Jury 2024

Roland Aßmann started out as a journalist for news magazines and newspapers and now works primarily as a producer. The focus of his work is on the emotional communication of knowledge whether in a scientific documentary, current sports reporting, or a motivating corporate film. Some of his works: ÖBB – Project Semmering Base Tunnel (since 2018), Airpower – ORF Highlight (2022), European International Bank – Financial Instruments (2015), Hydrogen – the Energy Technology of the Future (2014), Mission to the Edge of Space: The Inside Story of Red Bull Stratos (2013), Neugestaltung Mauthausen – eine KZ Gedenkstätte stellt sich der Zeit (2013), Red Bull Air Race (2005-2010).

Franz-Josef Baldus is managing director of the Snack-Content Company (SCC) Deutschland. Since 2013, the beginning of the short video age, he has been creating and producing snack content for numerous brands, organizations, and companies, including Coca-Cola, Porsche, German Doctors, Vaillant, Volksbank Raiffeisenbank and many others.
Over the last ten years Franz-Josef has published numerous blog articles on topics like storytelling, short videos, smartphone videography, content production and so on, and has taught as a guest lecturer at the Jung von Matt Academy and the CBS International Business School.

For nearly 30 years Peter Beck has been working in the department of film, storytelling and digital content creating.

Sophie Bell's career journey has been marked by a deep-seated passion for storytelling and a commitment to authenticity. Beginning her career in journalism and documentary filmmaking, Sophie honed her skills in uncovering compelling narratives and shedding light on social issues and human experiences with sensitivity and depth.
As the media landscape evolved, Sophie recognised the potential of branded content and commercial advertising as powerful platforms for storytelling. Embracing this shift, she integrated her expertise into the world of marketing, firstly producing work for the World Economic Forum and moving on to create captivating campaigns for renowned clients such as Google, Nokia, Brand USA, Hyundai, Wiley, and the National Trust.

In 2022, Sophie embarked on a new chapter in her career by joining creative agency Toast as managing director. Here, she brings her unique perspective to the table, leading the team in crafting innovative and bold solutions for clients who seek to go beyond the conventional boundaries of marketing. With her deep understanding of both commercial imperatives and the art of storytelling, Sophie is dedicated to delivering work that resonates with audiences, driving meaningful connections between brands and consumers. Leveraging Toast's strong heritage in TV commercial advertising, Sophie is excited to further enhance the agency's creative offerings and continue pushing the boundaries of storytelling in the ever-evolving media landscape.

Viviane Blumenschein is an internationally acclaimed documentary and commercial filmmaker currently based in Berlin. With a background in Cultural Studies, specialising in “European Political Ideas” from King’s College in London, she honed her skills while working as a journalist for BBC Worldwide Radio London and NDR in Hamburg, Germany. Transitioning to filmmaking, Viviane started her journey by collaborating with a diverse array of international commercial and feature film directors as an assistant director, gaining invaluable experience along the way.

Viviane’ s directorial work is also often regarded as authentic in storytelling, emotional and commanding in visual composition and music sensibility. She explores her stories through a sharply tuned lens, always bringing an evocative sense of lyricism onto the screen.

Her films and commercials have been showcased at over 100 film festivals worldwide, earning her numerous nominations and awards for her outstanding contributions to the field. In 2018, she became a proud member of the German Film Academy and in 2021 co-founded DRCT, a German commercial directors union.

In 2023, Viviane joined the prestigious Ludwigsburg Film Academy as a permanent lecturer in commercial film directing, further cementing her commitment to nurturing the next generation of filmmakers.

Vinit Borrison is an award-winning director of photography who has worked internationally for over 15 years. Vinit continues to work alongside notable directors and crews who have fostered his extensive experience and expertise in the film industry. His body of work encompasses a variety of genres including music videos, commercials, documentaries, television series, and feature films. The rich diversity of this work affirms his versatility as a cinematographer and filmmaker. Vinit has a well-established reputation for leading innovation in camera technology. He is proud to be one of the first in the country to adopt 8K cameras, drone technology, lightweight gimbals, and virtual reality/augmented reality cameras, including proprietary systems which he created and designed. With every project, Vinit is constantly pushing boundaries with progressive technologies, and adopts innovative and creative techniques resulting in groundbreaking cinematography.

Nicholas Bruckman is an award-winning director and CEO of People's Television, a production studio that creates films and videos for brands, foundations, and social movements. His newest documentary Minted, a feature that chronicles the rise and fall of NFTs, debuted at Tribeca Film Festival and will receive a wide streaming release in early 2025. His documentary Not Going Quietly won awards at SXSW Film Festival and was acquired by Hulu and VICE Media. He also produced the Sundance Audience Award winner Valley of Saints and the documentary La Americana, broadcast globally on networks like PBS, Nat Geo, and Al Jazeera.

Hollie Buhagiar is a multi-award winning Gibraltarian composer based in London, who specialises in crafting bespoke scores for film, TV and theatre. Throughout her career she has been hailed for her anomalous sonic palette as well as her ability to create fascinating, high-concept scores that approach traditional composition from a contemporary and distinctly imbued perspective. Graduating from Leeds College of Music with First-Class Honours in Music Production, she then went on to complete a Master’s degree at the prestigious National Film and Television School.

2024 will see the release of Hollie's latest work Royal Kill List. Airing on Sky in the spring, the three-part TV series stars some of Britain's leading A-list actors including Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love), Jared Harris (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) and Sheila Atim (The Woman King). The blockbuster mini-series told as a Kill Bill revenge thriller details the tragedy of King Charles II and his lifelong obsession to hunt down those responsible for his father's death. She is also set to score To The Girl I Once Knew, a drama feature with performances from Frances De La Tour (Harry Potter), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock), Amelia Eve (The Haunting of Bly Manor) and Rhea Norwood (Heartstopper) to name but a few.

Hollie's 2023 took her to the US with Film 4's White An premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the completion of the comedy feature Ladyparts, the Grand Prize winner of the 2019 Table Read My Screenplay: Hollywood. This year has also seen her score the documentary feature Women Behind the Wheel, which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and is currently screening across select UK cinemas, including BAFTA's London theatres. She scored the psychological thriller feature To A Cinder, working alongside fellow BAFTA Crew and Connect members. The film recently won Best Debut Feature at The London Independent Film Festival as well as currently holding a nomination for Best Feature Film at the Kingston International Film Festival. This year Hollie has taken home the award for Best Music at the British Horror Film Festival, Best Music at Screen Power, Best Original Score at the Paris Film Awards and Best Soundtrack at RS FilmFest as well as various other nominations.

Graduated in Social Psychology, Jasper learned the film craft at NYU’s Film School, before starting to work for MTV in Amsterdam. He started 1Camera, a Corporate Cinema Agency, in 2008 and currently serves as its creative director. Under Jasper’s leadership 1Camera has become an international, award-winning corporate film production company, being recognized for its storytelling by non-other than Hollywood storytelling guru, Robert McKee, in his recent book, Storynomics.

Emily heads up the film and animation team at Radley Yeldar. She has been making award-winning films for both public and private sector organisations for more than 17 years. She brings both creativity and strategic thinking to film projects and has a wide-ranging knowledge and experience of differing industry sectors and production genres (from drama and documentary to commercials and animation) and interactive projects, recently delivering a wholly animated 360 VR experience for one of our clients. Emily has worked with a wide range of clients at RY including GSK, Beiersdorf, The Science Museum, TEDx London, Visit Britain, and JTI.

Christophe Collette is a photographer and cinematographer from Montreal, Canada. He studied under acclaimed photographer Arnaud Claass at the National School of Photography in Arles, France. His photographic work on the tall ship Picton Castle was recognised internationally by institutions such as PDN, Communications Arts, Applied Arts, Lux and Grafika.

