Andrzej Wadja (Poland)
Andrzej Wajda, whose Pan Tadeusz is showning out of competition, is one of European cinema's most significant directors. His oeuvre spans five decades, including Ashes And Diamonds (Popíol I Diament, 1958), Danton (1982), A Love In Germany (Eine Liebe In Deutschland, 1983), Les Possédés (1988) and Korczak (1990). His last Berlinale entry was 1996's Panna Nikt. Wajda is to be awarded an honorary Oscar at this year's Academy awards.

Jean Lefebvre (Canada)
Jean Lefebvre has decisively shaped the image of Canadian cinema in his 30-year career. From 1984 to 1999, he worked for the state-run agency Telefilm Canada and devoted himself to the promotion of all forms of Canadian media, from films and television to videos and CD-Roms. He has worked with such directors as Denys Arcand, Atom Egoyan and Léa Pool, and currently offers his services as a consultant.

Lissy Bellaiche (Denmark)
Lissy Bellaiche has become practically synonymous with Danish cinema over the past 20 years. From 1980 to 1999, she represented Danish film abroad in her capacity as International Relations Manager at the Danish Film Institute. Her organisation of the Nordic Film Festival forged new levels of cooperation among all Scandanavian film institutes. She is a member of the Board of European Film Promotion.

Marisa Paredes (Spain)
Marisa Paredes has gained international renown, especially through her collaborations with Pedro Almodóvar: La Flor De Mi Secreto (1995), Tacones Lejanos (High Heels, 1991) and Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother, 1999). The accomplished film and stage actress has also worked with directors Fernando Trueba, Agustí Villaronga, Raul Ruiz, Arturo Ripstein and Roberto Benigni, among others.

Jean-Louis Piel (France)
Jean-Louis Piel began his international career at Gaumont in the early 1980s, working with such directors as Fassbinder, Fellini and Carlos Saura. With various production companies he later produced films by Claude Sautet, Patrice Leconte, Coline Serreau, Peter Greenaway and Nikita Mikhalkov, to name a few. In 1996, he co-founded Chrome Dragon with Wayne Wang and Francis Ford Coppola.

Peter W Jansen (Germany)
Peter W Jansen, as publisher and author, was responsible for 45 volumes of the renowned film publication series Reihe Film for publishing house Hanser Verlag between 1974 and 1992. The film journalist and doctorate holder was also head of cultural programming at the Südwestfunk Baden- Baden radio station. He is regarded as a major voice in European film criticism and is a member of P.E.N.

Maria Schrader (Germany)
Maria Schrader, Germany's Shooting Star for 1999, won the Silver Bear for her performance in Aimée & Jaguar. In 1995, her triple play of No One Loves Me (Keiner Liebt Mich), Burning Life and One Of My Oldest Friends (Einer Meiner Ältesten Freunde) netted her a German Film Award. Her other films include 1997's Der Unfisch, Am I Beautiful? (Bin Ich Schön?, 1998) and Dani Levy's Meschugge (1998).

Walter Salles (Brazil)
Walter Salles' 1998 film Central Station (Central Do Brasil), Golden Berlin Bear winner and Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, captured the imagination of audiences around the world. The Brazilian writer-director's other films include A Grande Arte (1991), Terra Estrangeira (1995) and Midnight (O Primeiro Dia, 1998).