Speakers

Kirk Wolfinger
Producer
Raising The Titanic

Kirk Wolfinger has worked in the film industry for 30 years during which time he has produced and directed numerous critically acclaimed documentary programs, from which he has received awards such as the George Foster Peabody Award (Moon Shot) and an Emmy Award (Bioterror) among many others.

Wolfinger founded his film company, Lone Wolf Documentary Group, with his wife and fellow filmmaker, Lisa Wolfinger, in 1997. Over the past 14 years they have assembled a team of talented professionals who have a passion for filmmaking and a desire to live and work in a place that sustains that desire. No film Kirk has made gives him as much satisfaction as the Company he and Lisa helped to create.

Wolfinger's recently broadcast television works include Specials in 2011 for National Geographic Channel (World's Oldest Child, Great Lakes Ghost Ship, Star Clock B.C) and a four part series for History (Underwater Universe). Past successes include Executive Producing and Directing 35 episodes of History's series Deep Sea Detectives and several episodes of History's Tougher In Alaska, a pair of specials on the world's most famous shipwreck, Titanic, for History Titanic's Achilles Heel, and the history-changing documentary Titanic's Final Moment's: Missing Pieces. Other recent broadcast credits include a two hour History special based on Gene Krantz' book Failure Is Not An Option, and a sequel to that production titled Beyond the Moon. Other Lone Wolf productions led by Wolfinger include the NOVA programs Pocahontas Revealed, To The Moon and Hitler's Lost Sub, the latter of which became the inspiration for the bestseller Shadow Divers.

In 2009 Wolfinger released his 90-minute independent feature documentary The Rivals. In it, he tells the story of two towns in Maine, one wealthy, one poor and their high school football competition, where the game of winning in life becomes the real lesson on and off the field. The Rivals has taken home Best Picture (Phoenix Film Festival), Best Documentary (Los Angles Real Film Festival), Audience Award (Wood's Hole Film Festival), and a Silver Chris (Columbus Film Festival), as well as a host of Official Entries in festivals across the country. The film was purchased by Smithsonian Network and premiered in September of 2010.

Wolfinger and Rocky Collins won a National Emmy for their NOVA/New York Times production of Bioterror. The pair was nominated the next year for their NOVA, Dirty Bomb.

Kirk's early years were spent working with Varied Directions International at which he served as Series Producer and Director for Turner's highly acclaimed original series, Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon. In addition he also produced Portrait of Castro's Cuba for TBS, and two episodes of the PBS series Making Sense of the Sixties. Some of Kirk's later work at Varied Directions included Submarine!, Daredevils of the Sky, Titanic's Lost Sister, Battle Alert In The Gulf, The Beast of Loch Ness and Lincoln's Secret Weapon, all created for WGBH's series, NOVA. [ Minimize ]

Tom Koch
Vice President
Distribution PBS

Koch is Vice President of PBS Distribution (PBSd), the world-wide broadcast co-production, acquisition and distribution and new media business development company jointly owned by PBS and WGBH-Boston. PBS Distribution seeks out and manages co-production partnerships with producers and broadcasters a...
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Mary Donahue
Vice President, Development and Programming
HISTORY

Mary Donahue is Vice President, Development and Programming for History, a position she assumed in September 2010.

A veteran cable television executive, Mary Donahue joined HISTORY in October 2008 and was part of the team that developed and launched the break out hit series, Pawn Star...
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Chris Pfaff
CEO
Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC

Chris Pfaff is a leading new media and technology producer and strategist. He is renowned for integrating leading-edge technology into the media and entertainment community. He was the first to use IRC for an interactive corporate webcast; produced one of the first DVDs, in March, 1997; produced the first HD animated logo; produced some of the first mobile short films in 2002-2003, and produced numerous multipoint broadband events in the late-1990s.

His company, Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC, provides strategy and marketing services for leading technology service providers, technology firms, and new media companies worldwide. Since founding Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC in 2002, Chris has represented a wide range of clients, including strategic ventures from Eastman Kodak, PRIMEDIA, Cantor Telecom, and ASCAP, and firms ranging from mobile content distributor Thumbplay, video encoding firm On2 Technologies (sold to Google), and 3D face and body animation production studio face2face animation. Prior to launching Chris Pfaff Tech/Media, Chris was involved with the early-stage ventures GeoVideo Networks and MobileQ, and previously had helped launch more than 16 ventures with the Lucent New Ventures Group and Bell Labs, including Lucent Digital Radio (now iBiquity Digital), SyChip (sold to Murata), e-Ink, Flarion (sold to Qualcomm), and savaJe (sold to Sun Microsystems), among others. While at AT&T Corp., he helped launch AT&T WorldNet Service and the AT&T NetWare Connect Service, and also helped launch the AT&T Personal Online Services division. Prior to this, he represented such clients as Sony Electronics; Viacom New Media, and Sharp Electronics, among others. He began his career in the music industry, representing clients including Yamaha Corporation; Hal Leonard Publishing, and working with a wide range of musical artists and producers, including such notable figures as Walter Becker, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, and Phil Ramone.
Chris is currently chairman of the Producers Guild of America New Media Council East; a delegate on the national board of the Producers Guild of America, and vice chairman of the Producers Guild of America New Media Council. [ Minimize ]

Elizabeth Klinck
Researcher
E Klinck Research

Elizabeth Klinck has worked as producer, researcher and clearance specialist on numerous award-winning Canadian, American and British documentary films that have garnered Emmy, Gemini, Peabody and Academy awards.

