SILVERDOCS International
Documentary Conference

Nancy Abraham is Vice President of Documentary Programming for Home Box Office. She is responsible for the development and production of HBO Documentary Films and Cinemax REEL LIFE programs that have garnered numerous awards over the years including Primetime Emmy Awards, News and Documentary Emmy Awards, George Foster Peabody Awards and the Academy Award. Prior to joining the documentary division in 1995, Abraham was director of film acquisition for HBO, acquiring feature films and other programs for HBO's international channels, and she spent three years in Budapest as director of programming for HBO Hungary. Prior to that, Abraham worked at Bravo Cable Network in both acquisition and production capacities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Vassar College and attended Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

Joe Amodei formed a partnership with respected independent filmmakers John Hart and Jeff Sharp to create Hart Sharp Video in January 2003. As president and co-owner, Amodei has created a full-service home-entertainment company that develops, acquires, markets and distributes film, documentary, special interest and sports DVDs. Hart Sharp Video has successfully built partnerships with E! Entertainment Television, Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports & Entertainment, NESN and other high-profile entertainment brands since its inception. Amodei began his career in the home entertainment industry over two decades ago. From 1986 to 1994, he worked at LIVE Entertainment, where he was instrumental in the marketing and distribution of such top-selling videos as the Academy Award-winning THE PIANO, BASIC INSTINCT and TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. He also ran USA Films home entertainment division -- the official distributor of home entertainment product for all four major professional sports leagues --from its inception. Under Amodei, USA HE brought to the home market USA's highest-grossing release, Steven Soderbergh's TRAFFIC (the winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Director). At Hart Sharp Video Amodei raised eyebrows throughout the industry with the video acquisition of Morgan SpurlockÕs hit documentary, SUPER SIZE ME. Future titles for HSV include GAME 6, starring Michael Keaton; WHEN DO WE EAT, starring Michael Lerner, Lesley Anne Warren and Jack Klugman; and PATRIOT ACT, a Jeffrey Ross home movie featuring Drew Carey.

Orlando Bagwell joined the Ford Foundation in February 2004 as the New Media Production Program Officer in the Media, Arts and Culture unit of the Knowledge, Creativity and Freedom Program. His long list of achievements includes four Emmy Awards and numerous Emmy nominations, three George Peabody Awards and the 1994 New York Film Festival Grand Prize, among many others. He was one of the lead producers/directors of Blackside, Inc., and its award-winning series, EYES ON THE PRIZE, and was executive vice president in charge of production for this pre-eminent film company from 1991-94. Since 1989 he has been president/filmmaker of Roja Productions, Inc. As executive producer/filmmaker at WGBH Educational Foundation during 1995-2000, he supervised all aspects of the multi-part historical documentary series AFRICANS IN AMERICA for PBS national broadcast and the attendant national educational and community outreach programs; he has produced and represented a number of documentary television series and single programs for national PBS distribution. Bagwell has also curated visual exhibits for the national Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in film and a master's degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University.

Gareth Benest is Project Manager for OneWorldTV- http://tv.oneworld.net -an open documentary platform where independent filmmakers, NGOs and community groups showcase films on issues of human rights, sustainable development and the environment. He joined OneWorld in 2004 having worked for various NGOs in both external and internal communications and as a writer for the UK's Community Channel. Gareth facilitated a series of participatory video projects at ActionAid India, documented events such as the World Social Forum and Abilymics and co-produced a short campaign video for temporary homeless shelters in Delhi. As a participatory video facilitator he's worked with street children, peace volunteers and youth groups; helping them to explore issues and advocate change through video. After graduating in fine arts from Sheffield Hallam University, where he specialized in video and installation art, Gareth worked as a cameraman onboard a Florida-based cruise liner.

Jean Bergey is the Director of HISTORY THROUGH DEAF EYES, a project developed by Gallaudet University to share the history of deaf people with a wide audience. Bergey provides leadership for exhibition creation and presentation, website development, and production of an educational poster series. Jean is responsible for all fund raising, research, script drafting, oversight of contracts, and creation of products. Currently Jean is the Gallaudet University liaison to WETA as the station produces the documentary film THROUGH DEAF EYES. Jean is also co-authoring a photo narrative book on deaf history to be published by Gallaudet University Press.

