
20 February, 13:45-17:00
One-on-One Expert Sessions
Meet the Buyers: 20 Feb, 13:45-15:15
Meet the Movers + Shakers of the Creative Industry: 20 Feb, 15:30-17:00
One-on-One Expert Sessions allow emerging + established talents to pitch their projects to senior executives from major broadcasting companies + leading figures in the music film industry.
This speed-dating format facilitates professional collaborations and opens up business opportunities! Avant Première Music + Media Market Berlin 2023 boasts renowned authorities divided into two thematic focal points: Meet the Buyers and Meet the Movers + Shakers of the Creative Industry! Sign up using the buttons below!
Please note that only registered participants of Avant Première can access the expert sessions and that slots are assigned on a first come first served basis.
MEET THE BUYERS

Daniel Gorjão
Head of Performing Arts at RTP2 and RTP, RTP – Rádio e Televisão de Portugal
Daniel Gorjão has been working as Acting and Dubbing Director at RTP since 2010. In 2016, he became responsible for the Performing Arts Programming at RTP2. He is also an invited professor of the Postgraduate Course in Dramaturgy at ESMAE.

Tripp Hornick
Chief Operating Officer, Stage Access
Tripp is an accomplished executive, line, and creative producer specializing in balancing creative vision with business needs. As Chief Operating Officer of Stage Access, he combines his production experience and strong business background to expand the only company in North America that produces, distributes and licenses classical arts content across multiple platforms – theatrically, through a co-production relationship with IMAX, and through its own on-demand streaming service, STAGE ACCESS. Most recently he produced the new IMAX films Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing – Paris and Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing – Venice and Stage Access’ recordings with Kelsey Grammer of Frasier and Cheers fame.

Mari Inamasu
Senior Producer at NHK – Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Japan
Mari Inamasu is a senior producer at NHK. She is currently in charge of international co-productions and international program acquisition. Since joining NHK in 1997, Mari has worked for more than 20 years as a program director for NHK’s music programs and became a producer in 2020.

Stephen James-Yeoman
Commissioning Executive, BBC Arts and Classical Music
Stephen James-Yeoman is the Commissioning Executive at BBC Arts and Classical Music mainly looking at classical music, dance and performance, including the BBC Proms. He is also BBC Arts’ Digital Commissioner with responsibility for film and digital-first titles. He is the BBC’s lead on Dance Passion, which is a celebration of dance from across the UK in partnership with the dance sector.

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'Donnell
Series Producer, The WNET Group
Since joining WNET in November 1990, Bill O’Donnell has both produced programs as well as overseen program development, funding, scheduling, promotion and program administration for the national PBS performing arts series Great Performances. O’Donnell also produces content for THIRTEEN’s other Performance & Arts series including the New York City-area arts news series NYC-ARTS, the Off-Broadway theater showcase Theater Close-Up, and host intros for WNET double-feature movie night Reel 13.

Rob Overman
Founder + CEO, Symphony.live
Rob Overman has worked as a music critic, conductor, lecturer, orchestra CEO and consultant. Rob is the co-founder of the Tv channels Brava, DJAZZ.tv and Festival 4K, now owned by media company Stingray (Montréal). In 2020, Rob Overman continued to pursue his goals of providing the music community with innovative and progressive media platforms. Toady as the Founder and CEO of the new video streaming platform Symphony.live.

Francesca Nesler
Head of Classical Music, Rai Cultura
Francesca Nesler is responsable for classical music for RAI's Culture and Educational department, and is in charge of programming the content on RAI's thematic and generalist channels. In addition to this, she coordinates offers and productions from Italian theatres.

Adèle Yvon
Head of Content, Vialma
After working in the physical distribution, Adèle joined the French digital streaming platform Vialma as Head of Content. Offering fun, enriching and meaningful ways to experience the arts is at the core of the projects the company is involved in!