A graduate of Queen's University, Elizabeth has taught documentary resea...
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Neil Docherty
Senior Producer
The Fifth Estate CBC

Neil Docherty is a senior editor/producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's investigative program, The Fifth Estate. Since 1992, he has also produced and directed films for FRONTLINE.

He was awarded the 2004 Gordon Sinclair Gemini Award as Canada's best broadcast journalis...
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Max Segal
Director, HBO Archives/March of Time
Co-President, ASCIL

Max Segal, along with CNN's David Sheehan, have been serving as ASCIL co-presidents since elected in November 2006. ACSIL is a not-for-profit group of 22 of the leading footage libraries in the world - representing Instituitional, Commercial, TV network and Independent collections. ACSIL's main mi...
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Dirk Hoogstra
Senior Vice President, Development and Programming
History and H2

Dirk Hoogstra is Senior Vice President of Development and Programming for HISTORY, a position he assumed in March 2011. Hoogstra also oversees the development and programming strategy for the recently launched H2 network. He previously served as Vice President, Development and Programming for HISTORY since 2007. He reports directly to Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager of HISTORY and Lifetime Networks.

In these roles, Hoogstra oversees the networks' programming teams, and is responsible for the development, creation and execution of all programming for HISTORY and H2. He is also charged with imaginatively integrating new programming with on-line initiatives, and developing new ways to expand the brand across multiple platforms. In 2011 to-date, HISTORY is the #1 factual entertainment network. HISTORY recently completed its best 3rd Quarter of all time, ranking in the top three among all key demographics Adults 25-54; Adults 18-49 and total viewers.

During his tenure at History, he developed and Executive Produced series and specials including American Pickers, Top Gear, Life After People, Only in America with Larry The Cable Guy and Top Shot.

Previously, he was Vice President, Development for TLC. In this position, Hoogstra was charged with the development of original programming for daytime and primetime series and specials for TLC and Discovery Home. While at TLC, Hoogstra developed series such as LA Ink, Hard Shine, Big Medicine, Real Estate Pros, Take Home Chef, and Tattoo Wars.

Hoogstra began his career with Discovery Communications Inc. in 1995. Over a seven-year period he worked in Production and Development at TLC, Discovery Primetime and Discovery Networks International. He was integral to the success of numerous high-profile productions including Emmy-Award winning "Raising the Mammoth," which was the second-highest rated cable documentary of all time, with more than 26 million viewers worldwide.

In 2002, Hoogstra left Discovery to head up Development for Brainbox Productions, an independent production company. While there he developed and Executive Produced specials and series for Discovery Networks, HGTV, History, Style and Court TV. In 2004 he returned to Discovery Channel as Development Producer, overseeing development and editorial on various primetime series and specials including Man vs. Wild and Driver X. [ Minimize ]

Peter Gaffney
Senior Vice President, Programming Strategy, Scheduling and Acquistions
History and H2

Peter Gaffney is the Senior Vice President, Programming Strategy, Scheduling and Acquisitions for HISTORY and the recently launched H2 networks. He is responsible for strategic planning, scheduling and acquisition strategies designed to increase ratings, impressions and viewer loyalty for these brands. He reports to Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager, HISTORY and Lifetime Networks.

Previously, Gaffney was Vice President, Scheduling and Acquisitions for HISTORY where he developed and implemented the programming schedule and acquisition strategy for the HISTORY networks. Gaffney has helped guide the year-over-year record ratings growth of HISTORY. In 2011 to-date, HISTORY is the #1 factual entertainment network. HISTORY recently completed its best 3rd Quarter of all time, ranking in the top three among all key demographics Adults 25-54; Adults 18-49 and total viewers.

Gaffney is a veteran of the program planning and scheduling field. Previous to joining HISTORY,
Gaffney was Vice President of Program Planning and Acquisitions for American Movie Classics in Jericho, NY from September 2001 to April 2002.

Prior to that, Gaffney was Vice President of Program Planning and Acquisitions for VH1 in New York from January 2001 to September 2001. In this capacity, he oversaw the creation of weekly program schedules, managed all operational issues and developed long-range planning calendars. Earlier, he served as the Director of Program Planning and Scheduling for VH1 from December 1997 to December 2000.

