MEET THE TEAM
Directors of the Program
| TUE STEEN MULLER | |
| Tue Steen Müller. Born 1947. Worked for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board. Has given documentary courses and seminars in about 40 countries. From 1996-2005 initiator and director of EDN (European Documentary Network). Head of Studies at the European training programme Ex Oriente 2003-2009. From 2006 free lance consultant and teacher. Selector and consultant for the festivals DOCSBarcelona, Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DoxBox in Damascus and DOKLeipzig. Teacher at the film school Zelig in Bolzano, Italy. Head of Pitching at DOCSBarcelona from 2010. Tutor at other training programmes like Archidoc, ZagrebDOXPro, DocuRegio and Documentary Campus. Writes at www.filmkommentaren.dk. |
| CECILIA LIDIN | |
| Cecilia Lidin joined the EDN team in 1998. At EDN Cecilia Lidin has been responsible for numerous workshops ,and functions as a tutor and moderator of pitching sessions at different events such as Docs Barcelona, Lisbon Docs, Docu Regio, Baltic Sea Forum, Nordisk Forum and others. Cecilia contributes to DOX magazine reporting from different film-events and reviewing films, and on a daily basis consults EDN members in questions of project development, financing and distribution. Cecilia Lidin has served on numerous juries at film festivals around Europe and between 2006 and 2009 she was artistic director of Odense International Film Festival. Since December 2009 Cecilia Lidin has been head of the EDN office. |
| KOSTAS SPYROPOULOS | |
| Kostas Spiropoulos is the Founder and President of the STORY DOC which provides workshops of professional training for development and co-production documentaries.He is the Content Development Manager and Head of Documentaries of SKAI TV. Prior of this (2004-2007) he was the General Manager of ERT. He was board member of the World Congress of History Producers (2205) and now a Board member of the HISTORY MAKERS (2008) |
Tutors
| REA APOSTOLIDES | |
| Rea Apostolides studied Ancient and Modern History at the University of Oxford and been working as a documentary producer and researcher in Athens since 1995. She was the researcher of Universal’s Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Asst. Producer for the BBC2/ERT-1 documentary Are you Captain Corelli? which was BBC’s most watched arts programme in 2001. In 2002, she received a NIPKOW scholarship and worked for MAJADE Filmproduktion in Leipzig, Germany and in 2008 received the Trailblazer Award at MIPDOC in Cannes. She is currently the Deputy Head of the Board of Documentary Campus.Recent work as a producer includes A Game Must Go ON (SKAI), The Call of the Mountain (ERT, GFC), A Place Without People (ERT, TV3), Sugartown: the Day After (2009, ARTE, ERT, Al Jazeera, YLE, TSR, TV3, CYBC), Secret of the Snake Goddess (2007, ZDF, History TV, ERT, AVRO), Sugartown: the Bridegrooms (2007, ARTE, BBC, ERT, YLE) and Network (2007, Greek Film Center, ERT). |
| IRENE GAVALA | |
| Born in AthensGraduate of the Law School of the Athens University.Seminars in public and international relations.Foreign languages: english, french, italian.For the last three years Head of ERT International Coproductions Dept. Participation in many international meetings, fora, workshops and seminars of the EBU, CMCA, COPEAM.1984 – 1995: Head of ERT International Relations Dept.1980 – 1995: Head of the greek delegation to the EV Song Contest.Elected President of the EBU International Committee for the international coproduction Jeux sans Frontieres till 2000.2001: elected President of COPEAM’s Coproductions Working Group.2002: member of the international jury of the International Prize for the best Mediterranean Doc and Reportage.Commissioning editor and member of different international pitching fora forInternational coproductions (Thessaloniki, Marseille, Sitges etc)Currently member of the EBU Steering Group and Head of the greek delegation to the Eurovision Junior Song Contest, Ass. Secretary General to CMCA Administrative Council. |
| ORNA YARMUT | |
| Orna YarmutIndependent producer (Eva; a Love Beyond Words; David Shahar). Initiator and director of CoPro-Documentary Marketing Foundation – a non-profit-organization for the promotion and marketing of documentary films overseas. In 2005 awarded the Knesset Award for CoPro initiatives. Yarmut is former managing director and former board member of IDFF and also is Israel representative on the EDN. |
