Speakers

Michael P. Aust

Festivaldirector SoundTrack_Cologne and Producer TelevisorTroika GmbH

Business graduate (Dipl.-Kfm.) Michael P. Aust is a German curator, organiser of cultural events and film producer born in 1965. His focal point of interest lies in the intersectionality of art forms, especially in the relationship of music and moving pictures. He heads the filmmusic festival and conference SoundTrack_Cologne that he founded in 2004 – with 850 accreditations Europe’s leading filmmusic industry event – as well as SoundTrack_Zurich since 2020. Parallel from 2014-2019 he was festivaldirector of Braunschweig International Filmfestival that grew to 28.000 admissions under his direction.

Aust has worked in the film industry for more than 25 years with producer credits for 21 feature films and feature-length documentaries, including “101 Reykjavik”, “Stumbling Block”, “Low Lights”, “Parallax Sounds Chicago”, “Eva Hesse” and “The Sound of Cologne”, focusing on music and art. His directorial debut “Can and Me”, co-produced by WDR, hit the cinemas and film festivals in spring 2023. 

Michael curates exhibitions and festivals e.g. DuKunst Media Art Festival 1992, Klangvisionen sound art exhibition 1994, StadtKlangNetz conference on cultural education 2007-2014, European Film Music Day at Cannes Film Festival 2009-2016, the highly successful The Art of Pop Video exhibition (MAKK Cologne 2011, Odessa Art Center 2012, Liverpool FACT 2013), Next Level Conference on video games 2012, PLAY!CGN exhibition and conference on video games in art 2013, Digital Distribution conference 2014, BIFF Film Criticism LAB: on the Future of Film Criticism 2015, Hostile Sisters - Interdependencies of Theatre and Film conference 2016, FxM Film meets Music Festival 2018+19. His latest project is the 30-month Re-Educating Digitisation funded by Erasmus+.

He is a voting member of the German Film Academy, Filmbüro NW and of the World Soundtrack Academy and Board Member of KulturNetzKöln and MusicFilmFestivalNetwork. He is Managing Director, Owner and Producer at TelevisorTroika GmbH, a Cologne-based company established in 1993 for film production, art events and public relations in arts.

© ContrastFilm

Anke Beining-Wellhausen

Film producer and managing director at Contrast Film

Anke is the commercial managing director and one of the producers of Contrast Film in Zurich and Bern - one of the leading production houses in Switzerland. She is a former Disney executive, managing director of world sales Global Screen and was part of the management team of German distribution and production companies Senator Film and Kinowelt. As CEO and program director of Teleclub, a Swisscom - now Blue Entertainment - subsidiary, and with her company Utofilm she co-produced over 70 features, docs and series (e.g. HEIDI, THE LITTLE WITCH, QUARTIER DES BANQUES, BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES).

Anke studied law and political science in Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. and holds a Ph.D. in international copyright law. She serves on the board of Trustees of FOCAL, is a lecturer in film law at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and a member of the "Feature Film" Expert Commission of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and the Swiss Film Producers’ Association SFP.

© ZHdK

André Bellmont

Conductor, Composer and Orchestrator for film, theatre and concert productions

André Bellmont was born in Zurich, Switzerland. He studied at Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles and with Samuel Krachmalnick (conducting). Bellmont has been working as a conductor, composer and orchestrator for film, theatre and concert productions, including performing artists like Andreas Vollenweider, Dianne Reeves and Abdullah Ibrahim; for Zurich Film Festival (International Film Music Competition), Corso Theatre Zurich, Theater 11 and Schauspielhaus Zürich, in Berlin at Theater des Westens and Friedrichstadtpalast; at Paramount Pictures Filmstudios Los Angeles, Synchron Stage Vienna, Smeckey Music Studios Prague, EastConnection Budapest and Air Studios London. Bellmont is head of Major in Composition for Film, Theatre und Media at Zurich University of the Arts.

Yevgeni Birkhoff

Composer, Sound Designer

Yevgeni Birkhoff works as a composer, music producer, and sound designer. He creates music for media and international large scale event productions, composes and produces songs, and engages in the creation of acoustic sound art. Birkhoff's musical diversity is evident in his wide-ranging repertoire, from authentic EDM tracks and Musique Concrète soundscapes to orchestral scores. He has applied his talent and expertise to create tailored music and sound designs for renowned brands and clients such as Mercedes, Porsche, Electronic Arts, the Chinese Ministry of Tourism and Emaar Properties. His sound installations have been exhibited in prestigious institutions worldwide, including the German Rock and Pop Museum in Gronau, the Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood and the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

In 2010, Birkhoff received the Peer Raben Award at "Soundtrack Cologne" for the best music in a short film. Additionally, many of the large-scale events underscored with his music have been recognized with international event industry awards, including the BrandEx Award in 2019, the German Design Award in 2016, and The Special Event 2015 Gala Award.

Recently, Yevgeni Birkhoff has been engaging with real-time media and Artificial Intelligence. He regularly holds lectures and workshops, sharing his expertise in these cutting-edge fields. In his teachings, he contributes his broad knowledge and innovative perspectives on how these technologies can be leveraged in music, audio post and event productions. His insights are highly valued in both academic institutions and industry forums.

Kåre Bjerkø

Composer, Arranger, Musician, Bandleader, Producer

Kåre Bjerkø is a Danish composer, arranger, musician, bandleader, and producer. He began his career as an organist in a small church before studying music at the University of Copenhagen. Although he holds a master’s in Experience Management, he is primarily a self-taught musician. In the 1980s, he played in various rock and pop bands. During the 1990s, he gained recognition for composing music for experimental theater aimed at younger audiences, co-creating a new genre that blended live music with theater. In 1995, Bjerkø started scoring films and TV shows, with his work spanning children's films, thrillers, and TV series. He won a Bodil Award (the danish "Oscar") in 2009 for his film compositions and continues to create theater concerts while teaching film composition at the Danish Film School

© Peter Hertig

Chantal Bolzern

Attorney, Mediator

Admitted to the bar in 1997. In 2003, completed the Master`s (LL.M.) at the Free University of Berlin, majoring in Copyright Law and completed studies as a Culture Manager in 2005. From 2004, worked as a lawyer at SUISA, concentrating mainly on Copyright and Contract Law. 2010 promotion to head of department, responsible for licensing music performances in the German and the French part of Switzerland. Guest speaker at various institutions on Copyright Law and Collecting Societies.

Completed studies as a mediator in 2016. Since 2018 working as an attorney at BKS Attorneys Ltd. and partner since 2021. Co-President of HELVETIAROCKT since March 2018 and President of the Swiss Syndicate Film and Video (SSFV) since 2022, board-member of SUISA since 2023.

