Participants

At the age of eleven, Gordon first appeared on stage in a school production of Aladdin, planting the seed of his passion for acting.

Gordon also excelled in sports, and at the age of eight he discovered martial arts. His physical abilities led him to win several British kung fu titles and later be selected as a member of the GB Wushu team. After graduating from university, he traveled to Beijing, China, where he spent several years training and refining his martial arts skills. Quickly noticed by members of the Chinese film industry, Gordon soon began working as an action actor alongside some of Asia’s biggest stars, including Jackie Chan.

In 2002, he was approached by director Christopher Renshaw (The King and I, Broadway) to choreograph fights and action sequences in the now world-famous Queen musical We Will Rock You.

His desire to further explore his passion for acting brought him back to the theatre. After honing his stage skills and touring Italy in a theatrical production, he landed the lead role in The Purifiers (2004) alongside Kevin McKidd, which opened the door to a series of film roles.

Due to Gordon’s exceptional physical and acting abilities, as well as the growing demand for physically skilled performers, he decided to train for the stunt register. After meeting the necessary requirements, he was accepted into the British Stunt Register. This led to a number of film projects in which he doubled for some of Hollywood’s biggest actors, including Daniel Craig as Bond in Spectre (2015). It also provided an excellent opportunity to study some of the world’s most renowned actors up close and in person.

With all this experience, Gordon refocused on his passion for acting. After his successful portrayal of Dr. Josef Novak in Somewhere Only We Know (2015), he went on to appear alongside Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016). Since then, he has appeared in Kingsman 2, worked on The Sanctuary (2026) with Jason Statham, the 28 Years Later franchise (2025 and 2026), Greenland 2 (2026), and many others.

Rođen je 1978. godine u Dubrovniku. Akademiju dramske umjetnosti u Zagrebu upisuje 1998. godine i stječe diplomu akademskog glumca. Član je festivalskog dramskog ansambla Dubrovačkih ljetnih igara gdje je sudjelovao u više od dvadeset i pet produkcija. Surađuje s većinom hrvatskih kazališnih kuća.

Za uloge u filmovima Crnci i Svećenikova djeca nagrađen je Zlatnim arenama na Filmskom festivalu u Puli 2009. i 2013. godine. Filmovi su mu prikazani na više stotina festivala diljem svijeta. Od 2010. godine radi na Akademiji dramske umjetnosti u Zagrebu kao nastavnik na Odsjeku glume. Živi i radi u Konavlima i Zagrebu.

Danijel is a senior sports recreation coach by profession. He has 26 years of experience in the Croatian Army, and has recently retired. He has been involved in sports all his life (taekwondo, half-marathon running), and he was also a champion in the military triathlon and military pentathlon. He started doing stunts 22 years ago on the film Man called rage. Since then, he has worked on over 30 projects, he has collaborated with the most famous Hollywood actors such as Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Jason Statham, Megan Fox, 50 cent, Robert De Niro and many others.

Born in Italy, Ivan explored a variety of sports since early childhood, discovering martial arts at the age of 15. Soon martial arts became his passion. In Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand, Sanda (formerly known as Sanshou), a full-contact combat sport from China, also known as Chinese kickboxing Ivan achieved world class results. He also did Parkour and briefly trained in MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). After moving to Austria, Ivan competed in Ninja Warrior Austria 2017, finishing in the top 20.

The Ninja Warrior experience prompted a life-changing decision: Ivan transitioned into stunt work. In 2018, he began training with Hollywood stunt performer Joe Toedtling, specializing in fire stunts such as “body burning.” Seeking further stunt experience and to upgrade his skill set, Ivan traveled to Copenhagen to attend the ESS Stunt School, where he refined his expertise in a wide range of stunt disciplines, including aerial work, car stunts, and more.

In 2022 Ivan received the Guinness World Record certificate for “The fastest 100 m full-body burn relay (team of four).

To this day, Ivan has worked on major Hollywood movie sets, including The Matrix Resurrections, where he received the SAG-AFTRA Award for “Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture (2021)”, 6 Underground, Strike Back, Hounds of War, and many others. His roles have included Stuntman, Stunt Double, Fight Choreographer, and Stunt Coordinator. In 2022, Ivan worked as an Action Camera Operator for the movie Black Creek, starring Cynthia Rothrock. He also served as Assistant Fight Choreographer for the 2nd Unit Director and Hollywood martial arts legend Mike Möller.