His cinematographic work is characterised by atmospheric visuals and innovative storytelling techniques. Navigating between commercials, music videos, experimental films, and narratives, his body of work spans over two decades and has garnered international recognition, winning multiple Cannes Lions, Clios, Berlin Commercial Film Awards, D&AD Sharks, Grafika awards and Lux awards amongst others. He also won the Award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian short film at the TIFF for his work on the Film Gravity of Center.

His latest credits include international brand films for Tissot, Mercedes, Google and Samsung and second unit cinematography on Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Netflix’s The Gray Man. His latest feature, Eye on Juliet with director Kim Nguyen, premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

He is represented worldwide by Cosmic Talents and Iconic Talent Agency.

Frédéric De Decker is an accomplished professional in the creative industry. With a degree in Production Management from Ritcs filmschool in Brussels, Frédéric specializes in creative strategy, content creation, and production management. He has excelled in various roles, earning multiple awards for his work in diverse formats such as corporate videos, documentaries, and commercials. Passionate about photography and the potential of artificial intelligence, Frédéric constantly explores the fusion of technology and creativity. As a proactive and innovative professional, Frédéric enjoys connecting with others on Instagram and LinkedIn, sharing his expertise and insights to foster growth within the creative sector.

Barbara produces, directs and edits corporate films packed with humor and emotion. After her film studies in Brussels, she worked for a short period for national television. Since 2011 she is co-founder and manager at Clementine, a creative agency that caters for all audiovisual needs.

Her colorful works, defined by their authentic happy mood and largely influenced by her passion for dance and upbeat music, have been awarded internationally and formed the center-piece of notable online campaigns.

Clementine produces online commercials, branded content, corporate films, employer branding movies and internal communication videos.

Bastien is a director and cinematographer in Strasbourg, France. His projects have led him to create quality films, always with a unique aesthetic and creative approach. His passion for creating evocative images through authentic human interactions pushes him to constantly rediscover new ideas to explore.
He has produced regional promotional videos, commercials and personal projects. His references include: Stromae Belgium singer, Messika Paris, Velcorex 360 Lin, L'Odyssée de l'Alsace, Adidas and many more.

John Driedonks has created a multi-platform documentary storytelling course "CampusDoc" in cooperation with the City University of New York (CUNY). During this twenty-week crash course 20 students pitch, research, produce, crowdfund, film, edit and distribute their own documentary concepts. Distribution starts after the premiere of the short docs during the CampusDoc (International) Film Festival.

As a senior lecturer at the School of Journalism UUAS John Driedonks coordinated between 2006-2017 a real-life converged newsroom with a focus on broadcasting TV talkshows, and web. The student-run talkshows are still aired on the local TV station: RTV Utrecht

In addition to his regular activities for the School of Journalism, John Driedonks was a guest lecturer at several universities in Europe, Qatar, China and South Africa. Between 1982-2006 he was a journalist, finally as editor-in-chief of RTV Utrecht (radio-television + web).

Vincent Du has produced more than twenty documentaries for international broadcasters and organisations including Al Jazeera, BBC, NHK, Channel NewsAsia, and the World Health Organisation. Vincent's projects have received support from several prestigious film funds around the world, including the Sundance Documentary Fund in the USA, the IDFA Bertha Fund in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Film Fund and the DMZ Documentary Fund in South Korea. Vincent is also regularly invited to mentor young filmmakers at institutions and events such as the University of Hong Kong, One World Media's Global Short Docs Forum, Tokyo Docs, Korea Radio Promotion Association and the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival. Vincent is now a lecturer in film at the School of Media, Arts & Humanities at the University of Sussex in the UK.

Bill Elliott is the co-founder of Kong, a London-based animation studio. He has directed for commercials, children's series, documentary animation and music videos. He has overseen Kong's development into an award-winning studio, with recent productions including two episodes of Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures for the BBC, a Thomas & Friends web series, and animations for a Billy Connolly series. In his spare time, he paints and draws comics.

Filiz Emre entered the industry as an account executive working for global advertising agencies. In a career spanning over 35 years, she has participated in many projects as a film producer and creative director. She is on the board of directors of IQ (International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers) as vice president. She has produced a dramatic miniseries and three documentaries, as well as many corporate and commercial projects / digital content for brands like Colgate, Nivea, Under Armour, Fanta, Siemens, Vodafone, Coca-Cola, Puma, Philips. Her social responsibility project Mardin for the Wish Tree Project won a Stevie Award.

Fernando Faria Paulino, PhD in Anthropology (Visual Anthropology), Professor at University Institute of Maia, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Information Technologies (in the areas of visual communication, visual semiotics, documentary video, photography and new media), researcher at CITEI – Research Center for Technologies and Intermedia Studies and researcher at CIAC Research Centre for Arts and Communication / University of Algarve. He is the Head Coordinator of the undergraduate degree of Multimedia Communication | University Institute of Maia, Coordinator of CLM Multimedia Lab Center ISMAI and Coordinator of the CCCom Communication Sciences Center | Multiplatform Audiovisual Studio ISMAI. Research interests: anthropology, visual anthropology and anthropology of visual communication, methodology, technology and epistemology of images and audiovisual culture, visual semiotics and visual culture, digital media, multimedia / hypermedia, new media, documentary film and documentary photography, interactive documentary, i-docs and web-docs; anthropology, cultural heritage, culture and tourism development. He is author of several scientific articles, documentary filmmaker, as well as hypermedia products author, essentially based on anthropological content nature.

As a managing director at Eyeforce, a film and photography production agency with offices in Amsterdam and Cape Town, Egon Feiner's mission is to live an adventurous life while capturing extraordinary stories. From being an executive producer of adventurous projects to operating as a client director on global brands such as Patagonia, Corona and Red Bull, Egon knows the ins and outs of building an all-around production company. Besides his position at Eyeforce, he's also involved in an NGO called Ocean Collective. A blue hearted filmmakers collective, aiming to restore our oceans as well as to effect sustainable policies.

With a career of more than 27 years in which he worked in agencies such as JWT, Leo Burnett McCann, Mauricio is one of the most recognised creatives in the Peruvian market, with more than 1,000 awards and recognitions. In addition, he is one of the winners of the only Grand Prix in Cannes for the country and was also recognised as the Best Creative Director of Peru for 4 years in El Ojo de Iberoamérica.

Mauricio is a music lover, professional drummer and was teacher of creativity.

Eleftheria Fili was appointed Head of Audiovisual Media & Productions Dpt. at the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) in 2017. She has been leading the organisation’s creative team, responsible for a series of award-winning campaign videos for the promotion of Greek tourism, a testament to her expertise and creative vision. She has extensive experience in publications and content creation, working as a copywriter freelancer for different websites and publications in Paris and Athens. During her stay in Paris, she interviewed many artists and film cinematographers, and worked as a historical advisor at the Hellenic Broadcasting Channel ERT for the production of a documentary.

Eleftheria holds a BCA Diploma in Digital Marketing (2014), a degree in Tourism Economics and Development from the National School of Public Administration (2011), an MSc in Modern Cultural History (Université Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne) and a BSc in History and Archaeology (National & Kapodistrian University Athens). Her blend of historical knowledge and marketing, her passion for cinema and creative vision, continues to drive her success in the field of audiovisual media and tourism, making her a pivotal figure in promoting Greece’s rich cultural heritage to the world.

Vlady Gerasimov is the creative Swiss-army knife of handplayed Ltd. — a production company with hundreds of commercial projects, as well as feature films, short films, music videos etc. His career started as an agency producer for TV commercials, receiving awards from festivals such as Effie, Golden Drum, Epica and Fara. In 2014, he won the highest award — Gold — in the Cannes Young Lions film competition. At handplayed, he serves as a creative partner, producer, and occasional director across diverse projects ranging from corporate videos, TV commercials to short films, music videos, and branded content. Additionally, he currently teaches Production for Film & TV at the American University in Bulgaria.

