joana adesuwa reiterer
Joana Adesuwa Reiterer (Joadre), founder of BWJ, is an Austrian-Nigerian filmmaker whose work spans fiction, documentary, and hybrid formats, often exploring identity, social justice, and post-colonial memory. In late 2025, Joana was nominated by the Austrian Film Institute to join the EFM-Berlinale Producers programme 2026.
She co-wrote and co-directed the film STOFF/Lace Relations, a 90-minute Austria–Nigeria documentary examining Nigeria’s 1970s lace boom and its entanglement with Austria’s colonial history. The film has screened at AFRIFF, This Human World, and BIFED.
Over the years, Joana’s experience spans across filmmaking, storytelling, raising finance for international projects, and spearheading impact-driven projects between Africa and Europe.
Some earlier works: Voices Uprising (2023), a documentary on Nigeria’s #EndSARS movement, nominated at the Eko Film Festival. She wrote and directed films addressing migration and human trafficking, including the short films Better Life (2011), Are We Aware (2010), A Place of Peace (2010) and Greener Pastures (2006), which became the focus of an ORF prime-time documentary.
A former Nollywood actress and all-rounder (1997–2003), Joana is also the author of two books and has received multiple awards for her advocacy of women’s rights.
ceri samvilian
Ceri is a certified Authenticity Life Coach whose work centers on identity, alignment, and intentional living. Born and raised in Kenya, she moved to Austria at the age of 27 — stepping into a completely new cultural, linguistic, and social environment.
Relocating across continents is more than a physical move. It is an internal shift.
In Austria, Ceri had to adapt quickly — to a new language, a new culture, and new expectations. Almost overnight, she stepped into unfamiliar roles while navigating the complexities of being an immigrant in Europe. That season forced her to confront a powerful question: Is this all there is for me?
It was through this deep personal inquiry that her journey into authenticity began.
Today, Ceri works with individuals who feel misaligned, disconnected, or pressured to perform versions of themselves that are not true. Through guided reflection and practical frameworks, she helps people return to who they truly are — beneath conditioning, comparison, and cultural noise.
Today, she is a Certified Life Coach, NLP Practitioner, Author, and keynote Speaker. She has invested over 300 hours in coaching and spoken on stages in Austria and Germany.
tyagi pallava
Indian-UK Writer and Director | Expert Trainer
The Creative Director & CEO of Yantra Studio
Tyagi Pallava is a filmmaker, storyteller, and expert trainer working at the intersection of art, narrative, and human development. Based in Budapest and active across Europe and India, he brings a rare blend of creative practice and pedagogical depth to his work, designing experiences that empower individuals and organisations to think, communicate, and collaborate through storytelling.
With a background in film direction and production, Tyagi has led a wide range of creative projects spanning fiction, documentary, theatre, and immersive audiovisual work. His artistic practice is deeply rooted in themes of identity, belonging, and cultural dialogue, often drawing from his own experience of navigating multiple worlds. Alongside his artistic career, he has developed a strong parallel practice as a trainer and educator, working with students, professionals, and institutions across diverse cultural contexts.
Tyagi’s work as an educator is shaped by a deep sensitivity to people and process. He creates spaces that are inclusive, reflective, and energising, enabling participants to move beyond habitual patterns and discover new ways of thinking and relating. His facilitation style balances structure with openness, encouraging both discipline and play.
As a trainer, Tyagi specialises in storytelling as a practical tool for communication, leadership, and innovation. His workshops move beyond theory into hands-on, experiential formats where participants actively create, reflect, and collaborate. He has designed and delivered programmes for universities, NGOs, startups, and corporate teams, with formats ranging from intensive two-day workshops to multi-day labs and long-term engagements. His approach integrates elements of filmmaking, narrative design, nonverbal communication, and group dynamics, allowing participants to access both creative expression and strategic clarity.
In addition to his training work, Tyagi is the founder of creative initiatives that bridge art and social impact. Through his organisation Anga, he has led international projects focused on youth empowerment, intercultural dialogue, and non-formal education. His work has been supported by European programmes and presented in various cultural and institutional contexts.
