IFFA Members
Film Directors
Join here

Daniel Alexander
Daniel Alexander is a visionary BAFTA Connect filmmaker and award-winning director
based in Birmingham, UK. He is renowned for directing the official film for the
Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony, which was broadcast to a staggering
audience of over 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. This achievement underscores his ability
to create impactful content on a global scale.
As the creator and director of the viral horror film "Gale: Yellow Brick Road," a dark
reimagining of "The Wizard of Oz," Daniel has captivated audiences worldwide, amassing
multi-million views. His expertise has led him to provide training for filmmakers through
prestigious organisations such as BAFTA, BBC, Apple, and BFI.
Daniel's recent documentary "LEGACY," which explores the origins of rap and grime
music in the Midlands, has achieved remarkable success. Featured on Google Arts, it is
now being adapted into a live symphony orchestra rendition by the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).

Kelly Sarri
Kelly is a Greek-born, LA-based director, producer, and creative educator who turns burning questions into unforgettable cinema. Her work lives where emotion meets intellect—blending social commentary with satire, sincerity with style, and always through the female gaze. Her award-winning short film Heat Me — a climate-fiction dramedy exploring intergenerational women’s resilience during an extreme heatwave — won the Joe McMahon Award for Best International Short Drama at the Oscar-qualifying Galway Film Fleadh and continues its festival run worldwide. Kelly also created Gynarchy, the first fictional series designed for Instagram and TikTok, celebrated for its originality. Her projects have earned honors from the Webby and Telly Awards and have screened across continents for their bold visual language and emotional authenticity. She works across narrative, documentary, music video, and branded content—always driven by visual symbolism, emotional nuance, and purposeful world-building. With two Master’s degrees in Film and over a decade of directing experience, Kelly leads workshops on filmmaking, sustainable production, and creative pitch decks. She runs majority-female, inclusive sets—because the future of storytelling depends not only on what we make, but how we make it.

Armyn Naderi
Armyn Naderi is a Toronto-based film director and co-founder of Noghteh Inc. Born in Mashhad, Iran, he was introduced to filmmaking through his father, a director and producer at IRIB, and soon developed his own creative path. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Cinema Directing from the Media and Broadcasting University in Tehran and has since directed several acclaimed short and feature documentaries. His films have been recognized nationally and internationally, earning nominations and awards including Semi-Finalist at the Los Angeles CineFest (2017) for his VR short Beauty Is in the Eyes of the Beholder and Best Visual Research at the 3rd Annual Iranian Cinematic Research Awards (2019) for Iran’s Cinema in Pursuit of Happiness. His feature documentary Broken Grail has been officially selected in several international festivals, with screenings in England and the U.S. His latest short film, A Borrowed Life, has received multiple awards and is streaming on Amazon Prime in the U.S. and U.K. Armyn has also served on the jury of various film festivals, including the Los Angeles CineFest, Hollywood Screening Awards, and Bengaluru International Short Film Festival. He is selected to be part of the ArtWorksTO program, designed by the Toronto Arts Council, for the 2025–26 cohort.

Kevin Mannens
Kevin is an Academy Award-nominated and Annie Award-winning technical director and visual effects designer who has been instrumental in close to a dozen Hollywood blockbusters. His credits include Transformers: Age of Extinction, Captain America:The Winter Soldier, Pacific Rim, The Amazing Spiderman, G-Force, The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and more. A visual storyteller first and foremost, Kevin is fluent across various media from 3D animation and VFX to Live action and virtual reality. Kevin is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker. His social impact and wildlife documentaries (Malpelo: Mountain of Sharks, Marsh Clouds, The Taking of Harris Neck, Mud Harvest, and more) have won hundreds of awards in international film festivals; and were screened all over the world.

Roberto I. Ercolalo
Roberto I. Ercolalo
Born February 21, 1992 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and based in Madrid, Spain, is an Italian-Argentine director, editor, screenwriter, and producer. 
Official jury of the Durban International Film Festival 2023, (Academy Awards - Oscars® Qualifier Competition). Official jury member of the Los Angeles CineFest® 2018, 2019, and 2021 (California, USA). Member of Honor of the Buenos Aires International Film Festival - BUEIFF® (Argentina, Spain) since 2019 and Founder and Director of the Madrid Film Awards - MADFA® (Spain).
Nominated for an Academy Award®, Canadian Screen Award®, and BAFTA® Qualifying Film Festival in the United States (Rhode Island International Film Festival). Named "Master of Cinema" by the Calcutta Film Festival in 2024. Winner of 15 official IMDb film festivals with 27 nominations, Winner of 22 prizes as a Director, and his works have obtained more than 160 international laurels in 34 countries.
This 2025, he managed to bring the "Madrid Film Awards - MADFA®" event to the most emblematic street in Europe. The gala took place at the Press Palace on Madrid's Gran Vía, where he personally presented an Honorable Mention recognition to Sir Ian McKellen ("The Lord of the Rings"; "The Hobbit"; "X-Men"; "The Da Vinci Code"; etc.).
Official Website: www.robertoercolalo.com
Official Instagram: @filmmaker.ercolalo

Kushoth Krishnaraja
Based in Sri Lanka, Kushoth Krishnaraja is an award-winning 3D Animated Short Film Director and 3D Artist. with over 15 years of experience in the CG industry. He holds a Bachelor (Hons) Degree in 3D Animation and VFX, combining strong technical expertise with artistic vision. Passionate about storytelling and visual artistry, Kushoth enjoys crafting original stories and bringing them to life through 3D animation. His award-winning short animated film was celebrated and recognized as a Semi-Finalist at the Los Angeles CineFest, reflecting his dedication to cinematic storytelling, innovation, and creativity in digital art