Florian Liedel

Gregor Bonse

Re-recording mixer

Gregor Bonse is a re-recording mixer working from Los Angeles and Berlin. He frequently supervises sound teams from the chair of the re-recording mixer and accompanies films and their sonic journey from first draft screenplays to the final mix, always exploring how sound can drive a story.

He is a two-time winner and four-time nominee of the German Academy Award (LOLA) for Best Sound, most notably for the German Oscar entry System Crasher in 2020. His work has been showcased three times in the Cannes Competition with Ayka (Kazakhstan, 2018), Compartment No. 6 (Finland, Golden Globe Nominee, Cannes Grand Prix 2021), and Holy Spider (Iran, 2022). His most recent works include The Outrun (Sundance 2024) and The Assessment (Toronto Film Fest 2024).

Born in Bielefeld, Germany, Bonse discovered film sound after spending his youth exploring jazz and experimental theater. In 2007, he moved to Berlin to attend the sound program of Film University Babelsberg, graduating summa cum laude. After explorations in production sound, music composition, dialog and effects editing, he soon began to specialize in mixing as way to shape sound, music and story through a holistic lens. The long-lasting mentorship of José Luiz Sasso from São Paulo and Martin Steyer from Berlin has greatly influenced his work.

Nis Bøgvad

Music Supervisor

Music Supervisor and CEO/Founder at Copenhagen Film Music. Co founder Europe in Synch. Director Act in Synch.
With 27 years experience as a music professional, Nis Bøgvad has worked in all aspects of the music business. From Multi-Platinum selling Songwriter, Recording Artist (EMI) and Producer to Head of A&R (EMI Music), Creative Director (Music Sales Group) Executive Producer National TV to Music Supervisor.
Nis has synchronized music to more than 150 commercials, TV series and Films, lately he has been working on "Follow The Money" season 3 and upcoming series for HBO Nordic.
He’s been a returning keynote and panel speaker at A&R Worldwide/Musexpo L.A., Midem Cannes, Sync summit Paris, Spot Festival Denmark; Les Arcs European Film Festival, Sync summit Helsinki, MaMA Conference Paris, London Sync Session, an Artist Mentor at Music Estonia VOLÜÜM mentoring program, Berklee Global Career Summit in Valencia and is among the founding partners of Europe in Synch.

Christian Bremer

Christian was born in 1981 in Cuxhaven and has been living in Switzerland since 2007 – from the North Sea to the Alps.

Originally from the online marketing sector, Christian worked with international media agencies before taking the leap into entrepreneurship in 2021 by founding his own company, Anchor Digital.

In 2019, Christian completed a training program as a Blockchain Economist, which ignited a strong passion for technological advancements.

Describing himself as a true "tinkerer" (much like Daniel Düsentrieb), Bremer focuses on projects that combine technology and creativity.

One of his key current projects is ontiko, a venture specializing in AI detection and analysis.

With an open mind towards future-forward developments and a passion for technical achievements, Christian continuously embraces new challenges and opportunities.

© Reto Caduff

Reto Caduff

Writer, Director

Reto Caduff has made a name for himself internationally with music documentaries such as Krokus - as long as we live (Zurich Film Award), Charlie Haden - Rambling Boy, Lovebugs - Taiwan Jetlag, Conny Plank - The Potential Of Noise (German Documentary Film Award) and Einfach Machen! - She Punks. His passion for film and music started in the mid-80s when, as the boss of an independent record label, he started shooting music videos for his bands due to budget constraints. After moving from Zurich to New York in 1994, he shot music videos and behind-the-scenes videos for major record labels such as BMG/Ariola, Warner Bros. and Sony Music. Back in Switzerland since 2012, he works as a writer and filmmaker for documentaries.

© Damian Derungs

Damian Derungs

Cameraman

Born and raised in Switzerland, Damian's creative journey began with playing the saxophone in jazz and funk bands while also competing as a climbing athlete. His artistic direction shifted after purchasing his first camera, leading to early film assignments. Over the next decade, he gained experience as a first camera assistant, lighting technician, and director of photography. After completing around 200 video clips and short films, his debut feature, SEPTEMBER BABIES, premiered in Swiss cinemas earlier this year.

Daniel Dettwiler

Sound & Mixing Engineer

Daniel Dettwiler is a renowned Sound & Mixing Engineer based in Switzerland, specializing in recording and mixing acoustic music, particularly for film. After studying Audio-Design at the Academy of Music in Basel, he founded Idee und Klang Studios, known for its impressive collection of historic microphones and high-end analog audio equipment. Daniel has recorded and mixed soundtracks for numerous films, including The White Massai, Das Blaue vom Himmel, Huck Finn, Heidi, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Notably, he also contributed as a co-sound engineer to the soundtrack of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. His collaborations span across esteemed artists and ensembles such as ECM, Herbert Grönemeyer, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Beyond his engineering work, Daniel is an educator, lecturing at Musikhochschule Basel and the University of Arts in Zürich.

Mara Deuschle

Sync Manager

Mara Deuschle has been working in the music industry for over a decade as a concert promoter and artist manager around Switzerland, during her business studies at the University of St. Gallen. Eager to develop her perception of the music industry on an international level, Mara moved to Denmark for her master’s degree in Management of Creative Industries at Copenhagen Business School.

Currently based in Copenhagen while still working with Swiss artists as a manager, Mara started working in music licensing in 2021 and she is now the global sync manager for APL Publishing. Her main focus at this Nordic music publisher is representing their catalogue for all types of visual media on an international level, working together with broadcasters such as ARD, SRF and the BBC, and acquiring placements on programs like VICE on Showtime in the US.

© Philippe Molitor/Gleamlight

Marc du Moulin

ECSA Secretary General

Marc du Moulin joined in June 2018 the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), which gathers more than 55 associations of composers and songwriters across Europe. Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme, ECSA’s core mission is to defend and promote the rights of composers and songwriters at European and international level, with the aim of improving their social and economic conditions, as well as their artistic freedom. Marc has a comprehensive knowledge in copyright and European law, an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the creative industries and an extensive experience in European Affairs. He previously worked in Brussels for the European Film Agency Directors, the Motion Picture Association, the European Commission (DG CNECT) and for Eurocinema. Marc holds a Master in UK-EU-US Copyright Law from King’s College London and a Master in European Studies from the Catholic Institute of Paris. He speaks fluently English, French and Spanish.

