Speakers

Aimara Reques is the Founder and Chief Executive of Aconite Productions, an award-winning production company based in Scotland dedicated to the production of high-quality feature documentaries for international distribution.

Aimara has over 30 years’ experience in the film industry in the UK and has collaborated with several renowned directors and producers from the UK and internationally.

She is a winner of two BAFTA Scotland Awards; a Fox Searchlight Award; an Amnesty International Media Award; and the Golden Star Award from El Gouna Film Festival; and she was nominated for the Grierson Award for Documentary at Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2005.

She was the leading producer and co-writer of the ambitious AQUARELA, directed by Victor Kossakovsky, which premiered at Venice 2018, was shortlisted for the Oscars in 2020 and distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Classics. Other recent productions include, ELECTRIC MALADY, nominated for a BAFTA in 2023 and premiered in competition at CPH:DOX and THE BOY AND THE SUIT OF LIGHTS- the winner of Grand Jury Award International First Feature Competition supported by Netflix at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2024.

Ariane Buhl is a Paris-based passionate film industry executive, with a 15 years experience in international film promotion, sales and festivals strategy. For Gaumont, she has been desigining and leading the execution of the festival strategy for the films produced & distributed by the Studio. She also created and developed the digital sales line of business for the French Studio, with library management & curation.

Working as an independent festival manager since 2023, she is now building and implementing festival strategies for independent films.

With The Right Ones, she accompanied about 20 films so far, with more than 130 selections overall, including new works by Jaime Rosales, Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, or David Baute among others. Led by her desire to showcase the debut films of talented filmmakers, she also brought “Paul & Paulette Take a Bath” by Jethro Massey to La Settimana Della Critica (Venice – Audience Prize Winner 2024), “King Baby” by Kit Redstone & Arran Shearing to the IFFR (Rotterdam) and more.

Bady Minck is an award-winning filmmaker with film- premieres at the Festivals of Cannes,Venice, Berlinale and Sundance. Her films have been presented in more than 60 retrospectives on 4 continents. She was born in Luxembourg and studied fine arts and film in Vienna. 1995 she founded, together with Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu the film production company AMOUR FOU Luxembourg, later in 2001 AMOUR FOU Vienna and recently AMOUR FOU Germany, together they produced more than hundred films: featurefilms,shortfilms,animationfilms anddocumentaries.

She is a member of the European Producer’s Club, the Austrian, Luxembourgish and European Director’s Association, the Austrian, the Luxembourgish and the European Film Academies and some more. She was a member of many juries, including the Orizzonti jury at Venice Film Festival.

She produced and co-produced films by Ali Samadi Ahadi, Massoud Bakhshi, Udita Bhargava,Terence Davies,Alain Guiraudie, Jessica Hausner, Christoph Hochhäusler,

Christophe Honoré, Lili Horvath, Milko Lazarov, Elfi Mikesch, Mahnaz Mohammadi, David Oelhoffen, Ulrike Ottinger, György Palfi, Maggie Peren, Evi Romen, Stefan Ruzowitzky, Anja Salomonowitz, Margarethe von Trotta,Virgil Widrich and Keren Yedaya.

Bettina Brokemper, owner of Cologne-based Heimatfilm, has (co-)produced over 50 films, incl. von Trier’s DOGVILLE and ANTICHRIST, Eran Riklis’ THE SYRIAN BRIDE, Berlinale winner BAL, Margarethe von Trotta’s HANNAH ARENDT, and recently LA MORT VIENDRA by Christoph Hochhäusler. Her films premiered at major festivals worldwide and received over 100 awards. Brokemper is a member of the European Film Academy, a former Berlinale jury member, and lecturer. Honoured with Prix Eurimages, she was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s 40 most powerful women in international film in 2023 and 2024.

Canan Turan’s work focuses on the intersection of cinema, anti-discrimination and power-critical practice, drawing on over 15 years of experience. Public speaker and workshop facilitator; host of the “film.macht.kritisch.” podcast. Berlinale Generation selection committee member; narrative shorts programmer at Tallgrass Film Festival; curates and moderates panels and events. Creative producer of “From Here” (2020) and director of “Kıymet” (2012). Consults on scripts for filmmakers, editors and funders; essays and reviews have appeared in Filmlöwin, Vision Kino and the Deutsche Kinemathek.

Daniela Cölle received her PhD at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. After her studies, she worked as a film curator and journalist, as a project manager for e-learning programs on film, theatre, and dance, and worked on several independent film productions. Subsequently, she was the CEO of the Filmtopia distribution company 2012-2014) and the Eurimages Deputy Representative for the Slovak Republic (2014-2016). From 2008 until 2017 she was an artistic and executive director of the 4 Elements FF in Slovakia. In 2016, she joined international sales agency Pluto Film and in 2022 became the managing director and head of acquisitions. She is also a member of EFA a consultant for several professional training programs.

Berlin-based  seasoned content executive Danna Stern works across borders and genres, focusing on scripted and non-scripted projects. She is currently in production on the second season of the series “Bros” for Netflix; the documentary feature “Noga” on Israeli singer Noga Erez (yes Docu, Israel/ RBB, Germany) and the period drama “Wool” (Telekom Srbija, Serbia/ RUV, Iceland).

As the founder of  Tel-Aviv based yes Studios, Danna  created a distribution and development powerhouse delivering premium content for international platforms.  In addition, she spearheaded dozens of format adaptations in multiple territories around the world.

Prior to this, Danna managed all aspects of content strategy and day-to-day operations at Israel’s Yes TV, overseeing acquisitions, programming, digital services, content marketing,  publicity and was also responsible for commissioning multiple award-winning titles.

A movie fan with a career spanning media, communication, and client relationship management. From early roles in television, marketing, and film production to senior manager in international studio operations. My path reflects adaptability and cultural openness, and commitment to raise the film industry in our home – the European Union.

For over 30 years, I have worked in theater and tv , first as an actress and later as co-founder of the acting agency Black Universe Agency. I recently co-founded the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Film. I am a Diversity Awareness and Wellbeing Coordinator and Confidant for cast and crew in film and tv productions. With a background in pedagogy and additional training in mental health, psychology, communication and conflict management, I focus on creating safe, respectful and discrimination-sensitive work environments, as well as providing workshops and individual guidance.

Joanna Szymańska is a Polish film producer and co-founder of Shipsboy, an independent production company focused on international co-productions and new models of development. With nearly two decades of experience across the European audiovisual landscape, she specializes in international co-productions, strategic development, and innovation in storytelling.

She has been an early adopter of AI in film, exploring its use in audience research, production workflows, and narrative development. Joanna is also a lecturer and strategic consultant, currently pursuing a PhD on evolving financial models in the European film industry.

She is actively engaged in shaping the future of the industry, serving as a member of the Board of the European Film Academy, as well as President of the Producers Guild of Poland.

Joanna believes the future of film depends not just on talent, but also on collaboration, courage, and knowing how the system works — so you can find your own way through it.

