Maria Louka
Maria Louka has studied psychology at Panteion University, Athens and works as a journalist. She has worked with VICE Greece and VICE NEWS, Epsilon (Sunday supplement of Eleytherotypia daily), Stokokkino 105.5 Radio, protagon gr, ΒΗΜΑgazino (Sunday supplement of Vima newspaper) and Inside Story. She was part of the investigative team for the documentary ‘The Tribes of Athens (ΕΡΤ), for the documentary Beyond Gender Greece (ANT1) and for the documentary series Football Legends (Cosmote TV). She is also member of Depression Era Project . Her pieces have appeared at Bozar Gallery, Museum of Photography Thessaloniki (exhibition “Another Life”), Crete (Med Photo Festival). She was the recipient of the Eleni Vlachou Journalism Award in 2013.
Maria Louka has been nominated 4 times for the European Press Prize – in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and 2018.
Michael Obert
Michael Obert is an award-winning German book author and journalist who has been compared with the likes of Bruce Chatwin, Jon Krakauer and Ryszard Kapuscinski.
He reports mainly from Africa and the Middle East and writes for National Geographic, GEO, Sueddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, DIE ZEIT and ZEIT Magazin, and many other prestigious periodicals in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, as well for Sunday Times Magazine, GQ France, The Journal (New York), Dagens Næringsliv (Oslo) and Himal Southasian (Katmandu).
Song from the Forest, Obert’s movie debut as a director, had its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2013 where it won the IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary. The movie was considered for the Oscars 2016.
As an Africa expert, intercultural trainer and coach, Michael Obert advises politicians, professionals and organizations and gives the African continent a voice in the Western media. In 2017 he founded the Reporter Akademie Berlin.
Michael Obert was selected for the 2013 European Press Prize shortlist with ‘War Report from Somalia’ and for the 2015 European Press Prize shortlist with ‘Boko Haram’.
He won the 2018 Distinguished Reporting Award with ‘The human catcher‘.