Our Crew

We are,of course, constantly adding people to the team, whilst others move on, but you can find out more below about some the amazing people who joined forces in 2023 to bring a novel kind of festival to one of the more unsual places, just a stone's throw away from Berlin.

What makes our team so unique is the fact that everyone is here on a volunteer basis, from festival director to jury, and that the festival, just like all the other special events at Culture Shocks, is a not for profit project aimed at bringing communities closer together.

Our Jury

We were very excited about the 2023 jury, as it was our goal to bring local and national talent together and seat them at the same table as the policy makers who shape this region's cultural landscape.
The 2024 and 2025 jury was directly involved in the film selection process, which is why we have added quite a few names to our list of jurors. The 2026 jury includes not only international and local talent, but also our festival director and director of programming.

Supporters

We are grateful for the support we have received for our 2023 edition. The Film- und Medienbüro Niedersachsen was kind enough to spread the word. And the local business EP Wolfsburg provided us with technical equipment as well as technical support. And since we didn't want our guests to sit on the floor, we are extremely grateful to Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences for having kindly provided us with chairs for our audience. And as of 2025 we can count on the continuous support of Filmburg and Black Orion Films


Team

Oliver Fiedler - Festival Director 6 2026 Jury

Olli’s foundation was laid in the alternative scenery of urban spaces during the 1980s and 90s, before returning to Wolfsburg roughly 30 years ago, making his contribution to the establishment of the craft of tattooing as a more mainstream phenomenon. His appreciation of aesthetic expression as well as holistic understanding of cultural events as a medium that transcends class, would ensure to bring people together who are not naturally inclined to cross paths. From traditional tattoo happenings and art exhibitions to literary event highlights: developing new platforms for creative expression and exchange are a passion project for the man who chose Wolfsburg as his permanent home. So film was a logical choice to expand an already impressive cultural portfolio.

Cedar D. Wolf - Director of Programming & 2026 Jury

Cedar was educated at The Lee Strasberg Studio as well as the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, CA. In addition to writing and directing, Cedar ran the 'Shakespeare for Dummies' TIE programme and worked in fringe theatre before turning her attention to film in 2009. Her works include numerous stage and screenplays. She directed several shorts as well as the feature film 'Razzmatazz' which was shortlisted for various international festivals, winning a number of awards. Since directing the feature documentary ‘Run the World', Cedar has shifted her attention towards non-fiction and is curently working on another dcumentary project as well as writing the book "Here's to the Losers". She is a member of WIFT Germany, the Film & Medienbüro Niedersachsen and the Actors Society, as well as the Filmbüro Bremen e.V., for which she served as board member until relocating to Wolfsburg in 2021.

Bianca Schiefelbein - Organisation and Guest Services

If you have any queries regarding ticketing and schedules, Bianca is going to be your go-to person. She is to the guests what Cedar is to the filmmmakers, the person in the know. And as a true Wolfsburg native she will be able to point non-local visitors in the direction of the more exciting places to visit when not attending screenings. And to true locals she is, of course, a familar face, since she has been the heart and soul of Culture Shocks from the very beginning and aside from managing the Wolfsburg branch, she is also the resident piercer.

Elisa Baensch - Organisation

Elisa works as a freelance tattoo artist and illustrator in Wolfsburg. Originally from Meissen in Saxony, Elisa moved to Bonn, among other places, as a child before her family found a permanent home in Lower Saxony. Originally trained as a media designer for digital and print, specialising in print, Elisa wanted to get her ideas ‘under the skin’, so tattooing was the obvious choice. For Elisa, culture is the self-perception of others and her perception of an atmosphere in which she can immerse herself and gain new impressions and experiences. Something that shocks, fascinates and broadens her horizons.

Sponsors and Supporters

Shout Out to
Film- und Medienbüro Niedersachsen for getting the word out to the filmmaking community since day one!
To Mr Zerbe and EP Wolfsburg we would like to extend our thanks for not only providing us with screening equipment, but also helping out during the first two installments of our festival to keep the show rolling.
And the Faculty of Automotive Engineering at the Ostfalia Hochschule was a true life saver when it came to get some last minute seating arrangements organised.

    2026 Jury

    Linda Matern
    Linda is a producer and director. As a producer, she is known for a number of feature-length documentaries, including Liebe auf sibirisch, Ghost Train and the documentary series Unter unserem Himmel – Eh sie verklingen. She also produced the cult short Stapelfahrer Klaus, which continues to be widely celebrated to this day. Originally from Russia, Linda has lived and shaped the cultural landscape in Hanover for the past three decades.

    Schaukje Könning
    Schaukje Könning is a German actor and dubbing actor. Her career spanning three decades, she is best-known for voicing Charisma Carpenter in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Michelle Williams in "Dawson's Creek" and the "Venom" Franchise.

    Olaf Levin
    Olaf has been working as a musician, artist, author and filmmaker for over 35 years. He completed his training at the Adolf Grimme Academy in Schwerin. His film Der Sturz (2017) received international recognition, including awards in the United States and India. Since 2008, Olaf has served CEO of Filmburg and has founded the 'Wobstories' format in 2007. He has also worked as a lecturer in video journalism at the Technische Universität Braunschweig and the University of Fine Arts Braunschweig.

    Eva Weißhaidinger
    Eva is 43 years old, the mother of one son, and works as a coordinator at an open all-day primary school. She is a media educator and a qualified systemic counsellor. Alongside her professional work, she is actively involved in voluntary work as the deputy chair of KJS Wolfsburg. In her work, she brings together education, counselling and cultural engagement, with a clear focus on children, young people and families.

    Maksym Zhygaltsov
    Maks ist Geschäftsführer von Black Orion Films. Als Service Producer war er unter anderem am Wolfsburg-Krimi Früh. Spät. Nacht. beteiligt und verantwortete dort die technische und organisatorische Umsetzung vor Ort. Neben Kurzfilmproduktionen realisiert er B2B-Werbefilmprojekte für Unternehmen und ist zudem im Bereich internationaler Koproduktionen tätig. Sein Schwerpunkt liegt auf Produktionsorganisation, technischer Umsetzung und effizienter Zusammenarbeit in nationalen und internationalen Projekten.

    Tanja Mellino
    Tanja is a very important voice, representing Wolfsburg's movie-goers. With the festival since its inception, she is not just a valued member of the Culture Shocks teams, but also a representative for the audience that filmmakers want to reach.

    Jessica Schuch
    Jessica ist staatlich anerkannte Erzieherin und Diplom-Sozialpädagogin (FH). Sie arbeitet als Supervisorin und Coach (DGSV), ist pädagogische Psychodramatikerin und Multiplikatorin für Partizipation und Engagementförderung nach dem Konzept Kinderstube der Demokratie©. Mit dem Schwerpunkt Improvisation steht sie auf der Bühne und vor der Kamera und ist als Theaterpädagogin tätig. Zudem entwickelt sie als Autorin Geschichten, unter anderem für die SciFi-Satire 'Die wahren Hausfrauen von Habenhausen' und das Bildungsprojekt 'Was der Schweigefuchs noch sagen wollte'.