Meet the Speakers* for the 2019 Indie Film Distribution Summit

Deborah Rowland // Distributor, NFTS Course Leader

Debbie has worked for Artificial Eye, Disney, Icon, EOne and 20th Century Fox in senior marketing and distribution positions. She now heads up the new MA in distribution at the NFTS... MORE

Zak Brilliant // Founder of Republic Film Distribution

Zak Brilliant is an experienced distribution executive who has overseen the release of over 200 + films in the UK market. From mainstream commercial hits to award-winning, breakout and arthouse titles, his campaigns have generated over £150M at the UK box office. MORE

Clare Crean // Independent Consultant at Clare Crean Consultancy

With over 20 years' experience in film sales, Clare has helped craft international campaigns for some of the most successful independent movies of the past two decades including BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, ROAD TO GUANTANAMO, THIS IS ENGLAND and MAN ON WIRE. MORE

Krisztina Laszlo // International Sales Executive at Bankside Films

Having long held an interest in film sales and the international market, Krisztina joined Bankside Films in 2016 where she is currently International Sales Executive, handling sales for Latin America, Eastern Europe and other European territories. MORE

Paul Ridd // Acquisitions Manager at Picturehouse Entertainment

Paul is Acquisitions Manager at Picturehouse Entertainment, overseeing the acquisition and rights exploitation of all titles for the company. MORE

Jordan Allwood // International Sales Manager at Great Point Media 

Jordan joined Great Point Media in 2018 from the international sales team at Altitude. He began his career at Universal Pictures International in production and acquisitions. MORE

Chloe Tai // Marketing and Business Operations Manager at Film Constellation 

In early 2017, Chloe joined International sales agent Film Constellation and quickly rose to the challenge of leading all things creative, where she currently resides as Marketing and Business Operations Manager and also handles festivals for the company. MORE

Timo Suomi // Senior Acquisitions and Development Executive for AMP International

Timo Suomi is the Senior Acquisitions and Development Executive for AMP International, a London-based international sales company that sells, produces, finances, markets and packages films by new and established filmmakers. 

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Edmund Perou // Marketing Manager at eOne

Edmund is currently a Marketing Manager at leading independent film distributor
eOne, and is a recent graduate from the NFTS Script Development programme. MORE

Christopher Hird // Founder and Managing Director of Dartmouth Films

Christopher Hird is the founder and managing director of Dartmouth Films. The company's catch line is: Documentaries  from Dream to Screen. Since its foundation in 2008, Dartmouth have pioneered new ways of funding, producing and distributing feature documentaries in the UK. MORE

Slavica Rockov // Co-Founder of Soho Content

Slavica is co-founder of Soho Content and an alumni of the Marketing, Distribution Sales and Exhibition MA course at the NFTS. She is currently working at Fremantle as a Sales Coordinator for French speaking Europe, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Before moving to London, she previously worked in production. MORE

Gavin Humphries // Managing Editor at Nowness

Gavin is Managing Editor at Nowness and owner of Quark Films. MORE

Peter J Storey // CEO and Founder of Greenlit Crowdfunding platform

Changing people's expectations of what crowdfunding is, and what it can be. Film finance, marketing and general crowdfunding. MORE

Philip Ilson // Artistic Director of the London Short Film Festival

Philip Ilson is Artistic Director of the London Short Film Festival, which he co-founded in 2004. He is also the Short Film Programmer for the BFI London Film Festival. MORE

Charlotte Tillieux // Distribution Manager at MUBI

Charlotte joined MUBI in 2013 as part of the Content team and recently moved to Marketing, as part of the Theatrical Distribution team. She is now dedicated to the distribution and coordination of MUBI’s exclusive releases in cinema. MORE

Kevin Chan // Senior Acquisitions Manager at Mubi

Experienced acquisitions professional based in London, UK. Currently managing global SVOD platform MUBI's UK theatrical acquisitions, as well as acquiring content for the streaming platform, primarily focusing on the UK and US. MORE