From 1987 to 1997, Gaffney held various positions for Showtime Networks in New York. He began his career there as an Administrative Assistant of Program Planning and Administration and rose through the ranks to become Director of Program Scheduling. In this capacity, he developed, managed and executed Showtime's monthly program schedules.

Gaffney received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ.

He resides in New York City. [ Minimize ]

James Milward
Founder/Executive Producer
Secret Location

James Milward has a degree in Economics and a postgraduate degree in Interactive Art and Entertainment from the New Media Lab at the Canadian Film Centre. James has worked extensively in TV commercial production and documentary film, prior to defecting to the dark arts of interactive, thirsting for ...
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Dave McCool
President and CEO
Muzzy Lane Software

Dave McCool has been in the software industry for over 20 years. He co-founded Muzzy Lane Software in 2002 and serves as its President and CEO. Dave has played a key role in the design of Muzzy Lane's software and games. He led Muzzy Lane's very successful launch of the Making History Gaming Headqua...
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Matt Hornburg
Partner/Executive Producer
marblemedia

Matt Hornburg is a Partner/Executive Producer at marblemedia. His recent executive producer credits include What's in a Name?, an original transmedia property for History Television (Canada) that takes audiences on a fun and exciting romp through the history of names; Splatalot, a hilarious medieval...
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Brent Montgomery
Owner and Executive Producer
Leftfield Pictures

Brent Montgomery is founder and owner of Leftfield Pictures, in charge of all of Leftfield's programming, development and operations.

Brent currently serves as Executive Producer on the hit series Pawn Stars for History, which has consistently broken records since its 2009 premiere. R...
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Johannes Everding
Director
SPIEGEL TV Geschichte + Wissen

As Channel Director for SPIEGEL TV Geschichte + Wissen, a joint venture of SPIEGEL TV and Autentic, Johannes Everding oversees the brand development, programming strategies, on- and off-air communication, consumer and trade marketing and overall operations of the two pay-tv channels in Germany. The ...
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Evan Silverman
Senior Vice President, Digital Media
A+E Networks

EVAN SILVERMAN
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MEDIA
A+E NETWORKS

Evan Silverman is Senior Vice President, Digital Media, A+E Networks. In this position, Silverman oversees digital content, production, and design for A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, and Biography. Based in N...
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Michael Cascio
Senior Vice President, Production
National Geographic Channel

Michael Cascio supervises documentary series and specials for the National Geographic Channel (NGC), which he joined in 2004 as senior vice president of production. Cascio has an award-winning background in documentary programming, including several Emmys, Peabodys and an Oscar nomination.

At NGC, Cascio has supervised many noteworthy programs, including the Emmy-nominated Inside 9/11, a four-hour documentary on the events leading up to attacks, which received major media attention, critical acclaim and record-setting ratings for NGC. He also supervised the Peabody-winning specials Iran and the West and Galapagos, the environmental project Human Footprint, as well as landmark programs such as In the Womb, Inside the Vietnam War, Inside the Koran, and the Emmy-nominated series Dog Whisperer.

Before NGC, Cascio headed Animal Planet, where he brought record ratings and unprecedented national attention with programs ranging from Crocodile Hunter to Pet Star to made-for-TV movies and the revival of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Before that, he was lauded for his work at A&E, where he supervised the landmark Biography series, as well as Investigative Reports and a wide range of documentary and entertainment programs as senior vice president of programming, garnering record ratings, three Emmys and an Oscar nomination for the documentary The Farm. He was also Vice President, Cable Programming, for NBC News, creating a documentary strategy for MSNBC.

Among his accolades, Cascio was cited in Entertainment Weekly's "It List," as one of the most creative people in the entertainment media. In his early career, Cascio was an award-winning writer, producer, news director and executive producer in local television in Philadelphia and Delaware. In college, he worked as a courier for NBC News in Washington, where he carried important items, such as breakfast and lunch, to crews and correspondents on Capitol Hill. His diverse work experience also includes being a CIA clerk and backstage janitor at Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts. [ Minimize ]

Shigenori Mizuno
Senior Producer
NHK

Shigenori Mizuno is a senior producer in NHK's News Features Production Center, where he oversees international-affairs content aired in NHK's primetime news program "Today's Close-up" and its flagship documentary slot "NHK Special". Since joining NHK in 1992, he has experienced just about every aspect of current-affairs and news broadcasting, using diverse methods to produce news reports, live broadcasts, talk shows, and documentaries. He covers issues as diverse as politics, social problems, science, and art and has even directed live programs covering events such as the Olympics and the millennium celebrations. Plus, he has extensive knowledge of interactivity and digital technologies; he was involved with a pioneering experiment in interactive television in the early 1990s and created the first website of any Japanese broadcaster.

