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.
2026 Grand Jury Photo Album
Monica Albuquerque
Senior Vice President of Scripted Content and Development NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises
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Monica Albuquerque
Monica Albuquerque serves as the Senior Vice President of Scripted Content and Development of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, leading the content strategy and development for the company’s renowned studios. In this role, she partners with production, marketing, sales, research, and audience analytics to deliver compelling content for both linear and streaming platforms. With over three decades of experience, Albuquerque is a recognized expert in scripted and unscripted programming, development, casting, talent management, and marketing for Spanish-language programming. She reports directly to Javier Pons, Executive Vice President of Telemundo Studios.
Prior to joining Telemundo, Albuquerque was head of scripted content at Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America (WBDLA), where she drove the development of original scripted projects for HBO Max and pay TV platforms across the region. Before joining WBDLA, Albuquerque spent 21 years at TV Globo, where she held various leadership roles, including seven years as Head of Artistic and Portfolio Development. In this capacity, she was instrumental in advancing the company’s growth.
The recipient of notable industry awards and recognitions, Albuquerque was recognized as the first Brazilian named to Variety’s “50 Most Influential Women in International Entertainment” in the 2019 Women Impact Report.
Béatrice Alquier
Promotion et Direction Artistique des Antennes Direction Promotion opérationnelle France Télévisions
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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.
Ruth Beni
Co-Founder/Filmmaker/Writer Animage Films
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Ruth Beni
Ruth Beni is an award-winning filmmaker and writer.
Multi-award-winning filmaker Ruth Beni has written, produced, and directed numerous original TV programmes and films for national and international broadcasters, including ITV and Channel 4.
Since 2005, Ruth’s work has focused mainly on creating short films tackling the many forms of social issues, including the many forms of violence against women. Many of the films spearheaded national and International awareness campaigns, reaching a large global audience.
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.
Eric Black
Independent Producer Independent
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Eric Black
Eric Black was previously the Director of Production & Technical Operations for Scholastic Media where he oversaw the final stages of all current productions, as well as the modernization and distribution of Scholastic’s legacy properties. He has written, edited, directed, produced and recorded various promotions and special projects for Scholastic and has been an instrumental part of every Scholastic television and film production since 2002. Prior to his work at Scholastic, Eric held positions at the Jim Henson Company and Oxygen Media. Eric stays current on the state of children’s media through his four children, ranging in age from 8 years to 9 months.
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.
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.
Kevin Chan
Executive Producer Mediacorp Pte Ltd
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Kevin Chan
Kevin Chan is an award-winning Executive Creative Producer at Mediacorp with over a decade of experience crafting engaging short-form digital content, brand campaigns, and promotional material for major networks including Mediacorp, ESPN-Star Sports, and The Comedy Channel (Australia). A graduate of San Francisco State University and the University of Melbourne, Kevin specializes in producing bilingual (English and Chinese) creative work that blends storytelling, design, and motion graphics—often drawing inspiration from comedy and experimental cinema.
Lauren Chomiuk
Executive Director,Program Management FORTUNE Brand Studio
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Lauren Chomiuk
Lauren Chomiuk is Executive Director of Program Management for Fortune Brand Studio, a division of Fortune Media, where she has led program management, client services, and managing editorial since 2017 (previously under Time, Inc., and Meredith Corporation). In her role, Lauren sits at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and operations, overseeing production and client services for award-winning content programs for Fortune 500 companies . Prior to beginning her career in branded content, Lauren worked in marketing, managing editorial, and production roles at Condé Nast and Open Road Integrated Media. Lauren is a graduate of New York University, where she earned her M.S. in Publishing, following a B.A. in Professional Writing: Editing & Publishing from Michigan State University. Lauren was honored as a 2025 Significant Woman in Branded Content by the Native Advertising Institute, and is a judge for the annual Webby Awards, w3 Awards, Telly Awards, Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards, Communicator Awards, Davey Awards, and New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
Debbie Cuell
CEO & Executive Producer Sparkle Pictures
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Debbie Cuell
Debbie Cuell is a creator and producer of Documentary and Factual programs.
