Fostering personal growth and empowering future leaders of the film industry, the EPI scholarship provides vital support to exceptional talents Alex Sirbu and Alexandra Dorisca.
Our warmest congratulations go to Alex Sirbu and Alexandra Dorisca! The scholarships were formally presented during the first in-person study week in Potsdam-Babelsberg, where the fourth cohort met for the second module of their programme.
Meet Alex Sîrbu
Alex Sîrbu is a Romanian film director, producer, and distributor based in Bucharest. A graduate of Film Directing from Babeș-Bolyai University and a recent participant in the Talents Sarajevo Directors Summit, Alex maintains a comprehensive view of filmmaking due to his varied experience spanning directing, producing, distribution, and camera work. He is actively involved with 4 Proof Film in production and development and is a shareholder of Domestic Film. His professional credits include collaborations on notable projects by acclaimed directors such as Radu Jude, Adrian Sitaru, and Ana Lungu. Furthermore, his own short films, including Circus and Fuck Theater..., have been selected for prestigious festivals like TIFF and Goa, with two new projects, Rattus Norvegicus and Degree in Unemployment, currently in development.
Alex articulates a comprehensive vision for his practice: "After studying film directing at the Faculty of Theatre and Film at UBB Cluj-Napoca, I realised how important it is to understand every side of filmmaking, from camera work and editing to production and sound - I’ve always felt it’s essential to know what each person brings to a film. Working with 4 Proof Film and Domestic Film, together with my partner and collaborator Iriana Adnana, has been a space where we could both grow and support each other’s projects. After facing many funding rejections - ours and those of our friends - I felt the need to learn how to take our stories into our own hands. The EPI Master’s programme feels like the perfect place to do that, combining creative inspiration with the tools to actually make things happen. Receiving this scholarship means a lot; it’s not just financial help, but a real boost of confidence to keep creating the kind of cinema we believe in."
Meet Alexandra Dorisca
Alexandra Dorisca is a highly accomplished Creative Event Producer with over 17 years of experience in film programming and event management, spanning everything from indie short film nights to high-end creative brand activations and awards shows. Though nominally French, she is a self-described nomad who has built a solid pan-European network across the film exhibition, festival circuit, and arts sectors. Based in Berlin, her eclectic career is driven by a mission to build bridges, notably focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa and Afro-Caribbean cinemas, and she champions DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) by working to connect and support members of the global majority through an Afro-diasporic curatorial lens.
Alexandra, seeking a significant new chapter in her professional trajectory, describes the programme as a pivotal step: "I went through a tremendous paradigm shift and was looking for the next milestone in my career development. I came across the MBA European Film Business and Law through a post on LinkedIn from Junía Matsuura, a fellow student and started asking myself whether the Erich Pommer Institut and Filmuniversität Babelsberg course could be the next step. After months of exchange with the master's programme team, the decision became very clear. I took the plunge with confidence and do not regret any minute of it! The scholarship was the piece of the puzzle that determined the sustainability of studying again after 20 years at times of severe unreliable economic context. I am truly grateful for the chance to expand my knowledge with la crème de la crème of European film experts delving into all aspects of film as a business."
About the Master's Programme
The European Film Business and Law LL.M. | MBA is a rigorous, internationally-focused master's curriculum tailored for professionals and executive-level personnel in the audio-visual sector. This unique offering is a collaboration between the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, the University of Potsdam, and the Erich Pommer Institut, delivering an unparalleled fusion of legal and business proficiency specifically designed for the film and television landscape.
Congratulations once more to Alex and Alexandra on this well-deserved achievement, and we eagerly anticipate their continued contributions and success within the industry!