Luca Bentivoglio is the Executive Director of Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB). He oversees and greenlights the development, financing and production of Latino-themed programming which receives final airing on public television. In addition, he creates and implements outreach and international distribution strategies for Latino independent producers. Prior to being at the helm of LPB, Bentivoglio launched the new Warner Bros. Channel in Caracas, Venezuela. There, he directed the programming, marketing and distribution efforts that made WB the number one family channel in Latin America. Previously, Bentivoglio had been a television network and production executive as well as creator and host for numerous hit shows for over two decades at both the Univision and Telemundo Spanish-language networks.

Naomi S. Boak is Senior Executive Producer in the National Production Division at Twin Cities Public Television. Naomi was executive producer of the critically acclaimed and Primetime Emmy Award-winning THE FORGETTING: A PORTRAIT OF ALZHEIMER'S, which premiered on PBS in January 2004. Currently Boak is executive producer of the PBS primetime documentary special, LIFE IN THE FAT LANE and the new series, LIFE (PART 2), the show that makes you not hate growing old. She has written and produced Emmy Award-winning primetime children's specials for CBS and was executive producer for the daily comedy show SNAP JUDGMENT on Court TV. Boak also was in charge of television production and public television sponsorship worldwide for the IBM Corporation, was executive producer of the Lifetime Medical Television Network and senior vice president of production for Reeves Television. She received an AB in anthropology from Stanford University and did graduate work at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Sarah Botstein has worked with Ken Burns and Florentine Films for nearly a decade. She was an associate producer on JAZZ and is now producing the upcoming series, THE WAR. Prior to joining Florentine Films, Sarah worked for Serino Coyne Public Relations and Owen Comora Associates, where she represented sponsors of Public Television and helped promote several Florentine Films productions, including: THE WEST, THOMAS JEFFERSON, LEWIS & CLARK: THE JOURNEY OF THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY and FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.

Sarah is a graduate of Barnard College/Columbia University with a degree in American studies.

John S. Bracken is a Program Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He works on the foundation's media grant-making, which supports social-issue media projects and public media; its initiative on intellectual property and the public domain; and other areas of special interest to the foundation. Previously, he worked at the Ford Foundation as a program associate on its portfolios in news media and media policy and technology. He has also worked for the Center for Media Education, where he analyzed the potential social impact of new technologies and managed a series of media research projects for the Center for Bioethics at University of Pennsylvania. He has a master's degree from the Annenberg School for Communication at University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He blogs at www.bracken.wordpress.com and www.flickr.com/photos/bracken/

John Bredar produced his first film for National Geographic Television and Film in 1989. Most recently, he has served as Executive Producer and co-writer of National Geographic Channel's upcoming special THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS, premiering Sunday, April 9, 2006. In 2005 he received the Emmy Award for Best Director for the National Geographic special, FIELD OF HONOR, an unprecedented and poignant look at the inner workings and history of Arlington National Cemetery. He is also producer/director/writer of National Geographic's INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE (the highest-rated PBS program for the 1996-97 season) a rare look at the people and history behind the most famous house in the world. As part of the INSIDE SERIES, which he created, he also wrote, directed and produced, INSIDE THE VATICAN. Bredar began as a radio and print reporter and eventually moved into filmmaking. National Geographic Television has provided him the perfect platform for his often-quirky films. Through them, he won his first Emmy Award for COMBAT CAMERAMEN OF WORLD WAR II, the CableACE Award, two Columbus International Festival's Chris Awards, the Houston International Filmfest Gold Award, and most recently in 2006, the New York Film Festival's Gold Medal for the National Geographic Channel production, INSIDE THE SECRET SERVICE, which he executive produced and co-wrote. Originally from Colorado, he holds an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in radio/TV/film and US history. He has a master's degree in US diplomatic history from Johns Hopkins University's Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

Peter Broderick is president of Paradigm Consulting, which specializes in cutting-edge distribution techniques and provides strategic consulting services to filmmakers and media companies. Previously, Broderick was president of Next Wave Films, which helped launch the careers of filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan from the US and abroad. It financed digital features through its production arm, Agenda 2000.

Broderick played a key role in the growth of the ultra-low budget feature movement. A leading advocate of digital moviemaking, Broderick gave presentations on digital production at Cannes, Sundance, and Berlin. He has written articles for Scientific American, The New York Times, and The Economist. He is a graduate of Brown University, Cambridge University and Yale Law School.