| EVA STEFANI | Born in 1964. Studied political sciences at the University of Athens (1981-1987), documentary at VARAN in Paris(1989), cinema studies and ethnographic film at New York University(1989-1991) , (MA). She then followed a 4 year documentary course at the National film and TV School in England (1991-1995). At 1997 she obtained her Ph.D from Panteion university, Dept of Media Studies. Since 2000 she teaches cinema studies at the Department of Theatre Studies, University of Athens, She works as a free lance film director and video artist. She has received several awards in documentary film festivals, such as Cinema du Reel, Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, See Docs/Dubrovnik etc. Filmography: 1987 Gutters,11min, 1989 La vie en vert, 16min, 1991 Moiroloi, 16 min, 1993 Paschalis, 17 min, 1995 Ahene, 36min, 1995 Letters From Albatross 26min, 1998 Inner Spaces , 8 x 26’, 2001 Prison Leave 28’, 2001 Akropolis 46’, 2000 Reveille 3’, 2001 Avraam and Iakovos 28’, 2004 The Box 11’, 2006 “The hole”,3’, 2006 “Mr N.S.P”, 1,5’, 2007 “The kiss 1,5’, 2007 What time is it? 26’, 2007”National Anthem”,1’, 2008 Bathers,46’ |
| Born September 29, 1964 in Iserlohn, Germany. 1984-1990: Studied Applied Dramatic Arts in Giessen, Germany. 1990-1992: assistant director, theatre projects, e.g. Theater am Turm/Frankfurt/M. freelance work for the german culture channel 3sat.1992-1994: practical training as dramaturg / commissioning editor at ZDF. -Since 1994 commissioning editor for ZDF - "Das kleine Fernsehspiel": Development and production of theme evenings for the European Culture Channel ARTE. Development of new programme formats for "quantum", the television workshop of “Das kleine Fernsehspiel” within the german culture channel 3sat.-Since May 2000: commissioning editor in the new department "ARTE THEMA" within ZDF.Examples of work: - “Dinner with the president” by Sabiha Sumar (P/D/USA 2007, 58‘)- “A jihad for love” by Parvez Sharma (D/GB/USA 2007, 80‘)- “Peace Mission – Mission Nollywood” by Dorothee Wenner ( D 2007, 80‘)- “Who’s afraid of Kathy Acker” by Barara Caspar ( D/A 2007, 78‘)- „The way of the warrior“ by Andreas Pichler (D/A 2007, 89‘)- “Comrade Couture” by Marco Willms (, D 2008, 85‘)- “Super Art Market” by Zoran Solomun (D 2008, 90‘)- “The art of Failure. Chuck Connelly not for sale” by Jeff Stimmel (USA/GB/D 2008,78’) |
| EMMA DAVIE | |
| Emma Davie is a documentary maker, currently teaching at Edinburgh College of Art where she is head of Film and TV and also works with Scottish Documentary Institute which is based there.She has made a wide variety of documentaries for national and international broadcasters and is currently directing a feature documentary called “Breathing” with a fiction filmmaker, Morag MacKinnon.Previous work includes documentaries on art including “What Age Can you Start Being an Artist?” for Channel 4 which was short listed for a Grierson. Other work is more observational including a one hour film for BBC "Gigha. Buying Our Island" and “Flight” which was a co-production with Canada while also pursuing more experimental work herself such as “71˚N” , a co-production with Norway.In the past Emma programmed documentaries for the Edinburgh Film Festival and also was on the board of EDN for 4 years. She has taught on many workshops throughout Europe and served on many juries. She was documentary tutor at the European Film College in Denmark for a year. She contributes regular articles to DOX magazine. Emma was educated at Oxford University where she studied English literature. |
| GEORGE KHLEIFI | Born in Nazareth in 1947. Moves to live in Jerusalem after high school, and works as announcer/producer for the Arabic Radio specializing in literature programmes.In 1973 goes to Brussels, Belgium to study Cinema and enrolls in the cinema school “INSAS” studying Film and Television Direction and Production for 4 years. From 1978 – 1984 he directs documentaries for the Belgian TV “RTBF”, and assists his brother Michel Khleifi in producing and directing his first long documentary “The Fertile Memories”.Returning to Jerusalem in 1985, he is the executive producer of Michel’s first feature “Wedding in Galilee” then he directs and produces several medium and short documentaries, specializing in film about and for children “The Stone Throwers”, in 1988 and “Shorook” in 1990.He line produces Michel's feature for children “The Tale of the 3 Jewels” in 1993. He is the Line producer of 1996 “Share’ Sumsum” The Palestinian Sesame Street. In 1999 he writes and directs the social development series” The House of Abu Yousef” designated to the whole family. 2003 he co writes his book “Palestinian cinema: Landscape, Trauma and Memory” 2008 he writes and directs the mini series “ Matabb”, and line produce Najwa Najjar’s feature “Pomegranate and Myrrh”. He is the Ramallah line producer of Chrien Daibis “Amreeka”, and line produce Michel Khleifi’s feature “ The Zindiq” |
| GUY LAVIE | |
| Guy Lavie is the head of "yesDocu", the documentary channel of "yes-DBS Satellite Service", Israel, since 2008. Prior to his current position, Guy was a producer at "Norma Productions", alongside founder and producer Assaf Amir. While at "Norma Productions", Guy was in charge of many fiction and non-fiction productions, including the award winning documentary "The Cemetery Club", the Israeli Academy Winner for Best Feature Film "Broken Wings" and the acclaimed television series "Reaching for Heaven". Guy has a BFA in Film and Television from the Tel-Aviv University. |