Asher Tlalim // Filmmaker, runs the TPSFF@UKJF

Asher edited and directed numerous films, co-produced documentaries and animation series, was a film critic, runs the TPSFF@UKJF (the Pears Foundation Short Film Fund at the UK Jewish Films), is the Associate Producer of 18 of its films and have been teaching at the NFTS since 1998. MORE

Chris Jones // Filmmaker and author of The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook

Chris has four indie feature films under his belt, an Oscar-shortlisted short and six books in the bestselling Guerilla Film Makers Handbook series. He has also interviewed hundreds of filmmakers over the years for the books... MORE

Elizabeth Wood // Filmmaker and Founder of Bertha DocHouse

Elizabeth Wood is the Founder and Director of Bertha DocHouse. She is a producer/director who was CEO of her own production company - Woodfilm Productions Ltd – from 1980. Formerly she spent six years in the United States as a freelance director at WNET and WGBH. MORE

Myf  Hopkins //  Producer of The Last Tree

Myf most recently produced Shola Amoo’s, The Last Tree, alongside Lee Thomas. The Last Tree was selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2019 and released in the UK by Picturehouse at the end of September. In a career spanning two decades, Myf has worked in many areas of the film and TV industries. MORE

Claire Oakley //  Director of Make Up

Claire's debut feature, Make Up premiered in the First Feature competition at the BFI London Film Festival, 2019 and will be released by Curzon in the UK next year. The film stars Bafta-winner Molly Windsor (BBC's Three Girls) and was produced by Emily Morgan (I Am Not A Witch) with the BFI, BBC Films and Creative England through the iFeatures scheme. MORE

Lennard Ortmann // Producer

Lennard first began his career at Zeitsprung Pictures in his native Germany. After initially working on TV movies and series he went on to assist on feature films, alongside which he has continued to work as a freelance script and story consultant. MORE

Marlon Vogelgesang // Investment Director at Media Finance Capital

Marlon Vogelgesang has a comprehensive view of the film industry, with a wealth of experience in both physical production as well as the business side of filmmaking. At Media Finance Capital, Marlon heads up the investment team and will be executive producing the company's first in-house feature BARBARIANS (2020). MORE

Christine Molloy -  Co-Founder of Desperate Optimists

Christine Molloy hails from Dublin, Ireland and studied theatre at Dartington College of arts, graduating in 1992. She is one half of Desperate Optimists, a UK-based creative partnership formed in 1992 with her partner, Joe Lawlor. ROSE PLAYS JULIE, their latest feature film, has just premiered in Official Competition at the BFI London Film Festival.  MORE

Zed Nelson -  Documentary Filmmaker

Zed Nelson is an internationally renowned documentary photographer and filmmaker. His current film, The Street (194 mins, 2019), focuses on one East London street and its inhabitants over a four-year period. The Street had two sold-out screenings at this year’s BFI London Film Festival and will be released in cinemas on 29th November, distributed by Verve Pictures. MORE

Funmi Iyanda -  Executive Director at Oya

Funmi Iyanda is a multi-award winning Nigerian Entrepreneur, Writer, Film and TV producer, TV Host and Philantropist.

Funmi is the Executive Director at Oya Media UK and CEO of Ignite Media Nigeria. She is co-founder of Creation Media TV and founder of Change A Life Nigeria. MORE

Charles Gant // Box Office reporter, and Features Editor at Screen International

Charles Gant is Features Editor at Screen International. Charles writes a weekly analysis of UK box office for The Telegraph, and a specialised Indie Box Office weekly newsletter despatched to cinemas nationwide via the BFI Film Audience Network. MORE

Mariayah Kaderbhai // Head of Programmes at BAFTA

London-based Mariayah Kaderbhai began her career at the BFI and then joined BAFTA, where she is Head of Programmes, overseeing industry events and initiatives across film, television and games industries.. She has also worked on Al Jazeera's former flagship film show T'he Fabulous Picture Show' as a producer/journalist. MORE

Ngozi Okali -  Head of Technical Operations - Europe at Entertainment One

Ngozi is a highly motivated and effective operations manager with over 17 years’ management experience in film distribution and presentation in cinema. MORE

Deborah Sheppard -  Distribution and Marketing Consultant, Producer and Producer Representative