Jeff Gerber is Creative Director and Co-Managing Director at the KOMET advertising agency in Bern. He has worked in various agencies in Bern and Zurich since the turn of the millennium and has created campaigns for brands such as Lidl, SBB Swiss Railway, Switzerland Tourism, Rivella, BMW, Swisslotto and many more. His work has won over 100 national and international awards.

Sophie Haydon is the executive producer at Sonar Music. In her 10 years with Sonar Music, Sophie has been the driving force behind the rapid development of the advertising side of the business, overseeing internationally award-winning work for brands including Qantas, Deloitte, Netflix, Cadbury, Optus, and NIKE.

Sophie continues to foster and grow Sonar’s feature films, TV series and documentary projects gaining world-wide recognition.

Film and documentary highlights include the soundtrack for I Am Mother, starring Hilary Swank; 2017 Oscar nominated film Tanna; Star Wars: The Director and the Jedi with Lucas Films; HBO feature film Fahrenheit 451.

Recent TV drama highlights include Foxtel series Upright, created and produced by Tim Minchin; The Artful Dodger; Netflix's Wellmania; Bump, and acclaimed International series Mystery Road.

Sophie sat on the Spikes Asia 2017: Music Jury, and the AWARD 2018: Radio Jury, MADC 2022, AICP Post Awards 2022 and 2023. She is regularly featured in trade publications speaking about the state of the local music and sound industry.

Conrad Heberling researches and teaches Media Economy and TV and Film Marketing at the German Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf and at the University of Popular Arts in Berlin He has over 30 years of experience in management positions with TV stations in Germany (RTLzwei Television, DAF Television), Austria (AUSTRIA 9 TV) as well as internationally. He holds a number of international advisory positions, including with Dori Media International, a leading producer of weekly and daily series, reality and entertainment formats like the popular real-life television series “Sommerhaus der Stars”, broadcast on RTL in Germany and countless countries in the world, known as “Power Couple”. Conrad Heberling has authored numerous scientific papers and newspaper columns in regards to topics such as the mother of all real-life formats “Big Brother”, music events such as “Popstars” “Digital Marketing Strategies for the TV and Film Industries” and many more.

Cris Hödar-Rasmussen is a heartfelt storyteller with over 25 years of experience. His passion for forging emotional connections through narratives has fueled award-winning campaigns that resonate globally.
Across his career, Cris has led creative teams at renowned agencies like Proximity, Marvelous LOWE, McCann, and VMLY&R. Today, his dedication to crafting powerful brand narratives and strategies has made him a highly sought-after story consultant and creative director.
Beyond the world of advertising, Cris actively shapes the industry’s future. He serves on the advisory board of the Danish School of Media and Journalism, inspiring future generations as a guest lecturer. He also chairs judging panels for prestigious awards, ensuring excellence within the industry. His commitment to impactful storytelling is reflected in his impressive collection of awards that include Cannes Lions, Clios, Epica, Webby Awards, New York Festivals and Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards.

Simon Huber is a Swiss cameraman who has been shooting commercials for many years, feature films, series formats, documentaries and music clips.
Among other things, he is responsible for the visual design of the Swiss part of the Indian blockbuster Krrish3 (Rakesh and Hrithik Roshan, Filmkraft India).
In the course of his long career as a DOP, Simon has done numerous TV commercials for national and international brands (Coca-Cola, Samsung, Danone, FIFA, Emmental, Jack Wolfskin, FiVB, Virgin/Polkomtel, Greenpeace, etc.). He has also specialized in the production of social marketing and advertising films for large Swiss NGOs working in the field of development cooperation, social justice and sustainable climate policies. In those projects he develops concepts and is both director and cameraman.
Simon shoots all over the world. His projects have taken him to the most remote places in the world, like Nepal, India, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Mali, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Niger, Chad, Lesotho, Egypt, Vietnam, Dubai, Lapland, the EU and the USA.
Furthermore, Simon is a visiting professor for camera at various universities and colleges in Switzerland and the USA.

Winner of 19 German National Corporate Film Awards and more than 150 international and national awards. President of the International Tourism Festival "The Golden City Gate" at the ITB Berlin.

Viola Isenbürger completed her film studies as a Master student at the UDK (University of Arts) in Berlin with Jutta Brückner and Thomas Arslan. In Das Werk she was responsible for editing numerous advertising films and edited documentaries such as The Final Insult and The A-Z of separating people from their money. Since 1999 she has been producing cinema trailers and image films with her company Viofilm. She created the teaser, trailer, TV spot and claim for the film Good Bye, Lenin! and produced more than 50 movie trailers for films such as Requiem, Irina Palm and Sunburned.

Gunnar is from Iceland and grew up on the East coast of Iceland in a town called Höfn, next to Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. He is currently living in Reykjavík with his family. He has been working in the film industry since 2006, when he started as a clapper loader, and worked his way up to focus puller. Now he works as a cinematographer, doing everything from narrative films and TV shows, to commercials and documentaries. The short film Whale Valley, which he photographed, won a special award prize at Cannes in 2013.

Omar Khalifa is a British writer, director and former journalist who cut his teeth in international news and programmes. With over a decade directing commercials and drama, Omar has worked on creative campaigns with clients like FIFA, TikTok, Puma, Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Vodafone and Qatar Airways, gaining attention at festivals including Cannes, New York Festivals, CRESTA, EPICA, the Drum, Tellys and the Loeries. His short films, artwork and even children’s books have gone on to pick up international awards and acclaim, and he resides on creative juries including the PHNX AdForum and AutoVision Awards. A positive, collaborative director, Omar has an ability to combine bold creative with humanity, emotion, movement and visual effects.

Irina Khangoshvili is author, director and producer of documentary films and television programs. Since 2010 has worked for different television channels in Georgia, Russia and Europe. The participant and prize winner of several international documentary film festivals in Europe and Russia. The prize winner of TEFFI International Film Festival (Russia). The jury member of International Russian Film Festival (Spain, Marbella), ITFFA – International Tourism Film Festival in Africa. For the last 6 years has been collaborating with Currenttime TV (Radio Liberty’s American Russian speaking channel) with an international travel show “We welcome” with Zurab Dvali. The show “We Welcome” has received awards in Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia, Portugal.

Teruhiko Kimura is the CEO of IMAGE SCIENCE, INC., a video production company in Tokyo, Japan. He is an experienced producer who began his career in 1985 and has produced numerous corporate films, and various videos of many different fields as well.

He also started a web-related business in 1996, and his company currently handles a variety of corporate films and web productions. Since 2011, he has been a board member of JAAP, the Japan Association of Audiovisual Producers, and currently serves as vice president. Additionally, he serves as a councilor of JAVEA, the Japan Audiovisual Education Association. He has been striving for the development of the video industry in Japan.

Apart from his work, he loves cars, motorcycles, and music such as old-school rock, blues, and soul, and playing guitar as a hobby. He also loves history and geography.

Developing and realizing moving images and videos for the communication and marketing of a company or for a product is his passion.

Michael Kindermann’s career started in Hamburg at leading advertising film productions with assignments for the most creative advertising agencies.
A further education at the New York Film Academy consolidated his competence in producing & directing. In 2000 his career took him to Switzerland to the advertising film production Pumpkin Film. In 2003, he founded the film production Snap Film and from 2017 to 2022 he headed the moving image division of the advertising agency Jung von Matt.

As a creative producer, consultant, and project manager, Michael supports his partners and clients in the execution of projects and campaigns throughout the entire process. From the first thought to the click, he is happy to be at your side as a contact person, co-thinker, doer, and solution finder. Reliable project management is as important to him as the conception, development, and implementation of each project. He values collaborative work and a direct, goal-oriented exchange with all experts from the communication, marketing, HR, and advertising sectors.

As a child and young teenager, he grew up in Brussels and there he was already gripped by the passion for the image. He has been a passionate photographer since he was 14 and realized early on the power that images can have for a company's communication. A few years later it was clear that this should be his profession and he knew that this power with moving images triggers even more impact.

That's how he got his start in commercial and corporate film over 30 years ago.

