Jury 2026
Women and the World International Film Festival
David Gyasi
With a career spanning 20 years David Gyasi is an established British actor who continues to surprise audiences with the range of complex roles he takes on.
Best known for his roles in CLOUD ATLAS and INTERSTELLAR, Gyasi will lead in the BBC’s upcoming series REPUTATION. Starring Naomie Harris and Christina Hendrix. Gyasi takes on the role of Dominic Dixon, one half the Harries & Dixon. The law firm in the show with Harris LEADING as Lena Harries the other partner in the firm.
Previously Gyasi starred in the award winning hit Netflix show THE DIPLOMAT alongside Kerri Russell, Alison Janey & Rufus Sewell. Amazon’s popular CARNIVAL ROW series alongside Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. He’s also part of the Audibles fantasy series IMPACT WINTER written by Travis Beacham. In 2019 he starred in fantasy drama COME AWAY alongside Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo. In 2019 he was featured in MALIFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the sequel to Walt Disney’s 2014 box office hit MALEFICENT and the action packed thriller COLD BLOOD LEGACY.
Other credits include the BAFTA award winning TV series TROY: FALL OF A CITY (2018), where he starred as Achilles as well as appearances in the films HUNTER KILLER (2018) and ANNIHILATION (2018). Gyasi can also be seen in the Emmy award-winning BBC mini-series MAN IN AN ORANGE SHIRT (2017), PANIC (2014) in which he played the star role of ‘Andrew Deeley’ and in CW’s TV-series CONTAINMENT(2016)
In 2012, Gyasi appeared in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, WHITE HEAT, RED TAILS and DOCTOR WHO. He also starrred in BEYOND THE GATES (2005) starring alongside John Hurt and Hugh Darcy as well as Torchwood.
Olwen Fouéré is an actor, writer and director whose extensive practice navigates theatre, film, music and the visual arts. Best known for her outstanding performance in Stephen Fingleton’s “The Survivalist” (2014), “Mandy” by Panos Cosmatos and “The Reckoning
of Erin Morrigan” by Gabrielle Russell (2024). Other recent screen appearances include “The Watchers” by Ishana Night Shyamalan and “The Tourist” Season 2 by Harry and Jack Williams.
Olwen Fouéré
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MyAnna Buring
MyAnna Buring is a Swedish-born British actress known for her work across film, television and theatre. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), graduating in 2004.
Her screen credits include The Descent, Kill List, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Downton Abbey, Ripper Street, The Witcher, The Salisbury Poisonings, The Responder, Unforgotten and Last Breath. She is particularly recognised for her role as Tissaia de Vries in Netflix’s The Witcher and as Long Susan in BBC’s Ripper Street.
Alongside her acting career, Buring has supported a number of social causes and has been involved in advocacy relating to refugees and climate change.
Elena Andreicheva
Elena Andreicheva is an Academy Award®️ and BAFTA-winning documentary filmmaker, Ukrainian-born now based in London. Drawn to big drama at close quarters, she has produced work on hard-hitting and hard-access topics: incarceration (12-YEAR-OLD LIFER, INSIDE THE GANGSTERS’ CODE), the war on drugs (DRUGS INC.), human trafficking (SAVING THE CYBERSEX GIRLS) and the Oscar-winning LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL). Elena’s films as director have focused on personal odysseys, themes of identity and conflict, reflecting her own immigration journey: an immigrant’s return to his family (POLISH GO HOME) and a young athlete from Gaza’s coming-of-age (MY LIFE: I’M LIKE A FISH). Her latest feature INTELLIGENCE RISING premiered at CPH:DOX. It captures a simulated future in which AI grows more powerful and forces governments to play out the decisions that will shape humanity's future.
Denise Parkinson
Denise Parkinson is Vice President, Sales & Marketing Global at Variety, where she leads international business development and marketing initiatives across global markets.
With more than 25 years of experience across film, entertainment, media and marketing, Denise has held senior roles at Allied Global Marketing, The Telegraph and Yahoo!, and has worked across major international entertainment brands including Disney, ABC and ESPN.
Her career spans film marketing, media partnerships, audience engagement and international business development. She is also a long-standing supporter of the film and television community, including through her involvement with the Film and Television Charity and MediCinema.
David Martinez
David Martinez is the founder of Casa Leo PR, a boutique agency specialising in festival and awards publicity. He is a voting member of BAFTA, a member of the Honorary Council of BFI America, and the former Executive Director of the Raindance Film Festival in London, where he served for 14 years.
Renowned for managing screenings for awards campaigns at London Flair PR, Martinez has orchestrated campaigns that led to multiple nominations and wins at major ceremonies. With over 15 years of experience, he is dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers and works as an events and awards consultant, advising on film awards strategy for voters across the Oscars, BAFTAs and BIFAs.
He has served as a juror at several competitions, including BAFTA, the Guadalajara Film Festival, the Cyprus Film Festival, the Lucca Film Festival, and the Global Entertainment Awards. Martinez holds a Master of Arts in Film Studies from the University of Leicester and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from UNAM and UC Santa Barbara.
Rebecca del Tufo
Rebecca is a producer and programmer with a key focus on elevating new and diverse voices. Her freelance work spans production, exhibition and distribution, with a current focus on producing short films.
After escaping her initial career as a solicitor in a City law firm, Rebecca led the team which set up the successful independent cinema Saffron Screen, for many years running and programming the cinema, hosting Q&As with a range of industry talent.
Rebecca is a trustee of the charities Refugees at Home and Reclaim the Frame, and a director of Theatre Inspiring Change. She is a mentor with Arts Emergency.
British actress and founder of Primetime (Downton Abbey, The Theory of Everything) - Short & Documentary Competition Jury.
Victoria Emslie