Now focused on the revolution in independent distribution, Broderick has given keynotes on the subject internationally and published a seminal article, "Maximizing Distribution." As program co-director, he helped organize DigiMart, the first Global Digital Distribution Summit, which brought together leaders of the digital revolution from around the world.

In 2004, he launched http://www.filmstoseebeforeyouvote.org to harness the power of film to impact elections. Most recently, he executive produced SIR! NO SIR! -- a feature documentary about the GI movement against the war in Vietnam (Audience Award winner, Los Angeles Film Festival).

Nick Broomfield studied law at Cardiff and Political Science at Essex University; he then went on to study film at the UK's National Film School under Professor Colin Young. While at university, Broomfield made his first film, WHO CARES, about slum clearance in Liverpool. Together with Joan Churchill he has made several films, including JUVENILE LIAISON, TATTOOED TEARS, SOLDIER GIRLS, LILY TOMLIN and, more recently, AILEEN: LIFE AND DEATH OF A SERIAL KILLER.

Nick was originally influenced by the observational style of Fred Wiseman and by Robert Leacock and D.A. Pennebaker, before moving to the more idiosyncratic style for which he is better known. While making DRIVING ME CRAZY, Nick decided to place himself and the producer of the film in the story. This led to a more investigative and experimental type of filmmaking, as seen in THE LEADER,HIS DRIVER AND THE DRIVER'S WIFE; KURT AND COURTNEY; BIGGIE AND TUPAC; and his two films about Aileen Wuornos.

Nick is the recipient of the Sundance first prize, British Academy Award, Prix Italia, Peabody Award, Grierson Award, Hague Peace Prize and Amnesty International Doen Award, among others.

Steve Burns is Executive Vice President of Production for Discovery Networks US Production and is responsible for nearly 2,000 hours of production each year across 10 of Discovery's domestic networks, including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. In addition to his EVP duties, he fills the role of science editor for Discovery Networks, US.

Most recently, Burns was senior vice president and general manager of The Science Channel. The rapidly expanding channel is now in 40 million homes and has produced such highly acclaimed and award-winning films as HOT ROCKS and MID-WATER MYSTERIES, the latter awarded the best science film of 2004.

A 13-year Discovery veteran, Burns has served as senior vice president of production for Discovery Channel. During his tenure, the network's filmmakers and executive producers won 11 Primetime Emmys, 14 News & Documentary Emmys, an Alfred I. Dupont Award, two Peabody awards and dozens of other industry honors. In 1993, Burns won a News and Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Informational or Cultural Program for his work as senior producer on SPIRITS OF THE RAINFOREST.

While at Discovery, Burns was responsible for 15 of the top 25 documentaries ever to air on the Discovery Channel, including the highly rated specials WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, WALKING WITH CAVEMEN, RAISING THE MAMMOTH, LAND OF THE MAMMOTH, CLEOPATRA'S PALACE and BLUE PLANET. He was also instrumental in bringing the signature series UNSOLVED HISTORY and MONSTER GARAGE to Discovery Channel and played an integral part in establishing the DISCOVERY CHANNEL: QUEST series, which includes JAMES CAMERON'S EXPEDITION: BISMARCK and NEFERTITI RESURRECTED. In addition, Burns co-executive produced the two-hour BEHIND THE TERROR: UNDERSTANDING THE ENEMY special, which aired one week after the September 11, 2001, attacks. He is also credited with helping to develop the three-time Emmy-nominated series DISCOVER MAGAZINE, based on the respected science magazine published by Disney. Similarly, he developed television's first-ever primetime weekly science newscast, DISCOVERY NEWS.

Before joining Discovery, Burns spent nine years as a producer/cinematographer with National Geographic Television, after originally honing his production skills working for the ABC and NBC affiliates in Tucson and Phoenix.

Steve Cheskin is Senior Vice President of Programming for WE. Since joining the network full-time in March of 2005, original programming has increased dramatically leading to a 50% rise in ratings and producing four hit series BRIDEZILLAS, AMERICAN PRINCESS, SECRET LIVES OF WOMEN and JOHN EDWARD: CROSS COUNTRY.

Previously, Cheskin had spent 18 years at Discovery Communications. His last position there was as executive vice president and general manager of the Travel Channel. Cheskin oversaw the launch of a number of hit series including THE WORLD POKER TOUR, which started TV's poker craze. During his tenure, prime household delivery more than tripled.