Milena Fessmann

Music Supervisor, Radio host, Film producer, DJ

Since 1991, Milena Fessmann has worked as a full-time DJ (2001-2014 Radio Eins After Work Lounge, Trompete/Berlin, European Film Awards 2015 etc.) and has worked for various radio stations. Since 1997 she works for Radio Eins/RBB with her own weekly show called "Free Falling".

In 1989 she founded CINESONG and has been working as a music supervisor on more than 500 films and series.

She is moderator of several national events and panels such as Reeperbahn-Festival, c/o pop Cologne, Soundtrack Cologne/Zurich and many more. Milena Fessmann teaches music supervising and copyright clearing at film schools such as DFFB Berlin, KHM, FFF and is advisory board member of the World Soundtrack Academy and Member of the European Filmacademy.

She founded a film production company called Sugar Town Filmproduction Gmbh & Co.kg in 2011. Its first project was "The Potential of Noise- Conny Plank" by Stephan Plank and Reto Caduff. Fessmann is executive-producer of "When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit", directed by award-winning director Caroline Link.

The newest documentary project “Don't talk! Do it- She-punks from 1977 until now” about female punk and the new wave in german speaking territory from 1979-89 is in pre-production.

Photo: Jürg Lauber

Adina Friis

Composer

Adina Friis (*1988) is a jazz pianist, singer, songwriter and composer for film and theatre. She studied jazz piano, singing and composition in Lucerne, Zurich and Copenhagen.

Her main musical project is the jazz trio "Luumu", with which she transforms her most personal thoughts and ideas into art. Since 2010 she has been playing concerts in Switzerland and abroad. Since 2015 she has been writing the music for various theatres and from 2017-2019 she was responsible for the musical design of the "Berner Reden" at the Konzerttheater Bern.

In 2020 she had the chance to demonstrate her skills as a film composer for the film "Eden for Everyone" directed by Rolf Lyssy."

In 2023 her first full evening composition "Leben in Anbetracht der Endlichkeit" for choir and chamber orchestra was performed in 4 cities throughout Switzerland.

She is currently working on a collaboration with an animated filmmaker who will bring Luumu's music on screen while the band plays the songs live on stage.

For the last four years she's been a speaker at Soundtrack_Zurich.

Marielène Froidevaux

Music Supervisor

Marielène Froidevaux co-founded the international publishing house Black Stellar Music based in Zurich, working on top as Music Supervisor and Artist Manager. Back in 2019 she started supervising on film productions and has been involved in numerous projects since. The 39-year-old is furthermore highly engaged in music policy issues, fair payments for artists as well as AI development in music on legal, political, social and creative aspects. She cooperates closely with the tech start up Ontiko and recently joined the Brand Partnership Agency LOY. 

Adi Frutiger

Composer

After graduating as a decoration designer, Adrian Frutiger worked as a production designer for the film Night of the Jugglers (1996), directed by Michael Steiner. There, he also ventured into film music, creating the score for the same project. This first work in media won him the European Prize at the Film Music Biennale in Bonn in 1996.

Frutiger's musical prowess has been showcased in a diverse range of films, including Michael Steiner's My name is Eugen, Grounding: the last days of Swissair, Sennentuntschi, Wolkenbruch's Strange Journey into the Arms of a Chic Woman, and Early Birds (co-composed with Martin Villiger); Der Büezer's Hans Kaufmann; Mirjam von Arx's Virgin Tales, and many more. 

His latest works for TV include Davos 1917 and Wilder.

Danielle Giuliani

Producer

Since 2020, Danielle Giuliani has been an active partner and producer at telefilm GmbH. She is currently finishing the documentary ICEMAN as a producer. Her career began in theater as a dramaturge and director. After successfully completing several short films, she moved on to work as an assistant director and producer on feature films and documentaries, directing two feature films herself. She then shifted her career to journalism, working in print media and for TV broadcast stations. Simultaneously, she lectured on Acting and Staging at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. 

In 2010, she became Head of Editorial at SRF/Factual Entertainment, where she developed several television formats. From 2018, she served as an Executive Producer, responsible for major national projects. 

John Gürtler

Multi-Instrumentalist, Film Composer

John Gütler is a London-born, Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist and film composer, known for his unique, tailor-made approach to each project. His work spans diverse styles, often featuring performances from Berlin's vibrant music scene, and he frequently collaborated with pianist Jan Miserre. His recent projects include The Outrun (starring Saoirse Ronan), No One's With the Calves (German Film Award for Best Sound), A Mouthful of Air (starring Amanda Seyfried), Netflix's Dig Deeper, and A Pure Place (German Film Critics Award for Best Score). Other notable works include Space Dogs and System Crasher, for which he won the Camille Award for Best European Original Score 2019.

Gürtler has also collaborated with artists like Phillip Sollmann/ Efdemin and teaches film music to filmmakers and composers. 

Simone Häberling

Film producer and CEO of association filmkids.ch

Simone Häberling was born in Zurich in 1976. In 2003 she founded the production company Presence Production GmbH, and in 2007 she founded the association filmkids.ch, a film school for kids and teenagers.

She produced two TV documentaries and a short film. She then started to work for Kontraproduktion AG as a junior producer for “Sennentuntschi” and “Das Missenmassaker” by Michael Steiner. 

In 2009 she finished the Master of Advanced Studies ZFH in Arts Management. After two baby breaks, she started to work as a production manager for 400asa, e.g. for “der Polder”. Together with 400asa, she won the Federal Office of Culture theatre prize for “innovative storytelling”. 

In 2017 she produced the feature film “The Real Thing” in cooperation with filmkids.ch. Seventy kids between 10 and 18 years old did everything on their own: writing, directing, camera, acting etc. 2021, she produced the teenager series “Becoming Momo“ for Instagram, a co-production with SRF. In 2022 the next teenager series, “Lost in Paradise“, will be shot.  

In 2022 and 2023 the second teenage series “Lost in paradise” was shot. 2024 she produced the documentary “Das Geheimnis von Bern” by Stascha Bader, which will be distributed in cinemas 2025.

© Gabriel Hill

Stefan Haupt

Director, producer, screenwriter

Born in Zurich in 1961, Stefan Haupt has been working since 1989 as an independent film and theatre director. In 1998 he founded his own production company, Fontana Film. His feature film debut UTOPIA BLUES (2001) was honored with the Zurich Film Prize and the Swiss Film Award.

ELISABETH KÜBLER-ROSS (2003) is one of the most successful Swiss documentary films to date, with some 300,000 viewers throughout Europe. THE CIRCLE (2014) won the Teddy Award and the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlinale, four Swiss Film Awards and was the Swiss entry at the Oscars that year.

