[[ image ]] Biography Annika Birgel Portrait

Annika Birgel is a German director, screenwriter, and producer based in Berlin. Starting her career as an assistant director, she worked closely alongside renowned filmmakers including Pablo Larraín (Spencer) and Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) as well as in the directorial and casting departments for feature films produced by Komplizen Film, X-Filme Creative Pool, Netflix Germany and UFA Fiction, amongst others.

Her own short films have screened in competition at numerous international film festivals, including the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, the Toronto International Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Shortfest.

In 2023, Birgel was selected to attend the impACT Lab at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

Her latest short film PORZELLAN will celebrate its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival,
as part of the Generation Kplus programme.

She is currently developing her debut feature film.

[[ image ]] Biography Rudolf Fitzgerald Leonard Portrait

Rudolf Fitzgerald Leonard is an Australian director, screenwriter and producer based in Berlin.

After completing his studies at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film & Television, Fitzgerald Leonard’s graduate short film ‘Kin' would receive the Emerging Australian Filmmaker Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

His award-winning short films have screened at numerous international film festivals, including the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, Busan International Short Film Festival, and Palm Springs International ShortFest.

Fitzgerald Leonard is currently developing his debut feature film REPLICA, which was recently selected to be presented at the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and the impACT Lab at the Cannes Film Festival.