Marina de Waha
Head of Musiq3, RTBF
Marina de Waha began her career at the RTBF (Belgian Radio Television (French speaking)) in 2004. She has produced many classicals programs, including the Queen Elisabeth Competition, operas, and concerts. Since 2017, she is also in charge of RTBF's acquisition of classical programs for television and VOD. Since 1 March, Marina de Waha has been appointed head of Musiq3, the classical radio channel of the RTBF.
MEET THE MOVERS + SHAKERS OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY

Thierry Baujard
CEO, Media Deals UG
Thierry Baujard is financing expert focusing on the Creative Industries. After 20 years working in film financing, he is now concentrating on private investment for the audiovisual, gaming and music industries. The Media Deals network of investors is active in seed capital investment in companies and projects. He is based in Berlin and holds an MBA from Bocconi (Italy) and UCLA (USA).

Tony Gregory
Multi-Camera Director, Trainer + Content Consultant
Tony Gregory is an elite live and multi-camera TV director. His work includes concerts, and major shows and formats such as; The Voice, Big Brother, LEGO Masters, Pop Idol. He also trains live directors. Tony has consulted worldwide on formats, programme development, production strategy & workflow for firms such as EVS, Edit Cloud, Endemol, Fremantle & ITV. He lectures on the Media Technology degree course at the St Pölten University of Applied Science in Austria and lives in Vienna.

Claudia Lara Kraus
Project Manager Climate Protection + Greenshooting, Klimaktiv
Claudia (M.A. Media Mgmt.) is a Project manager for Greenshooting and climate protection at KlimAktiv. Before, she worked for ProSiebenSat.1 and public broadcaster ARD, leading change projects and promoting Greenshooting + green media distribution.

Esther Krausz
Head of Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Austria
Esther Krausz is head of CREATIVE EUROPE Desk Austria – MEDIA, located in the Austrian Film Institute. Facilitating networking and cooperation opportunities around Europe is at the heart of her work. She is also an expert on FISAplus, Austria's new and improved film funding system.

Helena Jonsdottir
Producer, Filmmaker + Festival Director, Physical Cinema Festival
Helena Jonsdottir has worked on and created countless award-winning productions for television, film, music videos, visual arts and the theatre stages in the last 40 years. She has collaborated with Estonia Broadcasting service ETV, EBU European Broadcasting Union, Arte Germany, YLE, SVT, DR, NRK, NPS and RUV and also sits on several film festival juries, including the Rose d'Or. In addition to her creative projects, Helena is an associate professor at the Iceland Academy of the Arts and the founder, producer and artistic director of Physical Cinema Festival in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Reanne Leuning
Project Manager Creative Industries, Advantage Austria
Reanne Leuning is responsible for the internationalization programs for the Austrian Creative Industries at Advantage Austria, a trade promotion and innovation agency with more than 100 offices in 70 countries. She is also an authority on FISAplus, Austria's all-new and enhanced film funding program.

Justin Scroggie
The Format Doctor, The Format People
Justin is a BAFTA-award winning global content specialist, format creator and trainer with 30 years’ experience, known internationally as The Format Doctor. He creates hit formats including CHEF IN YOUR EAR, produced in 13 territories to date; co-created song-writing format SING MY SONG (CCTV) averaging 252m viewers per season; and helped develop NRK’s ‘DOCTORS VS INTERNET’, licensed to 12 territories. He was Final Juror for iEmmys 2022. Justin co-hosts the popular podcast TV SHOW AND TELL, all about how TV is made, and who makes it.

Olga Sismanidi
Senior Expert EU Funding, Creative Europe
Olga Sismanidi is a senior expert on EU funding for Creative Europe, where she manages the development and implementation of a multi-disciplinary portfolio including innovation, music, digital arts, digitalisation and cross-sectorial approaches to the CCS. She currently steers eleven European Networks for the music industry and performing arts, and has held multiple roles on other EU funding programmes for research and innovation, entrepreneurship and technology after a stint with IFPI and the BBC World Service.

David Zsoldos
Founder & CEO, Papageno
David Zsoldos graduated as pianist and musicologist from the Liszt Academy Budapest, he is president of the Hungarian Music Council, board member of the European Music Council and Jeunesses Musicales International, and jury member of International Classical Music Awards. He is the CEO and founder of Papageno, one of the leading online & print media outlets for performing arts in Hungary, strengthened by international partnerships and a wide portfolio of musical events, from international competitions to professional conferences.
- IMZ
For more information please contact
Max Beckham-Ortner
Market Access + Membership + Professionalisation