ONE-ON-ONE EXPERT SESSION

Get a meeting with the experts of your dreams in the online One-on-one Expert Sessions!

Once again, Avant Première 2021 will offer its highly demanded speed-dating format – this time via b2match!


2021's hand-picked industry professionals are available according to their fields of expertise:

  • 15 Feb 2021, 16:00-17:00: Meet the IMZ Online Services Experts
  • 16 Feb 2021, 16:00-17:00: Meet the Buyers I
  • 17 Feb 2021, 14:00-15:00: Meet the Buyers II
  • 17 Feb 2021, 15:00-16:00: Meet the Producers + Distributors

 
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EXPERTS

Buyers

Natalia Amarante Furtado

Curator and Acquisitions, Canal Curta!

Natalia has graduated in Social Communication - Journalism from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and worked at Globosat. She has a Masters degree in Screenwriting from EICTV film school in Cuba and now works in Curating and Acquisitions at Canal Curta!

Nicolas Auboyneau

Director of Culture at France 2, France Télévision

After experiences as magazine editor, Head of the Audiovisual Department at the Opéra National de Paris, producer and founder of the DVD Label Armide, Nicolas has been with France 2, France Télévisions since 2006. As the Director of Culture he is in charge of Music, Performing Arts and Cultural Programmes.

Krishan Arora

International Content Consultant, SBS Television

Krishan Arora is the International Content Consultant for Australian public channel SBS. He was previously a commissioning editor at BBC for Factual, programme exec at ARTE in Strasbourg, and producer for Antelope.

Arild Erikstad

Executive Producer and Editor of Music TV, NRK – Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation // IMZ President

Erikstad began his career at NRK as Head of Music TV and Editor for music at NRK2. Today he is responsible for music co-productions within NRK. He is also a music producer, Vice President of the EBU Music Expert Group, Head of the Jury Golden Prague and President of the IMZ.

Lenka Broučková

Acquisitions Executive, Česká televize

Lenka Brouckova has been working in Czech TV Acquisition team for 14 years. Her current duties include acquiring various types of programmes, such as performing arts, feature and factual programs, kid’s-edu shows; for channels CT1, CT2, CT:D and also CT:ART.

Ditte Feuk

Head of Theatre, Opera and Dance, SVT Drama

Feuk produces recordings and stage performances for TV and film and is always in search of new productions to broadcast and coproduce. She has written books about fine arts and lectured in script writing, visual arts and directing.

Tripp Hornick

Managing Director / Head of Operations, Stage Access Inc.

Tripp is a commercial producer and operations executive specializing at the intersection of product development, communications, platforms and distribution. He is dedicated to bringing global theatrical content to the multi-generational audience.

Gunny Hyoung

Executive Producer, EBS Korea

Gunny Hyoung joined EBS Korea in 2004 and has been organising the EBS International DOC Film Festival ever since. Hyoung has contributed to connecting many Asian, European and North American Documentary Initiatives with the EIDF.

Marc Kirschner

Head of Content, Marquee.TV

Specializing in Marquee TV's digital audience and revenue development, Kirschner takes lead on leveraging new technologies to benefit the platform's rapidly growing content partnership base, which currently includes the Royal Shakespeare Company, The New York City Ballet, The Royal Opera House, and many more. Offering his knowledge of machine learning and tech-forward experiential initiatives, Kirschner has spearheaded Marquee TV to become the digital hub to experience performing arts live.

Ulrike Köstinger

Chief Content + Partnership Officer, Operabase

From 2012-2014, Ulrike Köstinger worked in the casting office of the Salzburg Festival, before becoming a product manager at L’Oréal Austria. She was executive assistant to Alexander Pereira at Teatro alla Scala, followed by Director of Cooperation + Development for the streaming platform takt1 until 2020. Today, she is Chief Content + Partnership Officer at Operabase.

