Speakers

Michael is 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 alumni 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 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 film with a clear preference for films with a social or political statement by innovative filmmakers. Today, Clin d’oeil films is one of Belgian’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 impact 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 organized 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, 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 Berlin International Film Festival and DOK Leipzig, where she was head of the Industry Programme. She founded 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 in her consulting work.

In August 2024, Salma Abdalla started her new role at the Austrian Film Institute. Since 2017, she had been CEO of Autlook Filmsales, specializing 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 catalog and breaking into the U.S. market. She is also a frequent panelist and speaker at major film festivals.

tephanie 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 panelist, 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, customized sales and festival strategies that help maximize 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, 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, 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 (94rd 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 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 University of Hull (2002) preceding an MSc in Aquatic Resource Management from King’s College London (2003.) Louise established Neptune in 2006, 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 member of the board of Media Deals, a pan-European investor network constituted of business angels and early-stage venture capital funds and Senior Partner at strategic financing consultancy peacefulfish. As Executive Advisor with more than 30 years of experience in the creative economy, Juliane holds an 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 Fellow at the Competence Centre Cultural and Creative Industries of the Federal Republic of Germany and board member of 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 second-hand goods organization, to create an extensive prop and costume reuse network. Luiza is also a key player in the studio’s educational and community outreach programs, 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 audiences first, understanding that the screen’s industries have the power 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 programs: short-term, targeted skills trainings 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, research and development. Eszter spearheaded the NFI’s green film production guide and hosts and leads the green production working group.

In the position as Film Commissioner at FILM in AUSTRIA, Nina Keidies is jointly responsible for informing about FISA+, promote Austria as film location and acquire 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 Sales and Project Manager at hq7studios, the newly established filmstudio 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 focus on national and international co-productions. hq7studios is a brand-new film studio facility in Austria, Vienna, started operation in 2024 with two soundproof stages matching the highest industry standards, tailormade to fit any creative vision.

Raquel Kishori Dukpa is a screenwriter, film producer and casting director. She studied at the University 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 develops and produces various feature film 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 it’s 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 as well she has 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 organizational 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 on 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.

Themba, after a decade in international film sales, led Diversity & Inclusion at the European Film Market (Berlinale) from 2017 to 2024. He curated inclusion events at EFM’s Industry Sessions and collaborated with community-based film organizations and advocacy groups. He co-managed the Doc and Fiction Toolbox Programmes and the EFM (Online) Market Badge Inclusion Initiative with Nadja Tennstedt. Themba co-founded Engage, a think tank series on African film industry challenges, with Mitchell Harper and Tiny Mungwe. He is also a founding member of the Programmers of Colour Collective (POC2). Since 2021, Themba has mentored at Durban FilmMart’s Pitching and Financing Forum, advising projects across Africa. He co-founded the Caribbean Film Academy with Chloë Walters-Wallace, organizing the Third Horizon Caribbean Film Industry Think Tank in Miami in May 2024. Themba has held various programming roles at festivals like Carla 2020 (WIFT), Mind the Gap (Mill Valley Film Festival), Medici – The Film Funding Journey (FOCAL), Generation (Berlinale), and Arica Nativa (Chile). He is a regular member of selection committees for the New Dawn Film Fund and Zürcher Filmstiftung, and a member of the European Film Academy.

Dr. Persson Perry Baumgartinger. Founder of TransComm The Office for Transformative Communication. 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, developing the Rights of Nature and 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 works also freelance for the European Film Academy as diversity & inclusion officer. He was prior working 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 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 with ecophilosophers from various indigenous and Buddhist traditions. He works with scriptwriters, journalists and editors on the question how forward-looking media can help audiences become more futures literate. He uses storytelling, speculative fiction and creative writing techniques to help organizations 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 organizations in their journeys to increase representation and inclusion across the board. Previously she led the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) Diversity, Equity & 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 in 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 theaters.
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.

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, leaving 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, promoting 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 programs 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 english-speaking amateur stand-up world in Turkey.

Stephan Mallmann 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 company, Hanway Films, in 1998. He served as C.O.O. of both companies until 2012. Since then, he has been acting as an independent consultant/associate producer, working with filmmakers such as Wim Wenders (e.g. “PINA”, “Anselm”) or Rupert Everett (“The Happy Prince”), as well as on a number of high-end animation features.

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, leaving a significant mark on the international film community.

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 is 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 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 promotes 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, 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 counselor 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 in change processes, in 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 start up and many years of work as a management consultant.

Petar Mitric is 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-Demark-France) that 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 Free Zone film festival in Belgrade, he developed the programme “Digital Propeller” aimed at 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 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); 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, organizations, 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 supports the Filmuniversity Babelsberg in the field of Audience Design, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Ewa Bojanowska graduated in Media Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Film Producing from Polish Film School in Łódź. She is also an EAVE Marketing and Torino Audience Design graduate. From 2015 till 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, 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 specialized in sales and marketing of art-house films, working on titles by established and upcoming auteurs alike. Today she offers her expertise to 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 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 production assistant at Flying Moon Film Production Berlin (2010/11), as creative producer at INDI FILM Stuttgart/Berlin (2011-2018), as 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 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, program delegate for the Zurich FilmFestival, ScreenSkills mentor, lecturer at filmschools and runs the Skye Community Cinema.

David is a creative producer and script consultant working internationally. Consultations include TIGER STRIPES, winner 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 feature film THE GOAT (2023). Among many other contributions he is the annual advisor for the Rotterdam Lab at IFFRPro, an external advisor for Eurimage 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 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 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’ experience in entertainment, media and communication law, intellectual property and technology law and data protection both in counselling and litigation. Stéphanie heads the IP-IT / Data & Media Department of STEERING LEGAL, a multidisciplinary French law firm with offices in France and abroad (UAE, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Niger). 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 Eurimages and the BFI and the US guilds.

Charlotte advises clients in the film and audiovisual 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 and passion for filmmaking, including as a member of the European Film Academy.

Christos specialises in all aspects of 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 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 realized 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, GQ, as well as 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 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 specialised in director-driven features and young auteurs. He is a Berlin Talent Campus alumnus, Screen Institute alumnus, and member of EAVE.

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