For his feature film ZWINGLI (2019) he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Zurich. His latest work is going to be STILLER (2025), based on the novel by Max Frisch.

Ulrike Heinrich

Legal adviser

Ulrike Heinrich works as a legal adviser in the Copyright Legal Services at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI).

She studied law at the Humboldt University of Berlin and business law at the HTW Berlin, admitted to the bar in 2008 and then worked in a law firm specialized in copyright and media law in Berlin. After moving to Switzerland, Ulrike Heinrich worked at the University of Zurich (Chair Prof. Dr. Rolf H. Weber), where she also completed her doctorate on the topic of Product Placement on Swiss television.

Renato Horvath

Music Supervisor

Renato Horvath (Hungary) founded Eastaste Music, a sync agency, in 2012. Its main focus is music licensing, music supervision, and consulting rights owners, and filmmakers alike. Over the years, he has licensed songs for nearly 150 commercials/films from domestic and foreign performers and authors. His specialty is licensing well-known foreign compositions and covers as well as difficult-to-find compositions. Affiliations: UK & European Guild of Music Supervisors member; partner in the Europe in Synch Creative Europe program.

Ksenia Ignatenko

Media Composer, Classical Singer, Songwriter

Ksenia Ignatenko (*2001) is a media composer, classical singer and songwriter. She embarked on her musical journey at the age of 8 with her debut singing performance at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre. Following her move to Krakow in 2014, she continued to pursue a career in opera. 

At the age of 17, Ksenia ventured into the world of film music, participating in her first music competition and receiving an invitation to the prestigious film music festival in Krakow. This marked a significant turning point in her career, leading to her becoming a film composer. In 2019, she relocated to Zurich to further her education at ZHdK in composition for film, theatre and media.

Ksenia has an diverse portfolio, that includes composing soundtracks for a feature-length documentary title "Aufzeichnungen aus dem Abseits", contributing to various short films and video games, and working on her own original music projects. Since 2023, Ksenia has held the position of an official executive committee member at SWAN, where she actively contributes to the origanisation's initiatives. 

Max Knoth

Composer

Born in Hamburg.

Lives in Berlin.

Studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hamburg and the Film & Television Academy Filmuniversität Babelsberg „Konrad Wolf“ in Potsdam-Babelsberg.

Degree as sound engineer for audio-visual media. Max Knoth works as a composer, arranger, and orchestrator. He composes for movies, concerts, theater and recording sessions.

Collaborations include Moby, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Lou Reed, Danny Elfman, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Nils Frahm, Rachel Portman, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, David Newman, Tom Tykwer, Christoph Schlingensief, Irmin Schmidt (CAN) and Carsten Nicolai|Alva Noto.

His arrangements are played by Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Resonanz, Stargaze Ensemble, WDR Funkhausorchester, Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, Staatskapelle Berlin, ORF Symphonieorchester, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, and many others.

He has been an associate lecturer at Media Academy Darmstadt and BIMM Institute for many years.

Marla Kohli

Yoga teacher

Marla is a dedicated Vinyasa yoga teacher who emphasizes mindfulness and alignment. To her, yoga is a space of liberation and reconnection with oneself. A grounding pause to simply observe and breathe calmly. A support during stressful, demanding phases. A happy place. It is this light, balanced, pleasant feeling she hopes to share in her yoga classes.

After years of consistent practice, Marla discovered the joy of teaching locked-down with her friends during the pandemic. In summer 2021, she completed the teacher training to consolidate her knowledge and to be able to reach a wider audience. Since then she has guided numerous students on their journey to physical and mental symbiosis. Her classes are an artful blend of fluid movements, deep stretches, and conscious breathing, creating a harmonious symphony that resonates with her students.

Beyond the yoga mat, she is working as a civil engineering following her passion to create happy buildings. In short, her passion is the seamless flow of forces. Join her to discover the profound benefits of yoga and embrace the flow of forces in your own life.

Photo by Hofer

Daniel Kothenschulte

Film and art critic, author and curator

A German film and art critic, author and curator, he is in charge of the film section of the national daily Frankfurter Rundschau. He taught film at Städelschule, Frankfurt/ Main and Academy of Applied Arts, Dortmund.

As an author he wrote books on the directorial career of Robert Redford, Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS and HOLLYWOOD IN THE 30'IES. As an editor he is in charge of a series of archival books for Taschen publishing including The Walt Disney Film Archives and Mickey Mouse – The Complete History.

As a film curator he founded the Cologne based festival on avantgarde film Videonale Scope.

A lover of the silent cinema, he is a regular piano player of improvised film scores at German film museums and festivals.

© Dariusz Kowalczyk

Dariusz Kowalczyk

Post Audio Engineer, Music Producer

Dariusz Kowalczyk is a seasoned Post Audio Engineer and Music Producer. His journey into professional audio engineering began in 2002 when he moved to Los Angeles to study sound engineering at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. After graduating, he started his career as a lead sound engineer at Teddy Riley's producers camp, known for working on Michael Jackson's Dangerous. Soon after, he connected with Supervising Sound Editor Jake Eberle, known for Independence Day: Resurgence, Narc, Suits, and Burn Notice, marking the start of his immersion in the world of film sound. Over the past 25 years, Dariusz has built an impressive portfolio, contributing to over 60 film projects, including theatrical releases across the USA and Europe, as well as globally streamed content on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Canal+, and HBO.

Michael Künstle

Composer

© Ornella Cacace

Claudia Lehmann

Producer and Chief Executive

Claudia Lehmann is founder, chief executive and producer of Lehmann Sisters. She grew up in Zurich and Valais, studied Law at the University of Fribourg and Production and Media at the University of Television and Film in Munich. While still a student she made a number of prize-winning short films and documentaries.

She subsequently worked as a screenplay reader, production coordinator, post-production director and creative producer with various film production companies in Munich and Zurich. As creative producer with Turnus Film she shared responsibility for the comedy THE AWAKENING OF MOTTI WOLKENBRUCH, based on the successful novel of the same name by Thomas Meyer.

The first feature film made by Lehmann Sisters GmbH was the Ukrainian-Swiss co-production THE FORGOTTEN. The film was screened in competition at two A film festivals, screened at festivals numerous worldwide and won prestigious awards.

David Luisi

Producer

Born in 1973 David started a successful career in 1997 in the Digital Communication field. Together with his brother Peter Luisi, and working with the company Spotlight Media Productions, he has produced several feature films; among them BON SCHUUR TICINO, PRINCESS, STREAKER, THE SANDMANN; TV series such us ADVENT, ADVENT, and the late-night show DEVILLE.

