Independent media and political consultant. Served as Director of Program Review for the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) responsible for reviewing the news and current affairs programming for MBN’s television networks, Radio Sawa, MBN websites and social media pages. Previously, MR. Sarkisian served as Managing Editor for MBN’s two televisions networks, he was a producer with MBC US, Inc. and an International Radio Broadcaster and Production Specialist for Voice of America.
2025 Grand Jury
Soo Young Ahn
Executive Producer, Entertainment TV MBC
ABOUT
Soo Young Ahn
For 20+ years, Soo Young Ahn has been a television producer in MBC, South Korea, producing and directing several reality shows and special events such as Reveal My Star's Life: The Manager, Home Alone, and The Masked Singer: year 2022. Currently, he is an executive producer on a holiday special live programming, 2023 MBC Drama Awards.
Béatrice Alquier
Promotion et Direction Artistique des Antennes Direction Promotion opérationnelle France Télévisions
ABOUT
Béatrice Alquier
Aged 56, Béatrice began her career as a photographer at the Cannes Film Festival with journalist Roger Ebert/for the New York Daily News and as an editor with the Gamma, AFP and Magnum Photos agencies, also assisting photographers Josef Koudelka Bruno Barbey and Jean Gaumy.
She then moved to Italy as a communications officer in the arts, cinema and audiovisual sectors - French Embassy, Festivals France Cinéma & Eurovisioni. She worked as an advisor on film and documentary co-productions for Studio Immagine/Rome and as a voluntary fixer in France for the magazine Porta a Porta/Rai 1.
Since 2000, she has worked for France 3 on various programmes - Sports, TV5 Monde/France 3,regional programmes, Des Racines & des Ailes magazine. She then joined the artistic direction department, where she worked with France Télévisions' creative directors for International artistic direction Festivals.
She has held a press card from the Union Internationale de la Presse Francophone since 2008.
Leonardo Aranguibel
VP, Head of Production Operations & Strategy The Walt Disney Company Latin America
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Leonardo Aranguibel
Leonardo Aranguibel is VP, Head of Production Operations & Strategy, at The Walt Disney Company Latin America, providing production support for General Entertainment, Kids & Family, Nat Geo, and Unscripted Content.
Prior to his current role, Aranguibel was Director of Production for Disney Media Distributions Latin America. Starting in 2005, he joined the Disney-ABC International Television team, where he oversaw the design, development, and executive production for original productions for The Walt Disney Company Latin America, the US Hispanic market, and other territories. Throughout his tenure, Aranguibel has implemented local versions of hit series such as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, The Amazing Race, The Golden Girls, and many others, for markets such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and the US Hispanic market.
Before joining The Walt Disney Company Latin America, Aranguibel was part of the HBO Latin America production team for six years as VP of Original Production. Aranguibel has also had experience directing soap operas and other dramas for channels such as Telemundo in the United States and Radio Caracas Television in Venezuela.
Throughout his career, Aranguibel received a number of accolades including the World Gold and Bronze Medal at the 2000 New York Festival, TV & Film/Video Awards; Silver World Medal in the 2001 edition of the same festival, and Bronze World Medal in 1999. He was also a jury member for the International Emmy Awards on numerous occasions beginning in 2003 to the present. Today, he is a member of the Nominating Committee of the International Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences, Emmys Internationals.
Aranguibel graduated from the School of Social Communication at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). He studied Film and Television at the London International Film School, England, and received a Master's degree in Political Science from the Simón Bolívar University, in Caracas. For 5 years, he taught at the Film Department for UCV’s School of Arts.
The Walt Disney Company Latin America is the leader in family entertainment in Latin America and responsible for its brands and all of its businesses throughout the region, with offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and the United States. USA (Miami).
Angeli G. Atienza
Senior Assistant Vice President, Public Affairs GMA Network
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Angeli G. Atienza
Anj Atienza is a television showrunner with twenty years of experience in broadcasting and journalism. She currently serves as an Assistant Vice President for GMA Network’s Public Affairs group in the Philippines. She has led programs and television specials across a wide range of genres and formats: documentary, news magazine, live events, and scripted series. A series creator and screenwriter, Anj currently heads GMA Public Affairs’ newly minted film team.
She is a prize-winning producer of programs recognized by the New York Festivals, the World Television Awards, the US International Film and Video Festival, the Asian Television Awards, the Association for International Broadcasting in London, and URTI in Monte Carlo. Her shows have been recognized for environmental, investigative, and issues-oriented reporting.
Ruth Beni
Co-Founder/Filmmaker/Writer Animage Films
ABOUT
Ruth Beni
Ruth Beni is an award-winning filmmaker and writer.
Ruth co-founded Animage Films in 1998 with the artist and animator Richard Burdett. At Animage, Ruth has written and produced original TV programmes and films for national and international broadcasters including ITV and Channel 4.
Since 2007 Ruth’s work has focused on creating and directing series of film campaigns tackling the many forms of violence against women, as well as other social issues. Many of the films spearheaded national and international awareness campaigns and have received a number of international awards. To view Ruth’s films please go to the films page of this website. If you would like to get in touch with Ruth please visit the contact page.
Gaye Bennett
Executive Producer Radley Yeldar
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Gaye Bennett
Gaye has over 20 years’ experience in the media industry, with a background primarily in branded and interactive film content. She has a real passion for human storytelling and heads up the diversity & inclusion, ethics and sustainability offer for RY’s film and animation department. She has worked with her team to deliver the kind of innovative thinking and powerful messaging that frequently wins awards at NY Festivals, Cannes and EVCOM. Gaye has built long-term client relationships over her 7 years at RY and has produced films and social media content, including multi-territory productions for a broad range of clients, including JTI, VF Corp, Standard Chartered, Wrap and Shell.
Benjamin Best
Journalist/Filmmaker/Book Author Benjamin Best Productions GmbH
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Benjamin Best
Benjamin Best is an award winning journalist and filmmaker including Silver and Gold at the New York Festivals. He's been in the industry for well over 15 years. During this time he's been directing and producing feature documentary films for television and cinema. Child labor in India, corruption in sports, Human Rights violations - the topics he's covering are investigative and take him around the world.
Eduardo Blanco
Creative Manager The Walt Disney Company
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Eduardo Blanco
My name is Eduardo Blanco. Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, I have been part of Media companies for the past 25 years. I joined the Fox Spanish Creative Team in 2009 as copywriter and video producer, working with amazing brands (as National Geographic and the Fox channels) inside an amazing team as well. Later, and during 5 years, I was in charge to give audiovisual support to the launch and distribution of digital products and services across EMEA on Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. Now, and for the last year two years, I keep dreaming in the EMEA Kid´s Hub for the Disney Channels, as Creative Manager.
Peter Bostoen
Filmmaker Independent
ABOUT
Peter Bostoen
By combining the human warmth of a documentary approach with a cinematic feel, I try to create engaging films that the viewers will remember.
It’s my pleasure to work all over the world, in different languages & styles.
Collaborating with clients and teams from across the entire social, cultural and religious spectrum to bring a fresh perspective to corporate storytelling.
Personal website:
peterbostoen.com
Tessa Bryson
Producer Independent
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Tessa Bryson
A graduate of the Falmouth School of Arts, Bryson has over a decade of experience in broadcasting. She has worked exclusively with international broadcaster Al Jazeera since 2007. Her career began at Al Jazeera English in London, later joining Al Jazeera's award-winning Investigative Unit in Qatar whose mission is to not report the news, but to make the news. She is currently independent and was preiously the Unit Manager for the Investigative Journalism Department.
Sharon Burden
Assistant Manager - Gender and Tech Education, Prevention and Inclusion Branch Australian Government eSafety Commissioner
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Sharon Burden
Sharon Burden has over twenty years experience in the media and communications field. Sharon is currently a Senior Advisor with the Office of the eSafety Commisisoner which safeguards and empowers Autralians to have safe and positive online experiences. Sharon project managed the international award winning cybersafety video for teens, Tagged for which she was awarded a Public Service Australia Day Medallion.
Eduardo Calvet
Editor TV Globo
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Eduardo Calvet
For over 20 years Eduardo Calvet has been a creative trailer and promo editor at TV Globo. He has played a key creative role in sports, drama, and film campaigns, earning over 100 international awards, including New York Festivals, Clio, One Show, and Promax.
He is also a documentary filmmaker and a master’s degree researcher. His works on Brazilian Animation, Movie Palaces, and Virtual Reality have been officially selected by renowned festivals such as the Venice Film Festival, Annecy Animation Festival, Rio International Film Festival, and many others.
Arlene U. Carnay
Vice President, Public Affairs GMA Network
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Arlene U. Carnay
Arlene Carnay is currently GMA Network’s Vice President for Public Affairs. Ms. Carnay earned her Bachelor Arts Degree in Broadcast Communication at the University of the Philippines and began her professional career in 1997, embarking on a now almost 25 year career in the broadcast industry.
She has handled various roles in television production at GMA Network, including Researcher, Segment Producer, and Executive Producer for News and Public Affairs programs. She has also held the positions of Program Manager, Assistant Vice President, and Senior Assistant Vice President of GMA Public Affairs prior to being appointed to her current position.
She has been at the helm of major live and taped productions including GMA Network’s 2016 Presidential Debate, “Debate 2019: The Senatorial Face-Off”, which won the Silver Camera Award in the US International Film and Video Festivals (USIFVF), a number of investigative specials and election forums, as well as all the season finales of Survivor Philippines. She has also led the longest-running morning show in the Philippines, spanning over two decades.
Under her supervision, several Public Affairs documentary programs have also won international awards, including the environmental documentary special “Philippine Seas” which was awarded the Grand Prize in the Science, Technology, and Nature category in the Association of International Broadcasters in London and the Gold Camera Award in the USIFVF in 2018. Additionally, the Atom Araullo Specials’ “Babies for Sale”, one of the most internationally recognized documentaries in the country that won the Best Documentary Program at the Asian Academy Creative Awards and the Silver medal in the New York Festivals in 2020 was also handled by Ms. Carnay. She also
produced two election-related specials, entitled Philippine Agenda: Education, and Philippine Agenda: Health, and these productions won the Gold and Silver Camera Awards in the USIFVF respectively. Her current projects include overseeing the Philippine’s number one program “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” which is part of the of the GMA News and Public Affairs team that receive
Daniel Carriere
Science Reporter Radio-Canada
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Daniel Carriere
World traveler, amateur photographer and science enthusiast; I am a science reporter based in Montreal. I work for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). I have also worked for science shows at the TSR (Swiss National Televison network). I have done science stories in Paris, Dubai, Geneva and Gibraltar. I have won the New York Festivals Gold World Medal for a sport documentary on the science of rowing solo across the Atlantic. I have also won best documentary at the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for a science story on the New World Trade Center. I love my work and am honored to be a member of the Grand Jury.
Joan Cartan-Hansen
Science Trek Producer/Host Idaho Public Television
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Joan Cartan-Hansen
Joan Cartan-Hansen is the creator of the digital project, Science Trek (sciencetrek.org) for Idaho Public Television. This project teaches science to elementary age students and provides support for educators and parents. She also produces and writes documentaries and occasionally works for the PBS NewsHour. Joan sits on the executive board for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has won numerous awards including the Kavli Science Journalism Silver Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, several regional Emmys, and New York Festival awards. A champion for Press rights and public access, Joan was honored with a Silver Circle award from NATASNW for her efforts to reform open government laws.
