Team

Esther has been working in the European film industry in the fields of funding, training, professional development, and networking. Before joining the International Screen Institute in February 2024, she was head of the Creative Europe-MEDIA Desk in the Austrian Film Institute. Esther has developed and managed ProPro – The Producers Programme for Women – an initiative of the Austrian Film Institute to Empower Women Film Producers, together with Ursula Wolschlager. She has been a guest lecturer on the European film industry at the film, TV, and media production colleges Krems, St. Pölten, and Vienna, and a jury member at various film festivals throughout Europe. Committed to the professionalisation of the film industry and the facilitation of networking and collaboration opportunities, Esther took part in numerous workshops, congresses, and labs on topics such as screenwriting and project development, financing, pitching, production, co-production, film sales, and marketing.

Fenja has been working in the field of film culture for several years. She studied Political Science in Hamburg and holds a Master’s degree in Film Culture: Archiving, Programming, Presentation from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. She has worked in various roles across film festivals, cinemas, and academic contexts. Alongside her curatorial and organisational work, Fenja is an editor for a feminist film magazine. Her interests centre on cinema as a shared cultural experience, feminist film practices, and connecting people through film.

Lucia is Finance Officer at the International Screen Institute. Before joining ISI, she worked at the Austrian Film Institute in the project department, where she was responsible for reference film funding (automatic funding), the administration and support of funded projects throughout the funding process, and exploitation reporting. She studied production at the Vienna Film Academy.

Hannah studied Leisure and Event Management in the Netherlands. During her final year, she completed a five-month internship at the International Screen Institute, gaining hands-on experience in cultural programme development, coordination, and communication. Her interests lie in educational formats, collaborative cultural initiatives, and creating meaningful experiences for diverse audiences.