Since 2017, he is managing the production company billionwords GmbH for commercial productions.

Ivan Madeo

Film producer

Born in 1976 in Bern (CH). After graduating as a film journalist and psychologist at the University of Fribourg, he has worked as agency producer for some of the largest advertising agencies in Switzerland and Italy. He founded the two production companies Contrast Film Bern and Contrast Film Zurich that have produced several award-winning feature films and documentaries since 2010. Ivan has been a jury member at several film festivals such as Venice Film Festival, Molodist Kyiv, FICG Guadalajara in Mexico, Filmfest Hamburg, Max Ophüls in Saarbrücken. He is EAVE producer, ACE Series alumni and Swiss "Producer on the Move" at the Cannes Film Festival 2017. Member of the European Film Academy, Swiss Film Academy and the Swiss Film Commission at the Swiss Federal Office of Culture. Board member of the Swiss Film Producer' Association SFP and FOCAL, the Foundation for professional training in cinema and audiovisual media. 

© Lisa Lurati

Björn Magnusson

Composer, Artist, Multi-instrumentalist

Björn Magnusson is a composer, artist and multi-instrumentalist of Swiss/Swedish origin, active in the fields of experimental music, film music, engineering/production and especially songwriting.

Solo and with various formations, he has released numerous albums since 2011, played concerts at home and abroad (including Bad Bonn Kilbi, Palo Festival, La Batie Festival Geneve, CMJ Festival New York), composed and produced film scores, and was responsible for the production and technical realization of numerous albums at home and abroad.

After completing his studies in Fine Arts at HEAD Geneva and ZHDK in 2012, he spent extended periods in Berlin and New York. Björn Magnusson currently lives and works in Zurich.

Delphine Malausséna

Composer

Her musical universe is influenced by a unique personal trait: her passion for mathematics and quantum mechanics, in which she holds a master's degree. A graduate of ENS Louis Lumière, she initially worked as a sound engineer on movie sets before dedicating herself fully to film music.

In 2023, she co-composed the music for Shane Atkinson's 'Laroy,' which won the Grand Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival. She also composed the original scores for the feature film 'Hiver à Sokcho' by Koya Kamura and the series 'Insoupçonnable' by Élie Wajeman. Delphine Malausséna received the award for Best Film Music 2023 at the La Baule festival and the Michel Legrand Emerging Talent Award for her score in Quentin Reynaud's 'En plein feu.'

She was nominated for the César Award for Best Film Music for Jean-Baptiste Durand's 'Chien de la casse' in 2024.

She has recently completed the music for the feature films 'Oxana' by Charlène Favier and 'Cassandre' by Hélène Merlin. She is currently composing the music for the feature film 'Le Roi Soleil' by Vincent Cardona and the HBO series 'Merteuil' directed by Jessica Palud.

Ella Malherbe

Singer, Songwriter, Composer

Ella Malherbe is a Swiss and Irish film music composer and songwriter based in Switzerland. 

As a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and performer, she has been performing across Europe and the UK since 2013, as well as been playlist on national and international radios with many of her compositions such as Never Again (2022), Suspension (2022), Lovely Bird (2018), making her indie-rock duo Marzella one of the most broadcast band of RTS La 1ére, and on BBC radio 6 notably, counting more than a half million streams. 

In the past few years she has been involved in the composition of several film projects notably the award-winning 83' documentary "Stuntwomen",  directed by Elena Avdija, winner of the Best Documentary at the Swiss Film Awards 2023 and Golden Eye in the ZFF Focus Competition (Zurich Film Festival 2022), and party of the official selection at IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam), and the Solothurner Filmtage 2023. Most lately her work for the webserie Dennis Lis (2023) allowed her to travel to Vienna where she composed for and recorded the prestigious Synchron Stage Orchestra, as part of her Master in Composition for Film, Theatre and Media at the Zürich University of The Arts. 

This year, her career and studies have led her to travel across the globe to Ethiopia as she has lately been involved in the development of curriculums at the Yard School of music in Addis Ababa, as well as South Korea where she was part of the "Seoul Notebook" project at the Kote Art Space during the month of August. 

Min Li Marti

Member of the Swiss Parliament

Min Li Marti is a member of the Swiss Parliament (National Council) for the Social Demogractic Party and the publisher of the newspaper «p.s.». 

She is a member of the Committee for Transportation and Telecommunications and the Committee of Legal Affairs. She is also Co-President of the parliamentary group for Digital Sustainability. Her main topics are diversity and equality, human right and digitalization. Min Li Marti has studied sociology, media studies and economic history in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, film producer, political consultant and media strategist. 

Min Li Marti lives in Zurich. 

www.mauricehaas.ch

Susanne Regina Meures

Film director

Susanne Regina Meures is a German/Swiss filmmaker known for making films about rebels and pioneers who dare to stand up against systemic political and social repression.

She holds a Master's in Photography and History of Art from The Courtauld Institute in London. She also has a Master's in Film from the Zurich University of Arts. 

With RAVING IRAN (2016), her first feature-length documentary, Susanne Regina Meures launched an international festival and box-office success. The film portrays two Iranian Djs who rebel against the regime and escape. The documentary was screened at over 130 film festivals worldwide (including Berlinale, Hot Docs, IDFA...), where it won numerous awards. 

In 2020, SAUDI RUNAWAY premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film documents a young Saudi woman's escape using her own cell phone footage. At the European premiere at Berlinale, the film won the Audience Award. National Geographic / Disney Ltd acquired the world rights to the film. SAUDI RUNAWAY was nominated for the European Film Award and won the EUFA 2020. 

GIRL GANG is Susanne Regina Meures' third feature-length documentary, which premiered in competition at CPH:Dox and Hot Docs in 2022. The film is an intimate portrait about a 14-year-old influencer and her family and takes us backstage of the claustrophobic social media world.

Susanne Regina Meures is a member of the Swiss Film Academy, the German Film Academy and the European Film Academy. 

Jan Miserre

Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Producer

Jan Miserre is a Berlin based pianist, composer, arranger and producer. As a son of an jazz saxophonist he was exposed to a wide range of music from an early age. He began learning piano at 4 and drums at 12, performing “Neue Musik” concerts and developing improvisation skills in various bands.

After studying Jazz Piano at the Berlin University of the Arts, Jan toured globally as a sideman and musical director. He has since focused on cross-genre projects with artists like Till Brönner, Nils Landgren, Curtis Stigers, and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. Since 2010 he has been working on film score with John Gürtler, starting with the unusual documentary „Battle of the Queens“ by Nicolas Steiner.