Johanna Faltinat has been a freelance film and television script consultant since 2014. In 2019, she co-founded the Bureau for Diverse Storytelling with Letícia Milano, which focuses on professionalizing the media industry regarding dramaturgy and diversity, and provides consultation for projects and teams at all stages of development. Their book on the topic of diversity in storytelling will be published in early 2026.
In 2025, she co-founded the Institute for Ethics and Diversity in Film (IDEF) with Joana Kohrs, Nastaran Tajeri-Foumani, and Letícia Milano, and developed the training program for Diversity, Awareness, and Wellbeing Coaches (DAW Coach).

Judith Niemeyer has over 25 years of experience in the Film and TV industry. After earning a degree in Media and Communications Management, she worked at Constantin Film (2005–2019) on more than 20 productions, including Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Pope Joan, and the Fack Ju Göhte trilogy. Since becoming an IHK-certified Green Consultant in 2020, she has advised numerous projects on sustainable production and served as Producer and Green Consultant for Das Boot (Season 4). She now leads the Green Producing team at Bayerischer Rundfunk and is a board member of the Association of Green Consultants Film & TV Europe.

Actively involved in delivering training for 10 years,
Julia ran the Marketing & Distribution Course for
the Media Business School in Ronda, Spain and was
Director of Content for the Creative
Europe/ScreenSkills funded senior executive
training programme Inside Pictures. In addition to
her work for the Screen Institute, she designs and
delivers training programmes for Screen Ireland,
the UK Film Distributor’s Association, Screen
Scotland, and Creative England. Julia was a driving
force in creating the Screen Institute when the UK
announced it would be leaving the EU and wanted
to continue working with those in the international
industry. In her spare time, Julia is a guest speaker
at various film festivals, including Zurich, Tallinn,
and Glasgow, and she is also executive producing a
project with first-time filmmaking talent. In her
past life, Julia has worked in production, run her
own theatrical distribution company and worked in
international sales.

Kate Gerova has worked in cultural cinema and brand identity, developing audience strategies. She was Head of Distribution at award-winning Soda Pictures, working on international and British films before taking over Birds Eye View Film Festival as Creative Director, where she established Filmonomics, a training programme for underrepresented filmmakers. She then joined the boutique cinema circuit Curzon Cinemas, as director of brand and marketing, overseeing brand architecture and digital experience across the group before leaving in 2020 to co-found Mustard Studio.

KATE LEYS is a script and story editor.

She has worked for many years on feature films and TV series all over the world.  She works on projects at all stages of development and has also worked on documentaries, animation, short films, audio and occasionally theatre.  She works often with global indigenous filmmakers, and in one day during lockdown she worked with filmmakers in Vienna, Beirut, Tblisi and Maputo.

Recent films include TORNADO (Glasgow Film Festival 2025); DREAMERS (Berlin Film Festival 2025); WORKMATES (NZ Film Festival 2025); MR K (Toronto 2024); SKY PEALS (Venice 2023); THE UNBORN BIRO (Sundance 2023); JE’VIDA (Tribeca 2023); feature doc FADIA’S TREE (London 22); HARKA (Cannes 22); MILLIE LIES LOW (Berlin and SXSW 2022); DO NOT HESITATE (Tribeca 2021); DREAM HORSE (Sundance 2020); AMERICAN ANIMALS (Sundance 2018)

She speaks at film organisations, film schools and festivals all over the world.

Ludovica Chiarini is the Founder and CEO of EcoMuvi, the international standard certifying sustainable development in film and audiovisual productions. She has applied and refined the standard across diverse projects—from feature films and TV series to documentaries and animations—addressing environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability.

Her approach combines strategic planning with production teams, collaboration with suppliers, and building a strong network of resources to implement certified sustainable practices on set.

Miroslav Vlček is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Journalism Programme at Ostrava University (Czechia). His research spans media theory, media industry studies, and the sustainability of media practices; he is especially interested in peripheral media systems, the public value of local journalism, and the adoption of AI tools among media professionals. He earned his Ph.D. in Film Studies (Masaryk University) with a dissertation on the state financing of film through the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. Beyond academia, he leads the Czech Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual Production (PUAV), coordinating cross-sector collaborations, sustainability standards, and industry tools bridging research and practice.

Nikola Joetze has been Project Manager of Berlinale Talents, the talent development initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, since 2023. With over 20 years of experience managing film and art projects in Berlin, across Europe, and internationally, she brings deep expertise in finance, fundraising, and production.

Her career includes key roles at Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Sources 2, followed by more than 16 years at the European Film Academy / EFA Productions, where she was responsible for production, event management, sponsorship, and acquisition for major international projects, including the European Film Awards.

Nikola has been involved with Berlinale Talents from its inception—she played a pivotal role in establishing the very first Berlinale Talent Campus in 2002/2003, welcoming 500 emerging international talents.

Most recently, she coordinated “Driving the Human – 7 Prototypes for Eco-Social Renewal”, a three-year interdisciplinary collaboration between acatech, Forecast, HfG, and ZKM, which she successfully implemented in partnership with several festivals. She also oversaw the production of the project’s accompanying publication.

In 2021, Nikola was selected as a mentee of the German Cultural Council to support women in leadership positions and will return as a mentor in 2025. She is also an active member of WAM – Women in Arts and Media, contributing to the mentoring working group since 2021.

Complementing her project and leadership roles, Nikola is a certified systemic team coach and a certified personnel and business coach, supporting individuals, teams, and organizations in achieving their goals. She develops and delivers customized training programs both nationally and internationally.

Nina Mbah is a Nigerian Impact Producer and Social Entrepreneur tackling critical social and environmental challenges using creative storytelling mediums and outlets. Inspired by her lived experiences with environmental challenges, she co-founded “African Climate Stories” – an impact-driven platform that highlights overlooked environmental challenges across Africa, including unhealthy environmental conditions and ecological degradation. Through African Climate Stories, Nina leverages creative mediums such as films, games, and extended reality to make complex environmental issues relatable and accessible to vulnerable African communities. By creating climate stories, and building a growing network of climate storytellers, she aims to simplify the complexities of climate change, make sustainability relatable, and inspire action for urgent environmental challenges, believing that ‘a problem well understood is half solved.’

Paolo Galli is a partner of the IP & Technology Practice Group of Baker McKenzie Italy. Paolo is adjunct professor at the University of Pavia, where he takes regular courses on IP and Competition law. He has a PHD in IP and private law and he is the author of many publications on IP and media-related matters, on both national and international reviews. Paolo main interests focus in the areas of media, AI, intellectual property, including copyright and related rights and competition law. He regularly advises leading industry and primary international media companies and is involved on an almost daily basis in his clients’ relationships with major Italian and foreign rights holders and local regulatory authorities. Paolo is the author of many publications on copyright and IP related topics.

Patrick Fischer is a media entrepreneur and film financier, a partner in post house Creativity Media, financier Creativity Capital, VFX house Koala FX, producer Big Safari, and sales agent Architect. He began as a producer and in 2010, he co-founded post house Creativity Media, delivering post on over 100 films, including “47 Meters Down” and “God’s Own Country.”

In 2014, he launched Creativity Capital, backing 40 titles like “McQueen” and “Under The Shadow.” Patrick holds an MBA from Bayes Business School and a BA in Film Production.