She produced Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds Series 1 and 2. It touched the hearts of Australian viewers and shone a light on our often-forgotten older Australians. Critically acclaimed in Australia and overseas, series 1 won 2020 International Emmy Award for best Entertainment Program, GOLD at the New York TV and Film Awards for Documentary Social Issues, and an AACTA for Best Documentary or Factual Program,
Series 2 won 2021 AACTA for Best Documentary or Factual Program, and GRAND GOLD at the New York TV and Film Awards for Documentary Social Issues.
Debbie developed and produced the next evolution in the series - Old People’s Home for Teenagers, which won the 2022 AACTA for Best Documentary or Factual Program, and GOLD at the New York TV and Film Awards.
In 2022 Debbie launched her production label “Sparkle Pictures” and produced her original documentary series The Role of a Lifetime. The genre-bending factual-drama series, aired on the ABC in 2025. The series has been nominated in the IFFA 2025 awards for best original TV series.
Debbie is known for bringing integrity and heart to all that she produces.
Luca Dambrosio
Creative Producer Rai Radiotelevisione italiana
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Luca Dambrosio
Luca Dambrosio specializes in the analysis, scouting, creation, and development of new digital products and TV formats, with a focus on digital and transmedia content. He has collaborated with RAI since 2003. As a creative producer, he has traveled worldwide creating documentaries and has worked on educational programs for children. His expertise includes content creation, innovative format development, and strategic planning.
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.
Reim El Houni
CEO & Executive Producer Ti22 FIlms
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Reim El Houni
Reim's career includes working with TV stations like the BBC to being an Executive Producer and Head of Events at Dubai One. Reim launched her own production company Ti22 Films in January 2011, which has won 25 New York Festival Awards & a Cannes Corporate Media and TV Award. Reim has worked with some of the globes largest multinationals such as Amazon, Reebok, Swarovski, LG Electronics, and broadcasters such as National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Times of India and many more. Reim has served on the Jury of the New York Festival and is a speaker and moderator. Reim founded dubai ON demand in 2014, where the world of branded content and influencer marketing collide, which has evolved into a video based personal branding membership community for business owners and thought leaders. She supports organisations as a media consultant and video strategist, developing workshops and training for teams. Expo 2020 was a milestone project for Reim as she Executive Produced the daily live TV show, Studio Expo! The show aired live simultaneously on Expo TV with a global reach and Dubai One with a pan Arab reach featuring a range of guests from dignitaries to celebrities. Reims latest adventure is Executive Producing a new daily lifestyle show on Dubai One called DXB Today ensuring residents of Dubai stay up to date on everything happening in the city.
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).
Richard Fabb
Creative Director LiveLab / Griffith Film School
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Richard Fabb
Richard Fabb is a BAFTA and Royal Television Society award-winning producer. He is Creative Director of LiveLab, the commercial production studio at Griffith Film School in Brisbane. LiveLab won Gold and Silver medals at the 2018 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
Richard has an eclectic range of credits, having worked in news, documentaries, drama, live events, interview, comedy and entertainment; for broadcasters including Channel 4, the BBC, the ABC and SBS. At LiveLab he is increasingly working in online content; Executive Producing Two Weeks, a 9-part LGBT web series, and co-helming Create Queensland, a unique collaboration with YouTube.
Jeremy JP Fekete
Filmmaker, writer & director ARTE G.E.I.E.
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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.
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
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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.
Reshma Ghosh
Filmmaker & Founder Blue Petal Films
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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.
Mihai Gidea
CEO Antena 3
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Mihai Gidea
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.