| MIKAEL OPSTRUP | A dedicated documentarist since I made my first documentary – now hidden for the public in my cellar - in 1977.In 1979 I graduated with a degree in Film from The University of Copenhagen.Most of the 80’s I worked with distribution and theatrical release of documentaries.Attended script writing at the Danish Film School in 88.Freelance Producer and Production manager up through the 90’s. Organized the film festival ‘Films from the South’ from 1995 – 98.Made a desk-cross-over from 1998-2002, where I worked as Production Adviser at The Danish Film Institute. Attended EAVE 1998/99.Since 2000 I have worked as tutor at a large number over workshops and forums around Europe, in The Middle East and South America. From 2002 - 2008 co-owner and producer at Final Cut Productions in Copenhagen where I have produced a number of international documentaries.Board member of EDN – European Documentary Network – 2005-09, from 2008-09 as Chairman.In 2009 Film strategic Adviser of The Middle East at International Media Support, Denmark.Also from 2009 I serve as Production Tutor at Ex Oriente Film Workshop. |
| PETER SYMES | |
| Peter Symes has worked in television since 1969. Until 2000 he was employed by the BBC, where he had a long career as a director, producer and executive producer. From his own work he is best known for his documentaries with verse commentaries, one of which won the Prix Italia, and he has written extensively about this technique, most recently in Faber and Faber’s 2007 Tony Harrison Collected Film Poems. In the 80’s and 90’s he produced and directed many other series, and as the commissioning editor for the BBC2 series Picture This, he gave many young directors their first chance to make a full-length documentary. He continues to work extensively with young film makers. In 1994 he helped found the Sheffield International Documentary Festival, becoming its first Chairperson. He is also a trustee of the Grierson Trust, the charity set up to commemorate John Grierson, the founder of documentary in the UK. From 2005-2009 he was the Head of the Documentary Campus Masterschool (Discovery Campus until 2008) based in Munich, Germany. |
| IIKKA VEHKALAHTI | Commissioning Editor for YLE TV2 Documentaries, Finland since 1998. Executive Producer for Steps For The Future, Another Finland and Steps India projects; one of the Series Producers for Why Democracy. A board member of IDFA.In YLE TV2 Documentaries has commissioned several internationally awarded documentaries, among them:3 Rooms Of Melancholy by Pirjo Honkasalo, Decent Factory by Thomas Balmes, Recipes for Disaster by John Webster, The Journey by Markku Lehmuskallio, Lakshmi and Me by Nishta Jain, Paradise by Elina Hirvonen, In The Shadow Of Holy Book by Arto Halonen, Riot On ! by John Hakalax and Steam Of Life by Jonas Bärghell and Mika Hotakainen. He has been a partner in several awarded documentaries produced in Asia, Middle-East and Africa.Before YLE he directed several awarded documentaries for Epidem and Musafilm, among them Past is Present, Amal, Inam, Naila, Man from the Shadow , Daughter of a Terrorist, Our Common Future? and Tehri - Two Journeys.Among the publications the most recent is a 2008 published book “Steps By Steps”, written together with Don Edkins. |
| LOUISE ROSEN | |
| Managing Director, Louise Rosen Ltd. Louise Rosen is a media executive with over 25 years experience in the international television and film business, project development, production and distribution. She has worked with a wide range of program genres and formats and set up major international co-productions. Her reputation as a talent-spotter has grown steadily, built upon her association with numerous award-winning projects. Louise was based in Europe for 8 years and has particular interest in the cross-cultural aspects of television/film.She has taken an active role in many productions; overseeing research, editorial and budgeting as well as location- and post-production. Her experience also includes management, operations, marketing and business affairs. She has been honored to have among her projects Oscar, Emmy, Sundance, Prix Italia, International Emmy and other award-winning films.Louise is a Tutor at Discovery Campus Master School and has been a featured speaker at many conferences and film festivals, including the Real Screen Summit, Toronto’s Hot Docs Doc Forum and the annual conference of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. She is Vice Chair of the Maine Film & Video Association, is on the Advisory Board of the Camden International Film Festival and has served on the board of directors of organizations such as the International Documentary Association and Women in Film & Video/Boston. In the 1970’s, Louise worked in other areas of the media including industrial and commercial film production, various aspects of the music business (with Grateful Dead Records and her own music management and booking agency) and in radio advertising sales with Westinghouse Broadcasting and others. |
Event Manager
Chara Lampidou
Members of STORYDOC
Rea Apostolides
Stella Litou
Selini Efthimiou