Paulita Pappel is a filmmaker and feminist pornographer. After studying comparative literature in Berlin, she worked both in front and behind the camera. She is the founder of Lustery, a platform dedicated to the sex lives of real-life couples from around the world. She is the co-director of HardWerk, a film studio creating cinematic and tailored erotica. She also co-organizes and curates the Pornfilmfestival Berlin and the conference Adult Industry Forum. Paulita works as a producer, director, performer and intimacy coordinator, and is an advocate for a sex-positive, consent-based culture.

Réka Nagy is a climate communication consultant, author of seven books, journalist, podcaster, and co-lead of the IUCN CEC Arts & Culture Working Group. With over two decades of experience linking media, culture, and environmental responsibility, she has published two bestsellers and regularly lectures at universities, where she launched Hungary’s first climate communication course. Her focus is on discourses, climate framings, and narratives, combining communication, linguistic, and cultural approaches. She advises NGOs, companies, and the creative industries, has served as an expert on the EARTH 2.0.5.0 theatre project, and often speaks at conferences, including TEDx.

Sarah Claire Wray is a Black writer and director. They studied directing at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin and graduated in 2022. During their studies Sarah wrote, produced and directed the short film HDGDL, which was shown at the IFFF Cologne & Dortmund in 2025. Sarah was part of the Writers Room of Lamin Leroy Gibba’s series Black Fruit. Writers Rooms with Studio Zentral, UFA, Netflix, Rat Pack and Wiedemann & Berg followed. Sarah’s first feature Blaues Haus, a psychological thriller, got funding from the MOIN film development fund in 2025.

Sarah is a consultant for Climate Spring and she recently covered a Commissioning Editor role at C4. Sarah’s previous role was Head of Development at Kudos and prior to that Senior Script Executive with BBC Northern Ireland where she managed an extensive slates. Sarah’s previous TV jobs have included script editing and executive producing across a range of BBC Dramas including PAULA on (BBC 2), JAMAICA INN (BBC 1), and ON EXPENSES (BBC4). She has also initiated and run several new writing programmes and awards including the 360° Script Writing Festival in Belfast and The Tony Doyle Award for television writers.

Seggen Mikael works freelance as a cultural manager, programmer and writer. She designs (film) programs and social media appearances, curates talks and organises projects with a focus on marginalized people. She is also part of the consulting collective DisChecks. In her work as a programmer and moderator, she mainly focuses on film/art and media, as well as intersectional discrimination, inclusion and equity.

Themba Bhebhe (he/him) is an independent consultant, strategic advisor, industry programmer, talent support worker and mentor, working with a variety of film festivals, markets, funds, professional development programmes for creatives and other film organisations. With a background in international film sales and DEI programmes and programming, Themba’s work is currently located at the intersections of the African, Caribbean and global Indigenous screen industries.

Victoria Thomas is a filmmaker, lecturer, and member of the steering committee of ARTEF (Anti Racism Taskforce for European Film). She is the cofounder of No Password Required®, an ongoing pan European mapping of Global Majority owned production companies in Europe that informs strategic initiatives including policy advocacy, convenings, and access to market programmes developed with industry partners to advance economic equity in European cinema. She is also Course Director of the MA International Film Business at London Film School and lectures in the Media, Communication and Performing Arts department at Queen Margaret University..

Yana is Head of Sales at Bankside Films, with extensive experience in international film sales, production, and distribution. Over the past decade, she has played a key role in bringing a wide range of acclaimed independent films to global audiences, leading sales on titles such as ORDINARY LOVE, TALK TO ME , BRIAN& CHARLES, THE QUIET GIRL, KOLN 75,BALLAD OF THE WALLIS ISLAND, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, I SWEAR, &SONS, CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN, and many more.

Yung is a Communications Consultant with over 20 years of experience in publicity, distribution, exhibition, acquisition, partnerships, and production. Previously at Dogwoof as Head of Communications, recent clients include Dartmouth Films, Conic, Metis, Film Harbour, LightDox, Sovereign, Met Film and T A P E Collective.

With experience at major international festivals including Venice, Berlin, Doc NYC, Cannes, CPH:DOX, IDFA, and BFI London and spearheading awards campaigns and launches such as the BAFTA-winning “The Act of Killing,” the Berlinale world launch of the “HILLARY” TV series with Hillary Clinton.

In addition to campaign work, Yung is an active industry contributor, serving as a guest speaker at Westminster University (2024) and the London College of Communication (2023), and as a selection panel member for the 2023 Grierson Awards. Yung has also mentored through Create Jobs (2019), assessed for the London Film Academy (2019), and participated as a jury member for the Edinburgh International Film Festival (2018) and the Screen Awards (2018).

Michael has been working in the film industry for more than 30 years. He is co-owner of Berlin-based production company MUT Productions.

Until 30th of November 24, Michael acted as GM of Terra Mater Studios Germany and Head of Features & Special Projects at Terra Mater Studios (Vienna), where he helped produce the feature films Brothers of the Wind and Mindgamers, the 2017 Oscars© shortlisted feature doc The Ivory Game, and the feature doc Sea of Shadows, which won the Audience Award at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Both films were produced alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Their latest feature docs, The Bastard King, Patrick and the Whale, and Orca – Black & White Gold, are currently touring various festivals and being theatrically released in Europe. He is currently developing and producing a slate of national and international drama and multimedia projects.

Michael is a member of the European Film Academy, a board member of Bridging the Dragon, and co-initiator of the Vienna-based International Screen Institute.

Síle is a freelance Audience Designer and Development consultant based in Dublin. With nearly a decade of experience working in Sales and Distribution, Síle now runs an Audience Design consultancy helping independent producers and established production companies identify potential audiences for their films and the positioning of their projects in the ever-competitive marketplace. Since she began, her contribution as Audience Designer has led to international premieres at top festivals, world sales and theatrically released titles, and successful applications with Creative Europe, the BAI, and Screen Ireland. Síle is a member of the European Film Academy and the founder of The Breakfast Club, a peer-to-peer network for women working in the Business of Film in Ireland. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, Torino Film Lab, LIM Less Is More, and the NFTS.

Cleo is Head of Sales at London-based sales agent, producer, and distributor Dogwoof. Working across acquisitions, sales, and festivals for their production and sales films, she has led sales on award-winning films, including BAFTA and Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, BAFTA and Oscar winning Navalny, and Oscar-nominated films The Eternal Memory, Minding The Gap, and The Mole Agent.

Scriptwriter Valeria Richter writes and consults on feature films/TV series, develops lab concepts, and is a renowned international pitch coach. She has headed 70+ workshops since co-developing training outfit TorinoFilmLab in 2008, where she created a strategic approach, Audience Design, writing a book on it in 2018. She premiered an 8-part TV drama series, Next of Kin, as head writer/creator in Finland 2022. She runs New Nordic Narratives, a sustainability, inclusion, audience- and leadership focused platform with Danish-Swedish Nordic Factory. She holds an MA in film & media science / CphU.

