Team

My name is Ana, I am Romanian and I live for emotions. I believe that providing time and space for understanding the world a little bit better is a great opportunity to find some kind of peace into the chaos. The goal of this event is to plant seeds in open minds, to discuss ideas and to find some common ground on the idea that diversity enriches nations and individuals.

I’m Madalina, originally from Romania and living abroad for the past seven years. I joined this project because I believe that now, more than ever, we need to invest ourselves in building communities, create bridges between people and so called nations. I am convinced that art, in all its forms, is a powerful form of resistance, capable of bringing us closer to each other and melting the invisible borders that try to keep us apart.

My name is Zaira, and I'm passionate about cultural initiatives that promote diversity and dialogue between communities. I believe that art, and film in particular, is a powerful vehicle for cultural integration and for deepening mutual understanding between different peoples.

I’m Roxana, volunteering for the Romanian Film Festival in Lisbon. I believe Romanian cinematography has a unique voice that deserves to be heard, seen and appreciated around the world.

“My name is Anca, I was born in Romania and have lived in Portugal since I was nine years old. Although I lived only a short time in my homeland, I still consider myself Romanian and maintain a very strong connection to my origins. The opportunity to join the team behind the Romanian Film Festival arose spontaneously and unexpectedly, but it was very welcome. Besides challenging my creative side, it offered me the perfect platform to share Romanian culture and art with my friends and bring these themes into everyday conversation. Being an immigrant is a complex and sometimes difficult experience to explain. There is a very strong desire for integration, but also for celebrating our origins. It’s not always easy to share with others what makes us who we are, but the world of cinema often manages to do this for us, eliminating the need to translate certain issues that sometimes have no translation; they are simply part of a different cultural richness, of specific experiences. I love any kind of artistic expression, as long as it evokes strong emotions in me, with music, cinema, and literature being very present in my life. I love to travel! And I love a thousand other things!

“My name is Annabelle, I’m French-Romanian and I grew up between cultures and languages. Staying connected to my roots matters to me as a way of remembering who I am. For me, culture, and cinema in particular, is a living archive of how people think, love, suffer, resist, and dream. I chose to volunteer for the Romanian Film Festival because I believe Romanian cinema carries a raw, honest, and deeply human voice that deserves to be discovered abroad. Being part of this project feels like a bridge between countries, generations, and identities.
A place where stories meet and remind us that beyond different languages, we are often moved by the same questions.” - Annabelle Botea

My name is Stef and I am an entrepreneur based in Lisbon with a deep passion for Romanian cinema and technology. Originally from Romania, I use my experience to connect cultural narrative with digital innovation. My goal is to support the festival's mission by helping to connect and inspire new audiences.

My name is Mirko and I come from Italy. I’m 39 and passionate about football and cinema. I chose to dedicate time to this project as I enjoy sharing moments full of great stories and connecting with diverse people — just like I enjoy the beach during summer or having an aperitivo with my friends on Friday evenings. Moreover, I love dogs and food is one of my passions.

I'm João, a very Portuguese name, although everyone says I don't look like a typical Portuguese. I'm a funny guy, always with a joke prepared to lighten the mood and I've always been interested in knowing other cultures. Maybe for this reason, after Ana explained her intent to organize Festa de Cinema Romeno, I've got immediately interested in help in the best possible way, given that this is also an opportunity to know more about Romania and its culture. I hope this initiative gives me a better insight about Romania (hoping to visit soon) but, most importantly, I hope it brings some memories of home to all Romanians in Portugal and that more people get interested in the Romanian wonders, as their movies.

I’m Andra, originally from Romania and living in Portugal for the past three and a half years. Cinema is both my work and my lifelong passion. I’ve been part of film festivals and independent productions, always drawn to small teams of dedicated people driven by creativity and heart. I joined this project because I deeply believe in the power of independent cinema and in the unique voices that make us see the world differently, and a bit closer to one another.