George chalouhi
Head of Talent & Creative Management Katara Studios
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George chalouhi
George Chalouhi serves as the Head of Talent & Creative Management at Katara Studios in Qatar. He has been at the studios for over 6 years where his experience and expertise came from over 15 years of Producing TVCs, Music Videos, Series and Documentaries and serving as an Executive Producer across several media companies in Qatar. In his current role, George oversees the careers of the talent and creative members of the studio whether it being directors, writers, vfx and graphic artists or musicians.
George earned his communications and sociology degree from the American University of Beirut. Moving from his role as a news anchor and radio host, several years post his graduation, George first started in the film industry as a fixer - translator for Peter Webber (Girl with a Pearl Earring) and hasnt stopped since. His primary focus now is to give back to the industry by lending his experience to the up and coming film generation in the MENA region and to also focus on the power of collaborations between creative entities , all in the name of serving the creative industry. Georges' projects have received numerous awards from the New York Festivals, The Telly awards and Eventex to name a few.
His biggest awards though are his 3 daughters in whom he hopes he can instill in them the beauty of the creative world and how it can harmonize their lives and those around them.
Donovan Chan
Co-founder & Creative Director Beach House Pictures
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Donovan Chan
Donovan is a co-founder of Beach House Pictures and a leading TV & Film producer, director and showrunner in Asia. As Creative Director of BHP, Donovan strategizes and runs the business with co-founder Jocelyn Little, spearheading development while overseeing a diverse range of productions. Donovan is across all content creation in the company, supervising BHP’s creative teams and it’s pitches, while growing and managing relationships in the company’s key markets in the US, China, Japan, Korea and South-East Asia. Regular partners and clients include top SVOD players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount and Disney+; and in China, CCTV, Tencent, Bilibili and Youku.
Kevin Chan
Senior Creative Producer Mediacorp Pte Ltd
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Kevin Chan
Kevin is an award-winning video and content producer with over a decade’s experience creating short-form digital content, branding, integrated campaigns and promotional content for leading networks, including Mediacorp, ESPN-Star Sports and The Comedy Channel (Australia).
He graduated with a double major in Cinema and Broadcasting from San Francisco State University, as well as a master’s degree in Film & Television from the University of Melbourne. He is currently a Senior Creative Producer with the Creative Lab at Mediacorp Pte Ltd, producing English and Chinese content and promotional spots while dabbling with motion graphics and getting inspired by comedy and experimental films.
Debbie Cuell
CEO & Executive Producer Sparkle Pictures
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Debbie Cuell
Debbie Cuell is CEO and Executive Producer of Sparkle Pictures.
Previously, she was creator and Executive producer of Documentary and Factual Entertainment programs at Endemol Shine Australia where she looked after the slate of factual programs, including Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds Series 1. Broadcast on the ABC, it touched the hearts of Australian viewers and shone a light on our often-forgotten older Australians. The series was critically acclaimed in Australia and internationally winning an AACTA for Best Documentary or Factual Program and the 2020 International Emmy Award for best Entertainment Program.
Debbie then went on to Develop and Executive Produce Series 2 of Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds. It too critically acclaimed winning the 2021 AACTA for Best Documentary or Factual Program, and GRAND and GOLD at the New York TV and Film Awards for Documentary Social Issues.
Debbie then went on to create and develop Old Peoples Home for Teenagers, broadcast on the ABC in 2022. The series has been nominated for an Australian AACTA, and also an international Rose D’or award.
In her previous role in 2017 as Head of Entertainment at Australia’s National Broadcaster, the ABC Australia Debbie led a large national team and managed the production, and delivery of a mix of original content and formats, including Panel/Shiny Floor, Factual Entertainment, Observational Documentaries, and unscripted comedy.
In 2022 Debbie launched her production label “Sparkle Pictures” in an exclusive partnership with Dreamchaser.
Debbie is known for bringing integrity and heart to all that she produces.
Nicola Davey
VP Acquisitions Banijay Rights
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Nicola Davey
Nicola Davey was appointed VP Acquisitions at Banijay Rights in March 2023.
Based in London, Nicola is responsible for identifying and securing stand-out non-scripted content to distribute internationally and works closely with producers at every stage of the development process. She is also charged with building the leading distributor’s network of independent production partners.
Prior to working at Banijay Rights, Nicola was SVP Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Beyond Rights. She previously held roles at TCB Media Rights and UK Indie Zig Zag Productions.
Sofia de Fay
Writer/Director Independent
ABOUT
Sofia de Fay
Sofia de Fay is a South African freelance writer and director who has worked worldwide on diverse projects, from documentaries to short fiction films to commercials and corporates, as well as TV series for Discovery and Nat Geo and, more recently, EXPO channel.
Born in Liverpool, UK, she has worked in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, in war zones and developing nations.
She has covered controversial and difficult subjects like forced labor, aids, the emergence of democracy, rhino wars, and breast cancer awareness in the Mena region. She is most proud of her work raising funds for victims of war and natural disasters. She has covered earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes in different parts of the world.
Filming the plight of refugees in different conflict zones, she has worked in campaigns to bring about change in Syria, Iraq, Nepal, Africa, and China.
Her most recent work has involved the UAE space project, and she has followed the astronauts’ preparation and journey to the ISS and a satellite to Mars.
She has won many awards and has showcased her films at many Oscar-qualifying festivals. Sofia is known for her irreverent sense of humor, a passion for aesthetics and visual design, and the ability to construct strong narratives. She is relentlessly curious and brave, always looking for a unique viewpoint and story that is fresh and compelling.
Ella Dobson
Motion Designer & Creative Director Independent
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Ella Dobson
Ella Dobson is an award-winning Motion Designer & Creative Director with a love for storytelling at her core. A New Zealander, she's worked with a range of clients, from The New York Times, Barron’s, and Netflix, through to TED-Ed and Google. She has worked in various markets - New Zealand, Sydney, Los Angeles and New York City, across studios, agencies and production companies.
Concept oriented, she places importance on the details, knowing that storytelling and thoughtful creative are the key to engaging content. Her work has been recognized by D&AD, Cannes Lions, The One Club for Creativity, Motionographer, AGDA, Best Awards and Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI).
Ella holds a Bachelor of Design from Auckland University of Technology. She currently serves on the AIGA NY Board of Directors, championing the future of design for all.
Clara Dominguez
Director of Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives Voice of America
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Clara Dominguez
Currently the Director of Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives for the Voice of America, Clara Dominguez, engages with outside organizations, news organizations, academia as well as NGO’s as well as elements of the US Agency for Global Media to enhance content sharing and curation. In addition she oversees Voice of America’s Learning English program, dedicated to teach English worldwide as directs broadcasting to Latin America on radio, television and digital media.
Clara has served in a number of executive positions at VOA, including managing editor of the News Center.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Clara has a master’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami’s School of Business
Stacey Edmonds
Founder & Director Lively, a Learning Agency
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Stacey Edmonds
Stacey is an experienced professional with over 25 years of experience in the Big Four, boutique consultancies, academia, and key leadership roles across diverse industries. She is the Founder and Director of Lively, a Learning Agency. Her qualifications in Psychology and Sociology, Education, Multi-Platform Screen Production, AI and Gamification plus hands-on experience in Edtech, equips her with the unique ability to ‘connect the dots’ in a consumer-grade digital learning landscape.
She is presently working on writing up a new design methodology for developing consumer-grade learning experiences in her book titled “Learning was never meant to be boring”. Additionally, she has founded a startup called ‘Dodgy or Not’ designed to help people learn how to beat scammers at their own game.
Stacey’s background is in youth work and education, and her vision has always been to democratize learning so that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, has equal access to education and the life choices that brings.
Claudia Ernst
Assistenz GF Joern Roever Doclights GmbH / NDR Naturfilm
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Claudia Ernst
Claudia is working since 2001 in non fiction and natural history departments.
Today she’s working as assistant for the CEO of Naturfilm/Doclights for the ARD primetime wildlife slot “Erlebnis Erde” and NDR’s “Expeditionen ins Tierreich” as well as for international coproductions (National Geographic Wild, ORF, Terra Mater, ARTE).
Jeremy JP Fekete
Filmmaker, writer & director ARTE G.E.I.E.
ABOUT
Jeremy JP Fekete
JEREMY JP FEKETE is an international award winning freelance filmmaker, director & writer: including Bronze, Silver and Gold at the NEW YORK FESTIVALS. For his work he received several international nominations and awards from various TV- and Film Festivals, among others at the WORLDFEST HOUSTON / USA, HOLLYWOOD INTERN. INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY AWARDS / USA, GOLD MOVIE AWARDS / GB(UK), ADOLF GRIMME AWARD / DE, GERMAN CAMERA AWARD / DE, ROSE D’OR / CH, REYKJAVIK INTERN. FILM FESTIVAL / IS and at the INTERN. FILMMAKER FESTIVALS OF WORLD CINEMA in MILAN, NICE and LONDON.
He startet his career as a visual artist with exhibitions at ART BASEL, KUNSTMUSEUM LUZERN, KUNSTHAUS AARGAU and KUNSTMUSEUM BASEL in Switzerland. 1993 he changed into the TV- and Film Business. Since then he is working as a filmmaker for documentary series, Biopics and documentary films for international broadcasters, like the german-french culture channel ARTE or for german channels like ARD and ZDF. His filmic handwriting is strongly influenced by his artistic education.
Walter Fernandez
Editor-in-Chief CNA & Chief Sustainability Officer Mediacorp
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Walter Fernandez
Walter has been a journalist and editor for 30 years, during which he has held senior leadership roles in television, radio, print and digital newsrooms. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of CNA (Channel NewsAsia), a position he has held since 2013. Since then, CNA has won more than 550 international awards for outstanding content. In 2020, Walter led CNA to the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) Channel of the Year award. In 2022, CNA was named Global Winner of the Best News Website by the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). CNA has also been ranked the most trusted news source in Singapore by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University for six consecutive years.In 2024, as part of CNA’s Silver Jubilee, Walter led the launch of a new CNA documentary-centric channel in North America and Europe; and has expanded CNA’s presence across China.
Valeria Fiñana
Founder DayDream Entertainment
ABOUT
Valeria Fiñana
Currently, I am channeling my extensive experience into founding and leading DayDreamEntertainment. This new venture focuses on developing innovative content for modern media platforms. My goal is to bring fresh perspectives and opportunities to streaming platforms, including movies, series, and VOD channels, to meet the evolving needs of today’s media landscape
From 2021 to 2023, Valeria Fiñana served as Vice President of Production & Development for Telemundo Streaming Studios at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. In this role, Fiñana led the creation and development of entertainment content in short and long format series, films and documentaries across markets including the U.S., Europe and LATAM. As a producer and creative leader, Fiñana was responsible for managing partnerships with third-party production services, as well as producers, showrunners and talent. In addition, she has overseen the budget, strategy, content decisions and internal communications for projects in the Telemundo Streaming Studios division. She reported directly to Juan Ponce, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Telemundo Streaming Studios.
With nearly two decades of professional experience and thousands of hours of primetime experience in the U.S. Hispanic market, Fiñana has worked on award-winning global hit series such as “El Señor de los Cielos” (The Lord of the Skies), “Buscando a Frida” (Looking for Frida), “100 Dias para Enamorarnos” (100 Days to Fall in Love), “Armas de Mujer” (‘Til Jail Do Us Part), “El Secreto de la Familia Greco” (The Secret of the Greco Family), “Diario de un Gigolo” (Diary of a Gigolo), and “La Reina del Sur” (The Queen of the South). Fiñana worked as the Executive Producer for the music documentary for the third season of La Reina Del Sur: “La Reina Del Sur 3: Un Viaje Inolvidable, Banda Sonora” (La Reina del Sur 3 – An Unforgettable Voyage, Soundtrack Production) which was honored at the 2023 Telly Awards.
