Mentors 2023

Monika Koperska has a PhD in chemistry, is graduate of the Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland and Université des Sciences et Technologies, Lille, France, specializes in conservation chemistry – a field of chemistry dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage, from the most valuable works of art to library resources. Recently she devoted her work to preserving notes and works from forgotten polish inventors. Scientific communication is her passion, she lectures and appears regularly on television and radio. She won the 2012 FameLab Award and came second in the International FameLab that same year. She co-hosted “Scientists’ skirmishes” (“Potyczki naukowców”) on the Planete + channel and “Inventors of the future” (“Wynalazcy przyszłości”) on the Canal + Discovery channel. Since 2016 she has been the co-founder and president of the Association of Science Advocates (Stowarzyszenie Rzecznicy Nauki), whose goal is to build a knowledge-based society (bringing together over 70 scientists who are simultaneously popularizers of science and constantly networking them with the media) and has her own production company M.A.K. Art & Science Productions.

Tom Millen is a Director of Crossover Labs specializing in the production and exhibition of immersive content as well as arranging cross-media training and events. He has curated immersive and interactive exhibitions for festivals world-wide including CPH:DOX, Bergen International Film Festival, Silbersalz Festival, The International Film Festival of India, Sheffield Doc/Fest, The Global Health Film Festival and the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Tom also works as a mentor and producer of interactive projects, a series of archive documentaries and VR such as the BBC’s Easter Rising Voice of a Rebel. His work has been released on broadcast, theatrically as well as being displayed at venues such as MoMA, The National Theatre and the Imperial War Museum.

Jessica Harrop is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker who has dedicated her career to inspiring passion about science through film. She runs development and production for Sandbox Films, sharing responsibility for all project decisions and company strategy and acting as an executive producer for Sandbox Films documentaries. Jessica has produced content for a variety of outlets including Netflix, Showtime, Discovery, National Geographic, and PBS. Her credits include the Netflix documentary series Follow This, James Cameron’s Emmy Award-winning series Years of Living Dangerously, Bill Nye Saves the World, and First in Human. She holds a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and a Certificate in Theater from Princeton University, where she has been co-teaching an undergraduate film course on communicating climate change.

Ivo Bystřičan is a documentary film director, producer and dramaturge. In his work he
focuses on social and environmental themes with a sociological accent. As a dramaturge he
cooperates on cinematic and TV projects, and documentary podcasts. His latest
documentary Invisible Landscapes (2022) was premiered at 26th Jihlava IDFF. He also
cooperates with the Czech Academy of Sciences.