He won the GEMA New Talent Prize in 2013, the German Documentary Music Award in 2015, and the German Film Critics Award for A Pure Place in 2022. His latest work is the score for The Outrun, starring Saoirse Ronan

Neeltje Mooring

Music Consultant

Since 2007, Neeltje Mooring runs her own company SOLID as a rock and operates internationally as an independent publisher (in collaboration with BMG Rights), sync agent and music supervisor. The core business is bringing music and images together in for instance: TV-series, adds, films and games. Clients include: V2 records, CTM  Publishing, NPO (National Dutch Public Broadcasting Company), Dox Records, The Film Kitchen, Kaap Holland Film, NTR, Key Film, Willy Waltz Noord B.V. and Oak Motion Pictures.

Neeltje is also jury member at the yearly Buma Music In Motion Awards (BMIM) Categories: Best Sync, Best Music in Film, TV Series and Commercials.

Besides this she is a parttime lecturer at Inholland University. She developed the mutual study program: International Music Publishing & Licensing together with Berklee College of Music, Boston (U.S.) She also teached the course: Publishing, Licensing and Distribution, part of the master program at the Faculty Global Music Business at the Berklee campus in Valencia, Spain.

In the past Mooring achieved great success working as a product manager, label manager, and a&r manager for several world known and respected record companies such as Sony Music Entertainment, Epic Records, Double T Music, Idol Media and Flow Records.

She is a 1994 graduate in Design & Communication at the University in Rotterdam and accomplished an associate master degree in Media Psychology & Advertising at NCOI (2016).

(c) LIECHTERWAERK-Tanja Krebs

Matteo Pagamici

Musician, Film composer

Matteo Pagamici is a Swiss musician and film composer. In 2014 he received a nomination for the Golden Eye "Best International Film Music" at the Zurich Film Festival. He is also a Berlinale Talent Alumnus.

His most recent film work includes PLATZSPITZBABY (director: Pierre Monnard), the SRF/Netflix series NEUMATT (director: Pierre Monnard and Sabine Boss) and the French-Swiss series HORS SAISON (director: Pierre Monnard), as well as one of the official 2024 SuperBowl adverts.

Julian Parker

Researcher and developer of AI & signal processing algorithms

Dr Julian Parker, born in the UK, has worked on the frontiers of music technology for the past 15 years. He has held senior research positions at companies such as Native instruments, TikTok and Stability AI, focusing on the processing and generating of musical sound using both traditional signal processing techniques, machine learning and AI. The unifying theme of his work has been pushing the boundaries of what technology allows us to do in the musical space, whilst presenting such technology in a package that supports the workflow of musicians. 

Steven Price

Composer

Steven Price is an Academy Award winning film composer. His unique, story-driven approach to the craft of film scoring has seen him work on some of the most innovative productions of recent years. From Alfonso Cuaron’s GRAVITY to Edgar Wright’s BABY DRIVER and LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, Steven’s individualistic scores seek to enhance the ideas and images of great filmmakers in truly bespoke ways.

Price’s diverse music reflects the wide range of movie and television projects he has been involved with. Beginning his career in the late 1990s, Price contributed to productions such as THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and BATMAN BEGINS, before making his scoring debut in 2011 with Joe Cornish’s inner-city horror comedy ATTACK THE BLOCK. Recent years have seen him compose distinctive scores for Michael Grandage’s MY POLICEMAN, David Ayer’s SUICIDE SQUAD, and the Oscar nominated Netflix Animation OVER THE MOON.

From his incorporation of original WW2 tanks in the percussion of the Brad Pitt starring FURY to the wind instrument driven score created for Tom Harper’s THE AERONAUTS, the music created for each production seeks to give each story its unique voice, the result of an experimental and collaborative process.

©Rebecca Bowring

Nicolas Rabaeus

Composer

Nicolas was born in Geneva in 1984. He studied jazz music in Paris (IMEP) and classical music in Geneva (HEM). He's been working as a composer for more than fifteen years, specializing in music for the moving image.

Known for his versatility and his fast working pace, he has collaborated with many European and Swiss filmmakers, on over fifty projects: feature films, series, documentaries and shorts. His music has been celebrated in many festivals and nominated for numerous awards. 

He has taught "Ear Training” at the HEMU Lausanne, and teaches “Music for the moving image” at the HEM Genève.

Norman Wong

Łukasz L.U.C. Rostkowski

Composer, Music Producer.

His music for Sleepoholic was selected by Oscar winners Emmanuel Lubezki and Alejandro Inarritu for their special VR project Carne y Arena, which received a special Oscar at the 9th Annual Governors Awards. He is the author of many multimedia spectacles and has collaborated with renowned composers (Krzysztof Penderecki, Leszek Możdżer, Jan AP Kaczmarek) and animators, such as Oscar winners: Zbigniew Rybczyński and Tomasz Bagiński. Rostkowski is the author of the soundtrack for the latest film by the creators of Loving Vincent - DK and Hugh Welchman. "Chłopi" is the Polish candidate for the 2024 Oscars in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film, Best Animation, and Best Original Music.

He is the author of many albums and conceptual projects, frequently nominated for the Fryderyk Award. In 2010, he received the "Paszport Polityki" for the "Understanding Poland" project for an "innovative combination of fields and genres". In 2015, under the patronage of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, he founded the international orchestra Rebel Babel Film Orchestra, of which he became the leader. RBE collaborated with prestigious institutions such as the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in New York, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the United Nations Organization, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, and many others.

This charismatic creator is appreciated for the scope and daring of his productions, eclecticism, original performances, and unconventional musical solutions. In his compositions, he deliberately transcends numerous genres, creating on the border of nu-jazz, trip-hop, hip-hop, reggae, folk, electronic, and classical music. His greatest passion is combining music with images and words. He has composed and recorded with many outstanding instrumentalists and vocalists, including Katie Melua, Krzysztof Penderecki, Urszula Dudziak, Mum, Leszek Możdżer, Promoe, Rapsusklei, and collaborated with world-class DJ artists such as DJ Qbert and DJ Eprom, as well as prestigious orchestras and brass bands, including Grammy winners Hot 8 Brass Band. He has supported live performances of artists such as Tricky, The Prodigy, Talib Kweli, Coldcut, Massive Attack, and many other world-class artists.