Megan Gilbert
Vice President Fortune Brand Studio
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Megan Gilbert
Megan Gilbert is Vice President of the 300+ award-winning Fortune Brand Studio. She drives the editorial direction, strategy, and production of all branded content, leading the creative studio team and guiding storytelling in all formats for high-profile global clients such as Salesforce, PayPal, De Beers, Accenture, and more. Her career includes positions at VICE, Gawker/Gizmodo, Univision, The Washington Post, and Slate. She was named to the 2024 class of Ragan’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 2025 and 2018. Megan holds an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College and teaches Branded Content at New York University.
Daniel Gimenez
Head of Graphics The Walt Disney Company
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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.
Victor Glynn
Producer GCB Films
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Victor Glynn
An award-winning TV producer and writer and former senior exec of various major companies including Sony Victor has been CEO of a number of large independent film and television drama production companies including Portman and Zenith in the UK.
His work is regularly shown on Netflix, HBO, CBS, BBC, Channel 4 and elsewhere. Most recently he produced the hit TV series Staged for the BBC and Hulu.
His productions have won many awards including BAFTAs, EMMYs, European Film Awards, the Critics’ Prize at Venice and the Prix Europa. Since 1991 three of his productions have won awards at the New York Festivals including a Grand Prize, two Gold Medals, plus Silver and Bronze medals.
By using experiences and knowledge from his work with the BBC (where he started his career), at Sony and other majors including Universal and Fox, he also mentors new producers on their projects. Active in Adult Education at Oxford University he also coaches potential applicants to the university, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds.
His autobiographical trilogy See Me, Sue Me, Sad Me! aka The Rage Quartet, will appear in 2023.
Victor is a voting member of BAFTA and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Michael Gray
Series/Executive Producer BBC
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Michael Gray
Television and Digital Series / Executive Producer and Commissioner, creating Music, Entertainment, Comedy and Factual content, from 'Glastonbury' to '50 Years Of Hip Hop' to 'Children In Need', with over 20 years of experience in the media industry. Loving the programming I make and the productions I manage, I am a versatile and creative producer and commissioner, creating engaging and diverse output across TV, on-demand and digital platforms for different audiences. I have a passion for music, culture and charity production, equally at home self-shooting and editing, or managing crews of 50+, enjoying working with talented artists, performers, and presenters to produce high-quality and impactful shows that showcase stories and the variety of all walks of life.
Mathew Greenfeld
Director of Photography, Editor Visuals By Mathew Greenfeld LLC
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Mathew Greenfeld
Mathew Greenfeld is an award-winning cinematographer, editor, and colorist whose visual storytelling expertise has earned multiple prestigious industry accolades, including several Telly Awards and a recent short-form documentary award at Hatch for his work with Travelers Insurance.
With over a decade of experience in professional video production, he brings masterful technical precision and creative vision to every project. His comprehensive skill set encompasses advanced cinematography, professional color grading, and FAA-certified drone operations, allowing him to deliver sophisticated visual solutions across multiple platforms and channels.
As a versatile Director of Photography, Mathew specializes in translating complex client objectives into compelling visual narratives while maintaining stringent technical standards and project parameters. His collaborative approach, combined with deep technical expertise, has established him as a trusted creative partner for agencies and brands seeking premium video content.
Mathew maintains a commitment to technical innovation and creative excellence, consistently advancing his craft through emerging technologies and contemporary storytelling techniques for clients including LEGO, Soapbox, McDonalds, The State of CT and Travelers Insurance.
Marie-Claude GUAY
Head of Innovation Centre, Industry Expertise and Market intelligence Business Consulting, CGI Mtl
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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.
Melanie Haft
Managing Director & Head of Production nautilusfilm GmbH
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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, and over 250 Awards worldwide
nautilusfilms full productions are here
Oliver Halmburger
Director/Producer Loopfilm GmbH
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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.
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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.
Cara Heydt
Producer Light & Shadow GmbH
ABOUT
Cara Heydt
Cara Heydt is a producer at Light & Shadow, one of Europe’s leading wildlife documentary production companies, founded by award-winning filmmaker Christian Baumeister. For more than 25 years, Light & Shadow has produced high-end nature films, including the Emmy-nominated series Wild Andes and EUROPE, Germany’s largest wildlife documentary project to date.
