Team

The operational office of CICAE, the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas, is located in Berlin, Germany. The legal office is located in Paris, France.

The CICAE team operates in Berlin and is formed by:

Sebastian Naumann

Managing Director

Sebastian is the General Delegate of the CICAE since May 2023. With a diverse background working in Berlin, London, Paris, New York, and Amsterdam, Sebastian Naumann is an expert in audiovisual media landscapes, (political) storytelling, and multilateral, cross-cultural cooperation. He has a wealth of experience as a culture journalist, project manager, and researcher of AV Media, Culture, and Creative Industries. He also pursued a PhD at King’s College London and Humboldt University Berlin, further enriching his expertise in the field.

Both in his professional and private life, Sebastian is deeply committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion and is passionate about promoting independent, free, and diverse cinema culture.

Mail: sebastian.naumann@cicae.org

Valentin Jassin

Administrative & Finance assistant // Arthouse Cinema Awards coordinator

Valentin is administrative and finance assistant at the CICAE since April 2022. He is also the French referent of the team and thus participates in our relationships with our French-speaking correspondents.

Educated in cinema in Paris between the rue Champollion and the big networks, he worked as a projectionist in many cinemas and was trained in arthouse cinema management in Lyon through a master’s degree at the university and in the Cinémas Lumière.

Mail: valentin.jassin@cicae.org

Lena Tazetdinova

Project Coordinator / Arthouse Cinema Training

Film Program Manager with around 10 years of experience in curating and delivering film programs and festivals.

Former Head Program Manager of Garage Screen, the film department at Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, as well as a programmer and pre-selector for shnit Shortfilmfestival and several non-commercial cinemas.

Participant of the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Training in Venice (2022) and a Dream Team member at the CICAE Training in Berlin (2024).

Mail: lena.tazetdinova@cicae.org

Claire Scordel

Project Manager / European Arthouse Cinema Day

Claire is coordinating the 2025 edition of the European Arthouse Cinema Day.

With a background in Philosophy and Social Sciences, she completed a research Master’s in Visual Culture at the School for Advanced Studies in Paris, while actively programming screening events at the arthouse cinema Le Luminor.

Before joining CICAE, Claire worked in Paris as an editorial and film director assistant on numerous documentary films for Arte and France Télévisions. Passionate about creating connections through culture, she has also managed artistic projects ranging from a local music festival on Île de Ré to international collaborations with visual and performing artists.

Mail: claire.scordel@cicae.org