From 2019 to 2021, Fiñana held a role as Vice President of Production Design for Telemundo Global Studios, leading all aspects of conceptualization, design and production across areas such as set design, makeup, wardrobe and scenery for all studio productions. Prior to joining NBC Universal/Telemundo Studios in 2009 as a production designer, Fiñana worked as a Freelancer Producer and Production Designer for numerous production companies.
Fiñana received her degree from La Universidad Nacional de las Artes in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Jim Fitzpatrick
Director, Writer, Producer Fitzpatrick Productions
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Jim Fitzpatrick
A Toronto-based director, writer, and producer. Jim is a multi-award winner with over twenty years of experience developing content globally and bringing stories to life in the broadcast and digital space. A passionate and recognized leader, Jim excels at managing diverse creative teams and nurturing emerging talent. He leads all aspects of production from strategy development through concept to final production and post-production. Jim directs content strategies across multiple platforms, focused on brand marketing while consistently driving viewership, engagement, and revenue growth.
Marissa Flores
Consultant
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Marissa Flores
Marissa L. Flores, was GMA Network Philippines’ Senior Vice President for News and Public Affairs since 2004. She joined the Company in 1987 as a researcher for public affairs documentaries and special reports and held the positions of Assistant Vice President, Vice President for Production, before being appointed to her current position. She is also a Trustee of the network’s public service arm, GMA Kapuso Foundation.
The Rotary Club of Manila recognized her as Television News Producer of the Year in 1996. In 2004, she was awarded the prestigious TOYM (The Outstanding Young Men) for Broadcast Management. In 2012, she received the CEO Excel Award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
Philippines. Ms. Flores was recognized for her work in the field of broadcast journalism by the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication at the first Glory Awards in 2017.
The News and Public Affairs group under Flores continues to be the recipient of international awards such as the Peabody Awards, New York Festivals and Asian Academy Creative Awards. GMA News and Public Affairs remains as the only Philippine broadcast network which has won the highly-coveted Peabody Award (four Peabody awards as of 2014) –widely considered as broadcasting and cable’s equivalent of the Pulitzer prize.
Aside from being in charge of news and public affairs programs in GMA Network’s national television stations, Flores also oversees its digital news and public affairs platforms.
Flores earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism at the University of the Philippines.
Robert E. Frye
Managing Director Whistling Communications
ABOUT
Robert E. Frye
With four decades of experience in documentaries and network news programs, Mr. Frye has been an independent documentary producer and director since 1988. Since that time he has completed more than 20 documentaries. Previously, during his 14-year career at ABC News, he was the founding executive producer of "ABC World News Tonight" with Peter Jennings, the executive producer of “Good Morning America” and the creator of “World News This Morning.”
Frye was producer of the ABC Evening News while at ABC News in Washington D.C. with Barbara Walters and Harry Reasoner from 1976 to 1978 prior to his being assigned to the London bureau. As Washington Bureau Chief, he helped establish a news syndication service Television News Inc (TVN) which was a forerunner of CNN. The bureau was responsible for breaking stories related to Watergate, the resignation of Vice President Spiro, and the resignation of Richard Nixon.
He began his network career as a page at NBC and moved on to NBC News as the researcher to Frank McGee and the NBC Instant Specials unit, covering such stories as the assassination of JFK and the overthrow of Nikita Khrushchev.
Frye’s documentary “In My Lifetime: A presentation of The Nuclear World Project,” was an official selection of the Global Peace Film Festival, telling the story of the sixty five year struggle to find solutions on how to dispose of and reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world. “In My Lifetime” earned a Silver World Medal in the 2013 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
His other documentaries deal with complex international subjects and include “Freedom without Walls” (2009) commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall; “The Berlin Trilogy” (2006) exploring 20th century Germany in “Kristallnacht: The Journey from 1938 to 1988”; “Journey of a City”; and “The Berlin Airlift.” Frye also produced and directed “The Journey of Butterfly,” a story of the Nazi ghetto at Terezin in Czechoslovakia, and “Russia: Facing the Future” (2001).
Throughout his career, Mr. Frye’s body of work has received numerous industry accolades - the Emmy Award, two duPont-Columbia University Silver Batons, the Peabody Award, the George Polk Award, the Christopher Award, a Rockie Award from the Banff Film Festival, a Golden Hugo from The Chicago International Film Festival, a Headliner, the IRE (Investigative Reporters) and a CINE Golden Eagles, as well as Gold and Silver Plaques from the Chicago International Film Festival’s INTERCOM.
Mihai Gadea
CEO Antena 3
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Mihai Gadea
Mihai Gîdea is one of Romania’s premier journalists and the guiding force behind ANTENA 3, the country’s highest-rated news channel. Mihai began his television career in 2002 as a producer and in 2004 he joined Intact Media Group where he was an on-camera presenter and began his award-winning talk show SINTEZA ZILEI (2005). In 2007 he assumed the role of CEO and launched ANTENA 2 which, after only 3 years, became one of the Top 10 most watched television stations in the country.
Beginning in June 2010, Mihai assumed the roles of CEO and General Manager of ANTENA 3. Under his leadership ANTENA 3 has experienced incedible growth becoming the #1 news stations and, on many days, the #1 TV station in the country.
Mihai was born on the 10th of January 1977, in Bucharest where he graduated the Theology Faculty from University of Bucharest. His hobbies are literature and philosophy. He is married and has a daughter.
Garlic Garcia
Head Of Content Viu Philippines
ABOUT
Garlic Garcia
Garlic Garcia is a dynamic female creative leader from the Philippines who has a 24 year strong career in the entertainment industry. She is one of the few creative executives who has mastered every possible format in content production - from being a documentarist and producer for News & Investigative Journalism with The Probe Team, to being a showrunner and headwriter of top rating musical variety shows, live shows and singing reality talent contests with ABSCBN. She is currently the Head of Content for Viu Philippines, the leading Pan-Asian streamer in the region. Under her leadership, from further solidifying Viu’s position as the ultimate Korean Content Authority, at the height of the pandemic, she initiated an expansive Filipino content strategy - firstly by localizing kdramas and regional dramas with tagalog dubbed versions that entertain mass audiences to secondly, forging strategic partnerships with the best Filipino content providers, by investing in the most premium Filipino content for global audiences. Under her leadership, Viu Philippines has garnered recordbreaking successes in terms of viewership regionally and in terms of driving brand awareness and growth for Viu, as well as securing big wins at the Content Asia Awards, Asian Academy Creative Awards, Asian TV Awards and at the Cannes Media & TV Awards.
Reshma Ghosh
Filmmaker & Founder Blue Petal Films
ABOUT
Reshma Ghosh
Reshma Ghosh is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Blue Petal Films, a boutique production house based in India. Writer, director and producer her career spans over two decades of creating content for broadcasters like BBC, CNN, Star Plus, Sony Television, AXN, National Geographic and Channel NewsAsia.
She has an extensive repertoire of work that includes travel, lifestyle, fashion, branded content, brand films and all genres of documentaries.
Films produced by her company, Blue Petal Films, have won international recognition in several prestigious film festivals around the world including New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, World Media Festival and ContentAsia Awards.
With her passion for humane storytelling, she loves to explore stories from around the world and in all domains. Her recent works include deep dives into the terrifying world of AI cyber scams, the underbelly of the pharmaceutical industry, the epidemic of unnecessary C-sections in India and the illegal trade of sea-cucumbers which is stripping the oceans of its most prized possession. With her head planted firmly on her shoulders and her feet forever ready for the next adventure, nothing stokes her fire more than the opportunity to tell a story, seldom told.
Megan Gilbert
Vice President & Executive Editorial Director Fortune Brand Studio
ABOUT
Megan Gilbert
Megan Gilbert is Vice President and Executive Editorial Director of the award-winning Fortune Brand Studio, a division of Fortune Media. She drives the editorial direction, strategy, program management, and production of branded content, co-leading the creative studio team in digital, audio, video, social, and print storytelling for high-profile clients such as Salesforce, PayPal, Zurich Insurance, AWS, Accenture, and more. Her varied and lengthy career in branded content includes positions at Gawker/Gizmodo, Fusion/Univision, The Washington Post, Slate, and VICE. Megan holds a B.A. from Boston University and an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She teaches a graduate-level course in Branded Content at New York University's School of Professional Studies and speaks each year at the university’s Summer Publishing Institute. She was an integral member of the small but mighty creative and production team behind the 2024 Paid Campaign of the Year (Global Content Awards) and 2023 Project of the Year (Content Marketing Awards): The Ecopreneurs. She was named to the 2024 class of PR Daily’s ranking of Top Women in Marketing, won Content Marketer of the Year in 2022 (Women in Content Marketing Awards), and was included on the 100 Most Significant Women in Native Advertising list in 2018. She is a judge for the Webby Awards, Signal Awards, Anthem Awards, Telly Awards, AIVA/W3 Awards, WICMA Awards, and Native Advertising Awards and is a proud member of the Brand Storytelling community.
Daniel Gimenez
Head of Graphics The Walt Disney Company
ABOUT
Daniel Gimenez
My name is Daniel Giménez. Born in Zaragoza and now raised in Madrid. I have been part of Media companies for the last 22 years. I join Fox Kids in 2000 as the Art Director and jump to the Fox Internationnal Channel in 2006, where I has worked with amazing channels like National Geographic, Fox, Nat Geo Wild… and since 2019 I joined to the Walt Disney Company working with the Disney Channels for Spain, Portugal and the EMEA Kid’s Hub as the head of graphics.
Wuan-ling Gou
Supervisor, International Affairs Section, International and Strategy Development Department Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation
ABOUT
Wuan-ling Gou
Ms Wuan-ling Guo has been working in the TV industry for more than 30 years. Spending almost ten years on international news production, she was producer of international news programs at Public Television Service (PTS), and her program was shortlisted for Excellent Journalism Award in Taiwan. She has also been the producer of an in-depth talk show, co-production documentaries, and children’s programs. Her work was screened at Berlin International Film Festival, and has received Best Long Documentary Award at International Gold Panda Documentary Festival in Sichuan, China. At the same time, she serves as the director and curator for Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival (TICFF) and Best of INPUT in Taiwan since 2014. And she also serves as the executive producer and commissioning editor of documentaries.
Fionn Groeger
Producer Aramco
ABOUT
Fionn Groeger
Fionn Greger brings two decades of diverse experience in both feature and short-form filmmaking to the judging panel. Currently heading production at Aramco's in-house studio in the Middle East, Fionn oversees a wide spectrum of content creation. His seven-year tenure as Head of Production and Post at Amazon's London office saw him managing an extensive portfolio of television and branded content.
Fionn's passion for independent cinema shines through his work as producer on the award-winning Irish feature "Twice Shy" (2016). Most recently, he served as production consultant on "Kneecap," which claimed the Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and is Ireland’s official submission to the 2025 Academy Awards. With his rich background spanning corporate production, streaming platforms, and independent filmmaking, Fionn brings a unique and valuable perspective to the festival's jury.