For the past 10 years, Shigenori has focused on coming up with new methods of expression in documentary-making. In the three-part documentary series "Men and Women: The Science of Sex Differences", he used drama to make it easy for the audience to relate to the scientific issue. He previously worked on "Miracle Planet II", a major co-production series with The Science Channel, Télé Images International, the National Film Board of Canada, and Telepool. The series depicts the 4.6-billion-year journey taken by our planet, using the latest science and imaging technologies to take viewers across the boundaries of time and space and show them how our ancestors survived cataclysms. Shigenori has also served as a juror for the Prix Italia.

Shigenori has a truly international view of the world-a result of spending his childhood not only in Japan but also in the United States and United Kingdom. He perfected his English at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, where he majored in Anglo-American Studies and International Relations. He also studied for a year in France, becoming proficient in French. Given the nature of his profession and upbringing, Shigenori is a constant traveler; he has visited over 80 countries for business and for pleasure. His passion for fresh knowledge and new experiences has kept him moving and continues to drive him to seek new challenges.

Shigenori is also the author of two books and a father of three. [ Minimize ]

Shin Yasuda
Producer, International Co-Production
Programming Department NHK

Shin YASUDA joined NHK in 1997. He began his career at NHK Hiroshima Station where he directed documentaries about untold stories of Atomic Bomb survivors. In 2001, he was transferred to NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo where he found his vocation in art and cultural programs. He has since directed ...
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Dan Weiner
EVP, Marketing & Products
Thought Equity

As EVP, Marketing & Products, Dan is responsible for the company's marketing initiatives and product strategy. This includes online marketing, PR, social media, and overall company positioning, as well as developing new product offerings and revenues in alignment with the company's commercializa...
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Molly Thompson
Vice President
A&E IndieFilms

Molly Thompson launched and runs A&E IndieFilms, the network's feature documentary division. She executive produces the division's original productions including: "Jesus Camp," a film by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, which was nominated for an Academy Award; "American Teen,"...
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Stephen Rooke
Managing Director
Tile Films Ltd

...
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Elaine Frontain Bryant
Senior Vice President, Non-Fiction & Alternative Programming
A+E and BIO Channel

Elaine Frontain Bryant was appointed to the post of Senior Vice President of Non-Fiction & Alternative Programming for A&E and BIO Channel in May 2011. Frontain Bryant most recently served as Vice President of Non-Fiction & Alternative Programming. In her new role, Frontain Bryant will be responsible for overseeing the A&E non-fiction programming team and the development and production of A&E�s industry-leading real life series. She reports to David McKillop, Executive Vice President of Programming. Frontain Bryant joined A&E in September of 2005 as Director, Non-Fiction & Alternative Programming and was elevated to Vice President in July 2007. She has served as executive producer on several critically acclaimed and hit real life series including �Criss Angel Mindfreak,� �Paranormal State,� �Billy the Exterminator� and most recently, the network�s most-watched hit, �Storage Wars.� Additionally, she has been responsible for supervising A&E�s lifestyle programming development team. Prior to joining A&E Network, Elaine Frontain Bryant served as Vice President, Creative Development and Production at Magna Global Entertainment, overseeing the creation and production of original television programming funded by Interpublic Group's Fortune 100 clients. She was an Executive Producer on the original TV movies �The Wool Cap� and �14 Hours,� and the Humanitas Award nominated film, �Saving Milly.� She was co-executive producer of the first two seasons of the series �Blow Out.� Prior to joining MAGNA Global Entertainment, Frontain Bryant directed and produced two seasons of the non-scripted series �Girls vs Boys� and produced more than 15 episodes of the Peabody Award-winning �A Walk in Your Shoes.� Frontain Bryant also produced the independent feature film The Farmhouse. Prior to that, she served as director of creative affairs for Fred Berner Films. Films produced during her tenure include Vanya on 42nd Street, A&E's �Murder in a Small Town� and Pollock. Frontain Bryant also associate-produced the Emmy-nominated prime time special �About Us: The Dignity of Children.� Frontain Bryant is a graduate of Texas Christian University and lives in New York with her husband and daughter. [ Minimize ]

Asi Burak
Co-President
Games for Change

Asi Burak is Co-President of Games for Change. In his role there, he leads on the development of programs to raise the quality and reach of social impact games, and co-produces the Annual Games for Change Festival, the largest gaming event in New York. For partners including USAID, The World Bank,...
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Julianna L. Richardson
Founder and Executive Director
The HistoryMakers

Born June 10, 1954 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Julieanna L. Richardson created a unique path to founding and heading up the largest national collection effort of African American video oral histories on record. With a diverse background in law, television production and the cable television industries, she combined her various work experiences and her passion for American Studies and history to conceptualize, found and build The HistoryMakers. The HistoryMakers is a national, 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution headquartered in Chicago with regional offices in Atlanta, Georgia and the Washington, D.C. area. The HistoryMakers organization is committed to preserving, developing and providing easy access to an internationally recognized, archival collection of thousands of African American video oral histories. Richardson serves as the Founder and Executive Director of The HistoryMakers.

