The 2026 Jury
The 16th Festival du Film Merveilleux takes place 16–18 September 2026 at the Christine Cinéma Club, 4 rue Christine, 75006 Paris, under the patronage of the French Commission for UNESCO. Each year, an international jury of filmmakers, artists and cultural figures views the films in official competition and awards the festival’s prizes. We are delighted to introduce the members of the 2026 jury.
President of the Jury
Pierre Rasamoela
A graduate of the École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière, Pierre brings a wide-ranging background to the jury: Production Director at TF1 International, then Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Orange Studio and StudioCanal. He has also been involved in producing several short films and is passionate about VFX and 3D.
Jury Members
Svetlana Trébulle
Svetlana Trébulle is a Franco-Russian screenwriter and director who made her first short film in 2016. La Louve (2019), a fantasy fiction produced by Studio 313 and distributed by oriGine films, was selected in 35 festivals and won 9 awards, including Best Film and Best Director. L’Obscurité (2023), distributed by l’Agence du court métrage, earned 17 selections and 4 awards, again including Best Film and Best Director. The psychological thriller is her genre of choice. Steeped in tales and legends, she often sets her stories on the border between the world of the living and the invisible. In May 2026 she directed several episodes of the series Un Si Grand Soleil (France Télévisions). She is also the author of the feature films EMBRASEMENT, selected at the WIPP festival, and ALTERA, shortlisted for the SoFilm residency, as well as several series projects. She has served as a reader for the Paris Courts Devant festival and the Festival du Cinéma Européen de Lille, and is represented by the Lise Arif agency.
Geneviève Anhoury
Geneviève Anhoury is a French writer-director of Lebanese origin whose work is inspired by the scientific discoveries that enrich our relationship with the world. At the crossroads of art and science, her films—meticulously researched yet always taking a step to the side—make an aesthetic choice that carries the viewer on a dreamlike journey: La Nuit du Vivant, a series filmed entirely in macro and under the microscope; Pourquoi cherchez-vous?, in which researchers, interviewed about their thought processes and creative imagination, move through a setting of animated painting; and Astronome Gastronome, which tells the history of the universe using nothing but animated food.
Liza Paturel
Liza Paturel is a French-Russian actress with an international career spanning film, television and theatre. Her work includes Chacun pour tous by Vianney Lebasque and the series Faites des gosses by Philippe Lefebvre, as well as films selected and awarded at international festivals. Alongside her acting career, she is the author of Acteur, manuel de survie, the first French book dedicated to actors’ career development, and has mentored actors for several years. Her experience as an actress, author and coach shapes the way she approaches performers’ work.
Lewis Eizykman
Lewis Eizykman, who holds a DESS in filmmaking, has directed a dozen short films and several documentaries, notably for France Télévisions. He is currently preparing a feature film on male contraception produced by In Vivo Films, and is wrapping up post-production on a horror short produced by Disparate Films. Since 2021 he has also taught screenwriting at CinéFabrique in Lyon.
Young Jury
Chloé Mays
Representing the next generation of film lovers, our Young Jury brings a fresh perspective to the competition, championing the stories that speak most powerfully to younger audiences.
Chloe Mays is a writer and multidisciplinary visual artist based between France and the UK. She often focuses on telling stories of migration, grief, morality, and female identity. Between her travels and creative practice, she advocates for the importance of literacy, arts and humanities funding, and critical literary and film analysis.
Chloe’s work has appeared in Saltmine Review, Readin’ Magazine, and others. She continues to curate her publication, Coco’s Corner, a podcast and newsletter devoted to thoughtful arts and culture commentary.