Hanne Phlypo is a Belgian producer. Her recent 2024 productions include the award-winning MARCHING IN THE DARK (CPH:DOX), award-winner KAMAY (Visions du Réel), and DRAWING A LINE (HotDocs). Previously, her productions included DREAMING WALLS: INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL (2022), BY THE NAME OF TANIA (2019), and GODS OF MOLENBEEK (2019), all of which premiered at leading festivals and won multiple awards worldwide. Hanne trained as a director at the Belgian film school INSAS. In 2010, she founded Clin d’oeil films, and has since then produced over 40 films. The company focuses on creative documentaries and author-driven films with a clear preference for films with a social or political statement by innovative filmmakers. Today, Clin d’oeil films is one of Belgium’s most prominent documentary production companies, famous for cinematic films and local stories with a global impact. Hanne is an alumna of EAVE, Eurodoc, and a member of the European Film Academy. Together with her colleague producer Evelien De Graef, Hanne cofounded the impactful non-profit organisation Blue Bird Docs. Next to filmmaking, Hanne is also teaching producing at the film school INSAS.

Vlad Ketkovich. Born in Moscow in 1971. In the 1990s, worked in visual anthropology and organised expeditions to Asia, Africa and the Amazon. Published materials in Geo, Nat. Geographic, and other media. Producing films since 2005. Graduated from several European producers’ workshops, including EuroDoc, Ex-Oriente, Documentary Campus Masterschool, and EAVE (2017). Has produced and co-produced over 30 films with various European countries. The films have screened and won prizes at many notable festivals, including IDFA, CPH:DOX, HotDocs, Zurich, EI Gouna, Krakow, DokLeipzig, DocAviv, Shanghai, and have been broadcast on ARTE, ZDF, WDR, BBC, MDR, ORF, YLE, SVT, VPRO, Czech TV, and The Guardian.

Brigid O’Shea is a freelance documentary consultant based in Berlin, Germany. She worked for film festivals for more than 10 years, including the Berlin International Film Festival and DOK Leipzig, where she was head of the industry programme. She founded the Documentary Association of Europe in 2020, which has now grown to 800 members from more than 30 countries. Additionally, she curates programmes and helps filmmakers and producers reach their international potential through her consulting work.

In August 2024, Salma Abdalla started her new role at the Austrian Film Institute. Since 2017, she has been the CEO of Autlook Filmsales, specialising in high-end documentaries and docuseries. Joining Autlook in 2005, she oversaw the company’s representation of acclaimed films like For Sama (Oscar-nominated), No Other Land (Berlinale awarded), and Ibelin (Sundance awarded). With extensive industry experience, Abdalla was key to expanding Autlook’s catalogue and breaking into the U.S. market. She is also a frequent panellist and speaker at major film festivals.

Stephanie Fuchs has been a part of the Autlook Filmsales team since 2014 and has been assigned Managing Director 2024. Stephanie licenses films to theatrical distributors, broadcasters, and VOD platforms worldwide.
She offers her expertise as a consultant, industry advisor, and panellist and has been part of several international festival juries.

Autlook Filmsales is a leading world sales agent for documentaries, hybrids and series. Autlook offers a full spectrum of distribution, in-house, customised sales and festival strategies that help maximise revenues and audience engagement that fosters filmmakers’ careers.

We are currently representing NO OTHER LAND (Berlinale awarded 2024) by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor; FAVORITEN (Berlinale 2024) by Ruth Beckermann; IBELIN (Sundance 2024) by Benjamin Ree; SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (Sundance awarded) by Anna Hints; THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES (Cannes awarded) by Asmae El Moudir; and THE CORRIDORS OF POWER by Dror Moreh. THREE MINUTES – A LENGTHENING (Giornate degli Autori, Telluride, TIFF, Sundance) by Bianca Stigter; A COMPASSIONATE SPY by Steve James; BELUSHI by R.J. Cutler; WRITING WITH FIRE by Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh (94th OSCARS® nominee); FOR SAMA by Waad Al Kateab & Edward Watts (Emmy® Awarded, 92nd OSCARS® nominee); and OF FATHERS AND SONS by Talal Derki (91st OSCARS® nominee).

Lucie Trémolières is a writer, consultant, and trainer in the green transition of the audiovisual sector. She develops projects in different formats (film, TV, stage, animation) with a particular love for comedy. She has created with Ecoprod one of the first trainings in sustainability specifically for screenwriters and is a tutor for Climate Spring’s ‘Changing Climate Narratives’, a unique programme for development executives. She is a regular speaker and consultant at other institutions, especially the Torino Film Lab and the Series Mania Institute, and at panels on green storytelling (CNC, FilmLondon, Festival de La Fiction de la Rochelle…). She also trains producers and sustainability managers on green production and storytelling with Ecoprod and TorinoFilmLab’s Green Film Lab.

Louise’s academic background is in science and resource management, with a Biology (Hons) BSc from the University of Hull (2002) preceding an MSc in Aquatic Resource Management from King’s College London (2003). Louise established Neptune in 2006, and following several years working as an environmental consultant and driven by her passion for the film and television industry, Louise began the transition to working in the industry between 2011 and 2013. Since embarking on her first studio feature project in 2013, Louise has remained steadfast in her commitment to driving innovation and ambitions across multiple domains within the industry.

Juliane Schulze is a strategic creative economy expert in business, finance, investment, and sustainability. She was a member of the board of Media Deals, a pan-European investor network composed of business angels and early-stage venture capital funds, and senior partner at strategic financing consultancy peacefulfish. As an executive advisor with more than 30 years of experience in the creative economy, Juliane holds extensive cross-industrial knowledge, consults European and international funding institutions and business agencies, and specialises in financing and business strategies for audiovisual and technology-driven entrepreneurs. Her motto is create.sustain.invest.

Juliane is a fellow at the Competence Centre Cultural and Creative Industries of the Federal Republic of Germany and a board member of the European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA). Being a voting member of the European Film Academy, she lectures at the Free University Berlin, at Eave (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), at Midpoint Institute, and is one of the heads of studies at the Master Programme European Film Business and Law at the Erich Pommer Institute (EPI).

After completing her civil protection and crisis management degree in the Czech Republic, Janka Neustupova embarked on a journey across several EU countries before settling in the UK. There, she earned her BA (Hons) in Film Studies and Practice and an MA in Directing Digital Film and TV. Beginning her career in independent features, she transitioned seamlessly into broadcast TV, leveraging her technical expertise, managerial acumen, and background in health and safety. With acute analytical skills, Janka swiftly carved a niche for herself as a versatile production professional capable of overseeing every aspect of production, domestically and internationally. A few years preceding the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Janka became involved in mental well-being support for crew members, drawing from her own experience of work-induced burnout and subsequent hospitalisation. As COVID-19 cases surged globally, Janka redirected her focus to health and safety, supporting international projects as an H&S/C-19 supervisor. Recognising the profound impact of the pandemic on mental health within the entertainment industry, she advocated for enhanced support both on and off set. Her advocacy led to the creation of the Insight initiative, spearheaded by New Era Safety with the support of Motivation Labs, inspired by the need to address workers’ mental and physical well-being and satisfaction levels. Janka’s ongoing objective is to combine psychological health & safety and intimacy support for the cast and crew and to continue the advocacy of these important topics across the international audiovisual industry.