She has a background in communication and sustainability innovation, using data and AI for environmental and social impact with a strong focus on biodiversity. In her work, she connects research with cinematic storytelling and photography to explore the relationship between humans, technology, and the natural world.
Cara holds a Masters in Communication Sciences and studied at the University of Vienna, Roskilde University and Sungkyunkwan University.
Jacob Hickey
Head of Factual/Producer Blackfella Films
ABOUT
Jacob Hickey
Jacob Hickey started his career in BBC Current Affairs and Documentary and after ten years moved to Australia. In 2009 Jacob wrote and directed the feature documentary Inside the Firestorm (Winner 2010 AFI Award for Best Direction in a Documentary) He worked as writer and series producer on Immigration Nation, Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta and Dirty Business – How Mining Made Australia.
In 2013 Jacob joined Blackfella Films in Melbourne as Head of Factual. He was the writer and series producer of both seasons of the acclaimed First Contact (2015 TV Week Logie Award-Most Outstanding Factual Program). Other projects as writer and series producer include three seasons of Filthy Rich and Homeless, How ‘Mad’ Are You? and Addicted Australia. Jacob was co-writer of feature length documentaries The Dark Emu Story, (Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism) Deep Water: The Real Story and Step Into Paradise.
Jacob was a writer on the historical series The Australian Wars for SBS, 2023 (TV Week Logie - Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program, winner AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program) He was executive producer and co-director on Never Let Him Go, a true crime series for ABC News Studios/Hulu/Disney+
Jacob’s most recent work includes the 4-part history series The Idea of Australia. He is currently in production for two true crime series, for an Australian network and international streamer.
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.
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.
Tom Jennings
Founder & President 1895 Films
ABOUT
Tom Jennings
Tom Jennings is a Peabody and Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist. He is the Founder and President of the documentary production company 1895 Films.
Jennings’ award-nominated and winning body of work includes Smithsonian Channel’s MLK: The Assassination Tapes (George Foster Peabody Award); National Geographic’s Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes (Emmy Award winner) and National Geographic’s The Lost JFK Tapes (Emmy Award nominee). Tom’s company, 1895 Films, also produced Smithsonian Channel’s award-winning series The Lost Tapes, as well as the National Geographic series In Their Own Words – a spin-off from his company’s highly successful profile of Princess Diana, called Diana: In Her Own Words. Tom also produced a special for National Geographic titled Apollo, which aired in July 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA’s historic moon landing. In January 2020, this film won the Producers Guild Award for best movie for television or streaming, beating out four major fiction projects.
Tom started his career as a print journalist, writing for publications including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press. In 1994, he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for investigative reporting.
Andrei Jiro
Art Director/Design Manager 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.
Amy Katz
Former VOA Senior Executive Producer Journalist
ABOUT
Amy Katz
Previously, Amy Katz was 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/Cinematographer/Photographer FotoKnoff AS
ABOUT
Sven-Erik Knoff
Sven-Erik Knoff is an award-winning director, cinematographer, and photographer based in Trondheim, Norway. He is the founder of FotoKnoff AS and DREYMA®, where he develops visually driven stories for brands, destinations, and broadcasters.
With more than a decade of professional experience in film and photography — following over 25 years in the culinary, wine, and travel industries — Sven-Erik works across documentary, branded content, tourism, and culinary storytelling. He has contributed to international productions for broadcasters such as NRK, BBC and Apple TV+, and most recently worked as a drone operator and set photographer for a British feature film directed by a renowned filmmaker.
Sven-Erik is a licensed drone cinematographer and a member of the Grand Jury for the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards. He has received multiple international recognitions for his visual storytelling, including the Black Dolphin Award at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards in 2017. His earlier experience as a trained chef with sixteen years in first-class kitchens gives him a distinctive visual and sensory understanding of food and wine on screen.