Simon Kramers is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and the Head of Film at Deloitte. With a passion for storytelling, he began his career in broadcast news, collaborating with investigative journalists to create impactful stories. In his current role at Deloitte's in-house creative agency, 368, Simon spearheads innovative projects that push the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Lukas Gabriel Ledzki is an award-winning composer renowned for creating world-class original music for a diverse array of media, including trailers, commercials, films, documentaries, video games, corporate productions, and feature-length films. His distinctive sound, characterised by lush harmonies and memorable melodies, resonates globally across television, commercials, films, trailers, and documentaries. Lukas possesses the versatility to write for any instrument and collaborates with a network of world-class musicians.

His impressive portfolio includes collaborations with esteemed companies such as Beds&Beats, Dos Brains, Eon Sounds, Gothic Storm Music, Disney/Pixar, Google, Universal Music Group, and many others. Lukas Gabriel Ledzki's exceptional talent continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of music composition.

Karin Lee is an award-winning writer, director and producer, whose films reflect contemporary issues about women, gender, sexuality and the Asian diaspora. She co-founded TOP DOLLAR SISTERS PRODUCTIONS, a film and media production company which received many awards and recognition for excellence in filmmaking, including a Gemini (the Canada Award), from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for Karin Lee’s groundbreaking documentary Made in China, about children adopted from China and living in Canada. Karin Lee has also been recognised for her role as a media artist with diverse stories about Canadians, including a British Columbia’s Leo Diversity in Cultures Award, and awarded the City of Vancouver – Mayor’s Film and New Media Artist of the Year. Karin Lee has just released The Girl with Big Feet (Ts'ekooyaz Buke Ncha), a short period drama about a young girl who is to have her feet bound in late 1800’s Barkerville, BC. In 2023 she released a feature documentary: Incorrigible – a film about Velma Demerson. She is currently in development for Ruby’s Plan B – a digital comedic drama series. As an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia Theatre and Film Department, she managed UBC’s Multicultural Film Production Programme and Artist-in-Residency Programme. She taught history at UBC and at Simon Fraser University’s Asia-Canada Programme. Karin Lee is a 4th generation Canadian and was born and raised and is based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Patrick Lehn has been working in corporate communications for over 20 years. One key aspect of his work is storytelling. He was project manager of a film series and PR campaign that won over 40 awards at international competitions. He joined the dormakaba Group in April 2022 as Senior Manager External Communications.

Tom is an award-winning TV documentary producer, creating shows primarily for US broadcasters, streamers and audiences.

His skills cross the creative process from idea development through to scripting, filming and editing, and he has produced an array of popular multi-part series and features in genres as varied as history, science, politics, and true crime.

Tom has recently brought his storytelling and production skills to brand video creation and is currently the Creative Development Manager for Shell’s Content Engine film team.

Originally from Zurich, Switzerland, Elia Lyssy has been residing in New York since 1988. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he started working as a cinematographer all over the United States, Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. Working in both the narrative as well as the documentary field, he has lensed films such as the acclaimed music documentary PHISH-Bittersweet Motel directed by Todd Phillips, the Peabody Award winning series Latino Americans and the Emmy nominated The Longoria Affair with John Valadez, the documentary series Weediquette for VICE, the award-winning short film Wonder, the documentary Black in Space for the Smithsonian Channel, as well as the Swiss comedies Die Letzte Pointe and Eden für Jeden. Elia is a member of the Swiss Cinematographers Society (SCS) and teaches Cinematography and Lighting at Pratt Institute’s School of Art in Brooklyn.

Fabia's career began in TV development devising factual films for the BBC, Channel 4, and Vice. Today, she makes films for global brands such as Google, Nike, Samsung and Unilever, with a focus on real stories and great characters with a bright comedic edge.

Her first comedy short, The Rev, was supported by the BFI and premiered at the London Film Festival. It was later screened at prestigious national and international festivals including Manchester Film Festival, Underwire, Cambridge, and Pride Pictures in Germany, and was shortlisted for Best British Short and highly commended at the “Oscars” of the LGBTQ+ short film world, the Iris Prize. It is now hosted on Channel 4.

Fabia's debut coming-of-age feature is in early development, and she is also developing her first TV sitcom with a London-LA-based production company. At the end of 2023, she was awarded the First Flights x Kodak Film Fund for Six for Gold, a documentary that follows the journey of a Team GB rhythmic gymnast with Down’s syndrome as she goes for gold at the Special Olympics.

Fabia is a member of BAFTA Connect, a national talent development scheme, and Free The Work, and through her work, aims to create inclusive and diverse teams to make better, more impactful films.

Four-time Emmy Award winner Ian McGlocklin’s cinematography career has put him in nearly every production situation imaginable — from living on an anti-whaling vessel in the treacherous waters of Antarctica for the acclaimed TV series Whale Wars to lighting up the embattled streets of Kabul, Afghanistan, on the indie feature The Black Tulip. Ian’s work has been seen on Netflix, Discovery, Travel Channel, History Channel, Animal Planet, Amazon Prime, Comedy Central, Oxygen, Disney +, FOX, ABC, PBS, HBO, CBS, TNT, A&E, MTV, CNN, and many more. Some career highlights have been working on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Rapture, Somebody Feed Phil, Soul of a Nation, Believer, Mind of a Chef, and The Many Lives of Martha Stewart, to name a few.

Ian’s versatility with both narrative and documentary projects gives him a unique and flexible skill set. His globetrotting has not only served to increase his cultural sensitivity, but also his approach to how each project can be its visual best regardless of its specific budget and conditions.
Born of a British mother and a father of Irish descent, Ian grew up in the Northwest United States, having what some might call an all-American childhood. Full of natural creativity, wonder, and imagination, he consumed a steady diet of classic 80s films that ultimately inspired his career in visual storytelling.

Ian first pierced the film industry bubble by way of television commercials, working as a production assistant on brand name advertising campaigns. With his growing appetite for filmmaking, Ian attended Emerson College in Boston, MA, where he earned a degree in Film and Media Production with Honours. From there, knowing he wished to be behind the camera, he honed his lighting skills as a gaffer on dozens of independent films, commercials, music videos, and corporate presentations. After living and working in numerous production markets in various cities around the U.S., Ian eventually landed in Los Angeles, where he focused his full-time attention on camera operating and cinematography. Since then, he has joined the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) and the Society of Camera Operators (SOC).

Twenty-six years of freelancing and multiple cinematography awards later, come 2022 Ian embraced the opportunity to become a director of photography with CNN, focusing on premium documentaries and high-end original series. He currently lives just outside Los Angeles, in the sleepy beach town of Ventura, CA, with his amazing wife and their two energetic sons.

Fiona Meenaghan is an experienced professional in corporate communications, currently leading as Head of Corporate Branding and Content Strategy at Ayvens. With a distinguished 20-year career, she has carved a niche in producing award-winning corporate films, a testament to her expertise and creative vision. Fiona's work has been globally recognized, earning her prestigious awards such as the Cannes Dolphins, AutoVision, and European Business Excellence Awards for LeasePlan, AkzoNobel and Randstad Holding. Her role at Ayvens capitalizes on her experience, where she not only steers corporate communications, but also champions the company's narrative through compelling visual storytelling. Fiona's ability to blend strategic insights with her passion for film has significantly elevated the corporate identities of the companies she has worked for.

Thorsten Meier-Bartlog has over 20 years of experience in the production of audiovisual media across all areas of applications for companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Toyota and Brose.

From 2008 he was co-founder and executive producer at GoodFilm GmbH in Stuttgart.
In 2015 he switched to the consulting and corporate side; he currently works for Schaeffler AG, where he is responsible for all global topics and projects relating to film, photography and CGI.

He particularly focuses on cross-media and sustainable production for versatile applications in marketing and communication.