Luiza Maddalozzo currently works as the sustainability officer at Take 2 Studios, a virtual production studio in the heart of Salzburg. Since joining the team, she has been dedicated to reducing its environmental impact and actively works towards making operations and productions more sustainable. One of her key initiatives has been teaming up with WABE, a local relocation and secondhand goods organisation, to create an extensive prop and costume reuse network. Luiza is also a key player in the studio’s educational and community outreach programmes, as well as in its YouTube channel. Whether in front of or behind the camera, this Brazilian actor infuses every project at Take 2 Studios with a unique blend of creativity, positivity, and sustainability.

Currently working as Skills and Training Director at Warner Bros. Discovery developing and leading on CrewHQ, a skills and training centre based at the renowned Warner Bros. Studio Leavesden, Rico works to develop and nurture ‘belowthe-line’ crew and embed inclusion into training and skills from inception. After working with Flatpack Festival in Birmingham, Rico Johnson-Sinclair went on to build CineQ, a queer film festival that prioritises queer and trans, Black and Indigenous people, and people of colour, which is now in its 6th year. Although his career has developed since then, his ethos has always centred on audiences first, understanding that the screen’s industries are empowered to shape hearts and minds. His last role was as Race Equality Lead for the British Film Institute, working to bring a critical perspective into conversations about race in the film industry and working intersectionality to develop work around class, disability, and gender from an intersectional perspective. Outside of programming and exhibition, Rico consults with organisations around events that focus on inclusion and diversity and works with talent to develop emerging voices centring on untold stories from historically marginalised communities in partnership with organisations such as European Film Academy and The New Black Film Collective. Rico was also co-director of ARTEF (the Anti-Racist Taskforce for European Film), an organisation that seeks to develop equitable processes across European exhibition and production, with successful events at Cannes, Berlinale, and BFI London Film Festival in 2022 and 2023.

Eszter Lányi is the Head of Training at the National Film Institute, Hungary, with a colourful portfolio of programmes: short-term, targeted skills training in the shortage areas; creative lectures, workshops and master classes for young, entry-level professionals under the Fast Forward Program; audience education and development; career orientation for youth; filmmaking camps for both teenagers and young adults; and research and development. Eszter spearheaded the NFI’s green film production guide and hosts and leads the green production working group.

In her position as film commissioner at FILM in AUSTRIA, Nina Keidies is jointly responsible for informing about FISA+, promoting Austria as a film location, and acquiring international film, TV, and streaming projects. In addition, she supports FILM in AUSTRIA by informing foreign producers about potential film funding/production conditions and searching for possible Austrian partners.

Katherine Dennis Gonzalez is a psychotherapist, social sustainability, and mental health consultant specialising in leadership development. With a background in clinical psychology, neurodevelopment, and philosophy, she focuses on liberatory psychology through an intersectional, politically informed, and ecologically mindful lens. Based in Berlin, Katherine works with international artists, writers, and leaders, offering expertise in leadership consulting and management strategies that foster mental well-being and social sustainability.

Katrin Fürnkranz is the Sales and Project Manager at hq7studios, the newly established film studio facility. She has been working in the film and festival industry since 2010. After finishing her diploma in Film & Media Studies in Vienna, she gathered experience in national TV and international film production as a production coordinator and production manager. In 2013, she started working for the Berlinale in the international competition team until she joined the team of Autlook Filmsales in 2018 as a TV & VOD Sales Manager.

In 2022, Katrin joined the team of hq7studios, with a focus on national and international co-productions. hq7studios is a brand-new film studio facility in Vienna, Austria, that started operation in 2024 with two soundproof stages matching the highest industry standards, tailor-made to fit any creative vision.

Raquel Kishori Dukpa is a screenwriter, film producer, and casting director. She studied at the University of Hildesheim, specialising in film, queer feminist theory and popular culture. She has been part of JÜNGLINGE since 2016, working as a casting director in production and research for their debut film FUTUR DREI. Together with Arpana Berndt, she is the editor of the catalogue “I See You – Gedanken zum Film Futur Drei” (edition assemblage). Since then, Raquel Dukpa has developed and produced various feature films and series projects as part of the collective JÜNGLINGE together with Faraz Shariat and Paulina Lorenz. Together with Tara Afsah and Lilian Pfeuffer, she curates CINEMA+CONTEXT at the Volksbühne Berlin. The focus is on films and their contextualisation from a decolonial and intersectional feminist perspective.

2020 Raquel Dukpa was the screenwriter and casting director for the sixth season of the youth series “DRUCK” (ZDF/funk). In 2021, Raquel was awarded the German Acting Award for her casting achievement in the series “DRUCK”. She wrote for the medical series “KRANK” (ZDF) and for the anthology series “ZEIT VERBRECHEN.” She is the screenwriter for the episode “LOVE BY PROXY” (together with Faraz Shariat and Paulina Lorenz), which celebrated its premiere at the Berlinale 2024 in the section Panorama.

Zuzana Bieliková is a graduate of Prague‘s FAMU, having worked in various professional positions in film production for almost 20 years. She actively devoted herself to foreign film marketing, where she gained worthy knowledge of the current situation in the film and television market in an international context. She has experience with managing projects for important film and television events, and she has also assisted on many high-profile projects for international film and television producers. In 2018, Zuzana was appointed the manager of the Slovak Film Commission (SFC) – the organisational unit of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. Under her leadership, a platform was created that actively presents the possibilities of filming in Slovakia, monitors the activities of film professionals intending to strengthen their position in the market, and continuously works with domestic and foreign producers who want to shoot in Slovakia. Since its launch, SFC has also been promoting the greening of the film industry and has created an enviro platform for film professionals where they can find useful information on how to film audiovisual works to reduce the environmental impact. Zuzana is a member of the EUFCN board, and she is currently called to sit on the evaluation committees of European and regional film commissions & funds.

Dr. Persson Perry Baumgartinger. Founder of TransComm The Office for Transformative Communication. Specialised in Applied Linguistics, Trans Studies, Social History, Critical Diversity & Social Justice, Critical Art and Cultural Production. Works for the University of St. Gallen, University of Salzburg, Brunnenpassage, D-Arts, Museum Gugging, and Diakonie, among others.

TransComm The office for transformative communication. Consulting, training & mentoring for the development and implementation of diversity-sensitive, anti-discriminatory and gender-diverse transformations. Let’s do it! Train your diversity communication muscle! To transform your corporate culture. Be part of the diversity & communication revolution!

Brontie is the co-founder and director of Lawyers for Nature, a community interest company acting to represent the natural world, develop the rights of nature, and promote nature-positive corporate governance. Brontie, as lead lawyer, has pioneered the company’s work to put ‘Nature on the Board’. Brontie is also a senior lecturer in law at the University of Essex. Brontie specialises in clinical legal education, land and property law, and wild law. She is also the supervisor at Essex Legal Clinic, offering free legal advice and legal support to those who most need it. Brontie also provides legal advice on matters such as unlawful eviction of environmental camps, planning and judicial reviews, and use of the Localism Act to purchase community assets.