Through FotoKnoff AS and DREYMA®, Sven-Erik combines strategic brand thinking with cinematic craftsmanship and Scandinavian aesthetics — helping clients build strong, authentic narratives across film, photography, and digital platforms.
Douglas Lan
Commissioning Editor
ABOUT
Douglas Lan
Douglas Lan is a Commissioning Editor, and 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.
Sarah Lanz
Producer DoclightsGmbH
ABOUT
Sarah Lanz
Sarah Lanz studied biology and media studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. For her master's thesis, she produced her first feature-length documentary film with a fellow student, which was also screened internationally at numerous festivals for university projects.
Sarah completed an editorial traineeship at Eikon Nord in Hamburg. She has now been working at Doclights for over a year, first as a junior producer, more recently as a producer in the nature and animal film department.
She is passionate about combining her two strengths in biology and filmmaking.
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.
Molby Low Kian Chye
CEO/Founder WaWa Pictures Pte Ltd
ABOUT
Molby Low Kian Chye
A TV veteran of more than twenty years. Molby Low started his career with Singapore’s local TV stations and established his own independent production company WaWa Pictures Pte Ltd in 2007.
Under Molby’s steady leadership & unwavering passion for the local entertainment industry, WaWa Pictures have since grown to become a leading content provider in Singapore. Many of WaWa’s content is distributed in Asia.
Molby is in a constant process of grooming and mentoring new creative talents. He continually pushes to produce content that will not only intrigue the local & regional audiences but also resonate with the global viewers
Michael Maack
Marketing Producer ZDF - Zweites Deutsches FernsehenMatthias Martens
Founder/Managing Director & Executive Producer M-art-ens Media GmbH
ABOUT
Matthias Martens
Founder, Managing Director and Executive Producer of Timecode Production GERMANY Matthias Martens has gathered more than 18 years of experiences in the TV-Business. He worked for ProSiebenSat1 (one of the biggest private media companies in Germany) as “Teamleader and Coordinator German Fiction” as well as an Executive Producer for the ARD (largest German Public TV Group in Germany) - and for ARTE and ZDF.
He produced a large spectrum of films and docudramas, for example “A Blind Hero – The Love Of Otto Weidt”, „The Good Göring“ or „Mata Hari – Dancing With The Death“ . His Films won several international awards including the World Gold and Silver Medal at the New York Festivals. Further more he produced documentaries of all genres, shows and other media formats, for example more than 300 episodes of “Menschen bei Maischberger”, which is one of the highest ranking and longest running talkshows for the ARD.
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.
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.
Kelly McKeown
Executive Producer, VP Content Independent
ABOUT
Kelly McKeown
Kelly McKeown is a show creator, director and executive producer, who specializes in ambitious, factual entertainment for global audiences. She is a proven leader in co-productions with more than 20 years experience.
As Director of Exploration Productions, Kelly led the editorial vision for Discovery Canada and Bell Media Studios’ in-house production company. By the end of 2020, EPI delivered 5,440 hours in the form of series, specials, and a daily science magazine show to more than 160 countries.
Kelly created and Executive Produced the award winning series Disasters at Sea. She also is the Executive Producer of the Mighty Franchise; Mighty Ships, Mighty Cruise Ships, Mighty Trains and Mighty Planes.
One of her biggest passions is documenting firsts in human endeavour through quick turnaround, high end prime time specials. She has Executive Produced numerous award-winning specials, including Saturn Inside the Rings, Pluto First Encounter, Jupiter Close Encounter, Landing on a Comet, Hunt for a Super Comet, Mars Landing, One Giant Leap, and Fire in the Sky.
She won a Canadian Screen Award and New York Festival for Best Science and Tech Series for her work on the world’s only daily science show DAILY PLANET. She has also created and led original series MegaWorld, Invent This! Taken Abroad, Year In Sci Tech and Shark World.
Elodie Moncelet
Creative Producer Paramount Creative EMEAAAkira Nishimura
Executive Producer Fuji Television
ABOUT
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 Independent
ABOUT
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.