Richardson graduated from Brandeis University in 1976 with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and American Studies. It was during her studies at Brandeis that she first experienced the power of oral history, while conducting independent research on the Harlem Renaissance. While exploring the collections of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, Richardson interviewed Butterfly McQueen and Leigh Whipper as part of her project. Having access to these poignant life stories "made history really come alive for me," says Richardson. "It is important that everyone have a sense of their own legacy." From this early exposure, the seeds for The HistoryMakers project first took root.

Richardson received her J.D. degree in 1980 from Harvard Law School and began her career as a corporate lawyer at the law firm of Jenner & Block prior to serving in the early 1980s as the Cable Administrator for the City of Chicago's Office of Cable Communications. There, she established the Chicago Cable Commission, the City's regulatory body. She went on to found Shop Chicago, a regionally based home shopping channel. She then started her own production company, SCTN Teleproductions, which for eight years managed three local cable channels for TCI, then the nation's largest cable operator, and served as the local production arm for C-SPAN. Richardson has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards. She currently sits on the Honors Council of Lawyers for the Creative Arts and she was appointed in 2011 to the Comcast NBC Universal African American Diversity Council.

The HistoryMakers represents the single largest archival project of its kind since the recording of former slaves during the WPA period of the 1930s. The purpose of this archive is to educate and to show the breadth and depth of this important American history as told by the first person; to highlight the accomplishments of individual African Americans across a variety of disciplines; to showcase those who have played a role in African American led movements and/or organizations; and to preserve this material for years and generations to come, creating a priceless collection of 15,000-20,000 of recorded African American testimony.

Over the past eleven years, The HistoryMakers has quickly grown into a vibrant national initiative. Its signature programs include The HistoryMakers Education Institute, Back to School With The HistoryMakers, The HistoryMakers Speakers Bureau and The HistoryMakers An Evening With....PBS-TV series and fundraisers that have featured such notables as Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, Dionne Warwick, General Colin Powell, Earl Graves, Nikki Giovanni, Earl Graves, Sr., Smokey Robinson, Della Reese, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee, B.B. King, Russell Simmons, Denyce Graves, Quincy Jones and Eartha Kitt. [ Minimize ]

Asi Burak
Co-President
Games for Change

Jay Peterson
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Production and Development
Original Media, an Endemol Company

Jay Peterson is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Production and Development at Original Media, an Endemol Company with offices in New York and Los Angeles.

During his time at Original, Jay has spearheaded some of the most innovative and popular series on t...
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Brian Catalina
Executive Producer
Swamp People

Brian Catalina is currently the Executive Producer of the hit show Swamp People, which broke all ratings records for the premiere of a new series on History, Brian is also the EP of History's new series Mudcats, slated to premiere in early 2012.

Catalina is a veteran of unscripted te...
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Piero A. Corsini
Series Producer
La Storia siamo noi, Rai Educational

Piero A. Corsini (Series Producer, La Storia siamo noi, Rai Educational) was born in Rome. He graduated in Film History and Criticism at the State University in Rome. He joined RAI in 1986: two years later, he became a producer for Mixer in 1988, producing, directing and appearing on camera in dozen...
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Peter Hamilton
Founder and Editor
DocumentaryTelevision.com

Peter Hamilton is the founder and editor of DocumentaryTelevision.com, the 'indispensible' newsletter that analyzes the business of the Factual television business.

Peter is a former business development executive with CBS Enterprises. His New York-based firm Peter Hamilton Consultan...
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Jessica Berman-Bogdan
President, Global ImageWorks
Treasurer, ACSIL

Jessica Berman-Bogdan is an internationally recognized film researcher and stock footage professional. She is the Treasurer and founder of Global ImageWorks (GIW), an historic and contemporary footage library licensing both rights managed and royalty free footage. Jessica also oversees GIW's activ...
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Johannes Everding
Channel Director
SPIEGEL TV Geschichte + Wissen

Diarmuid Jeffreys
Editor and Executive Producer
Al Jazeera English People and Power

Diarmuid Jeffreys is an award-winning writer, journalist and television producer with almost thirty years experience in the media industry. Since 2008, he has been an Editor and executive producer at the Al Jazeera English television channel, Based in London, he is responsible for its People & P...
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Mark Starowicz
Executive Director of Documentary Programming
CBC

Mr. Starowicz began his career in newspaper journalism and joined the current affairs division of CBC Radio in 1970. Acclaimed for his reworking of As It Happens, he also created Sunday Morning, a three-hour weekend review. In 1979 he shifted to CBC Television, where he was the architect and Executi...
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Simon Chinn
Founder
Red Box FIlms

