Meet the Horizons Festival 2026 Film Panel
MEET THE FIVE CREATIVES BEHIND THE HORIZONS FILM PROGRAMME
Horizons Festival returns for 2026 with a newly expanded film programme exploring the complex human experiences of migration and displacement through vibrant, insightful films from across the globe, all selected and voted for by a panel whose own lives have been impacted by migration.
The Horizons Festival 2026 Film Programme was produced and facilitated by Nuala Shaar and voted for by Ana Lucía Cuevas, Linnae Yllane, Maryam Nazari and Tina Ramos Ekongo. Read more about their collaborative process.
Learn all about the panel below!
Ana Lucía Cuevas, Horizons Panel Member
Ana Lucía Cuevas grew up in Guatemala during a 36-year-long civil war. Forced into exile at 21, she travelled to Europe to continue her education; today, she is a graphic artist, filmmaker and ceramicist, based in Manchester. Her artwork reflects, on one hand, the search for justice for her family and, on the other, the need for war survivors to heal.
Linnae Yllane, Horizons Panel Member
Linnae Yllane (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, director, performer and facilitator, based between Manchester and London. Their work draws from personal experiences of migration, queerness and mental health, aiming to always question the connections we form with others and diving deep into what feels ‘messy’ in the day-to-day. Previously, they have been involved in theatre productions with credits including: I Want Nothing To Do With This (Young Identity Scratch at Z-Arts, 2026), Saplings (Breakthrough at 53Two, 2025), Chameleon (Edinburgh Fringe, 2024 and The Glitch, 2025), Another Life (The Manchester Confucius Institute, 2024), What They Can't See (Contact Theatre, 2024), Chaos (Royal Exchange Theatre at The Den, 2023).
Maryam Nazari, Horizons Panel Member
Maryam Nazari is an Iranian-British actress, film-maker and producer. Since 1997, her professional path has spanned performing in theatre and film, as well as writing, directing and producing short films and visual projects. Her work combines a poetic sensibility with a realist approach to build deep connections with audiences. Her short film One Day was nominated at the LA Independent Women Film Awards.
Tina Ramos Ekongo, Horizons Panel Member
Tina Ramos Ekongo is an Equatorial Guinean-Spanish visual artist and producer who lives and works in the North West. She grew up in Spain, between Madrid and Zaragoza, before moving to the UK in 2011, graduating from Sheffield Hallam University in 2015. She was awarded Manchester Independent Creative of the Year at the Manchester Culture Awards 2025.
Nuala Shaar, Horizons Film Programme Producer
The Horizons Festival 2026 Film Programme was produced and facilitated by Nuala Shaar. Nuala Shaar is a British-Syrian creative producer, programmer, writer, director and photographer working across film, live performance and community events. She strives to craft thoughtful, empowering and inclusive shared cultural experiences, facilitating radical empathy and frank, heartfelt conversation amongst audiences whilst celebrating true diversity and freedom of expression. Recent projects include work at the Belgrade Theatre (Coventry), Castlefield Art Gallery, the Barbican (London), the Niamos Centre, Edinburgh International Book Festival and Islington Mill. Nuala holds a Master's Degree in Contemporary Literature and Film from MMU, for which she was awarded the Head of Department's Prize for Outstanding Achievement.
Horizons Festival 2026 takes place Friday 12 and Saturday 13 June.