Team (Jury – Cinekid 2026)

Lefteris Fylaktos is a documentary filmmaker and media executive currently serving as the Head of Culture, Education, and Children’s Programming for ERT (the Greek Public Broadcasting Corporation), as well as the National Coordinator for INPUT in Greece. Active in the field since 1997, he has been recognized for his work in independent production, receiving, among other distinctions, notably two Audience Awards at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. He holds an MA in Visual and Media Anthropology from Freie Universität Berlin. His background spans traditional broadcast, cross-media projects with the Korsakow Institut in Berlin, and international jury service for prestigious bodies like the Rose d’Or and NHK’s Japan Prize

Maria Kontogianni has built her career on set since 2004 and has supervised 19 internationally awarded co-productions, whilst in Berlin. In 2015, she returned to her hometown and driven by an ambition to connect talent across borders, Maria founded WILD AT HEART in Athens, in 2021, with a creative focus on feature films for young audiences, original animation and films from a female perspective.

The company is always on the lookout for stories with a “wild heart” — daring, emotionally resonant, and culturally layered.

Recent releases: BE A GOOD GIRL (2025, Sitges IFF), ANIMAL (2023, Locarno IFF), BLACK STONE (2022, TIFF).

Projects in development: NINE LIVES LEFT (3D animation for 8+), PIKEKO (mystery drama for 10+)

Maria is an EAVE alumna and Cannes Producer’s on the Move participant. She is a member of the EFA, HFA, ASIFA and SAPOE.

Irida Zhonga is an award-winning animation director and producer specializing in 2D and stop-motion animation. A graduate of the University of the Arts London and the University of Groningen, she has been working professionally across Greece, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands for over a decade. Her films have been screened and awarded at international festivals such as Annecy, Kaboom, Fantoche, and TIFF.

Her recent work has received the ASIFA Stratos Award and has been supported by the Hellenic Film Centre, Animarkt, CEE Animation, and Cinekid. She is a fellow of the ARTWORKS program by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, as well as a recipient of fellowships from ASIFA-Hollywood and Women in Animation (WIA). Since 2023, she has served as Vice President of ASIFA-Hellas, and has also worked as a festival curator, jury member, and guest speaker at universities in Greece and abroad.