Nick Olle
Senior Supervising Producer, 101 East Al Jazeera
ABOUT
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.
Yu-Ling Pan
Manager of the Marketing and Planning Department Hakka TV
ABOUT
Yu-Ling Pan
Currently serving as Manager of Marketing and Planning Department at Hakka TV, she brings over 30 years of expertise in integrated marketing and cross- media communication. She is recognized for her strengths in brand strategy, content promotion, and digital media innovation. She has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Hakka TV brand through cross-platform distribution, original digital content creation, and narrative- driven multimedia campaigns- significantly expanding the reach and visibility of Hakka-language programming. Her promotional short film “Carrying On the Voice of the Hakka People” received the Golden Bell Award for Channel Promotion and was nominated for multiple national awards in program marketing and broadcast promotion.
Alexandra Pauliat
Executive Producer, People and Power Al Jazeera Network
ABOUT
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
ABOUT
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.
Judy Plavnick
Executive Producer & Co-owner Sit. Good Girl Productions, LLC
ABOUT
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.
Matt Pothecary
Creative Director Media Zoo Ltd
ABOUT
Matt Pothecary
Matt's 20-year career spans Bafta and RTS winning broadcast factual and entertainment shows all the way to effective storytelling for brands across all genres and platforms from brand films, commercials, YT shows, and social campaigns. Since joining Mediazoo in 2023 he's been awarded Gold at Cannes Corporate and TV awards, Evcom, and The New York Festivals TV and Film awards.
Duncan Preston
Head of Global Creative Services Al Jazeera Media Network
ABOUT
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.
Judith Pyke
Executive Producer/President Curious Features Inc
ABOUT
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.
Jayakumar Raju
Deputy Chief Editor for Content Commissioning & Planning at CNA Mediacorp
ABOUT
Jayakumar Raju
Jayakumar Raju, Deputy Chief Editor for Content Commissioning & Planning at CNA, Mediacorp, has over two decades of experience in media strategy, content commissioning, and audience engagement. He has driven award-winning programming and pioneered CNA’s first FAST channel, expanding its global reach. Known for aligning editorial integrity with digital innovation, Jayakumar integrates analytics, storytelling, and platform strategy to enhance viewer experience. A Chevening Scholar with degrees from the University of York and Nanyang Technological University, he brings a global perspective to content innovation, combining data-informed creativity with strategic leadership in shaping Asia’s media landscape.
Regina Reyes
Journalist/Mentor/Advisor Independent
ABOUT
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
ABOUT
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.
Monica Sarbu
Executive Director CNN International
ABOUT
Monica Sarbu
Monica Sarbu is a distinguished media executive and broadcast journalist with over 19 years of experience leading editorial teams and delivering high-impact news content across Europe. Currently serving as Executive Director at CNN International based in Bucharest, Romania, a position she has held since 2022, Monica has successfully orchestrated major newsroom transformations, including the high-profile rebranding of Antena 3 into Antena 3 CNN, and has overseen coverage of significant global events such as the Ukraine war and U.S. elections. Her leadership consistently drives audience growth and elevates journalistic standards, earning recognition including Gold and Silver accolades at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards in 2023.
In addition to her production and editorial roles, Monica has played a pivotal part in training and mentoring the next generation of media talent and in facilitating knowledge transfer between Romanian and international newsrooms. She also dedicates time as a volunteer with the Alliance for Women in Media, an organization committed to supporting all women across media segments through networking, education, and celebration of accomplishments.
With a proven ability to critically analyze and elevate content while driving strategic initiatives, she has earned respect as a visionary media executive. Monica’s extensive experience underscores her commitment to advancing journalism standards and fostering innovation in an ever-changing global media landscape.