Fatih Abay is an expert on diversity and inclusion, and he also works freelance for the European Film Academy as a diversity & inclusion officer. He formerly worked in the academic field researching and teaching in the fields of migration, racism, ethnicity, gender, and post-colonial studies and focuses in his work on the representation of strategically undervalued communities.

Egbert is Professor of Screenwriting and Creative Writing at Macromedia University in Munich. He’s a certified sustainability leader and has studied with Sohail Inayatullah, Otto Scharmer, Fritjof Capra and ecophilosophers from various indigenous and Buddhist traditions. He works with scriptwriters, journalists, and editors on the question of how forward-looking media can help audiences become more futures literate. He uses storytelling, speculative fiction and creative writing techniques to help organisations find their way into the future. He’s published ‘Storytelling Futures. Transformative Media for the Age of Climate Change’ (Bavarian Film Center, 2021). https://story-x.com.

Francesca Scott supports organisations in their journey to increase representation and inclusion across the board. Previously, she led the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, shaping their DEI strategy and driving the EBU’s member-facing and key stakeholder activities. She also advised on DEI internally, working with Human Resources on policies and processes to make the workplace more inclusive. An experienced news journalist and sports producer with extensive editorial and production experience. Passionate about inclusion, she works to increase diversity across content and in the workforce.

Elisabeth coaches people and companies with respect to their psychological well-being, especially on the prevention of psychological problems and mental illness and harmonious cooperation of employees with a distinct diversity focus. She teaches at several universities in Austria (University of Vienna, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg, Sigmund Freud Private University) the topics of differential psychology, personality psychology and psychological gender and diversity research. Visit www.gender-research.at for more information.

Birgit Heidsiek is an award-winning sustainability consultant, author, and founder of the European Centre for Sustainability in the Media World, which informs creative professionals of the latest developments in eco-friendly methods of film and media production.
With Green Film Shooting magazine and numerous green reports, she has created a comprehensive overview of sustainable activities within the European film and media industry. Birgit is a well-known lecturer at universities, TED speaker, and panel host at international film festivals throughout Europe. A graduate of political science, she also teaches courses at the Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Technical Journalism Departments of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.
Birgit is the author of The Green Cinema Handbook, published by the German Federal Film Fund (FFA). As the FFA Green Cinema Consultant, she advises exhibitors on the sustainable operation of their movie theatres.
She is also a team member of the Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production, which is awarded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, as well as the green consultant of the environmental film festival Green Visions Potsdam.

An engineer specialised in climate and modelling, he is a graduate of the Energy, Transport, Environment course at ISAE-SUPAÉRO and of the Climate Dynamics course at the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse and the National School of Meteorology. He has also worked on the physical mechanisms of heatwave development in future climate in France and Europe, at CERFACS. He co-authored with Hugues Ferreboeuf the Shift’s reports “Lean ICT – For digital sobriety” (2018) and “Deploy digital sobriety” (2020). He was the main author of the report “Climate: the unsustainable use of video – A practical case for digital sobriety” (2019).

Holly is a Sustainability and B Corp Consultant and Project Lead for the Global non-profit Creatives for Climate. Her vision is that all businesses and the individuals within them find their role in solving the climate and inequality crisis From artist to activist, Holly’s professional experience includes Sustainability Management for a UK-based B Corp creative studio
Holly is a Sustainability Mentor, she speaks on a number of climate steering groups like Ad Net Zero, Purpose Disruptors and KYU Climate and B Corp panels. She attended the B for Good Leaders Summit and has been featured in articles like Creative Review.

Donald Houwer is the visionary founder of the influential “Green Me” environmental film festival. He is the managing partner at Edison Filmgesellschaft and the creator of BetterStream 2020, a pioneering sustainable streaming platform. As a trained green consultant for film & TV, Donald is recognised for his impactful work in promoting sustainability. He operates in Berlin and Munich, is fluent in Dutch, and leaves a significant mark on the international film community.

Katja Schwarz is an experienced consultant for sustainable filmmaking, culture, and media. With a background in film and television since 1993, she has worked in production management, PR, and as a sustainability officer. Thus, laying the foundations for green filmmaking in the German-speaking regions. She provides consulting services, teaches, and writes for various industry organisations and institutions to promote sustainability. Katja’s expertise and certifications strengthen her commitment to innovation in the media industry. Presently, she is part-time working as a green consultant for the first German public broadcaster BR/ARD.

Meike Lauggas has been instrumental in setting up the #we_do! Contact and Counselling Centre from the beginning, which opened in Austria in 2019. She is an academic coach, supervisor and organisational consultant, specialised in scientists. She holds a PhD in history of science and gender and has been teaching at the University of Vienna for over 20 years. At #we_do! she conducts prevention workshops, advises individuals and production companies and is available to the press.

Anastasia Laukkanen has been in the field of environmental edutainment since 2010 and holds a Master of Science in Leadership towards Sustainability (Sweden). She has co-founded the International ECOCUP Green Documentary Film Festival that has been taking place in cities of Russia and CIS countries.
After ECOCUP, she co-founded the international change agency Living Lab, where she has been developing immersive educational programmes for both academia and business on topics of sustainability, climate change and regenerative culture.
Anastasia lives in Istanbul, Turkey, trying to figure out life with a newborn son. She teaches yoga and experiments with the English-speaking amateur stand-up world in Turkey.

Stephan entered the film industry in 1989. Key roles included Financial Controller at Constantin Film in Munich, before joining Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company in London in 1994 and becoming a founding shareholder of its sister firm, Hanway Films, in 1998. He served as COO of both companies until 2012. He has been acting as an independent consultant/associate producer since, working with filmmakers such as Wim Wenders (e.g. “Anselm”) or Rupert Everett (“The Happy Prince”), as well as on high-end animation features. He’s currently working on the upcoming “Call Me Queen” by Emily Atef.

Ao.Univ.Prof. Mag. Dr. Guenter Emberger is head of the Research Center of Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering at TU Vienna. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and business administration, a doctor’s degree in social and economic sciences, and a habilitation in transport planning. He was a guest research fellow at the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), University of Leeds, UK, (2002 to 2004). G. Emberger has been working in the field of transport research since 1990. He cumulated experience in travel demand behaviour analyses, design, and implementation of 4-stage transport.

Markus Mooslechner is an acclaimed filmmaker, TV host, and science communicator from Vienna. Educated at the University of Graz and Williams College, he’s been key in Terra Mater Studios since 2012, creating innovative science communication methods. He established Terra Mater MINDCOLLIDER, a visionary consultancy, and Terra Mater Green Production Clip for sustainable media production. His contributions at CERN and the Collider Diaries project affirm his devotion to science and technology. An upcoming TV series for Red Bull combines sports and environmental consciousness. Beyond work, Markus hosts the Space Cafe Podcast, leads narrative thinking workshops, and is a Cannes Corporate Media award winner.