Simon Chinn is an Oscar-winning producer whose most recently released film, PROJECT NIM, directed by James Marsh, won the World Cinema Documentary Directing award at Sundance, has been nominated for a Producers' Guild of America award and is on the shortlist for the 2012 Academy Awards. It was acquired in the US by HBO, was theatrically released in the US by Roadside Attractions and has been acquired for theatrical distribution in over 17 other territories worldwide.
Chinn's previous film, MAN ON WIRE, went on to win over 30 international awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film, the Sundance Grand Jury and Audience awards, the Independent Spirit Award, the Producer's Guild of America award and audience awards at the Edinburgh and Los Angeles Film Festivals. MAN ON WIRE was released in 2008/9 in over 25 territories worldwide and became one of the highest grossing documentaries of recent years. The London Observer named it one the best British Films of the last 25 years and it became Rotten Tomatoes' best reviewed film of all time.

In 2005, Chinn established his production company Red Box Films to produce MAN ON WIRE (taking inspiration from Philippe Petit, who kept his ideas for future projects, including his high wire walk between the twin towers, in a red box under his bed) and it currently has a slate of projects - including feature documentaries, feature films and television dramas - at various stages of production and development. In 2008, Red Box Films formed a producing alliance with Passion Pictures to collaborate on a range of feature documentaries, the first of which was PROJECT NIM which Chinn conceived and produced. Red Box and Passion have two feature documentaries premiering in competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival: THE IMPOSTER, directed by Bart Layton, and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, directed by Malik Bendjelloul, which is the opening night film in the World Cinema Documentary competition.

Prior to founding Red Box Films, Chinn co-produced Peter Kosminsky's multi-BAFTA winning Channel 4 drama, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, and produced and co-wrote the BBC's feature-length dramatised documentary, SMALLPOX 2002. Other documentaries include: AMERICA BEYOND THE COLOUR LINE, CORRESPONDENT: THE PROMISED LAND, WAR IN EUROPE, INVADING IRAQ, SMITH MUGABE AND THE UNION JACK, and THE REAL ALAN CLARK. [ Minimize ]

Brady Connell
Executive Producer /Showrunner
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

2012 marks Brady Connell's fifth and final year on the long-running ABC franchise Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Prior to his duties as showrunner of one of television's most groundbreaking series, Connell was supervising producer of CBS's The Amazing Race, for which he earned two Emmy awards, and USA's Eco-Challenge: Borneo, for which he was also Emmy-nominated, and was senior producer on CBS's Survivor in its Emmy-winning season.

Connell also was executive producer of the highly rated Outback Jack for TBS, No Boundaries for The WB/OLN, and the special Street Racing: Pedal to the Metal for Discovery. Other credits include CBS's Rescue 911, Real Stories of the Highway Patrol, MTV's MTV Beach House, UPN's Wild Things, and ABC's America's Funniest People.

As a pioneer in reality television for more than 25 years, Connell has produced and/or directed hundreds of hours of non-fiction programming for all four broadcast networks and throughout cable, as well as dozens of commercials for clients such as Suzuki, Ford, and The White House. In his senior positions on Survivor and The Amazing Race, he oversaw the creative teams that helped fuel the success of both long-running series.

Connell's Base Camp Films (which he runs with producing partner Jim Jusko), celebrates its 11th anniversary this year. Base Camp has produced non-fiction/reality shows and pilots with partners such as Imagine Television and Sony Pictures Television International, and for networks including ABC, E! and Discovery. Base Camp is active in features (fiction and non-fiction), commercials, children's edutainment, and web-based entertainment content.

A husband and father of two, Connell and his family reside in Playa del Rey, CA. He graduated from UCLA as a history major, and since 1999, has been an instructor for the UCLA Extension Entertainment Studies Program teaching "Produce and Direct for Reality and Documentary Television." Connell has been a Big Brother of Los Angeles since 1990, and is active in organizations that protect wildlife and their habitat. He has traveled extensively to all 50 states and to more than 50 countries. [ Minimize ]

Margaret Bodde
Executive Producer
George Harrison: Living In The Material World

Margaret Bodde is an award-winning producer whose credits include: GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD (2011, d. Martin Scorsese); PUBLIC SPEAKING (2010, d. Martin Scorsese); VAL LEWTON: THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS (2008, d. Kent Jones); NO DIRECTION HOME: BOB DYLAN (2003, d. Martin Scorsese); ...
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Ed Hersh
SVP, Content Strategy
Military Channel

Ed Hersh currently serves at Discovery Communications as SVP, Content Strategy for the Military Channel. He is the channel's senior leader and has primary responsibility for developing new content and business strategies as well as working collaboratively with the heads of marketing, communications,...
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Joshua Bennett
Producer
Show of Force/Half The Sky