Always inclined to pushing her own limits, Christine has been involved in various sports since she was a child, and was involved in ballet, archery, horse riding, climbing, parachuting and many others before graduating from the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb. She owns her own business for body care and works as a sport climbing coach. She was most intensively engaged in industrial climbing during her studies, when she entered the world of stunts. She is currently the president of the stunt branch at the Filmmakers Association of Croatia.

Tibor Keser (1981) is a film producer from Zagreb. He participated in the creation of more than fifty award-winning films of various formats – from feature and documentary to experimental and TV series, which were shown all over the world. After the Faculty of Economics, he finished production at the Academy of Dramatic Art, where he works as a professor today. Since 2014, he has been collaborating with RESTART, focusing on documentary films. He took part in international programs such as Sarajevo Talent Campus, Berlinale Talents and EAVE, and in 2024 he was selected as the Croatian representative in the Producers on the Move program in Cannes.

In 2019, he founded the production company KOMPOT for the development of unique film stories with international potential.

Željko is an award-winning athlete with significant results in world competitions and a proud father of two children. He has successfully transferred his passion for gymnastics and fitness training to the world of stunts, where he has gained recognition as one of the most experienced Croatian stuntmen. In 2000, he was hired by Pat E Johnson as a stunt double for the character Gaston. He has woven his skills and dedication into numerous national and international productions.

As a member of the Filmmakers Association of Croatia and the Association of Stuntmen, he contributes to the community of stuntmen with his expertise and experience.

Throughout his career, he has also been engaged in marketing and organizational activities.Željko created the idea of the Festival and he performs the function of professional and creative program consultant and coordinator of organizational and promotional activities at the Festival.

Irina Nesterova is a professional stunt performer and action actress, born and raised in Moscow, Russia. She is best known for her work in films such as The Strangers (stunt double for lead actress Madelaine Petsch), Momo, Hunting Tesla, Gora, Na vlnách Jadranu, Fathers, Karamora, A Rough Draft, and numerous other Russian films, TV series, and music videos. Originally a Taekwondo athlete, Irina transitioned into the world of stunts by joining  Russian stunt team. Her dedication and skill quickly propelled her into the industry as a sought-after stunt double and action actress. Now based in Croatia, Irina continues to develop her career in action filmmaking.

Diona comes from  Rijeka but is now based in Zagreb and is planning to stay there.

She has been active in sports for over 25 years, and it all started with gymnastics – flips, jumps and learning how to land safely on her feet. This solid foundation over the years has led her to various sports, including adrenaline sports, and eventually introduced her to the world of stunts, where precision, control and respect for safety are key skills.

By profession, Diona is HR professional. SheI helps people make smart career decisions… and then spends her free time getting thrown, rolled, or dropped in ways that look anything but safe—but trust her, they are. As Diona likes to point out: „Stunts aren’t about taking risks; they’re about training, discipline, and making the impossible look effortless.“

Slaven started his career as a stuntman in 1986, when he was involved in the Dirty Dozen (MGM/VA) TV series, which was filmed in Zagreb for several months. Since then, he has participated in numerous international and Croatian projects, and has collaborated with world-famous stunt coordinators. In 1990, he became a regular member of the Filmmakers Association of Croatia, between 2000 and 2003 he was the president of the stunt section of the Association and today he leads the members of the stunt section and the Croatian Stunt Organization.

Certified professionals, on top of their game in all types of stunts, gathered aorund world-class action choreographer and stunt coordinator Simone Belli from Milan, Italy, have given life to numerous action scenes, adding value to directors’ vision and to the creative choices of the script or dramaturgy, at the same time able to guarantee and respect all the safety rules.

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A long-time trainer of sports and therapeutic riding for all ages at the Evago equestrian club, currently the most modern and largest center in Croatia. She has been working in film for 10 years, and her first project was Winnetou from 2015, which, along with Vikings Valhalla and The Weekend Away for Netflix, is also one of her favorite projects she has worked on.

Carl comes from Germany and is one of the most trophy-winning European stuntmen. He won 3 Taurus awards (world stunt award), in 2009, 2012 and 2017. Since 1999, he has also been a stunt coordinator, and he coordinated around 200 episodes of the popular and acclaimed series “Cobra 11”.

As a stunt coordinator, stuntman and precision driver, he participated in numerous international productions such as Race of Life, Dunkirk, Good Job in Shanghai, Canary Black, Collide

Saša Vuk, associate professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb, has been dedicated to stunt work and acting as a member of the Filmmakers Association of Croatia for almost two decades. His extensive experience spans over various media platforms, including films, series, music videos, commercials and live performances, while his professional skills, such as choreographed stage fights, acrobatics, weapon work, skydiving and acting, leave a lasting mark on the film industry. He has participated in more than 50 projects.