Marie-Claude GUAY
Head of Innovation Centre, Industry Expertise and Market intelligence Business Consulting, CGI Mtl
ABOUT
Marie-Claude GUAY
Recognized as an agent of change, Marie-Claude has 20 years experience in story production across different mediums and audiences, from journalistic reporting to corporate communications. Prior to co-founding 2 organisations, she was an award-winning journalist who spent 14-years producing and telling stories from over 30 countries as a Radio-Canada reporter and through Cpasifou, her independent multimedia project documenting her family’s year-long around-the-world journey. Driven by innovation, she believes that the spread of technology offers transformative opportunities to positively inform our society.
Samantha Gunn
Creative Director Plastic Pictures
ABOUT
Samantha Gunn
Sam is responsible for developing bold ideas that leave a lasting impact. Helping clients create pioneering, perceptive, and persuasive creative content. A passionate, award-winning filmmaker, she has spent 15 years collaborating with some of the world's biggest and most creative brands.
Melanie Haft
Managing Director & Head of Production nautilusfilm GmbH
ABOUT
Melanie Haft
Studied Media & Communications in Augsburg, Germany
Owner of NautilusLizenzen GbR
Head of filmmaker´s trainee program @nautilusfilm GmbH since 2019
Awards: nautilusfilm productions have so far received
41x „Best of festival“ Awards, 3 Panda Awards (Wildscreen),
2 Awards at Jackson Wild, over 250 Awards worldwide
Oliver Halmburger
Director/Producer Loopfilm GmbH
ABOUT
Oliver Halmburger
Oliver Halmburger (*15.5.1971) has been working for various TV broadcasters since 1992. In 2001 he founded Loopfilm GmbH, an internationally successful film and TV production company. Under his responsibility more than 50 primetime TV events, docudramas and documentaries were produced, mainly for public broadcasters (ARD, BR, ZDF, ORF, ARTE, RAI, SF, SAT 1, Channel4, CTV, US HISTORY Channel, National Geographic or SBS Australia...).
Oliver Halmburger is particularly focused on his work as a scenic director, which he has been demonstrating in high quality historical dramas. In this, he always aims to emotionally capture the viewers in stories that are supposed to take them into a different world. These journeys have already led from glory of royal houses ("Royal Dynasties") to the abyss of world wars ("100 Years of World War I," "Secrets of the Third Reich"). Wondrous figures ("Myth of Frankenstein") and adventures in Antarctica ("The Race to the South Pole") were elaborately staged by Oliver Halmburger.
International recognition received films such as: "Forgotten Border", (World Media Award in Gold, Special Award at the XIV Festival Filmowy NNW), "1806 - the Nuremberg Saga", (Bronze at New York Festivals) "Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall" ("History Makers Award- Best History Production ", "Gold Medal - New York Festivals" and "The Japan Prize"). The "Race to the South Pole" was nominated for the International Emmy, won the Golden Romy, among others.
Forgotten Border awarded Wold Media Award in Gold, Special Award at XIV Festival Filmowy NNW, nominated for German-French Journalism Award, (ARD, BR, CTV, ARTE, ORF, Autentiv, 2022)
Pretty Best Neighbors – France/ Switzerland/ Netherlands (ZDF, 2022)
1806 – Nuremberg Saga, awarded bronze at the New York Festivals (TV series, BR, 2021)
Quite Normal Men (ZDF, 2021)
NENA: A German Legend (ZDF, 2020)
Neuschwanstein Castle, awarded the World Media Award Gold (ARD, 2019)
The Boat: The Documentary; Hunted (ZDF, 2019)
The Boat: The Documentary; Hunters (ZDF, 2019)
ZDF History: Steffi Graf. A German World Star (ZDF, 2019)
Pretty Best Neighbors – We and the Russians/ We and the Italians/ We and the British, awarded the World Media Award in Gold (ZDF,2018)
Atatürk – Father of Modern Turkey (ARTE, 2018)
Royal Dynasties – The Glücksburger, The Coburger and House of Orange (ZDF 2017)
The Myth of Frankenstein - Mythos Frankenstein TerraX (ZDF 2017)
Downfall oft he Tsar – The End oft he Romanovs (ZDF 2017)
Royal Dynasties - The Bernadottes, The Welfs Reenactments (ZDF, 2016)
Yuko Hashizaki
Director of International Relations, News Center Kansai Telecasting Co, Ltd.
ABOUT
Yuko Hashizaki
Yuko Hashizaki is in charge of International Relations at Kansai Television Co. Ltd. (Kansai TV)
She has experience in organizing and promoting live entertainment shows and sporting events ranging from traditional Japanese arts such as Kyogen to Italian opera Japan tours.
From 2005 she worked in the news department for international relations where she produced international editions of documentaries and news features, and from 2012 she was in charge of international relations in the President’s Office.
From June 2023, she manages the company’s international relations from the Content Design Department, supervising Kansai TV’s global promotion and producing and promoting international competition editions of Kansai TV’s programs.
Dillon Hicks
Managing Director & Partner Sudo Roux
ABOUT
Dillon Hicks
Dillon heads up operations and content delivery at Sudo Roux backed by over 20 years’ experience in design, project management, production, operations, and content creation. He formerly led design and delivery teams at Foxtel, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), STW Group, and WPP, covering a wide range of verticals, from technology to entertainment, telecoms to education. With Dillon, you get more than just experience. You get somebody who cuts through the jargon to form genuine partnerships.
Bettina Hollings
Chief Executive Imagination Television LTD
ABOUT
Bettina Hollings
Bettina founded Imagination Television in 2001 after spending 12 successful years as one of NZ's most respected television programmers. After a 6 year career that began in advertising working for GSI and then Colenso, Bettina began working for TV2 in 1987. She worked as Associate Programme Director for TV2, and Progamme Manager for TV3 before becoming Programme Director for TV3 in 1998. During that time Bettina was responsible for originating some of NZ’s stand out local productions at both channels. As a producer for Imagination Television, Bettina has developed and created international award winning factual, entertainment, documentary and reality television to build Imagination into one of NZ's top independent production companies.
Imagination Television has an international reputation for producing world-class television. For the last 15 years the company has been producing hundreds of hours of top quality network programming that has hit screens worldwide.
Current and past popular programming produced by Imagination for New Zealand includes Grand Designs NZ, Rachel Hunter’s Tour of Beauty, NZ’s Got Talent, MasterChef NZ, My Kitchen Rules NZ, SPCA Rescue, Moving Houses and Heartbreak Island.
Imagination also produced over 80 episodes of RSPCA Animal Rescue for Channel 7 and 16 episodes of Wild Life at the Zoo featuring Sydney’s Taronga Zoo for ABC Australia.
Scott Horsfield
Head of FIlm DRPG
ABOUT
Scott Horsfield
Scott Horsfield is a leader in the film and production industry, currently heading the film division at DRPG, one of the UK’s leading creative agencies. With over three decades of experience, his journey is defined by his creativity and strategic prowess. From producing large-scale productions for top-tier clients in finance, FMCG, and automotive sectors, to overseeing award-winning campaigns, Scott has a unique ability to fuse storytelling with technical excellence.
Prior to joining DRPG, Scott spearheaded Media Zoo’s meteoric rise, doubling its team and revenues and securing coveted Grand Prix titles at both Cannes Corporate and the New York TV & Film Festival — the first time a UK agency achieved such a feat. His career is marked by an agile response to industry challenges, notably helping companies pivot during the pandemic by integrating virtual broadcast solutions. This adaptability, paired with his leadership of DRPG’s 80-strong film team across state-of-the-art studios, positions him as a driving force behind the creation of world-class branded content(
With a relentless passion for pushing the boundaries of film and innovation, Scott Horsfield continues to shape the future of content production in the UK and beyond.
Hung-Ru Huang
Senior Producer Hakka TV
ABOUT
Hung-Ru Huang
He graduated from Department of Psychology, NTU. When he was in college, he joined PTS to work for the production of a special project by the famous director, Cai Ming-liang. Since then, he has been an assistant, executive producer, project editor, writer, director and producer for PTS and Hakka TV.
Filmography
2015, Dare to Dream(Winner of 50th Golden Bell Award)
2013, Seeds From the Heart, Director(Winner of 7th International Children’s Film Festival)
2013, Mazu Procession, Cameraman
2013, Shining Dancing, Editor
2013, Breaking Ice, Director (winner of Chicago International Children’s Film Festival、Best Young Audience Short Award of Eugene International Film Festival、18th Asian Television Awards)
Haibo Huang
Deputy Head of Phoenix Chinese Channel; Director of the Chief Editor's Office, Head of Phoenix Movie Channel Phoenix Satellite Television
ABOUT
Haibo Huang
Mr. Haibo HUANG, born in 1965, a senior media professional and TV producer, received his education at Communication University of China, Waseda University Japan, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in the field of journalism, film studies and management separately. He joined Phoenix Satellite Television in 2002 after serving China Central Television for several years. During decades of experiences in the field of journalism and television industry, he participates in many of the productions, schemes and supervising of feature programs and major documentaries, and invited as judge or decision maker of numerous documentary festivals. Guest professor of a number of universities.
Michaela Javorsky
Producer, Entertainment TV ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation)
ABOUT
Michaela Javorsky
Having a long history in Entertainment TV and, from 2014 to 2021 in Program Development & Quality Management, specialized on international formats, she has returned to the field of Entertainment TV in 2021, now producing various programs and shows including many co-productions. Additionally she is representing ORF in EBU’s, European Broadcasting Union’s, TV Assembly. Beside that she has been holding lectures, first at Donauuniversität Krems, now at Fachhochschule St. Pölten (University of Applied Sciences), in the field of TV and Media for years.
Andrei Jiro
Art Director Globo Group
ABOUT
Andrei Jiro
Andrei Jiro is a design manager whose primary goal is to create expectation for the audience. His specialty is designing solutions for news, sports and entertainment at Globo Group, largest commercial TV network in Latin America and one of the largest media companies in the world. With over 30 years of experience in this segment, Andrei has experience in team building, strategic management and implementation, leadership, create and enhance the content value. Andrei has worked on successful projects that have enhanced television content through scenic and graphic innovation. Among several awards won, the NYF Awards stand out: “JH / JG” and “Jornal Nacional” projects.
When Andrei was still in college, he was interested in two things: design and economics. When he learned about the potential of design in order to change our lives creating all kinds of expectation, he knew this is where his professional future would take him, and television would be a field full of opportunities.
He holds an MBA from IBMEC Institute(Sao Paulo-Brazil ) and degree in Industrial Design at FAAP Institution (Sao Paulo-Brazil). He currently lives in Sao Paulo with his wife and two kids.
Natalie Jowett
Managing Director JusticeAid
ABOUT
Natalie Jowett
Natalie Jowett is a writer, producer, director and visual artist who started her media career in the New York bureau of The Baltimore Sun newspaper while attending Columbia University. An opening at a sports television network guided her unexpectedly away from print and toward a film and television career that has taken her around the world, telling stories on topics that include racism, secular religious conflict, gender inequity and civil rights. During 12 years as a Senior Features Producer at ABC Sports Natalie wrote and directed an Emmy-winningdocumentary on the tragedy of the 1972 Munich Olympics. Work on Oprah's Legends Ball marked a departure from sports, and Marvel's Hero Project was an opportunity to tell the stories of amazing kids who are doing heroic work solving real world problems. Natalie serves as Managing Director for JusticeAid, a non-profit that promotes justice through the arts. Natalie lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
Manuela Kasper-Claridge
Editor-in-Chief Deutsche Welle
ABOUT
Manuela Kasper-Claridge
Manuela Kasper-Claridge is a journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international public broadcaster. Her primary focusses are upholding high editorial standards and increasing diversity in DW’s reporting. Manuela Kasper-Claridge is also on the Communications and Media Committee of the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, on the Board of Trustees of the renowned ifo Institute in Munich and serves on the CIVIS Advisory Board
Amy Katz
Acting Chief VOA Kurdish Voice of America News Center
ABOUT
Amy Katz
Amy Katz is the Senior Executive Producer for TV in the VOA News Center. She began her VOA career more than 20 years ago as a TV reporter for the News Center. Prior to VOA, Katz worked for ABC News in New York on the “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings” show and later relocated to the network’s Washington bureau to work on “This Week with David Brinkley.” Throughout her career she has covered major world events, has coordinated numerous special projects and traveled the U.S. and the world as Peter Jennings’ field producer. She also contributed to the launch of the Fox News Channel in New York and served as a Senior Producer for Discovery Health Channel’s “Birthday Live” annual programs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
Sven-Erik Knoff
Director of Photography FotoKnoff AS
ABOUT
Sven-Erik Knoff
Sven-Erik Knoff is a photographer and filmmaker based in Trondheim, Norway.
