 26 years-old student from Córdoba, Spain, did scriptwriting in Scotland before completing a degree in Cinematography at Escuela TAI, where she founded Mala Pécora Films. She directed several short films, including Japón (2022), which inspired her first feature project, Lecho de pasto, an experimental video-performance. In 2023, she completed her MA in Film Criticism at ECAM and began writing her first novel The cosmos of flesh. She then, was selected for the Semilleru Campus at the Gijón International Film Festival and is currently co-writing the feature film Somos los mejores. She is also working on her debut feature, Vencejo, selected for Cordoba’s Film Festival’s Lab in 2024.
Beatriz Dumont
Beatriz Dumont is a 19-years-old Brazilian film student. She was born in
Brasília, the capital of Brazil, and currently resides in the state of Rio de Janeiro. There, she studies Film and Audiovisual at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, located in the city of Niterói. In addition to being a ballet dancer and an acting student, Beatriz has worked as
a photographer, cinematographer, art director, and short film director.
She is passionate about having international experiences to engage with different
approaches to filmmaking and discover new cinematic narratives, with the aim of expanding her knowledge in both acting and cinematography.
Pass Culture Jury
Mattias Laurent
A student of Performing Arts in Grenoble and a lifelong film & photography enthusiast, Mattias Laurent joined the Culture Pass Ciné-Club in September 2024 to broaden his cultural horizons and sharpen his critical eye. While his background includes a range of “amateur” experiences, he has also completed internships at film festivals and on the set of a major French production – and he is determined to pursue a career in film, particularly in directing and screenwriting. Alongside his studies, he has been playing drums for nearly 12 years. His commitment to music led him to start his own band, MCM, in 2024.
Nour Djafri
Nour, 18, is a law student at the University of La Rochelle. Curious, socially conscious, and open-minded, she enjoys understanding the world, debating ideas, and truly listening to others. With a deep interest in justice and fairness, the study of law quickly became a natural path – demanding, yet deeply human. At the same time, cinema offers her a different kind of language – one rooted in emotion and thought. Nour is drawn to new perspectives, meaningful dialogue, and stepping outside her comfort zone, as she carves out a path that reflects who she is: thoughtful, empathetic, and committed to others.
Malo Loret
Born in Rennes and raised in Saint-Malo, 18-year-old Malo Loret is currently enrolled in a hypokhâgne preparatory course with a focus on cinema at the Lycée Jean-François Millet in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. During his high school and early university years, he spent four years involved in theater, volunteered at numerous cultural events in the Saint-Malo area, including La Route du Rock and the Saint-Malo High School Theater Festival (FETLYF), and even started his own rock band. Through these experiences, Malo has developed a strong passion for the arts, with a particular focus on cinema. He now centers both his studies and future plans around filmmaking and has already directed several short films.
Maëva Ballanger
Maëva Ballanger, 20, lives in Bordeaux, where she was a high school student and she is now studying at ICART, a school specializing in arts and cultural management. A lifelong film enthusiast, she has also explored other creative outlets like theater and photography and she studied film as part of her curriculum. Influenced by Sofia Coppola, Vivian Maier, R.F. Kuang, and Michael Moore, Maëva is driven by the ambition to turn her artistic passions into a meaningful career. Her perspective is further shaped by internships and volunteer work, particularly in music event production. Looking ahead, she dreams of working in film production, both in France and internationally.
Guillaume Ferrier
20-year-old Guillaume Ferrier has just completed a degree in sociology and is now pursuing a Master’s in film, audiovisual media, and documentary creation. Already active in photography and videography, he discovered his passion for film at the start of his college years – a passion that has only grown stronger since. His favorite film is Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise. Honored to join the Culture Pass Jury at the festival, Guillaume is especially excited about this film-filled week, having already volunteered at the Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES last year.
Clarisse Plumet
Originally from Pau, 18-year-old Clarisse Plumet is currently studying Marketing Techniques at the IUT in Bayonne. With a curious mind and a wide range of interests, she finds in cinema both an escape and a source of inspiration – especially drawn to films based on true events. She’s a regular at the movie theater, always eager for the next screening and never losing her enthusiasm. Her passion for film has earned her a spot on the Culture Pass Jury for the 3rd edition of the Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES, where she looks forward to discovering daring new voices and offering a fresh, youthful take on cinema.
Mathias Bidart
Mathias is a student from the French Basque Country, raised between the ocean and the mountains. He’s a bright, easygoing young man with a deep love for board sports like snowboarding and surfing which he plays on a daily basis. A natural explorer, he set off on a ten-month solo journey through Latin America, reconnecting with his Basque heritage. He went on to work on a ranch in the U.S., driven by a hunger to experience new cultures and sharpen his language skills.
He’s currently studying Marketing at the IUT in Bayonne, but his sights are set on the film world. Acting holds a real spark for him, and he’s hoping this wonderful festival might open a few doors.
Maëlie Desenfant
Born in Bayonne in 2007 and now living in Biarritz, Maëlie, whose family hails from Martinique, discovered a love for sport at the age of 5, particularly ballet dancing. Her father would film everything she did, inspiring her to start documenting her own life. At 6, she was given her first camera – she would take it everywhere, filming everything, all the time. She’s been building her collection ever since. At 8, she joined a football club and refused to let sexist remarks from the boys stop her. In middle school, she explored video-making, drawing, painting, sewing, and theater. Now in high school, she’s become actively involved in student life and is editor-in-chief of the school paper – and she’s only just getting started.