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.

Currently, I am channeling my extensive experience into founding and leading DayDreamEntertainment. This new venture focuses on developing innovative content for modern media platforms. My goal is to bring fresh perspectives and opportunities to streaming platforms, including movies, series, and VOD channels, to meet the evolving needs of today’s media landscape

From 2021 to 2023, Valeria Fiñana served as Vice President of Production & Development for Telemundo Streaming Studios at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. In this role, Fiñana led the creation and development of entertainment content in short and long format series, films and documentaries across markets including the U.S., Europe and LATAM. As a producer and creative leader, Fiñana was responsible for managing partnerships with third-party production services, as well as producers, showrunners and talent. In addition, she has overseen the budget, strategy, content decisions and internal communications for projects in the Telemundo Streaming Studios division. She reported directly to Juan Ponce, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Telemundo Streaming Studios.

With nearly two decades of professional experience and thousands of hours of primetime experience in the U.S. Hispanic market, Fiñana has worked on award-winning global hit series such as “El Señor de los Cielos” (The Lord of the Skies), “Buscando a Frida” (Looking for Frida), “100 Dias para Enamorarnos” (100 Days to Fall in Love), “Armas de Mujer” (‘Til Jail Do Us Part), “El Secreto de la Familia Greco” (The Secret of the Greco Family), “Diario de un Gigolo” (Diary of a Gigolo), and “La Reina del Sur” (The Queen of the South). Fiñana worked as the Executive Producer for the music documentary for the third season of La Reina Del Sur: “La Reina Del Sur 3: Un Viaje Inolvidable, Banda Sonora” (La Reina del Sur 3 – An Unforgettable Voyage, Soundtrack Production) which was honored at the 2023 Telly Awards.

From 2019 to 2021, Fiñana held a role as Vice President of Production Design for Telemundo Global Studios, leading all aspects of conceptualization, design and production across areas such as set design, makeup, wardrobe and scenery for all studio productions. Prior to joining NBC Universal/Telemundo Studios in 2009 as a production designer, Fiñana worked as a Freelancer Producer and Production Designer for numerous production companies.

Fiñana received her degree from La Universidad Nacional de las Artes in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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.

Alexander Hahn is a pioneering electronic media artist. He received his MFA from the University of Fine Arts, Zürich/CH and is a 1981 fellow in the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. His videos, installations and computer prints are exhibited worldwide, most recently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Kunstmuseum Solothurn/CH, the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Ferrara/IT, and the National Art Museum of China, Beijing/CN. Among his awards are the New York State Council on the Arts Grant, Zurich Work Award, and the Swiss Federal Grant. He lives in New York.

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.

Jodain Massad is Director, Development & Innovation, NFL Films for the National Football League. A seasoned executive producer, he brings 15+ years of experience as a brand champion, innovation agent, and story maker to the 2023 NYF Advisory Board.  

Prior to his current role with the NFL, Jodain served as Executive Producer, Innovation | Design for the University of Notre Dame. During his tenure he reset the vision and rebuilt culture for Norte Dame production, debuted the one hour awards show format on NBC Sports, rebranded the series “Onward Notre Dame” on NBC Sports, produced recruiting content to national acclaim, founded the subscription virtual experience Rally House, led the recruiting presentation strategy on Brand and NIL, and initiated the FightingIrishTV.com int’l subscription.

He began his production career in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Throughout his years with the organization, Jodain was promoted into a variety of leadership production roles including Director of Production. While in his role as Director of Production he produced an ESPN 30for30 short with Grant Curtis. During his8-year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jodain led the team in documentary, telecast design, and ad campaign production and served as a content contributor for online, broadcast and event entertainment.

An award-winning content creator, industry innovator, and sought after speaker, Jodain has earned numerous high-profile industry accolades including 27 Emmy® Awards, 6 New York Festivals International Film & TV Awards, and 5 Sports Video Group College Sports Media Awards.

Bill McCullough is an award-winning senior executive, Emmy-winning director, and content expert with over two decades of experience in content creation, including more than a decade in the digital space. He is widely recognized for his expertise in documentary storytelling and original content development. In roles such as Chief Content Officer, Executive Creative Director, and Head of Development, Bill has led innovative content strategies across multiple platforms, focusing on IP development and brand marketing while consistently driving viewership, engagement, and revenue growth.