Evelyn Schels
Author & Director
ABOUT
Evelyn Schels
Evelyn Schels, author and director of documentary films (cinéma et TV), selected at numerous international festivals. She makes portraits of artistes like GEORGIA O’KEEFFE, Painter of the Faraway (2021, 53', Les Films d’ici, Arte France, Srf), BODY OF TRUTH (95’, theatrical release 2020, prenominated for Deutscher Filmpreis, international premiere NYC Doc) with the artists Marina Abramovic, Shirin Neshat, Katharina Sieverding, Sigalit Landau. GEORG BASELITZ (103’, theatrical release 2013), POLA KINSKI, Being Touched (45’, BR/ARD 2014), PER KIRKEBY (45’, BR/ARD2014). She makes feature length documentaries exploring societal questions: LOVE COMES LATER (90’, 2007) about three generations of women of an Algerian family in France, MOCCA WITH SALT (90’ 2011) about three generations of women of a Turkish family in Germany. She taught at HFF Munich, Academy of Film in Munich. Her recent film tells the story of the acteur “PETER LORRE – DERRIÈRE LE MASQUE DU MAUDIT” (2024, Les films d’ici, Arte, KGP Film, ORF). She lives and works in Paris and Munich.
FESTIVALS
DOC NYC Festival, New York
Human Rights Festival, Sydney
International Festival of Films on Art, Montreal
International Film Festival, Israel
Filmfest Hamburg
ARTECINEMA, Neapel
Art Film Festival, Beirut (Masterclass at University of Beirut)
International Festival, Taipeh
Festival de Film de l’Art – Centre Pompidou, Paris
Festival d’Automne, Paris
Milano Doc-Film Festival, Milano
Festival di Brera, Mailand
Internationales Dokumentarfilm Festival, München
Peter Schels
Managing Director Al Dente Entertainment GmbH
ABOUT
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
ABOUT
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
ABOUT
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+
ABOUT
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.
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
Chief Commercial & Creative Officer | APAC Casual FIlms
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Jay Soo
Jay Soo is the Chief Commercial & Creative Officer | APAC for Casual FIlms. He is 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.
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.
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 Televisao
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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.
Umesh Vohra
Head of Planning TRT World
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Umesh Vohra
Umesh Vohra is an international journalist and newsroom leader who has worked across Asia, Africa and Europe. He has been with TRT World since before its launch in 2015 and has worked across News Input and Programs. Currently he oversees Programs Planning with current affairs and production teams across Istanbul, London and Washington DC. He has Executive Produced award winning documentaries and has over 25 years of experience across News, Programs and Independent production.
Echo WAI
Controller/ Production Services RTHK
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Echo WAI
Echo WAI is the Controller of Production Services at Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) currently. She began her career at RTHK in 1993, gaining experience as both a programme producer and presenter.
Throughout her career, Echo has held various positions, including serving as a deputy in the New Media Unit and overseeing Corporate Communications and Standard Unit. She also served as Controller of TV from 2021 to 2023.
With a strong interest in broadcasting technology, Echo has recently contributed to the launch of the RTHK AI Lab and the development of Smart Broadcasting initiatives, enhancing the efficiency and productivity of both television and radio at RTHK.
Megan G Wells
Director/Filmmaker Independent
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Megan G Wells
Megan G Wells is a branded entertainment futurist, award-winning filmmaker, showrunner, and executive producer redefining how brands harness the power of culture and entertainment. She has built and scaled world-class studios, and partnered with global brands such as Red Bull, Under Armour, the NBA, Sony, Google, Rolex, Johnson & Johnson, LEGO, Dell, and the Olympic Games to deliver groundbreaking formats that reach audiences worldwide. As a creative and strategic leader, Wells has helmed dozens of multi-episodic series and documentaries and, as a Chief Content Officer and development executive, has pioneered new models of development, distribution, and measurement that are reshaping how branded entertainment delivers value. She is also the co-founder of EVOKE, a measurement framework that validates brand investment in entertainment through neuroscience and human emotion. A frequent speaker and internationally recognized thought leader, Wells has appeared at SXSW, Sundance, TribecaX, AdWeek, and MIPCOM, where she explores the evolving relationship between storytelling, audience behavior, and brand participation in entertainment. Her work and commentary have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, CampaignUS, Glamour UK, Cosmopolitan, Yahoo!, and Digital Spy, amongst others.
