About Around Films – Around Films

About Around Films & Meet the ARFF Visioners

Around Films is a network-based film collective which gathers our international colleagues all around. Alongside the aim of creating a custom approach, ARFF International selects the best filmmakers through the annual festival to associate with the related edition to enhance the collective consciousness through the visioners in the world. We provide collaboration-based work opportunities by
the essential elements of filming.

Jim Rygiel

Visual Effects | Second Unit & Assistant Director | Actor |

ARFF International | Lifetime Achievement Award

3 Times Academy Award (Oscar’s)-winning Visual Effects Supervisor for:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.
3 Times BAFTA Award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor for:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.
Jim has been working in Hollywood since 1985 and has set the standard for photo-real visual effects as a proud member of the Board of Director’s of the Visual Effects Society.

Gemma Laurelle

Actress | Producer | Writer
ARFF Berlin | Vikings Now

Gemma has a passion for adventure, on and off screen. From conquering video games to international husky dog racing, Gemma brings her sense of fun wherever she goes.

Danny Glover

Actor | Producer | DirectorARFF Paris | Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey

Actor, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage and television for more than 35 years.

Sophie Mousel

Actress | Talent Agent | ARFF Paris | Paprika

After long studies of piano and classical music, Sophie needs to break free and try something new: she starts acting at the age of 15 at her school's theater company of classical theater and pantomime.

Philip Bloom

Cinematographer | Producer | Director | ARFF Barcelona | Las Vegas In Infrared
Philip Bloom is a cinematographer and producer, known for The Wonder List with Bill Weir, How to Start a Revolution and Red Tails.

Iliona Blanc
Actress | Composer | Stunts | ARFF Barcelona | Goldfingers
Iliona’s storytelling is strongly inspired by European filmmaking, culture and fashion. Her music video work is visually stimulating, provocative and edgy. The characters exhibit surprising depth for a music video, showcasing complexity, power, vulnerability and strength. Most of the work is narrative, verging on a short film in a music video format. She has styled numerous videos from top to bottom, and most recently for an artist on Billboard’s Top 50.

Andrea Zirio
Actor | Producer | Writer | ARFF Paris | Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey
Born on March 15, 1986 in Turin, Italy, Andrea Zirio is a talented and versatile actor. He has lived in the United States and speaks excellent english. He works in theater, where he plays throughout Europe, and also in national and international film productions

Stephen Castor
Producer | Visual Effects | Director |

ARFF International | Lifetime Achievement Award

International Speaker and also the CEO of an International Film Fund, Stephen began his career in entertainment in 1992, and by the mid-1990s his visual effect companies became world-renowned. Well known for his work on the Columbia Pictures/Sony Spider-Man features, and his team has supervised Disney and DreamWorks Animation films. Stephen is partnered in business with Jim Rygiel, three-time Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects on THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

Sonalii Castillo
Actress | Producer | WriterARFF Berlin | Mamba
Sonalii Castillo was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in France. Having completed her formal education in Europe her family transitioned to New York City.

Michael B. Katz
Actor | ARFF International

Michael B. Katz is both an actor and a lawyer who operates an entertainment law firm located in various cities in Florida – United States, as well as ”Around the World”. Michael brings some much appreciated lawyerly seriousness to ARFF. Whatever tomorrow brings with the waves, we are safe & sound!

Katherine Castro
Actress | Producer | Writer |
ARFF Amsterdam | Someday
Multilingual and world traveled Dominican Republic-born actress, Katherine Castro is the only girl amongst her four siblings where artistic talent and passion were obvious from the start.

Daniel Bambaata Marley
Actor | Composer | Costume Designer | ARFF Barcelona | Deadbeat
The grandson of Bob Marley, Daniel Bambaata Marley carries the musical torch with a genre-blurring style all his own; touches of reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, roots, alternative, rock and everything in between.

Libby Munro
Actress | Writer | ARFF Paris | The Hunted
Libby is an Australian actress and writer who has won multiple awards for her stage work with Queensland Theatre, Melbourne Theatre company, Sydney Theatre Company and The Ensemble theatre. Munro has also starred in international films that have screened around the world such as ‘Eight’ and wrote and starred in award winning short film ‘The Hunted’.

Ryan Barton-Grimley
Producer | Writer | Director ARFF Berlin | Repatriation
Ryan Barton-Grimley, or "RBG" as his colleagues refer to him(he swears he was the original) was born in Harare, Zimbabwe... For the uninitiated, that's in south central Africa...

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