He has his background from the food industry as a trained chef and long time experience with tourism and communication work.
From the latter half of 2014 he turned his lifelong photography hobby into his full-time profession.
Over the years, Sven-Erik has built up solid experience as a photographer and filmmaker working with brands all over the world, and has received a number of international awards for his work.
Thomas Kren
Development Executive Bavaria Fiction
ABOUT
Thomas Kren
Development Executive Thomas Kren has been with Bavaria Fiction since 2021 and initially he concentrated on the development of high-end streaming projects and the management and implementation of writers' rooms as a creative producer. Born in Austria, he has more than ten years experience as a screenwriter, dramaturge and producer. From 2016-2022, Thomas headed the editing department of the Local Fiction division of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE and analyzed numerous film, series and cinema projects during this time. As an editor, he was responsible for the successful novel adaptations of several German thriller series ("Todesfrist", "Todesurteil") and as creative producer, the cinema comeback of "Der letzte Bulle" for SevenPictures.
Douglas Lan
Supervising Producer & Director
ABOUT
Douglas Lan
Douglas Lan is an award-winning Supervising Producer and Director with over 10 years of experience in the media industry. He has had the privilege of creating and overseeing many successful and well-received programmes for audience at the highest level. Throughout his career, Douglas has directed, produced, written, and developed over 40 hours of original Unscripted and Scripted content that have travelled globally. Collaborating with notable international and regional broadcasters and streaming platforms including National Geographic, Discovery, HBO, Tencent, BBC, NBCUniversal, CCTV, and Channel NewsAsia, among others. Some of my works have garnered millions of views and have been honoured with international awards.
Dr. Patrick Lehn
Senior Manager Group External Communications dormakaba International Holding AG
ABOUT
Dr. Patrick Lehn
Patrick Lehn has been working in corporate communications for over 20 years. One key aspect of his work is storytelling. He was the 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, Group External Communications.
Jan Litzinger
Director Independent
ABOUT
Jan Litzinger
Former cartoonist. Former musician. Former 3D-artist. Former motion designer. Former art director. Jan started writing and directing music videos and commercials in 2000. Graduate of Film Academy Ludwigsburg in 2004. In the year following his graduation, Jan and his team developed art breaks for the broadcaster MTV and his work received the Golden Cube at the ADC Awards in New York.
Since then, he has been working as a freelance director for Nike, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Adidas, Nintendo, SAT.1, Pros-ieben, ZDF, BMW, Volkswagen, MINI, MTV and many other clients. His films won numerous international prizes including New York Festivasl Gold for MAN 250 Years.
If this is not enough: He is 2 meter tall. If you are shooting in a crowded street in India, you will never loose him.
I-LI Lo
Host & Producer Hakka TV
ABOUT
I-LI Lo
I-Li Lo has been working in the production of TV programs of various kinds for more than 15 years. She has won several awards for her contributions to these programs; the major ones are described as follows:
"Under the sun-Hakka showcase" the best Education and Culture Program award in Golden Bell Award, Taiwan, 2008.
"Flavor of My Hometown"the best Lifestyle Program award in Golden Bell Award, Taiwan, 2012.
"The TV Music Feature" the finalist for Performing Arts in New York Festival’s TV & Film Awards, US, 2018.
Brian Lockhart
Senior Vice President, Original Content ESPN
ABOUT
Brian Lockhart
Brian Lockhart serves as senior vice president of Original Content, responsible for overseeing strategy and development of all original programming initiatives under the ESPN Films umbrella and the award-winning E60 series, as well as original series and studio shows on ESPN+, ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service.
Lockhart also oversees Business Affairs, a function which handles deal-making, co-production, Content business negotiation and talent relations. In addition, he oversees ESPN’s award-winning Features group. He previously served as vice president and executive producer of Original Content for ESPN+.
Prior to his role at ESPN, Lockhart was vice president and executive producer of Original Content for NFL Media. He was responsible for overseeing the development and production of a wide array of content on multiple platforms, from long-form documentary series to digital media ventures and features. His responsibilities also extended beyond storytelling to include production, business development, and strategic leadership across several divisions. Lockhart developed, produced, and launched the NFL Network Originals series Undrafted and Football Town, and the digital series NFL Life. He was also the driving creative force behind the development of the original NFL Network documentary series The Timeline, highlighted by the critically acclaimed installment “America’s Game” and “The Iran Hostage Crisis.”
He began his NFL tenure in 2007 as coordinating producer for the network’s Features group. There he helped construct and develop the short form unit that would grow to service multiple news, information/studio shows, and social platforms, and he steered the division’s embrace of digital storytelling outlets. Among the highlights of his tenure were digital/broadcast hybrid projects that earned him three of his eight career Emmy Awards: the groundbreaking multiplatform experience JFK: The Untold Story of That Day in Dallas and the digital series The NFL Season: A Biography. His impact on the NFL Media Group extended beyond the successful content itself. As one of the highest-ranking executives of color, he served as a member of the National Football League Diversity Council, and his work as co-chair of the Black Engagement Network earned him the 2018 Commissioner’s Award for Teamwork.
Prior to his NFL tenure, Lockhart spent six years as a features and replay producer for HBO Sports from 2001 to 2007. There he produced and developed nonfiction, news, and live event programs including Inside the NFL, World Championship Boxing and Costas Now.
Michael Maack
Marketing Producer ZDF - Zweites Deutsches FernsehenHugo Marcos
Secretary-General CIFFT
ABOUT
Hugo Marcos
Hugo Marcos is the Secretary-General of the International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT), a global leader in recognizing excellence in travel video marketing. With over 20 years of experience in event organization and audiovisual promotion, he has been at the forefront of using video to spotlight tourist destinations, products, and services.
As a key figure in the industry, Hugo oversees the prestigious CIFFT circuit, including the organization of the World Tourism Film Awards, the most distinguished accolade for travel video content. He also plays a vital role in managing the Spanish and Portuguese markets for the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards and the US International Awards. Previously, Hugo served as Executive Director of the ART&TUR Festival for 10 years, where he significantly contributed to its growth and international acclaim.
In addition to his leadership at CIFFT, Hugo is involved in several other high-profile projects, including the Terres Check-In – International Hospitality Film Festival and collaborations with the Cannes Corporate and US International Awards. He is also a member of the Rector Committee of the Tourism Society Think Tank (TSTT) and Skal International - Club Madrid.
With an academic background in Tourism from the University of Maia - ISMAI and a specialization in Event Organization and Management, Hugo brings a forward-thinking and innovative approach to every endeavor. Born in Miranda do Douro, Portugal, a city renowned for its cultural heritage and the Mirandese language, he is driven by a passion for innovation and excellence in the tourism and media sectors.
Jorge Marecos
Co-founder & Administrator SP Televisão
ABOUT
Jorge Marecos
Co-founder and Administrator of SP Televisão, Jorge Marecos Duarte began his career in the film industry in 1974, as a production assistant and director of several projects. In 1978, he co-founded the production company Filmform, Lda. and, later, in 1989, he founded SP Filmes, the production company responsible for great successes such as the humorous series Malucos do Riso. His curriculum also includes successful projects such as Camilo & Filho, Lda. and Maré Alta. Graduated in Architecture, from the Faculdade de Belas-Artes, in 1980 he headed to the USA, where he obtained a director's degree from the American Film Institute.
Maribel Martinez
Founder & Creative Director Diecinueve36
ABOUT
Maribel Martinez
Maribel Martinez is creative director in México City. Over the last few years, her work has been acknowledged by many international festivals and awards such as: New York Festivals, Promax World Gold, Promax Latino, Broadcast Design Asociation, Animacor in Spain, Circulo Creativo and Caracol de Plata Mexico. Her work as creative director includes animated series as: Imaginantes* for Televisa. Maribel founded 19+36”, an independent studio focused on title sequence design for films.
Jodain Massad
Director, Development & Innovation, NFL Films National Football League
ABOUT
Jodain Massad
Jodain Massad is Director, Development & Innovation, NFL Films for the National Football League. A seasoned executive producer, he brings 15+ years of experience as a brand champion, innovation agent, and story maker to the 2023 NYF Advisory Board.
Prior to his current role with the NFL, Jodain served as Executive Producer, Innovation | Design for the University of Notre Dame. During his tenure he reset the vision and rebuilt culture for Norte Dame production, debuted the one hour awards show format on NBC Sports, rebranded the series “Onward Notre Dame” on NBC Sports, produced recruiting content to national acclaim, founded the subscription virtual experience Rally House, led the recruiting presentation strategy on Brand and NIL, and initiated the FightingIrishTV.com int’l subscription.
He began his production career in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Throughout his years with the organization, Jodain was promoted into a variety of leadership production roles including Director of Production. While in his role as Director of Production he produced an ESPN 30for30 short with Grant Curtis. During his8-year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jodain led the team in documentary, telecast design, and ad campaign production and served as a content contributor for online, broadcast and event entertainment.
An award-winning content creator, industry innovator, and sought after speaker, Jodain has earned numerous high-profile industry accolades including 27 Emmy® Awards, 6 New York Festivals International Film & TV Awards, and 5 Sports Video Group College Sports Media Awards.
Gary Matsumoto
Executive Producer, News & Programming CGTN America
ABOUT
Gary Matsumoto
Gary Matsumoto is an Executive Producer, News & Programming for CGTN America, a subsidiary of China Central Television. CCTV has more channels (45), and reaches more viewers (around one billion), than any network on earth. Matsumoto is a former NBC News foreign and national correspondent and an Emmy award-winning investigative producer at Bloomberg Television. He has won many other awards, including an Overseas Press Club of America award for Best Spot News Reporting from abroad and two New York Festival gold world medals for this work as a correspondent and for breaking news coverage.
Alex McCall
Producer/Director Glasgow Films
ABOUT
Alex McCall
In his twenty-five years’ experience with the BBC and subsequently as an independent producer/director, Alex has either directed, produced (or both) over ninety films for the UK network on BBC1 and ITV – with many distributed throughout Europe and the United Stated, including items for '60 minutes' on CBS. He has also worked independently for high-profile corporate clients such as British Airways. He has been a panelist on the Documentary Forum at the US Pavilion in Cannes and a lecturer on Documentary Film-Making for the Media Program of the European Union. He has twice been nominated for British Academy Awards.
Bill McCullough
Director & Executive Producer Independent
ABOUT
Bill McCullough
Bill McCullough is a visionary senior executive, Emmy-winning director, and content strategist with over 30 years of experience in content creation, including more than a decade in the digital space. As Chief Content Officer and EVP of Content, he has successfully built digital ecosystems that drive revenue and foster audience engagement. His expertise spans documentary storytelling, original content development, intellectual property creation, and brand marketing, with a consistent focus on innovation and growth.