Joshua Bennett has over 10 years experience working in film and television production, and has produced shoots in over 35 countries and on all 7 continents. In addition to film and television he has extensive experience producing commercials, new media and viral media campaigns. He has produced pro...
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David Tedeschi
Editor
George Harrison: Living In The Material World

Film editor David Tedeschi has worked frequently with Martin Scorsese on the director's documentary films including No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, Shine A Light with the Rolling Stones, and Public Speaking starring iconoclastic New York writer Fran Lebowitz. His latest collaboration with Scorsese, G...
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Nancy Abraham
Senior Vice President, Documentary Programming
HBO

Nancy Abraham is Senior Vice President of Documentary Programming for HBO, responsible for the development and production of HBO Documentary Films which have garnered numerous awards over the years. Prior to 1995, Abraham was director of film acquisition for HBO�s international channels and spent t...
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Roy Ackerman
Managing Director
Fresh One Productions

Roy Ackerman is Managing Director of Fresh One Productions (the company set up by Jamie Oliver) after taking Diverse Production from a niche U.K. indie to an, award-winning and innovative company with impact world-wide. Credits include the recent acclaimed Dream School C4)¸Emmy-winning Jamie O...
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Jennifer Kavanagh
Senior Vice President, Digital
Oxygen

As Senior Vice President of Digital, Jennifer Kavanagh is responsible for innovating and leading Oxygen�s digital initiatives on all existing and emerging platforms. Well versed in the online space for 15 years, Kavanagh joined Oxygen in 2006. Under her leadership, Oxygen.com has experienced rapid...
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Kelly Matheson
Program Manager for the Americas
WITNESS

Kelly Matheson is an attorney, filmmaker and human rights advocate who previously worked with WITNESS to launch the first Video Advocacy Institute. As an attorney, she worked as a Law Fellow in Tanzania researching citizens� rights to bring suit against their governments when governments broke their...
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Peter Bardehle
Founder
Vidicom

In January 1996, Vidicom was founded by Peter Bardehle in Hamburg. Four staff members produce at average 10 hours per year, mainly science and history shows. After graduating from Henri-Nannen-School of Journalism, Peter Bardehle worked for SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG and public broadcasters in Germany...
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Blair Foster
Supervising Producer
George Harrison: Living In The Material World

Blair Foster is an independent producer who won two Emmys for her work on the Academy Award winning film, Taxi to the Dark Side. Most recently she was the Supervising Producer for Martin Scorsese�s documentary, George Harrison: Living in the Material World. Blair attended graduate school for histor...
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Jamie Gordon
Executive Producer, Half The Sky
Co-Founder, Fugitive Films

Since co-founding Fugitive Films in early 2005, Jamie Gordon has been busy producing and developing films. She is the Executive Producer of Half the Sky, a transmedia project and multi-part documentary series currently in post-production at PBS. Half the Sky is based on the book by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and focuses on human rights for women and girls in the developing world. Along with her partner Courtney Potts, she is also in development on Grlzradio, a television project about girls empowerment which she is producing with Queen Latifah�s production company., She recently produced Will Frears� directorial debut, Coach, starring Hugh Dancy, as well as the comedy Wedding Daze, starring Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher and written and directed by Michael Ian Black. The latter film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2006 and was bought by MGM. She also recently produced two short films: Woinshet, directed by Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone; and Meena, directed by Lucy Liu.

Before founding Fugitive Films, Gordon was the Head of Development for GreeneStreet Films where she served as a Co-Producer on both Fox's teen thriller, swimfan, and on Leon Ichaso's ALMA-award winning Pinero. She also co-produced Lion's Gate�s A Love Song for Bobby Long, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and stars John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson (who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the film).

Prior to joining GreeneStreet Films, Gordon produced two independent features, Hellcab (aka Chicago Cab) which features John Cusack, Julianne Moore and Gillian Anderson, and Certain Guys, which stars Tom McCarthy and Diedrich Bader. She began her career as a Story Editor for producer Wendy Finerman and assisted her on the Academy Award-winning film Forrest Gump. She then went on to work with executive producer Charles Newirth on two of Rob Reiner's films, The American President and Ghosts of Mississippi. Gordon graduated with honors from Princeton University. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two young children. [ Minimize ]

Serge Bromberg

Lobster Films

Serge Bromberg is born in France in 1961. He graduated from the Paris Superior School of Commerce (ESCP-EAP) in 1983. Both a passionate and fascinating collector, ever since 1985 he has been on the front line for preserving, saving and broadcasting heritage-films of all forms. For his contribution, ...
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Carl Lindahl
Executive Producer of Programming
HISTORY

