16th Balkans Beyond Borders Short Film Festival
– DISTORToΠia – How do you mirror reality –
BBB Cine-Forum III
The ΒΒΒ Cine Forum III, dedicated to exploring the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence in filmmaking, is proud to host an innovative round table discussion entitled “AI Opportunities in Filmmaking“. This session brings together leading experts to share their insights and experiences.
The round table will take place at Galata University on Friday, 07/11, at 12:00, conducted in English. It offers young filmmakers a unique opportunity to explore how AI can enhance creativity, streamline production, and expand the possibilities of storytelling.
From concept development to visual effects, Artificial Intelligence offers a wide range of applications, empowering creators to push the boundaries of storytelling. This round table invites participants to explore how AI is used in filmmaking, addressing challenges, opportunities, limitations, creativity, ethical concerns, and legal issues. Participants will engage with expert instructors who will share insights, demonstrate practical applications, and discuss how AI tools are reshaping both the creative and technical aspects of pre-production.
The session also showcases short films from around the world, highlighting how AI is already influencing narrative and visual experimentation across diverse genres and cultures. Whether you’re a filmmaker, student, or simply curious about the intersection of technology and art, this discussion offers a rare glimpse into the future of storytelling, providing a unique opportunity to explore, experience, and be inspired by what AI can achieve.
Speakers:
Dimitris Argyriou
Dimitris Argyriou is a filmmaker and festival curator holding a Master of Arts from the Ionian University and the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK Berlin). He has directed 11 award-winning short films that have screened at over 1,000 international film festivals, as well as two feature documentaries: Lights Out, Berlin! (limited theatrical release in Germany) and Memories of Occupation & Dialogue for the Future, which is officially used as educational material in German schools.
His latest work is an innovative 3D animated short, created for the V-Museum Corfu, and presented daily as part of the museum’s permanent program.
Dimitris is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Sarajevo Talents, and the Cork Film Festival Campus. In 2012, he founded the NewBorn Short Film Agency, where he serves as CEO, specializing in festival strategy, distribution, and international sales for short films. That same year, he launched the NewBorn Short Film Festival in Berlin, where he continues to act as festival director. In 2020, he expanded the agency’s scope by establishing its production arm, NewBorn Filmproduktion, focusing on the development and production of innovative short and feature-length films.
Previously, he co-founded and directed the Greek Film Festival in Berlin, and has programmed for festivals such as Interfilm Berlin, Aegean Film Festival, and Shortcutz Berlin. He has worked with Berlinale and has served on juries across Europe, the US, and beyond.
Dila Bulut Derya
She graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Law in 2015. In 2018, she studied directing at the New York Film Academy, gaining an international perspective in the field of cinema. The short films she has written and directed have been screened at various international film festivals.
In 2020, she founded her own law firm and began actively practicing law. In 2024, she established Frej Coffee Art House, a cultural, artistic, and social meeting space.
Alongside her professional career in law, she continues to nurture her passion for cinema through film and series analyses. In our …(film club), she is set to explore the intersection of AI, law, and cinema through an intellectual and artistic journey.
Berceste Gülçin Özdemir
Berceste Gülçin Özdemir graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication, Department of Radio Television Cinema in 2006. She double majored in Istanbul University Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Public Administration and graduated from this faculty in 2007. She received her master’s degree from Bahçeşehir University, Department of Cinema-Television Main Art Branch with her thesis titled “Feminist Film Criticism Contribution to Feminist Film-Making” in 2009. 2014 Özdemir, who wrote part of her thesis in Universita Degli Studi di Perugia within the framework of the Erasmus Doctorate Programme, received her doctorate degree in 2016 with her doctoral thesis titled “Representation of Women in Space in Non-Mainstream Films of Women Directors in Turkish Cinema: Analysis of Sub(ob)jected Women within the Framework of Feminist Film Theory (2000-2012)”. In her doctoral thesis, she tried to introduce a new concept to the academic literature by introducing the concept of “Sub(ob)jectivated”. Özdemir’s books are; Women Directors of Turkish Cinema Speak: Interviews with Women Directors with Standardised Open-Line Interview Method, Discussions on Independent Cinema in Turkey: Thoughts from the Field, Women Directors in Turkish Cinema and the Representation of Sub(ob)jectivated Woman in Space, An Examination of Characters and Spaces in Film Narratives in the Context of Panopticon and Chronotope within the Framework of Narratology Theory, Film and Music: The Effects of the Use of Turkish Music Elements in Turkish Cinema on Turkish Culture and and This is the Sequence of Which Film, which she edited.
Özdemir also has many articles and book chapters in the field of cinema. Özdemir, whose works are based on philosophical approaches, theology and quantum theory, places cinema at the focal point of her works. Özdemir, who opened a “Virtual Reality Laboratory (VR LAB)” at Istanbul University Faculty of Communication with her project titled “Media Change and Future Predictions, Strategies and Analyses Regarding Audience Experiences in the Field of Cinema”, which was accepted within the scope of TÜBİTAK 3005 Support Programme, aims both to produce scientific projects and to prioritise the futurist approach to education with this laboratory. The project, which is the basis of interdisciplinary work, aims to reveal the importance of social benefit and publication impact with its outputs such as short feature film production, publications in qualified scientific journals, new course design proposal and film exhibition installation. The project includes a 360-degree VR short film titled Susuzluk.
Özdemir teaches at Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication, Department of Cinema as Assoc. Prof. Dr. and her academic research interests include psychoanalytic film theory, film criticism, film philosophy, independent cinema, digital cinema, virtual reality.
Kyriaki Kyriakidou
Kyriaki Kyriakidou is a graduate student in Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of the Aegean, with a strong interest in the creative applications of artificial intelligence. During her studies and internship at Novamon, she developed skills in market research, creative visualization, and web design. Her thesis, currently presented at international seminars and conferences such as 3ai.25 in Paris, explores the integration of artificial intelligence in the film industry and proposes a methodology for human-AI collaboration that prioritizes augmentation over replacement. She has organized two workshops on AI in film production, created three short animated films, and served as a member of the pre-selection committee for the Balkans Beyond Borders Film Festival. Her current research focuses on the potential of AI in education and character design, an area she has begun to experiment with through hands-on projects and interdisciplinary exploration.