Tim Wagendorp is the Sustainability Coordinator at VAF – Flanders Audiovisual Fund and Head of EFAD – European Film Agencies’ Sustainability Working Group. Since March 2017, he has promoted sustainability in VAF-supported film and media productions. Tim also raises awareness about sustainability in physical cinemas, screenwriting, games, animation, and education. VAF follows the Sustainable Development Goals co-created EURECA and collaborates with organisations like GREEN SCREEN, Interreg Europe, and Cineregio.

Daniel Sanin is a clinical and health psychologist based in Vienna with specialised knowledge in critical psychology, masculinities, addiction treatment and prevention, diversity, and quality management in the non-profit field. He works as a quality manager with the Viennese NGO LoK (www.lok.at) and as a counsellor with the Contact & Counseling Center for Austrian Filmmakers #we_do!, for all issues regarding discrimination, harassment, exploitation and abuse of power. Visit www.danielsanin.at for more information.

Katrin Richthofer, a filmmaker specialising in filming, architecture, and sustainability, has directed and filmed documentaries, image films, and educational DVDs for renowned broadcasters. While balancing her career with raising her own children, she worked at Munich Filmschool (HFF) for over a decade, first in the camera department and later as the managing director of the Study Centre for Film Technology. She also took on the responsibility of HFF’s sustainability report, gaining insights into the increasing environmental impact of film building

Nicola accompanies people and companies through change processes, cultural change or on the way to sustainable management. Her task is to open up a space where everyone has a safe place. To enable connections that are sustainable in the long term and that make real change possible in the first place. Her joy in discovering new things has shown her the way – from an art gallery in Milan to her studies as a civil and environmental engineer, through project management, the funding of a biotech startup and many years of work as a management consultant.

Petar Mitric is an assistant professor in film and creative media at the University of Copenhagen. His research spans audience, production, and policy studies. Since 2018, he has been collaborating with the renowned TorinoFilmLab programme in the capacity of an audience designer. The TFL projects Petar has worked on include Ciro Guerra’s and Christina Gallego’s The Birds of Passage (Colombia-Denmark-France), which opened the Directors’ Fortnight programme in Cannes in 2018; The Play (Chile-Czech Republic, 2019) by the Sundance-winner Alejandro Fernandez Almendras; and the 2021 Venice official competition title White Building (Cambodia-France-China) by Kavich Neang. Petar also co-wrote and co-produced documentaries that were sold to the national broadcasters in Montenegro and Serbia. In 2019, in collaboration with the Free Zone film festival in Belgrade, he developed the programme “Digital Propeller,” aimed at the promotion of European arthouse films. From 2012 to 2020, Petar worked as a consultant for the European film policy.

Mirjam Wiekenkamp has been working as a publicist for both documentaries and fiction films since 2008. She is the founder of the international PR agency NOISE Film & TV and represents films at festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, CPH:DOX, IDFA, IFFR, Karlovy Vary, Locarno and Venice.

Some of the films she has recently been working with include MALQUERIDAS (Grand Prize at Venice’s International Critics’ Week) and LA PALISIADA (winner FIRPESCI Award at IFFR). She also handles international press for several festivals and events, such as Locarno Pro and the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Paul Rieth is a Berlin-based audience strategist, marketing & crowdfunding consultant, and producer. He regularly gives lectures and presentations at universities, colleges, and film festivals. For TorinoFilmLab as well as the Documentary Campus Masterschool, he is a tutor and consultant in the field of audience design and marketing. In 2015 he released his first book, “DOK & CROWD”, about financing and distributing documentaries in Germany. With his agency, GET YOUR CROWD, he offers consultations or workshops for companies, organisations, and individuals for strategic planning regarding audiences(s), crowdfunding, and (online) marketing. In addition, he produces various web video formats for their clients. Since 2021, he has supported the Filmuniversity Babelsberg in the fields of audience design,innovation and entrepreneurship.

Ewa Bojanowska graduated in Media Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Film Producing from the Polish Film School in Łódź. She is also an EAVE Marketing and Torino Audience Design graduate. From 2015 to 2022, Ewa worked for New Europe Film Sales as Festival Manager, where she worked on festival hits such as The Last Family by Jan P. Matuszyński and Summer 1993 by Carla Simon. As Head of Marketing, she worked on campaigns for such films as SWEAT, LAMB, and CORPUS CHRISTI.

Since 2022 she has worked as an independent audience designer and marketing and festival consultant, and handled, among others, the Oscars® campaign for The Balcony Movie by Paweł Łoziński.

Clara is an Italian writer and film professional living in Berlin. After a stint in publishing and journalism, she shifted closer to film, completing her MA in Visual Anthropology. She specialised in the sales and marketing of art-house films, working on titles by established and upcoming auteurs alike. Today she offers her expertise for training platforms, first features, and shorts, while freelancing as a writer and translator for a number of Italian and English-language outlets. Clara is an alumna of the Locarno Critics Academy and the Torino Film Lab.

Benjamin Cölle has worked as an audience design consultant & trainer on a broad variety of film projects within TorinoFilmLab, World Cinema Fund, International Screen Institute, and BrLab.

He has an academic background in cultural studies (Humboldt University Berlin / Goldsmiths London) and has worked as a production assistant at Flying Moon Film Production Berlin (2010/11), as a creative producer at INDI FILM Stuttgart/Berlin (2011-2018), as a tutor and researcher in the production and directing department of Film University KONRAD WOLF Potsdam (2015-2023), and since 2022 as managing director of the world sales company Pluto Film Distribution Network.

Greta Nordio is a financing, development, and audience design consultant for independent films. She has worked as an audience designer since 2016, in collaboration with TorinoFilmLab, International Screen Institute, BrLab, and other international institutions and films, including the award-winning The Wound and A Land Imagined.

She was the head of financing, business and legal affairs of Vivo film for 6 years and currently is the Production and TFL Fund Advisor of TorinoFilmLab. She also offers consultancies in European and Italian financing.

Lena Vurma is Head of Acquisitions for Filmweltverleih (GUNDA, THE SALT OF THE EARTH, LUNCHBOX, BEAUTIFUL BOY).
She is also a producer with companies in Germany and Scotland. On release is ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN (D-PL-UK) about the Manhattan Project, and her 4th feature, LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT, is currently in post (D-MEX-UK-ROM).

Lena is a Film Independent and Tribeca Film Institute fellow, Alfred P. Sloan grant winner and eave & Inside Pictures alumni, programme delegate for the Zurich FilmFestival, ScreenSkills mentor, lecturer at film schools and runs the Skye Community Cinema.

David is a creative producer and script consultant working internationally. Consultations include TIGER STRIPES, winner of the Jury Prize Critics Week Cannes 2023 and candidate for Best International Film Academy Award 2024, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, a candidate for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award 2019, and TRUTH OR JUSTICE, a candidate for Best International Film Academy Award 2020.

He was Creative Producer on the feature film THE GOAT (2023). Among many other contributions, he is the annual advisor for the Rotterdam Lab at IFFRPro, an external advisor for Eurimages, and co-founder of Stowe Story Labs in the US.

Eun-Zi Kim, an Austrian media executive with Korean roots, has a diverse background in legal training and film production across Europe and Korea. She’s produced documentaries like FEMMEfille and managed business affairs for DCM, contributing to hits like “BIBI & TINA.” As General Manager of THE AOS, she’s developed numerous audio projects.