Samira Sahli

Producer

Samira is a producer born and raised in Switzerland, with a degree in International Business Management. She began her film career by interning with the media team of the Basel Film Festival in 2020. The following year, she took on the roles of festival producer and artistic director for the 13th edition. Samira further expanded her experience with Innovative EYE and ZAS Film projects, contributing to a documentary for the Christoph Merian Foundation, managing logistics for a Swiss cinema release tour and setting up the distribution of an international documentary. She also gained valuable skills during an HR internship at the Kempinski Hotel in Berlin. At the age of 24, Samira produced her first feature film, September Babies, under HUB MEDIA AG. Since 2021, she has served as the CEO of HUB MEDIA, where she oversees financing and production for the company’s upcoming projects.

Eveline Stalder

Director of documentaries, and director and production assistant

Eveline Stalder was born in 1993 in the canton of Lucerne. During her studies of Empirical Cultural Studies and Film Studies at the University of Zurich and the Free University of Berlin, she specialized in visual anthropology and created several documentary short films during her studies.

2020 she graduated with her master film HANGE I DE LUFT. Since then she has been working in the film industry as a production assistant and 3rd assistant director.

She is also the project manager of Filmstaff, an initiative of the Swiss film industry with the aim of presenting the film industry as a professional field and enabling people to enter it.

Photo: Jozo Palkovits

Sara Schär

Music Supervisor, Music Consultant, Musician, Composer

Sara Schär was born in Zurich in 1964.

She works as music supervisor and music consultant.

Sara Schär is a musician and composer since 1978 and has been part of various bands and formations:

• Singer of the Zurich based band "TNT (Züri Brännt)" (1978 - 1982)
• Singer and bassist of "The Kick" (1985 - 1989)
• Singer of "Souldawn" (1986 - 1998)
• Singer and bassist of "ONETWOTHREE" (2018 - 2023)
• As well as in other formations (including bass, percussion and vocals with Graber)

Sarah Schiesser

Producer

Sarah comes from a background in political, social and media studies, which she merges with her interest in artistic and cinematic practices in her current positions. 

She moved her first steps in the audiovisual sector in France and at the Locarno Film Festival since 2015, where she also works as Deputy Head of the Open Doors program.

In 2022, she joined Amka Films Production (TI) as junior producer, following the development and production of fiction, documentary, animation feature and shorts mostly with upcoming directors - as well as serial content. Since 2024, she collaborates as producer with Lido Pictures (ZH): supporting director-driven films that values diverse, contemporary, politically relevant content that is emotionally and visually resonant to an international audience

Beda Senn

Music consultant at Swiss Television and producer and conceptual designer of production music for Tonangeber GmbH.

Music consultant at Swiss Television since 2006 and involved in over 600 documentary film projects.

Since 2018 conception & production for new library/production music under Tonangeber GmbH, he is expert in the implementation of new sounds for current and future topics:
What does today's modern urban environment sound like? (Sounds Of Urbanity). What does music have to sound regarding sustainability, the new food movements, healthy and sustainable nutrition and lifestyles? (Organic Food Sounds). How do you create a sound image that depicts the regions of the world in a new and timeless way? Without all the clichés and stereotypes, but with the by integrating the traditional sounds of the regions concerned. What are new alpine sounds? What is the new sound for stories in today's alpine region (including Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and the north of Italy and France). Creating sounds that make the colours ring. And much more.

Another important motto: Modern Modular Motif-based Production Music. The goal are minimal and modular structured mood tracks, which have unique and modern sounds as core element and thus on the one hand perfectly underscore fitting and not overloaded but on the other hand have strong motif expressiveness. For each track there are several variations, which may differ in instrumentation of the motif, tempo, time signature etc., but which play around the central element (the leitmotif) in some form. And all this under the aspect of making it as close, touching, high quality and timeless as possible for all kinds of audio-visual productions and suitable for stories in the here and now.

Although music is his life, he never learned to play an instrument well. He spent a few years as a drummer, but never really gained a foothold as a musician. Despite, or perhaps because of it, he has immersed himself (associatively), in what kind of images does music create, which images need which music. He finds the exploration of music exciting. And he has immersed himself in it.

He also sees himself as a diver for musical pearls in the playlists of Tonangeber. He curates and mixes them together.

© B Ealovega

Howard Shore

Composer, Orchestrator, Conductor, Music Producer

Three-time Oscar-winning Howard Shore is one of the most renowned composers of our time and a prodigious talent whose works have made film history. He has composed scores for more than 80 films, and his music is performed in concert halls worldwide by prestigious orchestras.

Shore's compositions for J.R.R. Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT earned him three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, as well as numerous critics' and festival awards.

Shore has worked with prominent directors such as David Cronenberg, Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, Peter Jackson, Penny Marshall, David Fincher, Stephen Frears, Jonathan Demme, Al Pacino and Sidney Lumet, composing scores for films like THE DEPARTED, HUGO, THE FLY, THE AVIATOR, ED WOOD, SE7EN, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, PHILADELPHIA, and GANGS OF NEW YORK.

His contributions to film music have been recognized with Academy, Grammy, and Golden Globe Awards, as well as numerous honors at film festivals and institutions worldwide, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the American Film Institute, the International Cinephile Society, and the Krakow Film Music Festival. He is also a recipient of Canada's Governor General's Performing Arts Award, is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has been honored with the Max Steiner Award by the city of Vienna.

In addition to his film compositions, the Canadian composer has made significant contributions to classical music. His works include the opera "The Fly", the piano concerto "Ruin and Memory" and the song cycle "A Palace Upon the Ruins." His concert pieces, including "The Lord of the Rings Symphony" and "The Lord of the Rings Live to Projection", have been performed over 500 times worldwide. He has given lectures and masterclasses at institutions around the world, including the Oxford Union, the Royal Conservatory, Yale, NYU, Juilliard, UCLA, the University of Toronto, the Berklee School of Music, the Berlinale, the Cinémathèque in Paris, and Trinity College Dublin, where he received the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage.

His latest works include film scores for PIECES OF A WOMAN and THE PALE BLUE EYE.

Andreas Suttner

Cellist, music manager, music consultant for TV, founder of music label Klangidee

Andreas Suttner has studied Violoncello and music tuition and has been awarded as a cellist at several well-known contests.
After completing his MA in Arts Management at City University of London he has turned his attention to music management.

From 2004 he is also working as a music consultant for the film department of Bavarian Television.

In 2007 Andreas Suttner founded the production music label KLANGIDEE and since then is focusing on his work as a composer and producer for filmmusic in TV, radio and web.

© Filmfest München / Kurt Krieger

Ursula Ulmi

Animation producer and director

Ursula Ulmi is a Swiss animation producer and director. After graduating 2008 in Animation with honors at the Lucerne University of Applied Science and Art, she has worked in the European Animation Industry for 15 years, as a production manager, animator and puppet modeler for features, TV- and web series.