Marcelo Lezama

Film + Arts Programming Manager, AMC International – Latin America

Since 2008, Marcelo Lezama is Programming Manager of Film + Arts at AMC International, managing the content acquisition + programming design for this channel that broadcasts cultural content to all of Latin America.

Bill O'Donnel

Series Producer, THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET

Bill O’Donnell is a program producer for the national PBS performing arts showcase “Great Performances”, and also oversees program development, funding, scheduling, promotion and program administration activities for the series.

Jack Oliver

Head of Co-Productions, Sky

With 25 years of experience in TV + film acquisition, Jack Oliver has worked across the full Sky Entertainment channels and launched Sky Crime, Sky Comedy and new US pilots. He has a broad remit for factual entertainment across the Sky channels.

Roberto Pisoni

Head of Sky Arte HD, Sky Italy

Roberto Pisoni worked for Sky Cinema’s channels in Sky Italia since their launch in 2003. First in the Production department, then in the Creative department, he contributed to build brand and channel identity. From 2009 to 2012 he worked as Programming Manager of Sky Cinema. Today, he is Head of Sky Arte HD and Sky Arts Production Hub.

Dieter Schneider

Commissioning Editor for ZDF/ARTE and Head of Department ARTE Culture and Music at ZDF – German Television

Dieter Schneider was a freelance filmmaker for ZDF, 3sat and ARTE before working as Head of Department Theatre, Pop, Event/ARTE at ZDF from 2012 to 2017. Since April 2017, he is Head of Department ARTE Culture and Music at ZDF.

Reinhard Scolik

Coordinator ARD Music-Programs, Public Broadcasting for Bavaria

Scolik is responsible for the culture + religion, entertainment + homeland, film + series and science + education programmes at Bayerischer Rundfunk. He also coordinates the ARD Music Programmes and the alpha and the 3sat channels.

Martin Traxl

Head of Culture Department / TV, ORF - Österreichischer Rundfunk

Martin has been with the ORF since 1987 as journalist, editor and presenter for radio and television. In 1999 he was appointed Director of Culture Information and Culture Magazines in the Main Arts Department of the television section. After being responsible for programme coordination of 3sat in the Central Programme Service Department, Martin has been Head of Culture Department since 2007.

Producers + Distributors

Ben Batson

Business Development, BBC

Ben has over 20 years experience in music and entertainment broadcasting at the intersection of commercial, rights and content marketing disciplines. Starting his career in the music business in A&R/Marketing at a variety of record labels, he went on to found Nu-Song music publishing as a joint venture with Notting Hill Music; he moved into the entertainment marketing world. Ben joined the radio and music department of the BBC in 2012 where he currently runs the global commercial business, leading a team to exploit audio and music TV IP via licensing & acquisition, product development, distribution, marketing and monetisation.

Christian Beetz

Author, Producer, Founder + CEO, beetz brothers film productions

Christian Beetz and his production company gebrueder beetz filmproduktion are one of Europe’s most leading non-fiction film, TV + crossmedia production companies. Christian Beetz has realized more than 200 high-quality documentaries, documentary-features and crossmedia formats for the international market. He works regularly with various international broadcasters and international streaming-networks. In 2020 Christan Beetz releases as producer and writer of the internationally recognized Netflix Original Series A PERFECT CRIME.

Ernst Buchrucker

Managing Director, Unitel

Ernst Buchrucker is a lawyer by training and has been working in the film industry since 2004. In 2010 he was appointed as the Managing Director of Unitel GmbH & Co. KG and as such he was responsible next to a few hundred productions for launching Classica as a worldwide Pay TV channel dedicated to Classical Music in more than 40 countries. Since 2017 he is member of the supervisory board of Fidelio, an SVOD service for Classical Music.