Bill's career highlights showcase his ability to deliver impactful results across platforms. At the XFL, he generated over 1 billion impressions, and his direction of HBO Sports' Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel cemented his status as a leader in the industry. He developed and produced Faze Clan's 15-day livestream event, yielding over 750 million impressions, and GoPro’s Hala Madrid series for Facebook Watch, which attracted more than 30 million views. His NFL collaboration with Dude Perfect for the Super Bowl Trick Shot campaign earned 27 million views in a single week, and his award-winning 2018 NFL Draft campaign set record viewership milestones. Recently, he launched a YouTube channel with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, amassing over 100,000 subscribers and 50 million impressions in just two weeks. His digital successes demonstrate his ability to architect cohesive content strategies that connect platforms, engage audiences, and maximize revenue potential.
With 11 Emmy Awards—nine in the documentary space—Bill's creative acumen extends to directing, creative direction, composing, and editing. His leadership, combined with a passion for storytelling, continues to produce high-quality, engaging content that captivates audiences and elevates brands worldwide.
David Meadows-Hertig
Head of Production al Dente EntertainmentSergio Mendoza
VP, Scripted Development Telemundo Television Studios
ABOUT
Sergio Mendoza
Experienced executive and writer with a robust background in TV series and telenovelas. I have been working as Vice President of script development at Telemundo Global Studio, proving leadership in scripted development, production, strategic vision, and collaboration across diverse teams.
Renowned for creation of the telenovela 'Vuelve a Mí,' which garnered substantial success in the US Hispanic market, Spain, and Mexico. I bring a wealth of experience as a writer for 'Mariposa de Barrio,' a bioseries that earned an International Emmy nomination for Non-English Language U.S Primetime Program. Additionally, I played a pivotal role in the supervision of 'Buscando a Frida' and 'La suerte de Loli,' both nominated in the same distinguished category
Elodie Moncelet
Creative Producer Paramount Creative EMEAAClaire Mooney
Supervising Producer, ITV America ITV
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Claire Mooney
Claire Mooney is an award-winning producer with 15 years of experience in news and entertainment across the US and UK. She is the Supervising Producer of The Oscars Live on ITV, and also oversees US-based content for the flagship daytime shows Good Morning Britain and Lorraine.
Previously, Claire worked on Dr. Phil (CBS), Meet, Marry, Murder (Hulu, Peacock, and Lifetime), and Piers Morgan: The Trump Interview. (ITV)
Tomoko MORITA
Principal Program Director NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
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Tomoko MORITA
Tomoko Morita joined NHK in 2009. She spent the next 15 years directing programs about social welfare issues, and documentaries. Her main program themes were families and social isolation. She spent years focusing particularly on socially isolated shut-ins, who are known in Japan as hikikomori. She directed “Dying Out of Sight: Hikikomori in an Aging Japan”, which shows the lives and families of hikikomori who die unnoticed by society. She was also involved with the award-winning drama “The shut-in”, which was made with help from people who’ve experienced life as hikikomori. In 2024, Tomoko joined the NHK department responsible for international content value development. She oversees submission of programs to competitions and festivals in Japan and around the world.
Markus Nikel
Author & Commissioner RAI
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Markus Nikel
Markus has worked for more than 25 years as an author, commissioner and international co-production consultant on a variety of factual programmes and documentaries for various departments, strands and thematic channels at RAI, the Italian public broadcaster.
Over the years, he has also worked as an advisor with festivals (GZdoc in China, BakaFORUM in Switzerland, Docit IDS Academy and Industry in Italy, and many more), as well as with the EBU, COPEAM, and with ABU as an EP of factual series projects. In addition he has worked with independent production companies in Europe and abroad, mostly as an author and/or editorial consultant on international development.
Akira Nishimura
Executive Producer Fuji Television
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Akira Nishimura
The Fuji Television producer of the weekly documentary series, The Nonfiction. Main prizes he won: Best Current Affairs Program in Asian TV Awards 2011 for The Nonfiction: Unforgettable - Three Family Portraits / Best Documentary Program in Association of All Japan TV Program Production Companies Awards 2012 for Maria’s New York - The Final Reunion / Gold World Medal in the Human Concerns category in NY Festival 2014 for A Death Scene Cleaner Gets Married. In 2013, he released two motion pictures: God of Ramen, which revealed the secrets of a legendary ramen chef / KANZABURO, that tells the life story of a popular Kabuki star.
Tracey O'Halloran
Creative Executive Producer Media Zoo
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Tracey O'Halloran
Tracey O’Halloran is a London based, multi-award winning Creative Executive Producer, filmmaker and scriptwriter who has worked across television, commercials, brand and corporate films.
Winner of over 50 international film awards, Tracey has produced, written and directed content across genres including drama, documentary, animation, interactive cinematic adventures and comedy. In 2018 she won the Grand Award and Best Direction at the New York Festivals Film and TV awards, and in 2018 she was the first British filmmaker to win the Cannes Grand Prix at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards.
Alfred Oliveri
Producer/Director House Of Chef
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Alfred Oliveri
Alfred Oliveri has dedicated his life to the world of art & entertainment. Author and producer, he founded the production company House of Chef where he develops feature-length documentary films on stories linked to the world of gastronomy, currently developing fiction in the same universe. His films won international awards like two Biznagas de Plata from Festival de Malaga, being world premiered three times at Festival de San Sebastián and Marche de Film at Cannes Film Festival. With “Virgilio” he won the Bronze in the film category in the New York Festivals 2024. This, his latest film, aims to accomplish a sincere storytelling about secretly extraordinary people.
Nick Olle
Senior Supervising Producer, Programmes Al Jazeera
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Nick Olle
Nick Olle has been a professional journalist for 20 years. He has worked across print, radio, television and online media for outlets in Australia, South America, North America, Europe and Asia.
He is presently the Senior Supervising Producer at Al Jazeera International’s flagship Asia Documentary Programme 101 East. Before taking that role, he worked for Australia’s international current affairs programme, SBS Dateline and Network Ten’s The Project.
Previously, he was a foreign correspondent based in Buenos Aires, Argentina for The Global Mail, ABC Australia, NPR and other outlets.
His work has been recognised with numerous prestigious journalism awards.
Sonal R. Patel
Partner, Group Head of Creative Brunswick Group Advisory Ltd
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Sonal R. Patel
As an award-winning Group Head of Creative and Partner, Sonal leads the Film team, film projects at Brunswick Creative, fully integrated into Brunswick Advisory Group Ltd., providing creative senior leadership at every stage.
Sonal has been writing, producing and directing in television and film for 20 years. Her expertise encompasses investor documentaries, corporate films, executive interviews, deal work, employee engagement and creative campaigns for business. She advises clients at Board level, producing content strategy for business-critical communications.
Sonal began her career in New York as a broadcast journalist for MTV, PBS, WNBC and New York 1.
Alexandra Pauliat
Executive Producer, People and Power Al Jazeera Network
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Alexandra Pauliat
Alexandra PAULIAT is a journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in news and documentary.
She currently is Executive Producer, People and Power on Al Jazeera Network in Doha. Previously, she lived in Istanbul where she co-funded TRT World’s Emmy award winning series Off The Grid. On top of her Executive Producer’s position, she also directed many episodes of the series and received multiple awards for her work including two gold medals at New York Festivals.
Alexandra started her career as an AFP correspondent in South East Asia before moving back to France to be part of the launching team of France’s international news channel, France 24.
She then joined Al Jazeera English as a Program Editor when the Arab Spring started and been has been based in the Middle East ever since.
Michael Pearce
Producer Independent
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Michael Pearce
Michael Pearce is the former Head of Global Initiatives for Yahoo Studios in charge of major events coverage and global video production.
In his previous role as Head of Sports for Yahoo Studios, Mr. Pearce directed coverage of five Olympics and two World Cups for Yahoo and created and launched award-winning series such as Memorable Moments, Elite Athlete Workouts, Fantasy Football Live and the Yahoo Sports Minute.
Mr. Pearce spent 20 years in television news as a reporter, producer and executive producer before joining Yahoo in 2005.
Christopher Pearson
Camera Operator & Video Editor Sky News
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Christopher Pearson
Christopher Pearson is an international award-winning camera operator and video editor, currently based in Los Angeles for Sky News UK.
Christopher has two decades of experience in the industry. His work includes documentaries, current affairs and news, across all seven continents which have aired to a global audience. His work has been distributed across Sky’s range of channels in Europe and on Peacock/NBC in the USA. He also has previously worked on productions for the BBC, ITV and Channel4 in the UK.
Judy Plavnick
Executive Producer & Co-owner Sit. Good Girl Productions, LLC
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Judy Plavnick
Judy Plavnick Kiley is a five-time Emmy award-winning producer, having produced programming for networks including PBS, Discovery, ESPN and NFL Films. She began her television career covering politics, for both local and national broadcast outlets, and then moved to sports broadcasting, covering the NFL for seven years. She then joined the non-fiction world, spending six years at Discovery Channel and rising to the position of Senior Executive Producer before transitioning back to sports as Executive Producer for ESPN Classic. Judy formed her own production company in 2013 and is currently developing several series as well as working with corporate clients.
Duncan Preston
Head of Global Creative Services Al Jazeera Media Network
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Duncan Preston
Duncan Preston is the Head of Global Creative Services of Al Jazeera English Creative, a multi-award winning creative professional with over 20 years experience in design across all media.
He joined Al Jazeera English in 2005 as a designer working on the launch of the channel and, now as the head of the Creative department, defining the brand and creative direction of the channel.
His team is responsible for all the channel's creative content; channel and program branding, graphic packaging, promos, daily news and information graphics, winning over 60 international broadcast design and promo awards.
Sian Price
Creative Director Yeti Television
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Sian Price
Sian Price is Creative Director at Yeti – a multi-award-winning production company based in South Wales. Sian exec-produces most of Yeti’s content which ranges from popular factual formats and features through to high-end specialist factual and premium documentary. Recent programmes include The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge (Channel 4), Spike Milligan: The Unseen Archive (Sky Arts), Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen (ITV1), The Truth About My Murder (AMC Networks) and Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King (Channel 4). Prior to Yeti, Sian was an award-winning showrunner and director of long-running factual series including Coast (BBC2) and Time Team (Channel 4) as well as being the best-selling author of history title ‘If You’re Reading This’ and a multi-award-winning radio producer. Sian is a also passionate advocate for breaking down barriers of class within the TV industry.
Judith Pyke
Executive Producer/President Curious Features Inc
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Judith Pyke
Judith is executive producer/president of Curious Features. Also a showrunner, director, and writer of unscripted series and specials, her work has been recognized with awards and nominations and aired on networks in Canada, the US and all over the world. She loves collaborating with talented professionals to make absorbing television and films.
Regina Reyes
Journalist/Mentor/Advisor Independent
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Regina Reyes
Ma. Regina Reyes was responsible for all newsgathering, content and strategic direction of the Integrated News Division of ABS-CBN Corporation. She has over 20 years of solid experience as a broadcast journalist. During her leadership, all news platforms of ABS-CBN – free-to-air, UHF and cable channels, digital, mobile and social media, radio and global became integrated. Reyes also established a Futures, Standards and Practices Group that aims to ensure the accuracy, balance and fairness of ABS-CBN News content.
