Film Forum

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Sergei Loznitsa was born on September 5th, 1964. He grew up in Kiev (Ukraine), and in 1987, graduated from the Kiev Polytechnic with a degree in Applied Mathematics. From 1987 to 1991, he worked as a scientist at the Kiev Institute of Cybernetics, specializing in artificial intelligence research. In 1997, Loznitsa graduated from the Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow. Sergei Loznitsa has been making films since 1996, and by now has directed 28 award-winning documentaries and five fiction films. Loznitsa’s feature debut MY JOY (2010) premiered in the main competition at the Festival de Cannes, and was followed by the feature film IN THE FOG”(2012), which was awarded FIPRESCI prize at the 65th Festival de Cannes. In 2017, Sergei Loznitsa presented his third feature A GENTLE CREATURE in the competition of the Festival de Cannes. In 2018, Loznitsa received the prize for Best Directing of the Un Certain Regard section of Festival de Cannes for his fourth feature film, DONBASS. In 2013, Sergei Loznitsa founded a film production company ATOMS & VOID. Sergei Loznitsa’s feature-length documentary MAIDAN (2014), the chronicles of the Ukrainian revolution, had its world premiere at a Séance Special of Festival de Cannes. His subsequent feature length documentaries, THE EVENT (2015), AUSTERLITZ (2016), THE TRIAL (2018), and STATE FUNERAL (2019) were presented at the Special Screenings of the Venice Film Festival. In 2021, Sergei received a Special Jury Prize of the L’Oeil D’Or Award in Cannes for his film BABI YAR. CONTEXT. His most recent fiction film, TWO PROSECUTORS (2025), had its world premiere in competition at the Festival de Cannes and won the Prix François Chalais, which rewards films dedicated to the values of journalism. Sergei Loznitsa continues to work on both documentary and fiction projects.

Liesl Gerntholtz is the managing director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center at PEN America. She is a South African human rights lawyer who spent the early part of her career working for the South African Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Gender Equality in post-apartheid South Africa. She was the head of the HIV Litigation Unit of the AIDS Law Project and the Director of the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre. In those capacities, she led high impact, strategic litigation to advance the human rights of people living with HIV and women affected by violence. She has lived in the US since 2008, but remains committed to her South African roots, serving on the boards of several South African human rights organisations. Between 2008 and 2020, Liesl worked for Human Rights Watch in different capacities. She was the executive director of the Women’s Rights Division for nearly ten years, overseeing research and advocacy that responded to the most critical women’s rights issues in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and the US. She was also the Interim Deputy Executive Director for Programme, responsible for overall vision, strategy and leadership of 200 global staff working across sixteen divisions on a diverse set of human rights issues, and she also helmed the Africa Division for a year, leading the search for a new director. Most recently, she was the Chief Programme Officer for The Little Market where she led work to support opportunities for women from under-served communities to access dignified work. Liesl holds a BA (LLB) from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Film Forum is a proud participant in the inaugural Art House New York Cinema Week, running March 20 – 26. Cinema Week is an initiative of Art House New York (AHNY) and the NYC Mayors Office of Media and Entertainment. AHNY is a regional alliance for independent film exhibition, strengthening our sector through audience development, research, and strategic initiatives. Learn more at arthouseny.org.

Please note: No discount tickets are available to this special event show.

 

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