Renate Meschuh was born in Graz and studied at the University of Education in Graz. After 19 years of teaching, she started to work for Art Media Film- & TV production as a production manager. Since then, she has written several scripts and directed documentaries for the Austrian Television. Together with her husband Andreas Meschuh, they have won numerous International Awards. Their mission statement is to reach the highest level in producing films.

Patricia Mestanza Niemi has been working as an editor and trailer producer for over 20 years and is responsible for the production of numerous trailers and teasers, such as Babylon Berlin, Contra, It’s Raining Men, Eine Billion Dollar and many more. Her client base includes renowned companies such as X Filme and X Verleih, Wiedemann & Berg, Weltkino, Alpenrepublik and BETAFILM, as well as TV stations like ARD and ZDF.

Patricia has also been editing feature films since 2016. These include the multi-award-winning TV film Alles Isy and In Falschen Händen by Mark Monheim, and the Bavarian crime series Game Over by Lancelot von Naso.

Since 2017, she has expanded her field of activity to include recaps and has worked on series such as Babylon Berlin, Die Drei !!! and Herrhausen.– The banker and the bomb.

In 2020, Patricia and her husband Florian Deyle founded Unified Filmmakers, a network that aims to connect filmmakers with each other and with potential clients worldwide.

In this respect she was responsible for organising two festival editions on the topics of “Covid19” and “Climate Change”, and is now in charge of the UFM's joint campaign with SOS-Kinderdörfern weltweit for the third time. In collaboration with filmmakers from five continents, six clips are being produced that focus on children's perspectives on a specific topic (climate change, education and migration).

He currently works at RADIO TELEVISION ESPAÑOLA as a Director of Documentaries and Reports.

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

• Premio Academia de Televisión Concha García Campoy, MALAIRE (MALARIA)
• Premio Francisco de Cossio Junta de Castilla y León, MI HISTORIA, ADOLFO SUÁREZ
• Premio Cuerpo Nacional de Policía de Periodismo, ACOSO EN LA SOMBRA
• Premio Internacional Junta de Extremadura, LA CAZA FOTOGRAFICA
• Premio Internacional Periodismo Rey Juan Carlos, DETRÁS DE LA ABAYA
• Premio Internacional Rey Juan Carlos, DETRÁS DE LA ABAYA
• Premio Especial Príncipe Rainiero Festival de Montecarlo, CAMBIO CLIMATICO
• Premio Roma Civis de la Televisión italiana, GITANOS, EUROPEOS SIN ESTADO
• Premio Manos Unidas Documental, MALI, LA RUTA CLANDESTINA
• Premio Internacional Periodismo Rey Juan Carlos, El PAPA QUE VINO DE POLONIA

Katinka Nowotny is managing editor at the weekly business- and finance television show ECO at Austrian Television. She has worked for more than two decades for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, ORF, reporting and producing documentaries for the foreign news magazine, the domestic news show and currently the economics department. For nearly 20 years she also did English-language reports on Austria for the international CNN show World View.

Katinka grew up in Cairo, New York and Vienna. In her professional career, she has repeatedly reported from crisis zones: North Korea, Sarajevo, Ground Zero and the Ukraine.
Now she manages the weekly business- and finance television show ECO. Making sure that a wide range of relevant topics is covered.

Katinka studied economics and sociology at the University of Vienna and then received a master’s degree in journalism at New York University. She has worked for ABC News and the German TV network ZDF. Since 1991 she has produced and reported for various news magazines at ORF. She has received numerous prizes and awards in Austria and abroad.

“Go beyond the obvious sound bite, really listen to what people say — and don’t say, she says, ‘How do you visualize low interest rates?’— These are some of the difficulties we television business reporters encounter.”

Katinka is married to a newspaper journalist and has two children. She loves rowing in her free time.

Helen O'Loan APDG is an Australian production designer with a background in Art Direction and Set Design. Recent credits include the internationally distributed TV series Black Snow, for which she has been nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television, and the suburban black comedy feature film Audrey, which will premiere at SXSW 2024.

Other most recent credits include the Nike/FIFA Brazil TVC campaign, A Playful Romp Set at a Hotel That's Been Taken Over by Members of the Brazilian National Women's National Team, for director Sarah Chatfield.

In 2023 she spent four months in Southeast Asia, designing Mother of the Bride, a feature film set in an exotic ultra-luxury resort featuring an ensemble cast including Brooke Shields.

Her expertise and approach developed in the art departments of Oscar-, BAFTA-, AACTA- and ADG-winning art departments (The Great Gatsby, Unbroken, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Rabbit). She also has extensive experience in the field of advertising, and has designed countless commercials and both permanent and temporary installations.

She is adept at articulating and delivering both character and narrative driven, nuanced spaces and also stunningly bold visuals that underpin key themes in the story.

Alexander Obermayr has been responsible for video productions at Erste Group Bank AG since 2016. In this role he deals with internal corporate TV, corporate films as well as social media formats. His tasks include consulting, the conception and production of audiovisual contents for all business areas. The aim of his work is to prepare and publish the contents of target group-orientated information through videos, podcasts, image material and live streams.

Melanie Pfaffstaller has been a passionate producer and specialized in commercial film projects for almost 25 years.

After studying Journalism and Communication Science, several years of experience in TV production and as production manager at renowned advertising film productions, she founded her own production company, mel p filmproductions, in 2010 in Vienna and has realized campaigns for McDonald’s, Sky, ING Diba and many more.

Melanie Pfaffstaller is characterized by her strategic thinking and putting creativity always first, not only in terms of forming her team but also in regards of her cinematic approaches in developing concepts. As a member, and since 2019 also chair member, of the Creative Club Austria, she has committed to these values beyond her own productions and has always tabs on young talents.

Adam Pogoff has produced a wide array of projects including critically-acclaimed feature documentaries, television shows, nightly news, and short films. Notable works include Command Z (2023), Steven Soderbergh's satirical sci-fi series; Brasslands (2013, The Orchard), a cacophonous celebration of Balkan brass music; Untouchable (2016, Peacock), the Tribeca award-winning documentary about sex offender laws. Adam is currently directing a feature documentary produced by Steven Soderbergh.

Marin Raguž is a documentary filmmaker, author-producer and lecturer from Geneva, Switzerland. Born in Cologne, Germany, to Croatian parents, Marin Raguž trained in photography and natural sciences, holds a diploma in translation and interpreting from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, and studied filmmaking at NYFA in Los Angeles. After founding Le Marin Productions – Film Video Photography & Art in 2003, Marin Raguž directed several documentaries, short movies and conceptual video art projects that have been screened worldwide at festivals, in museums, theatres and art galleries. His work reveals a passionate focus on the other, the image and the art of communicating. His multicultural background, diverse professional experience, and instinctive empathy allow him to bring out the poetry and philosophy from the world and the people he surrounds. For several years, Marin Raguž was actively involved in Swiss film policy, in particular as member of the Board of Cinésuisse (Umbrella association of the Swiss film and audiovisual industry), of ARF-FDS (Swiss Association of Directors and Authors) and as Swiss delegate to FERA (Federation of European film directors). In 2015, he was member of the jury of Premio Barrocco Filmfestival in Gallipoli, Italy. Today, Marin Raguž lives and works in Geneva, Switzerland, where he dropped anchor in 2008.Aside from teaching or other audiovisual and artistic projects, Marin Raguž works mainly on his feature documentary about the Swiss philosopher Hans Saner, as well as finishing his feature documentary about a lady named Titi, who practises Malocchio (evil eye) rituals in Caiazzo near Naples, Italy.

Jeremy Reed was born in England and raised in Zimbabwe. He attended the prestigious Harrow School in London, and after graduation did his national service in the Zimbabwean military as a paratrooper. Afterwards, whilst attending university at Yale, he discovered a love for architecture, an education he has been following informally ever since.

His career has spanned iconic music videos (Dark Horse for Katy Perry), award-winning highly stylised commercials (Gucci and Meta), and sumptuous-looking films (Gretel and Hansel). Jeremy's latest feature films to look forward to with their release this year, will be Breathe, a futuristic action adventure, and the timeless horror of Dust Bunny.