Reyes joined ABS-CBN in 1986 as a Production Assistant, rose from the ranks to become Executive Producer and Head Writer of the award-winning late night newscast, The World Tonight. She supervised and produced live coverage of many special events, including the 2000 Impeachment Trial of former President Estrada. She was appointed News Director in 2001.
Prior to her promotion as SVP of Integrated News, Reyes was the network’s North America News Bureau Chief from 2002 to 2010. A premier news personality in the Filipino-American community, Reyes established and expanded ABS-CBN’s news operations in the US and Canada.
She covered issues on Philippine-US relations, Filipino-American community concerns and US politics, including the historic 2008 US presidential campaign and elections.
Reyes also helped in the community-building efforts of The Filipino Channel in North America. In 2007, she was named by the Filipina Women’s Network as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the U.S.
Follow Reyes on Twitter @gingreyes and on Facebook/ging reyes
John Roque
Senior Writer GMA Network
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John Roque
John Roque has served on multiple international jury panels, among them the International Emmy Awards, Banff Media Festival, and New York Festivals. His Head writer credits include drama series, weekly anthologies, daily soap operas, romance sports dramas, and action dramas as well as Senior Wrriter series on GMA Network. He also was Head Writer. Creative Manager, Episode Writer and Senior Writer for daily soap operas on ABS-CBN.
Peter Schels
Managing Director Al Dente Eentertainment GmbH
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Peter Schels
Former Acquisition executive of RTL television for films & series, producer and director of various entertainment programs in Germany.
Winner of more than 35 national and international awards for corporate and/or pr movies. Member of different international juries
Speaker on various events and high schools. Producer of, the “mother of all corporate movies/die Mutter aller Imagefilme” , Europe´s most successful corporate movie ever.
Meanwhile producing corporate movies in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Stefan Scholz
Director Visualizaton brandscape GmbH
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Stefan Scholz
The graduate of business administration with the focus on marketing, cross-entered the world of media in 1993. After editorial services to the most successful Music video program on German television, his focus lies on the creation of industrial productions. With 25 pictures per second he emotionalizes people for over 23 years. His discipline is the realization of image-, event- brand-, TV-, cinema-, point of sale- and trade show – communication in moving image. As head of visual media, he sees the world in Full HD to 8K and finds communication the most interesting, when imagined in space. 20 terabytes are his constant companion.
Chris Schueler
President Christopher Productions
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Chris Schueler
Chris Schueler has created over 100 television programs in the past 25 years that have garnered 24 Emmy® Awards and have been broadcast throughout the country and around the world. Winner of a Bronze, Silver, Gold and Grand Award from the New York Festivals, his focus is on educational and social issues. Mr. Schueler creates youth programming and social issue documentaries that are “Television to Touch the Heart.” His clients have included the United Nations, the National Institute of Mental Health, the PBS network, the CBS Network Foundation as well as networks and governments in 35 countries around the globe.
German Sela
Head of Brand Movistar+
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German Sela
Since 1997 always involved in branding and promo.
His early days were in the cinema business where he was involved in the production, marketing and distribution strategy of more than 50 feature films as Head of Marketing. In those days he also worked as Music Supervisor for several of them
After that he moved, to pay TV at CANAL+ Spain where he was Creative Services Director (2004-2011) and Brand Director (2011-2015) running a DTH and OTT platforms and a portfolio of more than 20 channels.
His promos and branding works have received distinctions and awards at NY Festival, PROMAX, D&AD, ADCE Awards, LAUS...
Since 2015 he’s running and developing Movistar+, the new brand that results from the merge of CANAL+ Spain and Movistar (Telefonica Group). CONVERGENCE is the Sign of the Times….
Abram Sitzer
Head Of Content Beach House Productions
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Abram Sitzer
Abram has spent the last 20 years in Asia producing and showrunning some of the most successful docs and series in the region. As Head of Content, Abram works with Donovan, Jocelyn and the other heads of department to oversee BHP’s slate. Prior to joining Beach House Pictures, Abram was Head of Content at Relay Video, where he led an international team in the conceptualization and execution of unscripted series like MAROONED WITH ED STAFFORD, docs like RETURN OF THE CHEETAH, VR projects like SURVIVING AFRICA, and award-winning branded projects like FINDING LIGHT IN THE DARK.
Preceding this Abram was the Director of Content at Discovery Networks, overseeing a portfolio of brands across both linear television and digital platforms, assisting in the network's digital transformation through streaming partnerships and co-productions with Europe, and America. In 2015, Sitzer moved to Shanghai to open the regional contet hub for R/GA, a leading New York advertising agency, where he led the APAC team to complete projects for clients including: Beats by Dre, Nike, Converse, Coca-Cola, and General Electric.
In the last decade Abram has produced over 200 documentaries and his work has been recognized receiving six best documentary awards, and over 25 nominations for best documentary. He holds a Master’s degree in History, and is fluent in Mandarin, and Spanish.
Nick Smith
Executive Vice President, Formats and Licensing All3Media International
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Nick Smith
Nick Smith, Executive Vice President, Formats and Licensing at All3Media International has over twenty years’ experience of working with television formats. He has experience developing, producing and licensing formats.
He’s previously worked for the BBC, Sony Pictures Television International, and a number of independent production companies. He looks after All3media’s international productions, including hits such as The Traitors, Gogglebox, Kitchen Nightmares and Cash Cab, along with format acquisition and strategy. He is the Visiting Professor of TV Formats at Sunderland University, sits on the general board of the Format Recognition and Protection Association (FRAPA), created the Diversify TV Excellence Awards, and is a founder member of RX Global’s diversity advisory board.
Jessica Soho
Broadcast Journalist GMA Networks
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Jessica Soho
Jessica Soho is the most awarded broadcast journalist in the Philippines with more than two hundred fifty (250) local awards and more than thirty (30) international awards to date. She is the first Filipina to receive a George Foster Peabody Award for her documentaries on the illegal trade of kidneys and the harrowing plight of Filipino boxers. Her coverage of Super Typhoon Haiyan(local name:Yolanda) in 2013 was instrumental in winning the fourth (4th) George Foster Peabody Award for GMA News and Public Affairs.
Soho is also a Hall of Fame recipient of Reader’s Digest Asia "Most Trusted News Presenter” award, having been bestowed with it for eight consecutive times. In August 2018, she received the UP Gawad Plaridel, the highest honor given by the University of the Philippines system to a media practitioner. She has interviewed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, former US President Jimmy Carter, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Filipino immunologist Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, one of the Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2013, among many others.
Her overseas assignments include the coverage of the conflict in Afghanistan ( where she and her team survived a landmine) and Pakistan, the exile of the Marcoses in Hawaii, the Hongkong Handover in 1997, the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting at the Whitehouse in 2005 with former US First Lady Laura Bush, the inauguration of United State President Barack Obama in 2008, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and the canonization of Pope John Paul II in 2014.
With a career spanning more than three decades from the fall of the Marcos dictatorship to the restoration of democracy in the Philippines, she started covering the military and defense beats in 1985. In 1991, her report on the hostage crisis in northern Philippines earned a Bronze Award in the New York Film and Television Festival.
Soho served as First Vice President for News Programs of GMA Network until 2014. Under herleadership, the network soared to be the country's leading and most credible broadcast news organization. Soho was the driving force behind the creation of I-Witness, the highly-acclaimed documentary series of GMA-7. She also pioneered the Special Assignments Team which produces investigative and enterprise stories. She has also served as juror for the International Emmy Awards since 2010.
Currently, Soho is the anchor of GMA News TV's flagship newscast. State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, host of top-rating magazine show, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and chief correspondent/ host of the investigative news magazine program, Brigada. Her premium on in-depth analysis is once again showcased in her live remote anchoring and coverage duties from Itogon, Benguet, where a massive landslide killed over 50 people. She continues to engage reporters on a wide range of timely news events, such as monsoon flooding, Mayon Volcano’s restive activity, Chinese intrusion in Philippine waters, and boxer Manny Pacquiao’s victory, to name a few. Soho graduated from the University of the Philippinesin Diliman, Quezon City with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.
Jay Soo
CEO/Founder Moving Bits
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Jay Soo
Jay Soo is the founder and leader of Moving Bits, a renowned creative production agency based in Singapore. With over two decades of experience, Jay is a Cannes Lion-nominated and New York Festival award-winning director whose work spans many high-profile clients. Under his leadership, Moving Bits has earned accolades for its storytelling prowess, being recognized by the Smithsonian Channel as one of the world’s best non-fiction producers. Jay’s expertise in brand building, creative strategy, and his unique perspective as The IMPROVISATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR make him a valued voice on the Grand Jury of the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards
Vanda Tan
General Manager Wawa Pictures Pte Ltd
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Vanda Tan
Vanda Tan, a co-founder at WaWa Pictures Singapore, is currently helming the role of General Manager & Business Development. A media veteran of more than 2 decades, Vanda is instrumental in grooming WaWa from a 2 person outfit into one of Singapore’s top Chinese content producer. Besides producing award winning content for local terrestrial channels, the company is now working on strategic co-production partnerships with regional players to produce content for the regional audiences.
Chih Chong Tan
Executive Producer Sitting in Pictures Pte Ltd
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Chih Chong Tan
With 25 years of experience in the local film and television industry behind him, Chih Chong brings along with him both depth and breadth gained over a broad spectrum of works in factual entertainment, magazine, comedy, drama and feature film projects. Since graduating with a B.Sc in film production from the University of Texas at Austin, Chih Chong has proved his mettle in this extremely volatile and competitive industry in Singapore having done work for companies as diverse as MediaCorp, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Fremantle Media, Voom Networks, AETN, CTN, RTM, and many others. Chih Chong also dabbled in feature films and was a producer on the highly successful Singapore film, Forever Fever.
Hodjat Tavakoli
Producer Bureau of Broadcasting VOA
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Hodjat Tavakoli
Hodjat Tavakoli, born in 1971, is a celebrated documentary filmmaker and TV producer at Voice of America (VOA), with five New York TV & Film Festival awards to his name. His acclaimed works, including Without Women, One of 52, Trickery, and The Endless Start, have been honored at the prestigious festival for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2024.
Tavakoli began his career in broadcast media in 1994 as a sound technician and writer for Iran’s national radio. After moving to the United States in 2006, he joined VOA, where he now produces thought-provoking content focused on political, social, and cultural issues for news and special programming.
A graduate of the Corcoran College of Art + Design, Tavakoli has also shared his expertise as a sculpture instructor at the University of the District of Columbia. In addition to his filmmaking, he is a passionate videographer, sculptor, and carpenter, blending his artistic sensibilities across multiple mediums.
Francis B. Toral
Head of Integrated News Division ABS-CBN Corporation
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Francis B. Toral
Francis Toral has been a journalist since 1998 and is currently the Head of the Integrated News Division of ABS-CBN Corporation, one of the Philippines’ leading media organizations.
Toral is responsible for the overall strategic direction and news agenda of the company’s various TV and digital programs and platforms, including TV PATROL, one of the longest-running and most watched newscasts in the country.
On the digital sphere, ABSCBNnews.com is currently one of the top news websites in the Philippines and among the biggest Facebook publishers in the world. Its YouTube channel has over 14.5 million subscribers and almost 10 billion views, while its Twitter account has 8.8 million followers.
Prior to her appointment, Toral was Head of News Production, and has been spearheading coverage of national elections and presidential debates. She also led the News Desk, and Docu Central, the documentary unit of ABS-CBN News. This group produced several award-winning documentaries, including “’Di Ka Pasisiil”, a documentary on the War in Marawi, which won a Gold in the New York Festival in 2018.