Ellis Williams
Feature Producer ESPN
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Ellis Williams
Ellis Williams is a producer, director, writer and voiceover artist who currently serves as a Producer/Director for CBS Sports in the Original Programming Department.
Williams joined CBS Sports in 2018 as an Associate Producer in the Creative Department led by Pete Radovich. He has worked on a variety of content across CBS Sports, including THE NFL TODAY, college football, college basketball and more. Among his projects for the Network are teases and features for the Super Bowl, SEC football, The Army-Navy Game, March Madness and The PGA Championship. Many of those productions starred celebrities, including Viola Davis, Magic Johnson, Peyton Manning, JB Smoove among others.
In 2020, Williams co-produced/directed a PSA for CBS Sports titled “8:46” which shed light on the harrowing effects of racism. The critically acclaimed “8:46” campaign ran across ViacomCBS platforms and gave eight Black athletes, commentators and analysts from CBS Sports 60 seconds to share a personal anecdote on race and concluded with a final message featuring all participants encouraging others to engage in much needed dialogue. Additionally, working with the PGA of America, this idea was expanded to highlight Black PGA professionals in golf during coverage of the PGA Championship. Williams went on to host a one-hour special on CBS, “CBS SPORTS CONNECTED: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ME,” with five Black CBS Sports employees. They each sat down with sports figures to discuss a variety of topics, including allyship, education, mental health, parenting and the American dream. His most recent work, “Beyond Limits Driving Change” was directed, written and produced by Williams. The documentary tells the story of Rajah Caruth an up-and-coming stock car driver whose experience on the platform iRacing gave him access to NASCAR where he currently competes in the ARCA Menards series.
As a Producer, Williams earned his first Emmy for Outstanding Open/Tease for his work during Super Bowl LV. “Stand By Me,” performed by Jennifer Hudson, featured NFL players whose family members have served as frontline workers during the pandemic. His second Emmy came this year from his work on “The Move;” how the Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis one winter night. He was also honored as one of Sports Business Journal’s “New Voices 30 Under 30” in 2021.
Williams has been a member of the Directors Guild of America since 2019. He received his bachelors of science in Television and Radio from Ithaca College in 2013. Williams, who hails from Staten Island, New York, began his career as a Production Assistant for Bleacher Report and was elevated to Producer in his third year with the company. During his time with the company, he worked as an Associate Producer on the documentary “Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story.”
Cathy Yang
Host, Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang Cignal TV, MediaQuest Holdings
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Cathy Yang
International, multi-awarded financial journalist Cathy Yang marks a full return to media in 2025, following a four-and-a-half-year stint in the tech and telco ecosystem in the Philippines. On January 1, 2025, Yang began her leadership role at CignalTV, Inc. under MediaQuest Holdings as Head of Programs and Host/Anchor. On February 10, 2025, she launched her multi-platform business news program, Money Talks with Cathy Yang, while continuing to host her multi-platform weekly talk show, now on its sixth season, Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang. She served as Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart from July 27, 2020 until November 30, 2024.
In September 2024, Yang was awarded the 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”. She was recognized for spearheading strategic efforts at PLDT Group as Leader in the Global Child Forum’s children’s rights and business benchmark, helping set the gold standard for integrating children’s rights into the workplace, marketplace and communities.
Yang’s 15-year international media stint includes 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. From then on until July 2020, she served the role of Anchor-Managing Editor at the ABS-CBN News Channel.
Yang 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). She has served as Juror at the AACA since 2020. Yang is on her third year as Member of the Grand Jury at theNew York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
In 2022-23, 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.
On March 6, 2024, Yang was inducted into the Class of 2024 Eastwood Walk of Fame in Metro Manila, joining 19 other Filipino luminaries honored with the five-pointed brass stars, for their invaluable contributions in their respective fields.
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.