He has proudly received numerous Art Directors Guild Awards awards, and earlier this year was the grateful recipient of a British Film Designers Guild Award for Excellence. Given the choice he would opt for the company of NASA scientists and medieval historians over Hollywood types. He loves nothing more than a conversation regarding the architecture of future societies, ethics of artificial life or the mechanics of a trebuchet, and the tactics of medieval warfare.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Stephanie, and son Tristan. He also holds a UK citizenship, a US citizenship and an Irish citizenship.

Brais Revaldería is a distinguished filmmaker, storyteller, and entrepreneur based in New York, celebrated for his innovative approach to cinema over a prolific 20-year career. As a director and producer, Brais has crafted compelling content for major TV channels such as Telecinco, Globo TV Brazil and Al Jazeera.

Brais's cinematographic expertise was pivotal in the Emmy-winning Recipe for Change: Standing Up to Antisemitism, a 2023 YouTube Originals special executive produced by LeBron James. His work on HBO’s Game of Thrones: Bleed for the Throne earned three Grand Clio awards in 2019. He also significantly contributed to the Westworld Activation campaign, which won three Clio awards and a Gold Outdoor Lion at Cannes in 2018.

A co-founder of 100 Sutton Studios, Brais has created a premier 20,000-square-foot creative hub in Greenpoint, offering top-tier production and event spaces. His collaborations extend across notable entities such as HBO, TLC, Discovery Channel, and major brands like Adidas, Mastercard and Amazon, showcasing his versatility and commitment to storytelling across various platforms.

A respected member of the Producers Guild of America, Brais Revaldería continues to influence the visual storytelling landscape, transforming both the medium and the message through his cinematic vision.

Petter Ringbom is a Swedish-American filmmaker based in New York. As a director and cinematographer with a background in design, Petter takes a hands-on approach to filmmaking that honors the craft. His films have screened at SXSW, Tribeca, IDFA, Hot Docs, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Film at Lincoln Center, LACMA, the Hammer Museum, Miami Art Basel and Gothenburg Intl. Film Festival. Petter has been a Film Independent Fast Track Fellow, a Gotland Film Lab resident at the Ingmar Bergman Estate, a Berlinale Talent, and a Midpoint Feature Launch participant. He’s a partner in the film production company, opendox.

Petter started his career as a designer and art director. After studying at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York, he became a partner in the creative agency Flat, where he worked for clients like MoMA, Red Cross and ESPN. He has taught at Parsons School of Design and New York University and served on the board of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Rodrigo Leal Rodrigues is Executive Creative Director at Publicis One Touch, an innovative agency model based on digital transformation and interdisciplinary design for the emerging global markets of NIVEA.

Rodrigo’s creative excellence is validated with a track record of delivering exceptional results, he is a creative problem solver with over 100 awards from prestigious international festivals such as Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Clios, LIA, Effie, Dubai Lynx, and more.
In 2023, Rodrigo was a Cannes Lions Festival juror in the Industry Craft category.

Rodrigo’s fire stems from an ongoing hunger to create innovative and impactful work that resonates with audiences while delivering tangible business results.

Kévin Royant is producer and co-founder of Tribann Productions. He specializes in directing and writing scripts of documentary films and corporate videos in 3D Motion Design. He is also a speaker at several audiovisual schools in Paris.

Daria Savic is a production designer based out of Toronto. For the past decade, her focus has primarily been in commercials and advertising. She is a non-linear, creative thinker who thrives in the fast-paced environments that commercial work offers. Her visual arts background gives her a great advantage for finding balance in a frame, choosing appropriate colours and textures, and creating an overall aesthetically pleasing composition. Daria loves shaping spaces and guiding the overall feel of the spot through her design choices. Her past clients include Xbox, McDonalds, AAA, Nike, Visa, MasterCard, Smirnoff, Lysol, and Pepsi.

Mo Scarpelli is a director and cinematographer of mostly non-fiction cinema. Her films include El Father Plays Himself (Visions du Réel 2020), Anbessa (Berlinale 2019) and Frame by Frame (SXSW 2015), which have screened at 200+ festivals and won 50+ awards, including over a dozen awards for direction. Her films have been developed through programs such as Berlinale Talents, Locarno Pro, Torino Film Lab, IDFA Forum, The Gotham, Visions du Réel pitch and more, and have been distributed by ARTE, ZDF, Grasshopper Film, Time and MUBI, among others. She is currently in production on her documentary feature Faith, in development on her debut fiction feature A Song That Slays, and co-producing films with emerging authors from Latin America and Europe. Her company Rake Films, founded in 2012 in NYC, has produced films in over 20 countries.

Simon is freelance director, editor and author for Film, TV and Corporate TV projects. After having finished his studies in Austria and the USA, he carried out several national and international projects including documentaries, reports and journal articles for ORF broadcast, ServusTV or Red Bull Media House. Furthermore he developed Corporate films for various international companies. He affiliates a long-term working cooperation with DMG Film Wien. He has received numerous prizes for his films: a report named „Die letzten Fahrenden“ developed for the TV magazine „Am Schauplatz“ (ORF) won the P.Leopold-Ungar – Recognition price. The documentary „Das Schicksal fragt nicht“ received a prize at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards.

Chris Schueler has created over 100 television programs in the past 25 years that have garnered 26 Regional Emmy® Awards and have been broadcast throughout the country and around the world. Focusing on educational and social issues, Mr. Schueler creates youth programming and documentaries that are “Television to Touch the Heart.” His innovative process of program creation was the focus of Mr. Schueler’s recent TED talk. That audience driven process has been integral in creating social change for his work with clients including the United Nations, the National Institute of Mental Health, the PBS network, the CBS Network Foundation as well as networks and governments worldwide.

Mr. Schueler has created projects in locations worldwide including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Central America, Russia and Africa. His documentaries have raised public awareness and also impacted public policy nationally and internationally. His programs have ranged from global warming solutions to mental health stigma and included topics such as date and domestic violence, AIDS, alcohol, gambling addiction, opioid abuse and many others. As a director, Mr. Schueler has worked with Glenn Close, Bryan Cranston, Sam Donaldson, Montel Williams and others. The National Broadcast Association for Community Affairs named Chris Schueler national “Innovator of the Year” for his News 101 project.

Mr. Schueler has a BA in English and Theatre from the University of the Pacific and an MA in Playwriting and Directing from the University of New Mexico. UNM has honored him with its Lobo Award and UOP with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service. In addition to being CEO of Christopher Productions, Mr. Schueler is the Executive Director of SafeTeen New Mexico which was named one of the six best Community Outreach Programs in the United States. Due to the quality of his work, Mr. Schueler has been honored to be on the Grand Jury for the New York Festivals the past 8 years. Mr. Schueler is the only three-time winner of the Board of Governors Award (Emmy© Award) from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Sanjna Selva is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and multimedia journalist born and raised between Malaysia and Singapore, and now based in New York City. Through patient and poetic storytelling, her practice explores narratives of migration, home, and belonging. Her work has been featured on PBS, CBS, EST Media, and the International Center of Photography. Sanjna’s directorial debut, Call Me Anytime, I'm Not Leaving the House, filmed two days into the start of the Russian occupation of Ukraine, was acquired by PBS for national broadcast on the award-winning series POV. The film has also screened at numerous festivals within the U.S., France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, where it has received Best Short Documentary and Audience awards. Sanjna is a graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, a 2020 Double Exposure Film Festival fellow, and a 2019 Skidmore-MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute fellow. She is currently producing a feature documentary exploring the rise of Hindu nationalism in India and is a 2024 Peace is Loud and RePRO Film fellow for a feature documentary she is producing on pregnancy loss and incarceration.