Cheskin earlier served as vice president for programming of TLC. He contributed to the successful creation and scheduling of ADRENALINE RUSH HOUR, a prime time strip that included the network's highest-rated series, TRAUMA: LIFE IN THE ER.

Cheskin joined Discovery in March 1985. He rose quickly through the ranks including a stint as manager of affiliate marketing and planning, where he helped grow Discovery Channel's subscriber base. As director of programming he developed SHARK WEEK, Discovery Channel's celebrated and highly-rated annual programming event. In addition, Cheskin played a key role in developing hit series like WINGS which later developed into one of Discovery Communications' digital networks, Discovery Wings Channel.

A native of Buffalo, NY, Cheskin received an MA in radio-TV-film and a BS in marketing from the University of Maryland.

Piero A. Corsini, the Series Producer of LA STORIA SIAMO NOI for RAI Educational, was born in Rome. Corsini graduated in Film History and Criticism from the State University in Rome. He joined RAI in 1986; two years later, he became a producer for MIXER, producing, directing and appearing on camera in dozens of segments, on such different topics as Italian terrorism, US politics, domestic and international affairs, among many others. In 1994, he was the co-creator of the award-winning talk show MIXER GIOVANI, and later became the production supervisor (editorial and contractual) of the first 1500 episodes of UN POSTO AL SOLE. Under Giovanni Minoli's direction, he was also responsible for international co-productions and acquisitions of documentaries for Format and Raitre (with partners like Discovery, Turner Original Productions, Teleimages and Set Productions). In 2002, again with Minoli, he moved to RAI Educational, where he is currently the executive in charge of LA STORIA SIAMO NOI, also with editorial responsibilities.

Jeff Cree has more than 30 years experience in the film and television community, and he brings the unusual combination of a film production and electronics engineering background to his job as a Market Development Manager for HDVS Systems.. This multiple Emmy Award-winning video recordist/cameraman completed 17 years with the ABC Television Network, as a member of the engineering unit, prior to moving to Sony Electronics. Jeff worked primarily with the product marketing and management groups of Sony, with his primary focus being acquisition systems. Since joining Band Pro in January of 2004, Jeff has continued his activities as an instructor and consultant to the growing High Definition (HD) market.

In addition to his normal duties, Jeff's credits include acting as technical supervisor and camera operator for the CBS special TITANIC: TREASURES OF THE DEEP, for Columbia Pictures Television. The Alvin DSV Group from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution accessed Jeff's technical skills and operating ability for television specials produced for PBS and NHK. Jeff also acted as a consultant to the very successful BBC BLUE PLANET series and the syndicated HD production based on Jules Verne's travels. Additional credits include the HD production of the removal of the ship's bell from the Edmond Fitzgerald, the Emmy-winning ABC Special BLUE WHALES, the Jim Cameron feature film TITANIC, and the HD 3D projects GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS and ALIENS OF THE DEEP.

Jeff has spent much of his time as liaison to TV episodic productions and feature films, assisting them in the transition to HDVS production. Projects include productions by Robert Altman, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Rodriguez, Michael Mann and George Lucas.

In an attempt to remove the mysteries of the video camera, Jeff has used his foundation in film and video as a basis for teaching advanced video techniques and electronic cinematography at various educational facilities across the country. Teaching classes and seminars at AFI, USC Film School, Sundance Institute and the Santa Fe Workshops, as well speaking to both film and television industry groups, Jeff has dedicated much of the past 18 years to enlightening others about the High Definition system.

Geoffrey Daniels is the Senior Vice President of Development & Production for National Geographic Channels International. He has executive produced nearly 400 hours of factual programming across the network's core nature, science, adventure and world culture genres, directing breakout series such as SECONDS FROM DISASTER, MEGA STRUCTURES and AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION. In addition, Daniels manages NGCI's editorial relationship with strategic co-production and output partners in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America. And he is currently helping shape NGCI's launch of a High Definition channel and development of other specialty digital networks. Prior to joining NGCI in 2001, Daniels was director of development for National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F) where as part of the Program Enterprise Group, he developed and produced specials & series in support of the National Geographic Channel's roll-out worldwide and domestic US launch. Daniel began his career in New Product Development at Time-Life Video & Television where he played a key role in building TLV into one of the world's leading home video distributors through the acquisition and marketing of Sir David Attenborough's TRIALS OF LIFE, Ken Burns' THE CIVIL WAR and through the co-production with the BBC of the award-winning children's series GROWING-UP WILD. In 1996, Geoff directed Reader's Digest's entry into the global television market, heading up international co-productions and program catalog sales.