Throughout his career, Bill has achieved remarkable successes, including generating over 1 billion impressions during his tenure at the XFL and directing HBO Sports' "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." Other highlights include producing Faze Clan's 15-day livestream event, which garnered over 750 million impressions, and GoPro’s "Hala Madrid" series for Facebook Watch, which secured over 30 million views. His collaboration with Dude Perfect for the Super Bowl Trick Shot campaign drew more than 27 million views in one week and his 2018 NFL Draft campaign won awards for Best Integrated Campaign and resulted in the most watched NFL Draft to that point. Most recently, he launched a YouTube channel with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, accumulating over 60,000 subscribers and 10 million impressions in its first week.

Nine of Bill’s 11 Emmy Awards are in the documentary space, showcasing his strength in this genre. In addition, he has earned Emmys as a Director, Creative Director, Composer, and Editor. Bill’s enduring passion for excellence and storytelling drives his ability to craft high-quality, impactful content that engages audiences and elevates brands across platforms.

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.

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

Pete has been a Director of The Edge Picture Company for over 25 years.  He’s responsible for managing client relationships and delivering creative solutions for organisations and brands across the world. He brings extensive experience and passion to every project, always looking for ways to use the power of film to grab attention and change perceptions.  He speaks regularly to client leadership groups large and small and runs sessions on the Psychology of Film and its role in Behaviour Change. He’s also been closely involved over many years as a Taskforce member with Government-sponsored Engage for Success, an organisation focusing on inspiring and fostering better engagement across the UK. Pete’s work has garnered hundreds of international awards over the years, including the prestigious Grand Prix at the EVCOM London Film Awards.  In 2021 The Edge Picture Company was chosen by the New York Film & TV Festivals as their Production Company of the Year for a record 15 years in succession.

Francis Toral has been a journalist since 1998 and is currently the Head of the Integrated News Division of ABS-CBN Corporation, one of the Philippines’ leading media organizations.

Toral is responsible for the overall strategic direction and news agenda of the company’s various TV and digital programs and platforms, including TV PATROL, one of the longest-running and most watched newscasts in the country.  

On the digital sphere, ABSCBNnews.com is currently one of the top news websites in the Philippines and among the biggest Facebook publishers in the world.  Its YouTube channel has over 14.5 million subscribers and almost 10 billion views, while its Twitter account has 8.8 million followers. 

Prior to her appointment, Toral was Head of News Production, and has been spearheading coverage of national elections and presidential debates. She also led the News Desk, and Docu Central, the documentary unit of ABS-CBN News. This group produced several award-winning documentaries, including “’Di Ka Pasisiil”, a documentary on the War in Marawi, which won a Gold in the New York Festival in 2018.

Starting as a news writer for the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) in 1998, Toral was eventually promoted as Executive Producer of various news programs, including “The World Tonight”, the country’s premiere English newscast.

Toral graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines in 1998.

In 2009, she was awarded the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Fellowship by the United States Embassy in Manila.

Giles Trendle has extensive experience in frontline reporting, documentary film-making and executive leadership within the media industry.

For 8 years, Giles was Managing Director of Al Jazeera English, an acclaimed and award-winning international news and current affairs channel producing 24/7 programming for a worldwide TV audience in over 400 million households and mobile content for global digital consumers.

Giles began his career in the late 1980’s as a freelance reporter in Lebanon covering the country’s civil war and hostage crisis. As a journalist and filmmaker he has also worked in Egypt, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

Giles is a trained executive coach and a member of the International Coaching Federation. He also holds a non-executive position on the steering committee of Covering Climate Now, a global consortium of some of the biggest names in news aimed at producing more informed and urgent climate reporting.

Ellen is the CEO of WaterBear Network, overseeing the strategy and direction of the new free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. 

Prior to WaterBear, Ellen was owner and CEO of Off the Fence, having founded the company in 1994. Under her leadership, Off the Fence acquired, produced, and co-produced over 6,000 hours of content. 

Ellen is a seasoned Executive Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours to date herself. She executive produced My Octopus Teacher, which won this year’s BAFTA and Oscar for Best Feature Documentary. She is the Chair of the Jackson Wild Film Festival Board, Honorary President of the Sunnyside Doc 2019 festival in La Rochelle, France and is active in conservation and land development. Ellen was presented with Wildscreen’s Christopher Parson’s Outstanding Achievement Awards 2018. She has three children and a great passion for the outdoors.