Born in Bavaria in 1951, studied in Berlin and became a Social worker, switched to cultural activities mid seventies as musician, dancer, actor. Concert and event promotor since 1985 and running his own production company HIGH Production Berlin since 1994 Producer of the annual TEDDY awards in the framework of Berlin International Filmfestival since 1997. Management of German internationally famous singers/actresses NINA HAGEN and INGRID CAVEN (ex-wife of Rainer Werner Fassbinder). Friends call him "mabel", and he represents the TEDDY foundation as a managing director www.teddyaward.org / www.teddyaward.tv

She is a one of the founding members of a Russian rock band "Nochnye Snaipery". In 2002 she founded her own band "Surganova & Orchestra". In 2003 her debut album "Isn't that me" was released with the songs "Murakami" having been the top of the "Chart Dozen" for 16 weeks and "Bolno" for 10 weeks on a radio station "Nashe Radio". In 2004 "Surganova & Orchestra" were nominated for "The Best Alive Sound" and awarded "Year's Song" by FUZZ Magazine. The band shot a music video "Korabli", that was a great rotation success on MTV and MUZ-TV, then they started a very prosperous tour "Round-the-World". Following the first album the band released "Alive", "The Beloved of Chopin" and "Salt" to be among the 10 Best Russian Rock Albums ever according to Russian Reporter Magazine. Svetlana Surganova was a character of a book and a documentary feature "Confession of the Four" by Elena Pogrebizhskaya.

Basil Tsiokos has been associated with NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival since 1996, and currently serves as the organization's Artistic Director, overseeing all programming, including 2008's 20th Anniversary film festival, Filmmakers Forum panel series, NewDraft Screenplay Competition & Reading series, Best of NewFest@BAM festival, and monthly NewFest at the IFC Center programming series. Since 2005, Basil has been a Programming Associate for the Sundance Film Festival, focusing on US documentary features. Basil has served on festival juries and industry panels for the Atlantic Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, IFP, LaCinemaFe, and Outfest. Basil is a graduate of Stanford University (BA) and New York University (MA), and was born and raised in upstate New York.