Carl Lindahl is Executive Producer of Programming for HISTORY, developing and overseeing network programming. Lindahl has executive produced many of the network�s successful and critically acclaimed specials and series including The Universe, 101 Gadgets That Changed The World, President�s Book Of S...
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Reinhardt Beetz
Managing Director
Gebrueder Beetz Media GmbH

...
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Mira Chang
Series Producer
Half The Sky/Show of Force

MIRA CHANG is a producer, director, and director of photography of non fiction content for television both domestic and international, and several feature length documentaries. Her work can be seen regularly on ABC, National Geographic, A&E, and Discovery. Projects include Sold (director of phot...
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Louis Vaudeville
President
Clarke Costelle & Co

Since June 2003, Vaudeville has served as the president of Clarke Costelle & Co, the production company he formed with Isabelle Clarke and Daniel Costelle, French film directors and writers. His background is in publishing and radio and television management, and his positions include founder o...
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Elizabeth Klinck
Researcher
E Klinck Research

Elizabeth Klinck has worked as producer, researcher and clearance specialist on numerous award-winning Canadian, American and British documentary films that have garnered Emmy, Gemini, Peabody and Academy awards. A graduate of Queen�s University, Elizabeth has taught documentary research and deve...
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Terrence Masson
Director of Creative Industries
Northeastern University

As Director of Creative Industries at Northeastern University in Boston, Terrence oversees all Game Design & Interactive Media curriculum and research activities. In addition he also serves on and Chairs numerous interdisciplinary committees developing University-wide team-based projects. He is ...
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Caitlin Burns
Editorial Lead
Starlight Runner Entertainment

Formally recognized by the Producer�s Guild of America as a Transmedia Producer with Starlight Runner Entertainment; Caitlin Burns has been involved in the analysis, strategic planning and development of campaigns for blockbuster films, television shows, video games, novels, comic books series, toy ...
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Bradley Glenn
Mobile Producer
Fuzz Productions

Bradley Glenn is a mobile producer at Brooklyn-based Fuzz Productions, where he develops and produces iPad/ iPhone/mobile applications, HD videos, augmented reality projects, promotional videos, websites, Wii and mobile games, online video syndication, social media strategy, interactive kiosk activi...
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Ann Julienne
Head of International Development
France Television

Ann Julienne entered the television industry in 1985 when she joined French indie producer/distributor Télé Images. In 1994, Ann was recruited as a member of the start up team at La Cinquième, France's first public educational and knowledge channel. Now known as France 5, it is...
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Paula Zahn
Journalist

Paula Zahn is the Executive Producer and Host of Investigation Discovery's On the Case with Paula Zahn, and serves as one of the Hosts of SundayArts on THIRTEEN/WNET.
A 30-year news veteran, Zahn most recently anchored for CNN where she was based in the network's New York bureau and hosted t...
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Eric Brown
Co-Founder
Impact Games

Eric Brown co-founded ImpactGames to influence society and promote change through interactive media. Toward this end, ImpactGames developed PeaceMaker, a video game simulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to promote dialogue and understanding. Unlike most serious games, PeaceMaker aims to b...
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Blaine Graboyes
Executive Producer & Game Designer

Blaine Graboyes is an award-winning Executive Producer and Game Designer with over fifteen years� experience developing digital and transmedia entertainment. Graboyes designs and produces Facebook games, virtual worlds, social and mobile apps, entertainment properties and fan communities. He has bee...
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Dirk Neuhoff
Head of Documentaries
NDR

- 1993 Various Jobs as Reporter and Editor Radio 1993 - 1997 Editor-in-Chief NDR 2 (Radiostation) 1997 - 2000 Editor "Extra 3" (Satirical TV-Show) 2000 - 2004 Duty Editor Current Affairs (NDR TV) 2004 - 2007 Chief of Staff to Programme Director 2007 - Head of Documentaries NDR TV...
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Chris Geddes
VP, Business & Program Development
Mobovivo

Chris is an entrepreneurial media professional with a proven record of developing markets to monetize content and drive innovations in Advertising. As a creator, producer and distributor of television programming Chris has had a �hands on� experience with the revolution underway in media. For ove...
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Alexander Berkel
Writer/Director/Producer
Department of Contemporary History ZDF

Alex Berkel has worked at the ZDF Department of Contemporary History as writer, director and producer of major documentaries and series since 1998 and as contributor to the weekly broadcast �ZDF History". Alex has written a number of articles and papers for historical books and periodicals,...
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Keith Farrell
Writer/Director/Co-Producer
Raising The Titanic

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Keith Farrell
Raising The Titanic
Writer/Director/Co-Producer
Jamie Gordon

Executive Producer, Half The Sky
Blair Foster
George Harrison: Living In The Material World
Supervising Producer
Peter Bardehle
Vidicom
Founder
Kelly Matheson
WITNESS
Program Manager for the Americas

History Makers International - 2012

Speakers