Starting as a news writer for the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) in 1998, Toral was eventually promoted as Executive Producer of various news programs, including “The World Tonight”, the country’s premiere English newscast.
Toral graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines in 1998.
In 2009, she was awarded the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Fellowship by the United States Embassy in Manila.
Giles Trendle
Media Strategist & Executive Coach Independent
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Giles Trendle
Giles Trendle has extensive experience in frontline reporting, documentary film-making and executive leadership within the media industry.
For 8 years, Giles was Managing Director of Al Jazeera English, an acclaimed and award-winning international news and current affairs channel producing 24/7 programming for a worldwide TV audience in over 400 million households and mobile content for global digital consumers.
Giles began his career in the late 1980’s as a freelance reporter in Lebanon covering the country’s civil war and hostage crisis. As a journalist and filmmaker he has also worked in Egypt, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.
Giles is a trained executive coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation. He also holds a non-executive position on the steering committee of Covering Climate Now, a global consortium of some of the biggest names in news aimed at producing more informed and urgent climate reporting.
Nessa S. Valdellon
First Vice President & Senior Vice President GMA Public Affairs & GMA Pictures
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Nessa S. Valdellon
Nessa S. Valdellon has worked in television for over two decades as a producer, an executive producer, and a production manager of documentaries, magazine shows, reality TV programs and historical dramas. She is now Senior Vice President, GMA Pictures and First Vice President for GMA Public Affairs, which produces 27 of the most awarded television programs in the Philippines.
Valdellon began her career as a producer for the investigative news magazine program The Probe Team. She would later pioneer in the reality genre in the Philippines with several hit programs such as Wish and Extra Challenge. She produced Out! the first show in a primarily Catholic nation to focus on gay, lesbian and transgender rights. She co-wrote and produced social realist dramas My Hometown (Bayan Ko) and Teacher (Titser). She supervised historical dramas on Philippine heroes for primetime television. Her work has won various international awards for GMA Network.
Patrícia Vasconcellos
Journalist/TV Correspondent SBT - Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão.
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Patrícia Vasconcellos
Patrícia Vasconcellos is a Brazilian journalist and an award-winning documentarist. She is the US correspondent for Brazilian TV network SBT - Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão. Patrícia began her career as an anchor in 2001 before joining SBT in 2008. As Latin American correspondent, she covered South and Central America for six years. Now based in New York City and Washington DC, Patrícia covers the White House, politics, economy and American culture. Her documentary about the 2020 BLM protests and police response “Curfew in NYC” received multiple awards including best short film from New York Film Awards and best director for short films from New York International Film Awards. In 2021 she won the Professional Excellence Prize Award from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the U.S. Patrícia is a recipient of the Chevening Award, a scholarship funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world. She gained her master´s in TV Journalism from University of London.
Brian Vos
Executive Producer Jump Studios Ltd
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Brian Vos
A broadcast and marketing executive, Brian’s experience includes live and post-produced programming, corporate communications, media strategy and buying, brand marketing and project management.
His credits as television producer include sports, music/variety, drama, documentary, public affairs, and comedy. In the field of post-production and broadcast design, his work includes network identity packages, broadcast design packages and commercials.
Clients include ESPN/ABC, Star Choice, Teletoon, HBO, ATCO, Alabama Power, AARP, Intact Insurance to name a few.
Brian’s work has earned him an Emmy nomination for the NBA Draft, multiple gold and silver Broadcast Design Awards, numerous NY Festivals, Telly, Pixie, Davey, Summit awards.
Olivia Warren
Global Managing Director Traverse32
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Olivia Warren
Before stepping into her newly elevated global role at IPG Mediabrands’ production company and development studio, TRAVERSE32, Olivia was the youngest executive at IPG Mediabrands Australia (MB Oz) in history. At MB Oz, she originally led Initiative Studio, steering it to such success that by 2022, Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) was formed to unify all creative services under one roof. Olivia was appointed Managing Director of MBCS in Australia and, within less than two years, transformed it into a formidable content and experiential powerhouse. In fact, it was her recent collective achievements which led to her promotion as TRAVERSE32’s first Global Managing Director just this month.
During her tenure with MBCS, Olivia’s impact was widely recognized throughout APAC. The company was notably featured on Campaign Brief’s 2024 Hot Agencies List and its 2024 Movers and Shakers list.
Over the years, Olivia has personally garnered numerous impressive accolades, including being named Next Best Creative Leader Under 40 by Mediaweek; being selected a Rising Star + listed on B&T’s 30 Under 30 list; and being named Campaign Asia’s Women Leading Change Young Business Leader of the Year. She was also chosen as one of Campaign Asia’s 40 Women to Watch, Adnews’ Top 30 Emerging Leaders, and received the Pat Sharpe Female Sports Administrator of the Year award, among others.
The wunderkind’s creative work has likewise been extensively lauded. Recent accolades include five MFA Awards including the coveted Grand Prix + three Gold APAC FOMA Awards for a touring activation she created for LEGO/NitroCircus; a MFA for a LEGO Mamamia Podcast; a Gold Impact from the Native Advertising Awards, along with three MFAs and a Gold from the Crocodile Awards for developing a very winning partnership between NRMA Insurance and the Game of Cricket; two Clios, a Gold and a Silver, for Lord of the Rings’ Trams; a FOMA Award for a campaign she created on behalf of Prime Video’s The Boys’; a Silver from Campaign Asia’s Event Marketing Awards for her ideation and execution of Magnum Ice Cream’s Pleasure Pub event; and last, but certainly not least, an actual LOGIE nomination along with winning Adweek’s Media Campaign of the Year for Ultimate Classroom-Defense Force Recruiting.
Meg Wells
Director/Filmmaker Independent
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Meg Wells
Meg is an award-winning filmmaker, development executive and branded entertainment leader. She has built and led internal and stand alone content studios, has helmed creative and production teams across the globe, and is deeply experienced in authentic and human-centered storytelling. She has worked with major international brands + clients, some of which include: Red Bull, Sony Entertainment, the Olympic Games, Google, Under Armour, Gillette, Lego, Dell, Paris St Germain, BeIN Sports, the NBA, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, Fox Sports, Oakley, Gatorade, Ziploc, Delta Airlines, Acura, J&J and the Home Depot.
As a filmmaker and director, she has written and directed more than a dozen multi-episodic and branded content series, and several feature length documentaries. As an Executive Producer and Development Executive, she has commissioned and produced content for major distribution partners and brands, and as a Consultant, she is sought after for her ability to deeply understand human motivation + value systems, and strategically engineer powerful, audience centric narratives for brands to engage in more uniquely authentic ways.
Currently, Meg is consulting for brands and agencies looking to build studios and create original IP in the branded entertainment space, works as a Fractional Chief Content Officer, Development Executive, EP and Showrunner, and takes on a limited number of commercial + short film directing opportunities for production companies across the globe.
Previously, she was the Executive Producer and Head of Content House for Under Armour, where she built the Under Armour Originals brand and in-house Branded Content Studio, was an Executive Producer and Showrunner for Red Bull Media House, leading a world-wide team of producer, directors and creators supporting all of RBMH’s global broadcasts, was a Senior Producer/ Director for Turner Sports and instrumental in the launch of the NBAtv OTT and linear channels, as well as NBA Digital and NBA.com, and worked across a portfolio of additional Sports properties, developing award-winning brand and image campaigns, documentary and long-form content. She started her career as a Producer + Director in news and entertainment at CNN and TBS.
Noel Wong Ying Fei
Executive Producer Xebec Media Ltd.
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Noel Wong Ying Fei
Noel started his profession as a print and television journalist and was a war correspondent in Pakistan right after the 911 Attack. With his fervent aspirations for Chinese arts and crafts, he not only wishes to promote this heritage but also to nurture the next generation. 2012, He worked together with Ray Mak to create a documentary - Soul of China, which won several international awards. 2017, they produce their second feature length documentary - Water of Life and Death, again won several international awards, including Gold World Medal and UNDPI Silver award of New York Festival Awards.
Mei Yan
Managing Director CGTN Europe
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Mei Yan
With over two decades of experience in media industry, I currently serve as the Managing Director of the CGTN Europe based in London. I oversee strategy, programming, content production, and distribution. Prior to this, I established CGTN's Commentary Programming Department in Beijing, managing prominent TV shows and social media content, including budget control. Back in 2011, I was Managing Editor at CCTV's Washington DC Center, overseeing news production and operations for the Americas. My earlier roles include Chief Editor of CCTV English Channel and TV correspondent, with multiple awards including an Emmy in feature, New York Festivals Film and Television awards and CNN World Report recognition.
Cathy Yang
Host, Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang Cignal TV, MediaQuest Holdings
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Cathy Yang
An international, multi-awarded media personality and corporate leader, Cathy Yang broadened her scope as a Communicator embracing the tech, media and telco ecosystem in July 2020 as Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart, and in May 2023, as Host of Cignal TV’s Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang. She was recently feted a Gold trophy at the 2024 Stevie® Awards for Technology Excellence in New York City, the highest recognition under the category, “Executive of the Year—Communication Technology”.
Yang’s 15-year international media stint included postings in Tokyo and Hong Kong for Bloomberg TV Asia-Pacific, Reuters TV Asia-Pacific and CCTV English (now CGTN), before her eventual return to the Philippines in August 2015. She is a five-time winner of the Asian TV Awards and the first Filipino journalist to win Best News or Current Affairs Presenter/Anchor at the 2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA). Since 2000, she has served as Juror at the AACA. In January 2024, she was selected as Member of the Grand Jury at the 2024 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
Yang has interviewed Sir Richard Branson, Mahathir Mohamed of Malaysia, Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, Helen Clark of New Zealand, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, Hollywood actress and film producer Charlize Theron, motivational speaker Simon Sinek, Shark Tank host and entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary, NBA basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, among others.
Yang served as Chairperson of the National Public Relations Congress, Vice-President-External and Board of Trustees of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines in 2022-23.
Now on her fourth year as a corporate leader, Yang has led strategic efforts at PLDT Group to be recognized in 2023 as a Leader in the Global Child Forum’s children’s rights and business benchmark. Among 1,108 companies representing eight sectors in six regions, PLDT achieved the highest among Philippine companies, setting the gold standard for integrating children’s rights into the workplace, marketplace and communities.
Yang is a Correspondent Member of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong. She is married to Dr. Gilbert C. Yang and together, they have two daughters.
Zhao Yang
Producer China Global Television Network
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Zhao Yang
YANG Zhao is an award-winning journalist, producer, and filmmaker from China Global Television Network (CGTN) of China Media Group. He founded CGTN’s science reporting unit, Tech It Out Studio, producing and hosting the original series Tech It Out, covering scientific and technological breakthroughs across China and world. He has also written and produced many science feature-length films and documentary shorts, including Behind the Virus, Land of Diversity, and Human Carbon Footprint. Yang is an Asian Television Awards and New York Festivals TV & Film Awards recipient, as well as a winner at the Beijing International Film Festival.
Toshie Yoshida
President TI ComNet Japan
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Toshie Yoshida
Toshie Yoshida's career in the broadcasting industry spans more than 30 years. Prior to establishing TI ComNet, she worked as an announcer in Japan and the U.S. After returning to Japan, she worked as a producer on a number of programs.
In 2001, she established TI ComNet Japan, which specializes in translation, dubbing, film coordination, and program sales for broadcast content. In recent years, she has been lecturing and writing about the overseas development of local content.