Deborah Sheppard is a film and marketing consultant and producer who started her career in advertising before moving into major studio distribution, where she gained a reputation as a high achieving and experienced senior executive. MORE

Lucy Jones // Executive Director at Comscore Movies

After completing a degree in Economics at Lancaster University, Lucy started her career in market research at BMRB and Millward Brown. She joined the Comscore Movies team in 2005 as Director of Client Services, managing the UK & Ireland. MORE

Melanie Cairns // Senior Counsel at Endeavor Content

Melanie is currently leading a new and expanding Business and Legal Affairs team in London within Endeavor Content’s International TV Sales business. She obtained considerable and invaluable experience in the field during her prior distribution positions at Lionsgate, Disney Media Distribution and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment over the preceding 22 years. MORE

Stuart Crane //  Head of Film at Cineworld Cinemas 

Stuart is Head of Film at Cineworld Cinemas. MORE

Thomas Humphrey // Marketing Manager at Bertha DocHouse

Marketing manager at Bertha DocHouse, the UK’s only cinema dedicated entirely to showing documentary films – and currently shortlisted for a Screen Award for Cinema Marketing Campaign of the Year. MORE

Rebecca Hawkes// Film Consultant

With over 30 years of experience within the film industry, Rebecca started her career at Kay Film Laboratory in London. After gaining an invaluable knowledge of film and the post-production process she moved on to work in the technical departments for major distributors and sales agents alike. MORE

Jonathan Sadler // Film Distribution and Marketing Consultant

Independent film distribution and marketing consultant and executive producer, with over 20 years' experience in the UK, with senior positions held at Universal Pictures, Momentum Pictures and top independents Revolver Entertainment and Arrow Films. MORE

Elizabeth Taylor -  Account Director at Premier

Account Director at Premier with seven years' experience in film publicity including: UK theatrical releases (print, broadcast, digital); unit publicity, premieres and events; UK film festivals (overall management and individual film launches); and international film festivals (film launches). MORE

Maria Tanjala -  Co-Founder of Big Couch and Film Chain

Maria Tanjala is the co-founder of FilmChain, based in London. FilmChain is the first automatic fintech service that collects, allocates and analyses revenues for film, TV, and digital content on the blockchain. MORE

Riccardo Illari // Digital Content Manager at Odeon

Currently working as Digital Content & Campaign Manager UK and Ireland at ODEON. MORE

Matthew Falck // Trailer and Sizzle Editor 

Matt is a freelance Trailer and Sizzle Editor based in London and has been working in the industry for over a decade. His sizzle reels help get films financed and are often used but rarely seen or even understood. Get the edge. MORE

David Coultas // Creative Producer and Business Development at LipSync Creative

David is a creative producer at Lipsync Chemistry, the London-based agency producing award-winning marketing assets for film, TV and corporate clients. In addition, he’s spearheading business development.  MORE

David Frost // Director at All City and Bureau

David is the co-founder of London-based agencies AllCity and Bureau. MORE

Robyn Larkin // Creative Director, What Is Bobo

Robyn has worked in the creative side of the film industry for over 20 years designing DVD sleeves, theatrical film posters, print/online marketing campaigns, and international sales poster art. MORE

Robin Whalley // Junior Editor at the Garden Prod.

Robin is Junior Editor at the Garden productions. He also worked as a freelance editor in the industry for 4 years now. He is an alumni of the prestigious Editing MA course at the NFTS. MORE

Eleonora Pesci// Critic, Curator, Programmer

Eleonora is a freelance Curator, Critic and Programmer. She is also working as Duty Manager at Curzon Aldgate cinema. Eleonora received training in the Classics and is very passionate about LGBTQ+, experimental, documentary, arthouse and world cinema - and Marcello Mastroianni above all. MORE

Zsofia Szemeredy -  Distribution and Marketing Consultant, Producer of the Summit

Zsofi graduated from the Marketing, Distribution, Sales and Exhibition MA course at the NFTS in 2019. During her studies she gained experience at eOne, Picturehouse Entertainment, Curzon Artificial Eye, New Sparta, and Sundance London to name a few. She is currently running her consultancy and working with various film, game and TV related companies. MORE