Elmar Kruse

Managing Director, C Major Entertainment

After working for the recording industry body IFPI, Philips Classics Germany and EuroArts Music, Elmar Kruse accomplished to start C Major Entertainment in 2006, representing important brands like Unitel, Accentus, BFMI, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Classical, Sounding Images, Signed Media and more than 30 other important audiovisual producers as their exclusive sales force. C Major won three times the Echo Klassik award for their DVD and TV productions, the Golden Prague Award and many more.

Aline Marrache

Universal Music France

Erwin Stürzer

General Manager, Naxos Audiovisual Division

With a broad background both in repertoire and business experience, Erwin Stürzer has worked in the music and arts industry for 25 years. Before heading the Audiovisual Division at Naxos Music Group he was managing director at Arthaus Musik and at harmonia mundi. Amongst his fields of expertise are audivisual and audio production, distribution, catalogue evaluation and business development.

Peter Worsley

Managing Director, Mercury Studios

Peter Worsley oversees production + film distribution at Mercury Studios (created from Eagle Rock Entertainment + Globe Productions). Credits include “Somebody Up There Likes Me”, “John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky”, “Miles Davis: Birth of the Coo” and “Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things”.

Claus Wischmann

CEO, sounding images

Claus Wischmann studied music and law and has been a producer and director of documentaries and concert recordings for many years. Programmes like “Magic Moments of Music”, “Beethoven’s Ninth – Symphony for the World” and “Kinshasa Symphony” are highly successful on the international markets and garnered multiple awards.

IMZ Online Services

Thierry Baujard

IMZ Business Development + EU Funding

Thierry Baujard has strong expertise in financing and developing digital ventures in the media and entertainment sector. Over the past 20 years, he has assisted creative organisations across Europe with financing, business modelling and partnership development. In particular, he has worked for VOD and digital platforms in film, music, video games and comics. He is CEO of the pan-European investment network Media Deals and co-founder of the Franco-German video game accelerator SpielFabrique. He also sits on the board of numerous digital companies in the fields of music, video games and audiovisual media.

Katharina Jeschke

IMZ Secretary General

Katharina joined the IMZ, hosting organisation of Avant Première, in 2009 and has been leading the international business network for music + dance films as Secretary General since 2017. She has gained extensive experience in the cultural sector, having been in charge of PR and TV + Media productions at the Haydn Anniversary Year in 2009, as well as music, dance + theatre projects at the Vienna Mozart Year in 2006.

Rupert Müller-Hartburg

IMZ Digital Technology Provider

As first mover consulting the digital business word, Rupert Müller-Hartburg acquired in-depth knowledge of technical development, web tracking, web controlling and business management. His expertise was broadened by interim management and management consultant positions in 36 countries. As Digital Technology Advisor for the IMZ, Rupert Müller-Hartburg consults on technology and strategy with pragmatical and result-oriented entrepreneurial expertise.

Ruth Pfletschinger

IMZ Deputy Secretary General

Ruth Pfletschinger studied Law in Vienna and has been with the IMZ since 2008. Today, she coordinates the IMZ Academy, aiming at the professionalisation of the performing arts film industry and is responsible for the exchange between the IMZ and the European Commission. In addition, she is also a curator, developer and host of music film festivals, regularly joins industry events as an expert and actively engages in the judging process of renowned competitions worldwide.

Frank Schulleri

IMZ Membership Relations Manager

Frank recently joined the IMZ team to further enhance the user-centered development of the IMZ Online Services platform. In his previous role as startup founder and entrepreneur in the creative industries, he gained hands-on experience in building online platforms from scratch and has developed a passion for communities and impactful innovation.

Christian von der Recke

IMZ Project Manager

With over ten years of extensive expertise in managing projects, Christian von der Recke has experienced their development through all phases. At the IMZ, he has also managed the entire production of Avant Première Music + Media Market Berlin. Additionally, he has long been responsible for the conception and application of marketing strategies across all IMZ projects as well as for the technical and graphic implementation and further development of IMZ's entire online presence, and has developed and programmed tailor-made online tools specifically for the IMZ.

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