Roberto Serrini is a celebrated commercial director who has lead award winning campaigns for such global brands as Nike, Apple and Honda, and is the recipient of multiple ADC Gold Cubes, One Show Silver Pencils, Platinum MarCom, Viddy, and Taste Awards for his contribution to the Advertising industry. Besides a prolific filmmaker he is a skilled drone pilot that has flown in all 7 continents and is a proud founding member of the NYC Drone Film Festival. While not at home in either LA or NYC, Serrini brings his filmmaking and drone passion on the road as a travel writer for Get Lost Magazine and National Geographic. He is a firm believer that where art, commerce and passion collide you will find great advertising and he is honored to be part of the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards.

Riccardo is a director, producer and editor working in documentary and fiction. He is the creative director of Production Studio and Creative Development Hub, Anima Entertainment in the UK, focusing on producing commercial scripted genre projects and documentaries for global audiences.

He directed the feature documentary A Space in Time (2021) with Nick Taussig, to raise awareness on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The film was theatrically released and nominated for Best Single Documentary at the prestigious Grierson British Documentary Awards in 2022 and won Best Director at the Shared Visions Film Festival 2020. Riccardo directed the documentary Dwarf Story (2024) at Embankment Films for ITV, and as well as editing his own films, he also edits for other productions, most recently the BAFTA Cymru nominated Apple TV+ original documentary (in association with the BBC) by Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and Me (2023).

Jan Šléška is a composer and sound designer. He holds a Master's degree from the Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). He has composed music and created sound design for dozens of advertising campaigns for major global and local brands. He is the winner of the prestigious international British D&AD Wooden Pencil Award. His work has been shortlisted for the Cannes Lions, the Music+Sound Awards, the Golden Drum, and the Berlin International Film Scoring Competition. He has composed music for several short films and the score for the sci-fi feature film Restore Point, for which he was nominated for the Czech Lion National Award in the Best Music category.

Michelle Sotheren is a production designer and art director working in the production of film, television and advertising. She studied film in Australia at the Queensland University of Technology, graduating in 1996, and made her way through the art department working on independent feature films, American movie of the week, music promos and television commercials. She has been nominated for numerous international awards for production design and has worked continuously within the industry in Australia, the United Kingdom and internationally for the past 28 years. She currently lives in London, United Kingdom.

Philip Spaar, born and raised in St. Gallen, lives now with his family in Zurich.
He studied journalism and communication and gained work experience as an editor for various TV stations including ProSieben (Galileo) and the Swiss Television (Giacobbo/Müller). He spent a semester abroad at the University of Television and Film in Munich (HFF) were he graduated in Film and Television Documentary. For more than eight years now he has been working as multimedia-editor at Swiss Life AG – the largest life insurance company of Switzerland – at corporate communications. Thereby he is responsible for several award-winning corporate film productions. Additionally, he works as a lecturer for video productions at the College Zurich (ZFH). The father of four loves his kids, his wife and films.

Inseeyah Stieldorf was born and raised in Hong Kong. She has since lived and worked in Baltimore, Paris, Oakland, San Francisco and Hamburg. Her creative advertising and copywriting career spans over 17 years.

Over those years, Inseeyah has concepted and crafted campaigns that have helped shape many big brands: Apple, BMW, Daimler, John Frieda, Miele, Siemens, Sony and Visa to name a few. Currently in the role of Executive Creative Director at Scholz & Friends in Hamburg, she is the creative lead on the Audi account.

Julian Stranzky is a career changer in marketing but has already designed and implemented several award-winning campaigns. Among others, he won the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards Grand Prix in 2021 with the campaign film made for the CSR campaign Pflegestufe ROT. For him, factors of success are an unbiased concept and mean the courage to take unconventional paths. And no other medium can convey this as well as the moving image. Julian has been working as chief operating officer of the personnel marketing agency Eisenwerk1 GmbH since 2021.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Darren is an established, accomplished Creative Director and Film Director. Darren has proudly provided leadership and direction to a range of high-performing agencies and media houses and is currently serving as the Creative Director for Video Services with the global CaaS brand, “Superside”.

Known for his storytelling prowess and keen technical knowledge, Darren has a unique ability to blend narrative and innovation, creating compelling visual content that resonates with audiences.

Corey Swaffer is executive creative director at KWP in Adelaide, Australia. An advertising writer, with an art school background, Corey is a visual thinker with 30 years of experience in creative storytelling. The work he is most proud of includes the Seek Different film for Tourism NT, which won first place in Tourism Destinations – Regions for the World’s Best Tourism Film on the 2021 CIFFT (International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals) Circuit.

Reinout Swinnen studied animation at LUCA School of Arts in Brussels, earning his Master’s Degree in 2002. He later obtained an additional diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation from Animation Mentor. In 2006, he founded the animation studio Plan78 with his friend and former classmate Bram Van Rompaey. The studio was renamed Rabbit Hole in 2018. They shared the vision that an animation studio should focus on believable character animation, ensuring that whether it’s a simple cube or a mythical dragon, the characters come alive and don't "just move". In 2007 and 2008, Swinnen was part of the animation team at Larian Studios, working on the critically acclaimed RPG Divinity 2. Since then, Bram and Reinout have focused on building their studio's portfolio, producing commercial work for brands like Aldi and DHL, while always keeping a personal project on the side. Their short film Lunch Break won multiple international awards, and their new project Rabbit Hole, A Life Wasted is gaining attention on the festival circuit. Swinnen is also a musician, playing keyboards in the touring band K’s Choice. He never leaves home without his laptop, ensuring that not a day goes by without some animation work.

Aiden Samford-Ulrich is a director of photography born and raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Working in both short form and long form, Ulrich has created commercials for notable names such as Porsche, JBL, Captain Morgan, FitBit, Saint-Laurent, Gap, and more. Recent TV work includes Apple TV's Omnivore series. Samford-Ulrich’s practice also extends beyond traditional realms, working with visual artists such as Frank Oclenfells and most recently Josh Kline, whose retrospective opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2023, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, in the summer of 2024. Samford-Ulrich is represented by UTA and is currently based in Los Angeles.

Qualified in communication planning, he got into film production in 2006 and co-founded Maybaum Film. Since then, he has made countless films in the field of corporate and advertising films as director and later as director of photography. He worked on diverse international documentaries and his works on corporate films have been awarded many times. His company employs 25 people and is one of the leading production companies for corporate films in Switzerland.

Marco Valpiani is a film producer and lives in Zurich. He looks back on over 35 years of creative and advisory work in the film sector. As a producer, writer, and director he realized commercials, branded and corporate films. In 2015 he won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards with “The Heartbeat of Switzerland”, which he made for the Swiss Federal Railways. In the last ten years, one feature film and two documentaries have also been shown in theaters, for which he was responsible as co-author and producer. His professional career includes positions in renowned companies such as Condor Films, Wirz & Fraefel, Atlantic Productions, Teleclub, Ringier Film, Lichtspiele 'The Film Agency' and Seed Audio-Visual Communication AG.

Emmy and Artios Nominee Lana Veenker is a member of the Television Academy, the Casting Society, and the International Casting Directors Association, headquartered in Berlin, for which she serves on the Executive Board.

She began her career in London and, upon returning to the U.S. in 1999, founded one of the top commercial and location casting companies in the country: Cast Iron Studios. She maintains strong partnerships worldwide, with a focus on international co-productions.

Over the past 25 years, she has cast 350+ episodes of television, scores of feature films, and countless award-winning commercials for brands such as Nike, Apple, Peloton, Siemens, Heineken, Autodesk, and Google, including international campaigns from Shanghai to Santiago de Chile.

Hailed as a “must-know” by the Hollywood Reporter, she is also the recipient of the OMPA Award of Excellence, its most prestigious honour, for having reached “the highest level of excellence, craftsmanship and integrity, setting the bar for professionalism in the film and television industry”.

A former expert columnist for Backstage, Lana is a frequent lecturer in the U.S. and abroad, most recently at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany, as a part of their International Screen Acting Workshop. She speaks English, French, Spanish, some German, and a smattering of other languages.