Whether working with emerging artists, corporate leaders, or community groups, Tyagi brings a distinctive voice that combines artistic insight with practical application. His work continues to explore how storytelling can serve not only as a creative act but as a powerful tool for transformation, connection, and meaningful change.
Gelax Bolaji
Gelax Bolaji is a passionate, story-driven film producer with an extensive portfolio spanning short films, feature projects, documentaries, podcasts, and television shows. A trusted creative partner to directors, she brings discipline to story development while safeguarding creative vision and ensuring strong, practical execution.
Her work has contributed to projects screened on Africa Magic, Showmax, Prime Video, YouTube, cable television, and at over 80 international film festivals. With a clear vision and relentless drive, Gelax is committed to shaping narratives and sparking meaningful conversations through her productions. She has held multiple roles across film production, including serving as a ground producer for Rodo Studios on an Austrian cinema documentary released in 2026.
Peter Kreil
Peter is a cinematographer drawn to creating emotionally resonant imagery through subtle visual poetry, magical realism, and naturalistic lighting. Whether working across fiction, fashion, commercials, dance films, music videos, or experimental shorts, he crafts immersive atmospheres where both subject and camera are free to move, breathe, and exist organically within the frame.
Fluent in German, Spanish, and English, Peter has lived, worked, and travelled extensively across the world. His connection to Nigeria became especially significant during the production of his first feature film, Amina, which premiered on Netflix in 2021. The film went on to receive 13 nominations and won Best Overall Movie at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards in 2022.
Born and raised in Austria, Peter graduated in Cinematography from the prestigious ESCAC in Barcelona, Spain, where he received the Faculty Commendation Award for Best Cinematography.
At the core of Peter’s work is a passion for finding the precise balance between light, texture, movement, and perspective to evoke emotion and deepen storytelling. He thrives in close creative collaboration with directors, immersing himself fully in the worlds they seek to build.
Currently based between Berlin and Barcelona, Peter continues to seek local and international collaborations with artists and storytellers eager to share bold and distinctive visions of the world.
Chioma Onyenwe
Chioma Onyenwe is a Lagos-based interdisciplinary Producer, Director, and Writer. As the visionary founder of Raconteur Productions, she explores the intersection of history, culture, and identity from an African perspective through multimedia storytelling.
Notable achievements include co-directing Lace Relations, a transnational documentary exploring the entangled colonial histories of Nigeria and Austria through the lens of the global lace trade; spearheading the August Meeting Movement, a travelling stage play recounting the 1929 Aba Women’s War; and creating Nigeria’s first true-crime podcast, 23419, nominated at the One Media Awards.
Her short documentary Ime Ego was featured in the Generation Africa anthology.
Chioma’s feature, I Do Not Come To You By Chance, an adaptation of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s novel, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023, screened at IFFR 2024, and won the Audience Choice Award at the 2023 Africa International Film Festival. Her latest feature, the multiple award-winning The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, premiered at TIFF 2024.
David Wurawa
David Wurawa is an internationally trained actor, filmmaker, producer, author, director, and moderator with an extensive body of work spanning Film, Television, Radio, and Theatre. Known for his versatility and emotional depth on screen, his ability to embody a wide spectrum of characters has earned him critical acclaim and strong audience recognition across international productions.
Committed to excellence, discipline, and continuous artistic growth, David has built a reputation as a professional, proactive, and highly collaborative creative. His training spans some of the world’s most respected acting institutions and mentors, including the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, LAMDA, The Actors Centre, London Academy of Media, Film & TV, Second City Chicago, and internationally renowned tutors and practitioners across the USA and UK.
Over the years, he has further honed his craft through advanced studies in screen acting, improvisation, Shakespeare, theatre sports, camera performance, and storytelling, including participation in the Paul Haggis Master Class in Rome.
Beyond acting, David actively works across storytelling disciplines as a producer, director, author, and moderator, bringing a global perspective, strong artistic intuition, and decades of performance experience to every project he undertakes.