Announcing Industry Professionals at 3rd GFE Conference

The top 10-12 filmmakers of over 50 submissions that will be participating in IEFTA’s 3rd Global Film Expression Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on December 7 – 8, 2019 will meet with top international professionals in the film industry, confirmed attendees are listed below.

DOROTHEE WENNER

Dorothee Wenner (1961) is a freelance filmmaker, writer and curator based in Berlin. Her work in the various fields focusses on various aspects of transcultural relations, esp. between Europe and African countries. As a curator, she has been working for the Berlin International Film Festival since 1990 as well as for many other international film festivals and organisations. In addition to a body of publications in newspapers and magazines, her books “Zorros blonde Schwester” and “Unser Ausland” were published in Germany and beyond. Her filmography includes these titles (selection) Hollywood Killed Me (1988), Unser Ausland, 2002, Star Biz (2005), Shanti Plus (2006) and Peace Mission (2008); DramaConsult (2012); Family Affairs/Living Archive (2012/13/19) The web series KINSHASA COLLECTION was launched in 2017 and expanded into the transmedia project KIZOBAZOBA in 2018/19. Currently she develops the webseries “TEFF CLUB” between Ethiopia and Germany.

JANE KIM

Jane Kim is the Industry Programming Producer at TIFF, where she produces TIFF’s creators’ programmes, including Filmmaker Lab, Writers’ Studio, CBC Diverse Screenwriter Award and Micki Moore Screenwriter Residency. She also curates year-round Industry events and forums, with an emphasis on audience, craft development and business capability.

For over 15 years, Jane has worked as a Festival Programmer, Media Producer and Educator. She is a catalyst for bringing together industry resources, pedagogical methods and presentation initiatives that result in meaningful opportunities for creators, industry professionals and audiences. Her approach incorporates media training, new partnerships between creative and business fields, and the presentation of thought-provoking public events that deliver substance with style.

MARCO ORSINI

Starting his career in Television, Marco produced 60+ hours of primetime programming for the US & South American markets before turning his focus to writing and directing. With his latest project, four of his acclaimed feature documentaries will have been released theatrically and internationally, as well as for TV/VOD.  Passionate about combining entertainment and engagement, education and advocacy, Marco founded and leads a innovative, highly-regarded film foundation (IEFTA, Monaco) that identifies, supports and mentors filmmakers from emerging economies, connecting them to a global industry that needs new stories and perspectives.

MIKE GABRAWY

Mike Gabrawy, Arclight Films’ Chief Creative Officer, got his start in the entertainment industry in the early 1990s working in various roles in feature film production.

Before coming to Arclight Films, Gabrawy was responsible for acquiring and developing the Sony PlayStation game RESIDENT EVIL via his production and development position at Constantin Films. The film went on to become Sony ScreenGems’ highest grossing film in 2002. It has gone on to become one of the most successful franchises of all time earning over a billion dollars worldwide. The franchise is now second only to SPIDERMAN for Sony. Gabrawy went on to work in a development and production capacity on the blockbusters Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Naked Gun 33 1/3, A Little Princess, Stargate, Waterworld and Independence Day.
Most recently Gabrawy produced of the award-winning docudrama HOTEL MUMBAI starring Armie Hammer and Dev Patel, which had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentation section, as well as the true-life survival thriller JUNGLE starring Daniel Radcliffe, and actioner Triple Threat starring Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen.
Gabrawy is currently developing several high-profile projects with award winning writers and directors.

PAUL FEDERBUSH

As the International Director of the Feature Film Program at Sundance Institute, Federbush pursues exciting emerging filmmakers to bring into one of Sundance artist development programs either in Utah, or in various regions around the world. The Lab programs he manages gives emerging filmmakers the unique opportunity to work intensively on their feature film screenplays with in-depth project guidance in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking. After the Lab programs, Federbush continues to guide the filmmakers through the life of their projects from the development of the screenplay, through pre-production and financing, production, editorial as well as festival, distribution and audience engagement strategies. During his tenure at Sundance, Federbush has supported over 180 filmmakers from around the world. For the past two years, Federbush’s role at Sundance has expanded to spearhead Sundance Institute’s international expansion to include all of Sundance’s various artist development programs to artists working in scripted narrative, documentary, episodic formats, emerging media (AR, VR, etc.), creative producing, and film music composition to regions throughout the Global South.

Born and raised in the New York City metropolitan area, Paul Federbush graduated with an MFA in filmmaking from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

ROSANNE KORENBERG

Rosanne Korenberg is currently a producer/executive producer of film and television, who specializes in true stories and projects with a social action agenda. Her next production is a documentary, to be directed by Oscar nominated Rory Kennedy, which looks at governments’ indifference to refugees today and to Jews in 1938- 1939.

She recently served as the Senior VP at Miramax, where she supervised Mr. Holmes, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Southside with You, Whitney and the award winning I, Tonya.

As an independent producer, she has a track record of discovering new talent and her film projects have premiered at Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and Toronto and gone on to win or be nominated for Oscars, Spirit and Gotham Awards, and the Humanitas Prize, among others.

Rosanne started her career as an entertainment lawyer.

TIGIST KEBEDE

Tigist Kebede is an experienced business manager and entrepreneur specializing in the media, entertainment and telecommunications sectors. Tigist is the Operations Director and driving force behind habeshaview, an International Film Distribution Agent and IPTV service provider focusing on the Ethiopian and Eritrean diaspora communities worldwide. She was responsible for the conception, development and implementation of habeshaview and has a deep and passionate desire to help diaspora communities to keep connected to their homelands. She is committed to highly ethical work practices and the promotion of Ethiopia and Eritrean culture and skills. habeshaview’s services include live tv programs, entertainment channels, films, drama and soaps, documentaries, sport and lifestyle programs.

Tigist has over 20 years of extensive charity and fundraising experience. In the United Kingdom where she is an advisor for the Citizens Advice Bureau in Berkshire, a trustee for Home-Start West Berkshire and a volunteer with Sue Ryder UK, a nationwide cancer charity. Tigist has raised significant funds for numerous charities, schools and orphanages in Ethiopia, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.