At Bloomberg Ashish leads the global creative and content teams to craft bespoke brand solutions that engage Bloomberg’s audience of leaders and influencers. Bloomberg Media Studios has experienced double-digit growth over the last three years under his direction, becoming an award-winning powerhouse for brands ranging from luxury and technology to health and finance.

Over the past 20 years, Ashish has been driven by his belief that the best creative work is rooted in data and storytelling. Prior to Bloomberg, he held creative leadership roles in a variety of industries. He was Managing Director of Kelton, where he established its brand development and innovation practice, and was Executive Creative Director at Digitas New York, where he fueled its growth to become one of the biggest healthcare agencies in the world. Throughout his career, Ashish has honed his passion for innovative storytelling, be it through game design at Atari or branded entertainment at William Morris/Endeavor.

Ashish’s creative impetus has resulted in numerous awards and industry recognition including Cannes, the Webby’s, Shortys, Tellys and more. He holds a BFA in Design from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts, New York. His interactive art has been exhibited at the NTT Center in Tokyo, ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany, and the Postmasters Gallery in New York. He is fluent in Hindi, struggles with Italian, and lives with his daughter in Brooklyn.

Ivan is an award-winning freelance multi-genre filmmaker. He began his career as cinematographer in the mid-nineties shooting music videos, tv films and documentaries across Europe.
Over the years, he turned to commercial-filmmaking and has been shooting ads for brands like Bayer, Coca-Cola, Douwe Egberts, Gösser, Henkell and Söhnlein, LG, McDonald’s, Molson-Coors, Nestlé, Römerquelle, Samsung, Telekom and Unilever.
For the past ten years, he has also been directing his own films.
As a specialist for super slow-motion, food and liquid beauty filming he earned a serious reputation.
Furthermore, he is passionate about shooting sport-event promos.

Camila's approach to design is driven by her passion for narrative. She works in the art department of films, series, and commercials. She graduated in RTV/Audiovisual at UNESP and did an MA in Interior Design at FAAP, always focusing on scenography and Art Direction research. She continued extension studies at the University of the Arts in London. Before doing her first feature as a production designer, she worked in various roles in the art department for commercials, features, and series, such as the Emmy nominee The Wise Ones, directed by Fernando Meirelles, Ballerina, John Wick Spin-Off among others. In 2022 she was invited to the Berlinale Talents program as a Production Designer. Camila’s latest released project is Production Designer for the series John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams, Peacock.

Miguel graduated in audiovisual communications from the Complutense University of Madrid and worked at the public news services of RTVE (public television) for forty years, making hundreds of reports and documentaries for the news services.

Felix Weber is an expert in moving images and comic storytelling. After a short trip into the world of advertising at the Jung von Matt agency in Hamburg, his love of filmmaking took him to Munich. Since then, he has been writing and making corporate films for national and international clients at Al Dente Entertainment, where he has won several prizes.

Wolfgang Weigel edited his first films in the projection room of the local cinema, where he operated the projector for several years. He then made a name for himself as an assistant editor to Wim Wenders’s editor Peter Przygodda. Since 2001 he has worked as a freelance film editor on numerous feature and documentary films, including the international Netflix production The Coldest Game with Bill Pullman, or Anne Frank’s Diary by Hans Steinbichler. He has also edited award-winning commercials and music videos. His work has been honoured with the German Camera Award, the Editing Award at film+, the Best Editing Award at the Polish Film Festival and the Swiss Advertising Award, among others. In addition to editing, he also makes his own films. He graduated from Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School in London. In 2009 he directed his first feature film, Blindlings, which was nominated for the New German Cinema Award in 4 categories at the Munich Film Festival. He is a member of the German Federal Association of Film Editors and the German Film Academy. He lives and works in Berlin and Winterthur.

Jonathan Wells is a producer / director who has made both corporate videos and journalistic features throughout his career. He is currently in charge of video content at the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development). Before that he was a producer/director at the BBC for 10 years working mainly on foreign features. He is also a former Cannes Dolphin winner!

Joseph Wilkinson is a multi-award-winning composer and sound designer. Over the last decade, he has established a reputation for excellence in sound design and music, working with clients including Apple, Amazon, Channel 4, UNHCR and the WWF to enhance their messaging through sound. In 2023 he was awarded a D&AD Yellow Pencil for Sound Design craft, as well as two Gold awards for original composition and sound at the British Arrows in 2024. In 2023 he co-founded farfar studio, based in Brighton, UK, alongside his wife Cam Brandow.

Henry Wilks works at Shoot the Company, an award-winning video production agency he founded with Tom Hiller in 2006.

His passion is to produce films that tell unscripted stories featuring people making a difference in the business world. He loves telling important stories around sustainability, with a particular interest in human and environmental issues. By putting people at the heart of the narrative he understands how to make intelligent films that bring out complex and critical issues, creating films that engage, entertain and educate audiences.

Shoot the Company produces films for clients across the corporate, sports, food and brand space, with a portfolio that includes McDonald’s, UEFA, MSC Cruises, Lipton, FIFA, The FA, Barclays and Red Bull. Shoot the Company has a global network of trusted freelance crews across the world. This is very important to how they operate, as it allows them to minimize their travel footprint, which is their biggest source of emissions by far.

Henry is interested in how technology is driving change in the filming industry and AI in particular, as this is already creating change in how content is made. He started his career in broadcast TV and has seen how changes in technology have always shaped how talented filmmakers tell their stories, especially in the documentary space.

After his studies at the School of Arts in Utrecht (Bachelor) and the Portsmouth University (European Media Masters of Arts) he started working as an independent producer.

The last twenty years he produced more than 500 different corporate, documentary and fiction productions.

As a company they produce daily content for different online platforms up to large (corporate) films for events, experience projects, corporate channels or television.

They work exclusively for the Dutch Government and different national and international corporate clients like Heineken, KPN, Dutch national railway, ABNAMRO and ProRail.

Their goal is to tell beautiful stories in a special way. They do this with a big dedicated team in Amsterdam and The Hague.

Darian Woehr is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer between San Francisco, California, and South America.

She is drawn to stories at the nexus of memory, environments and defining home that occur at pivotal moments in history but are often missing from the headlines. Darian is a founder of The Home Collective, a long-term documentary project exploring the concept of home and its definitive role in shaping our future.

Robin Wuchter develops innovative informational and educational formats for TV and the internet. His portfolio includes travel documentaries like A Man, A River, An Adventure, pre-school programs like Adventure Dad, and animation series like Bestor BW films about choosing a university. Robin taught for several years at the Munich University of Television and Cinema (HFF) before moving to Sydney with his family, where he is currently involved in internationalizing several TV series.

Filiz Zengin was appointed Editor-in-Chief to tv4 in January 2022. Prior to this appointment, Zengin was an Executive Producer at 24 TV for 10 years. She was part of many TV Documentaries and shows as a producer. After graduating from the University of Istanbul, she worked for NTV, and interviewed many worldwide musicians, artists, and directors. She moved to London and then to New York. She lived 5 years in New York. She studied Media Arts and Technology in New York. While she was living there, she worked as an Assistant Producer at WABC TV/ Eye Witness News. She also has made educational videos for kids with Autism in a volunteering job. Now, she lives in Istanbul.

Max Zilker is an award-winning editor for commercials, fictional movies and corporate films. After having graduated from university with the highest distinction, he entered the world of commercials and corporate films. His commercial Schwitzender Klaus, for which he was in charge not only of the montage but also of the visuals effects, he was awarded the Porsche Award, two times gold and one time silver. In the masterclasses given by Patrick Tucker in London as well as in the classes of Mark Travis, he reinforced his interest in the direction of films. At present, he is developing his own materials and lives with his wife and his daughter in Munich.

Zbigniew Żmudzki graduated in Economics and Film and Television Production Management in Lodz, Poland.

He is an Oscar-winner with Peter and the Wolf.