13th January 2020

13 January 2020

As Inside Pictures wraps up its Class of 2019 programme this month, our Head of Film (and Inside Pictures alumni) Christos Michaels joined a panel of top-level film executives at VUE Piccadilly on Thursday last week to assess participants’ project presentations.

Christos shared the esteemed judging panel with:

• Chris Auty, Head of Producing at National Film & Television School
• Jasper van Hecke, SVP of Acquisitions & Production at Universal Pictures
• Jill Tandy, Executive Coach, Mentor & Consultant
• Jonathan Rutter, Director of Film Premier PR
• Jonathan Sadler, Owner & Creative Director of Magus Marketing
• Julie Baines, Producer at Dan Films
• Mark Woolley, CEO of Ecosse Films
• Matthew Baker, Director of Acquisitions at HanWay Films
• Paul Sweeney, Consultant for AdHoc Cinema
• Pim Hermeling, CEO of September Film Distribution
• Rebecca O’Brien, Producer at Sixteen Films
• Tom Harberd, CEO of Headgear Films

This final stage of the programme followed a week-long business development module of the programme which took place in November 2019, when Christos shared his perspective on studio business affairs with participants, at Lee & Thompson’s offices.

The Class of 2019 participants, who completed their first module in June 2019 at Lee & Thompson, comprised a handpicked group of film industry executives from twelve different countries:

• Gary Cranner – Producer, Chezville Germany
• Alice Damiani – VP International Sales, TF1 Studio
• Sander Dikhoff – Entertainment Lawyer, Dikhoff Van Dongen Advocaten
• Karina Gechtman – Head of International Marketing and Publicity, Altitude Film Sales
• Matthew Gledhill – CEO/Producer, Wheelhouse Productions
• Verena Gräfe-Höft – CEO/Producer, Junafilm UG
• Sophie Green – Head of Acquisitions and Development, Bankside Films
• Gints Grube – CEO/Producer, Mistrus Media
• Oliver Huson – International Sales Manager, IMG Media
• Tessa Inkelaar – Vice President, Creative, Cinestaan Film Company/C International Sales
• Mike MacMillan – Producer, Lithium Studios Canada
• Ailish McElmeel – Co-founder, Deadpan Pictures Ireland
• Don McNicholl – Senior Legal & Business Affairs Manager, Film4
• Cristian Nicolescu – Co-Owner/CBDO, Avanpost Media Romania
• Samanta Roberts – Marketing Director, Film, eOne Spain 
• Frédérique Rouault – Director of International Sales, Playtime
• Hannah Saunders – Marketing and Distribution Manager, Film4
• Anna Smith Tenser – Managing Director/Executive Producer, Iconoclast London
• Leanne Tonkes – CEO/Producer, Sense & Centsability
• Lena Vurma – Head of Acquisitions/Producer, NFP Marketing & Distribution, Dragonfly Films

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