There are two hearts beating inside of Kim. One, which flourishes in the business side, i.e., the development, packaging, financing, production, and licensing of films. And another one, which is Kim discovering, furthering, and producing creative talent and content with unwavering passion and alert curiosity. Hence, she continues to work as a creative producer. Kim is an alumna of ACE Animation, Inside Pictures, Torino Film Lab, EAVE Ties That Bind, and HFF Munich’s Script Lab (Drehbuchwerkstatt München).

Holly is a freelance industry, talent development, and events manager for film festivals, training bodies, and arts organisations, delivering talent initiatives supporting writers, directors, producers, animators, sales agents, composers, sound designers, and exhibitors.

Currently overseeing the industry programme and film market at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Holly previously ran the industry department at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. She has most recently delivered training and projects for BFI, EURODOC, Cork Film Festival, and Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Simon is one of the most respected names in the film sales industry. Founder of Velvet Octopus and formerly Head of Sales at Icon Entertainment International and Capitol Films, Simon has a wealth of experience in the international sales, production, and distribution business.

In November 2008 Simon decided to go solo and formed SC Films International with financier Matthew Joynes. He has been responsible for the international sales of commercial and art house films, most recently: ‘Monkey King – Hero is Back’ (No.1 Chinese animation film of all time: $155,000,000 BO), ‘The Reef’ animation franchise, ‘Yellowbird’ from TeamTo, Gabor Csupo’s ‘The Secret Of Moonacre’, Sony’s ‘Legion’, George Clooney’s ‘Sand and Sorrow’, Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’, Robert Altman’s ‘A Prairie Home Companion’, ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ starring Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, and Bruce Willis, and the action adventure ‘Stormbreaker’.

Andrea Schütte has several academic degrees, including one in film production. She worked as a producer at X Filme in Berlin for seven years before founding Tamtam Film in Hamburg 12 years ago. The company produces award-winning fiction and documentary content, and it is committed to sustainability, equality, diversity, and fairness. Andrea is a jury member for the German Federal Cultural Fund (BKM), a former board member of the German Producers’ Association and a lecturer. She was recently appointed Head of Production Studies at the Hamburg Media School.

Mark Byrne has been Group Head of Business Affairs at Element Pictures since 2012. Current films include the Academy Award-winning Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures/Film4), written by Tony McNamara and starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe, which won the Golden Lion in Venice and Best Picture Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes and four Academy Awards, including Best Actress. Prior to joining Element Pictures, Mark spent 6 years with the Irish Film Board as Head of Legal Affairs. Mark is also a member of BAFTA and the European Film Academy.

Stéphanie Berland is a French qualified lawyer with 20 years of experience in entertainment, media and communication law, intellectual property and technology law, and data protection in both counselling and litigation. Stéphanie is a Partner at DWF in Paris. She graduated from HEC Paris Grande Ecole Program (2000) and holds a master’s degree in business law & tax from Pantheon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1).

Graduated with a master degree in contract law at Leiden University and studied IP law, competition law, copyright law and media law in Berlin.
She did a stint with RTL – Europe’s second-largest TV, radio, and production company. Within her current role at Fintage, she has over 15 years’ experience in negotiating Collection Account Management agreements for film and television projects, dealing with a variety of legal issues, from KYC-related topics to the specifics of dealing with the US guilds. Furthermore, she is maintaining relationships with clients, including film funds such as Eurimages and the BFI and the US guilds.

Charlotte advises clients in the film and TV sector on international, EU and national copyright and regulatory matters. Following her law degree from the University of Copenhagen, she interned with the European Commission, practiced EU competition law in Brussels, and headed the International Video Federation. She maintains a strong personal interest in filmmaking, including as a member of the European Film Academy. She regularly lectures on copyright, AI, and film-making relevant topics, including at the National Film School of Denmark and the International Screen Institute in Vienna.

Christos specialises in all aspects of the production, financing, and distribution of film and TV, with a particular focus on complex, multi-party structured arrangements and studio/streamer deals. His diverse list of clients includes award-winning producers, innovative financiers, and industry-leading sales agents. The legal directories Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 rank Christos as a leader in his field. Clients describe him as “an excellent lawyer” who is “very well connected in the industry”.

Larry Engel is a Daytime Emmy® award-winning filmmaker now in his fifth decade of filmmaking that spans all seven continents. He’s worked on nearly 300 projects for domestic and international broadcasters and cable channels, as well as many nonprofits. Currently, Engel is the director of the Film and Media Arts division in the School of Communication at American University. The division is a member of the Green Film School Alliance. He co-authored the first Code of Best Practices in Sustainable Filmmaking in 2009 and is currently an associate director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking, where he directs the Classroom in the Wild experiential program. In pursuit of environmental, wildlife, and adventure stories, Engel has flown into hurricanes, been chased by tornadoes, and dropped into ice caves. He’s also descended into acid caves, fled wildfires, gotten lost in jungles, and overheated in Antarctica. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses that range from theory to production.

Boris Michalski has been a professor of media production management and creative producing at Stuttgart Media University since 2012. In 2022, Prof. Michalski founded the Sustainable Media Institute (SUMI) at the HdM and is one of its directors.

Since 2020, he has headed the Green Consultant Program, a certification course for Green Consultants in the cultural and creative industries with a focus on AV media (in cooperation with HdM and Medien- und Filmförderung Baden Württemberg-MFG). Before his professorship, he realised numerous national and international cinema and TV films as a film producer and was awarded numerous prizes for his film projects. Boris Michalski is a member of the German and European Film Academies.

Carlo Dusi founded Turning Point in July 2024, having previously run Endor Productions, a ProSieben group company, since January 2022.

Former roles include EVP Scripted at Red Arrow Studios International and Head of Business and Commercial Affairs at Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Films.

Recent executive producer credits in television drama include 4 seasons of Vienna Blood for BBC, PBS, ORF and ZDF; 3 seasons of Departure for Corus, Peacock and Sky; and one season of Tom Hardy-starred Taboo for BBC and FX Networks.

Feature film credits include The Aftermath starring Keira Knightley, Mindhorn starring Steve Coogan, Get Santa starring Jim Broadbent, Before I Go To Sleep starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth, and Little Ashes starring Robert Pattinson.

Xavier Henry-Rashid started his career as a photographer, which introduced him to the festival circuit some 18 years ago. Thereon he contributed to publications including Variety, Screen, Esquire, and GQ, as well as being a writer for the original Yahoo Movies, Film247, and BBCFilms news websites.

He has worked in various festival positions, from previewing for Sheffield Doc/Fest, in sponsorship for Sundance London/AEG and the East End Film Festival, and in management as a programmer and executive director of Raindance Film Festival, where he also ran the year-round training programme.

Since 2012, he has run Film Republic, a London-based world sales company that specialises in director-driven features and young auteurs. He is a Berlin Talent Campus alumnus, a Screen Institute alumnus, and a member of EAVE.

Xavier attended the Business and Legal Course in 2022 and is one of the Sceen Institute’s esteemed alumni.