Mariana is a Scottish-based director and producer whose work is shaped by her multicultural identity. Her accent — a blend of European Portuguese and proudly Scottish influences — reflects a creative voice grounded in individuality, empathy and emotional truth.

She has over two decades of experience in the media industry, producing documentaries, high-end commercials and promos for clients including Apple, STV, Disney and ITV, as well as an animated trailer for The Walking Dead. Her work spans broadcast, experiential events, branded and short-form filmmaking, giving her a strong practical understanding of the creative process and the collaborative demands of production.

In recent years, Mariana has focused more closely on creative development, working as a treatment writer and designer, researcher, and in real-people casting, with a focus on diversity. This experience informs her approach as a director: authentic, vision-led and performance-driven.

During lockdown, she wrote, produced and directed Street Champion for a local charity. Her earlier live-action short C.T.R.L. screened at nearly one hundred international festivals, including BFI London Film Festival, and received multiple awards.

Mar Sin Leat marks her most daring work to date. Developed in collaboration with writers August Dawn and Rachel McAdam, the film centres on a trans woman returning home to confront unresolved grief, reflecting Mariana’s interest in stories where identity exists alongside universal human experience.

With Mar Sin Leat, Mariana positions herself as a committed director ready to move confidently into the next stage of her career.

Writing has always been in August’s blood. From the earliest ages, she would tell stories to anyone who would listen and continues that trend to this day. A self-published poet, critic and comic book writer of over a decade of experience, films have been an arena she has wanted to break into for as long as she’s been writing and is raring for the opportunity to find her voice in a medium that has always captured her attention and passion.

August is one half of the Edinburgh-based small press, Door Ajar Comics, where she publishes comic books and zines that explore the intersection of horror, gothic and the queer identity. This took the form of poetry zines like O Holy Light! and LIFT YR SKINNY FISTS, which both explore the fingerprints left on the world by living in it, and Crossing The Threshold, the debut graphic novel august collaborated on with her partner, Levi, which is a collection of short comics exploring the weird, the queer, and the uncanny.

Being a trans woman, queerness and identity have been a throughline to all of her writing and with Mar Sin Leat, is fascinated by the opportunity to explore the often messy emotions of grief and loss through a trans lens.

August’s critical work in the comic book space can be found in Multiversity Comics, Shelfdust, and the Eisner award winning PanelxPanel while her self-published poetry and comic books can be found at the aforementioned Door Ajar Comics.

Martin I. Petrov is a film festival professional, producer, strategist and film events specialist. He is the founder and festival director at International Film Festival Glasgow (IFFG), established in 2014. He is a member of the European Film Academy since 2020.

His work includes annual presence at the largest film markets (EFM, Marchè Du Film Cannes, Venice Production Bridge) and film events in the UK, Europe, and the USA. With long experience in film curation, Martin also works closely with distributors and young creators, tailoring festival strategies for independent filmmakers.

Martin has long standing partnerships and collaborations with festivals, platforms and film media with global outreach. He is the co-owner and director of Lately Productions, a London based production company, currently developing multiple fiction and documentary projects.