Projects include stop motion features by Wes Anderson and Tim Burton, renowned BAFTA-winning Cartoon Network series THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL and YouTube series TALKING TOM AND FRIENDS.

In 2016 she founded her own production company in Switzerland where she creates short animation films as a producer and director with a profound heart for the art and craft of visual storytelling. Ursula Ulmi also regularly participates at various film festivals as a curator, project manager and programmer and as a lecturer at animation schools and universities with a passion for the promotion and support of young talent.

James Varghese

After completing his MA in Jazz studies at the Zurich school of fine arts (ZHdK) James toured in various bands and projects through Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, Israel, China, India and Japan. He also produced different artists of various genres anywhere between pop, jazz, experimental and electronic.

In 2018 he founded Quiet Love Records with an adjacent publishing edition and has released artists with international acclaim such as Rosa Anschütz, Robot Koch and Egopusher among others.

Since 2023 he is part of the music supervision team at the Swiss national radio and television corporation SRF, consulting and curating all things music for various formats on radio, TV and online.

Martin Villiger

Composer, focused on film music

Martin Villiger has composed the music for over 130 films and series. That’s about 450 series episodes and counting.

“I love to bring different people and art forms together and to dare new things.“, Martin says. In addition to songs he writes and produces with pop greats, he has always tried new areas of music. He has, for example, composed the music for a circus show, for installations, numerous commercials and corporate sound for companies. Martin Villiger is also interested in 3D audio like Dolby Atmos, spatial audio for VR (virtual reality) and games. The new feature film “Early Birds” where he co-composed music with the main composer Adrian Frutiger is premiering at this years Zurich Film Festival.

Martin Villiger is helping companies use music to connect to their audience. With Music for their brand and special live Events.

Villiger was born in Glasgow and grew up in Jerusalem, among other places. He feels at home all over the world and speaks six languages. His new concert series “Culture Clash” fits in with this. He is married to Catherine, and together they have four children.

Jelena Vujović

Writer, Director

Jelena Vujović is a writer & director based in Zurich. In 2020, she attained her Bachelor's degree in film from the Zurich University of the Arts. During her studies she spent an exchange semester at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2018. 

Her graduation film "Bićemo najbolji" (EN: We will be the greatest) was nominated for the Swiss Film Award in 2021 and has been screened and awarded internationally. In 2021, she was selected to participate in the Zurich Film Festival Academy. 

Since 2022 she has been a writer for the Swiss Television Series "Tschugger" and directed the second unit for the 3rd and upcoming 4th season of the series. 

Julien Wagner

Writer and Director

Julien Wagner is a Swiss-born writer, director, and former actor. After starting his career in the entertainment industry as an actor, with a notable guest appearance on a Swiss television show, Julien shifted his focus to writing and directing. His debut as a screenwriter came with the acclaimed short film "Weekend Tide," which premiered at the Bogo Shorts. Following this success, Julien continued his journey with the gripping short film "Quarantine," premiering at the La Shorts. In addition to his directorial work, Julien showcased his production skills as a coproducer of the feature film "Soul of a Beast," which premiered at Locarno in 2020, earning recognition for its powerful storytelling and artistic vision. Julien’s debut feature film, "September Babies," premiered at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and has since been sold and distributed around the globe. Driven by his passion for storytelling, Julien is actively involved in financing several projects and is gearing up to direct his second feature film.

Kathleen Wallfisch

Music Supervisor and former Cellist

Kathleen Wallfisch is a Music Supervisor and former cellist, graduating from The Royal Academy of Music in London. Based in Berlin and London, her company, Music In Vision, contracts musicians for on-camera work.

Recent work includes NAPOLEON / Apple Studios, GLADIATOR 2 / Paramount (both directed by Ridley Scott), and a German documentary, DIE ZEIT VERBRECHEN for X-Filme/Paramount Plus.

© Andreas Wegelin

Andreas Wegelin

CEO of SUISA

Andreas Wegelin studied musicology, art history and law at the University of Bern. He has held various positions at SUISA, the Cooperative Society of Authors and Publishers of Music, since 1987 - first as Assistant to the Director, then as Head of the New Media Department and from 1998 as a member of the Executive Board. He has been CEO of SUISA since 2010. He has also held various positions in foundations, the Swiss Music Council and international umbrella organisations as well as mandates in the field of development aid for collecting societies in Indonesia and Colombia.

Since 2017, he has also been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mint Digital Services, the joint venture between SUISA and the US company SESAC for licences in online music distribution.

Hugh Welchman

Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Producer

Hugh was awarded an Oscar for producing Peter and the Wolf, which premiered to a sold out Royal Albert Hall and has since had over 200 live orchestral screenings (the most of any film after the silent era).  He co-wrote and co-directed Loving Vincent with his wife DK Welchman. He and DK were nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. The film won Best Animation at the European Film Awards & Shanghai Film Festival as well as 20 Audience awards. It took $52m at the worldwide box office: it is the best performing Polish film of all time. Their latest film, The Peasants, had 1.9m admissions at the Polish Box Office, the biggest domestic hit for 4 years, and the 10^th biggest film from Europe in 2023. Hugh is currently adapting Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Martin Witz

Director

Born 1956 in Zurich. Studied German and European Literature. Co-founder of Videoladen Zurich. Has worked as a freelance filmmaker in Switzerland and Germany since 1988, initially as a writer and story consultant, then also as a director, mostly for documentaries in the fields of history, politics and art. Member of the Swiss Film Academy.

© Steffen Rauschert

Christoph Zirngibl

Composer

Christoph Zirngibl is a renowned German film music composer based in Munich, Germany. 

With a career spanning over two decades, Christoph has established himself as a versatile and accomplished composer, capable of mastering a wide range of musical genres. 

Recently, Christoph has composed the music for several high-profile projects, including the upcoming Apple TV+ series "Where's Wanda" (in collaboration with Ralf Wengenmayr), the animated feature "The Hero of Centopia" (produced by Flying Bark Productions, directed by Adam Gunn), and Netflix's "Skandal! Bringing down Wirecard" (produced by Passion Pictures, directed by Emmy-nominated James Erskine). 

Throughout his career, Christoph has been recognized with numerous awards and nominations. His accolades include the Hollywood Music in Media Award, the film music award of the New York Indie Film Festival, and the Price of the German Television Academy. He has also been nominated at the Music & Sound International Awards, Camille Awards / European Film Composer Awards, and the GEMA Musikautor*innenpreis. 

With a prolific output, Christoph has written more than 80 scores for prime time movies, TV series, and feature films across various genres. His extensive experience and diverse musical talents have made him a sought-after composer in the film industry.