Rehad Desai completed a history degree at the University of Zimbabwe where he lived for three years. In 1996, Rehad entered the TV and film community as a producer, where he has focused much of his energy on historical and socio-political productions. In 1997 he completed his master's degree in social history at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 2000, he completed a postgraduate degree in TV and film producing through AVEA. Rehad is presently the South African board member for SACOD, a regional filmmakers organization, and convenes the United Producers Initiative in South Africa.

Kelly DeVine has been a member of the acquisitions team for the Independent Film Channel (IFC) for the past 7 years. Her duties included tracking, screening, and acquiring content (shorts and features, narrative and documentary) as well as supporting IFC Productions, IFC Originals and IFC Films, known for titles such as TOUCHING THE VOID, METALLICA, SOME KIND OF A MONSTER and DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE. She scouted GO TIGERS! for IFC Film and licensed NO MAPS FOR THESE TERRITORIES -- chosen by Netflix as a featured title to showcase their commitment to being the source for quality documentaries. She licensed films for popular IFC strands such as DVD Theatre, IFC Discoveries, and IFC Shorts, including the International Documentary Association's award-winning short doc, HUMAN REMAINS. Kelly also negotiated the copyright purchase for Lou Pepe and Keith Fulton's critically-acclaimed documentary LOST IN LAMANCHA at the rough-cut stage. She also negotiated the copyright purchase of the acclaimed documentary BROTHER'S KEEPER, among others. She was instrumental in negotiating deals with ThinkFilm, First Run Features and the distributors of documentaries such as BORN INTO BROTHELS and THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSENGER, to launch VOOM's HD Cinema 10 Documentary service in 2005.

Kelly has served on numerous panels and juries for film conferences and festivals. Upon leaving IFC, Kelly continues to consult in the areas of acquisitions, research and production, as well as working with various network clients. She is also overseeing the development of a slate of documentaries.

Robyn De Shields is a marketing and event management consultant. In 1996 she founded De Shields Associates, a firm specializing in marketing public broadcasting programs and series, special event management and strategic marketing. Since its founding, De Shields Associates has provided customized strategic marketing, media relations and television marketing and event management services to a diverse client list including: KCET; The Tavis Smiley Group; HTN Productions; Echo Pictures; Hortus, Ltd.; Dunbar Productions; Time-Life Kids; Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theatre; Cerebellum Corporation; Issues TV, Ltd.; New River Media; Beacon Productions; The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company; The Kydd Group; Culinary Arts Television; FRONTLINE; Globalvision, Inc.; Public Radio International; Blackside, Inc.; The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB); and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

During her three-decade career, De Shields has provided marketing representation for more than 200 radio and television productions. Her professional background includes serving as director of broadcast marketing and promotion for the Independent Television Service; director of communications for American Public Radio (now PRI); associate director of station relations and national scheduling for WGBH; national marketing coordinator for WGBH Radio; director of communications for Massachusetts Association for Mental Health; public relations manager for WAMU-FM and executive assistant to the executive director of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington.

De Shields recently served as co-chair of the Emmy Committee and chair of the Silver Circle/Golden Circle Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). Previously, she has served on the boards of Educators for Social Responsibility and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington and has served on the Education Committee of The Washington Council of Governments. Her professional associations include membership in The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The International Special Events Society (ISES), Women in Film and Video and past membership in The National Association of Black Journalists.

Douglas Donaldson, prior to joining TEAM, co-founded a boutique new media company called Small Screen Strategies, which worked with clients to facilitate the delivery and sale of rich content in the emerging wireless and broadband markets. Doug was also the president of Donaldson Media Management, a media and rights management firm based in Princeton, New Jersey. Over the past two years, Doug has successfully executed a number of media initiatives using emerging technologies such as live webcasting, text messaging, etc. Doug has held senior positions at Cerebellum Corporation, New River Media and Films for the Humanities and Sciences. As an executive producer, Doug launched the award-winning series STANDARD DEVIANTS TV (named the top show for kids by THE TODAY SHOW and the editors of TV Guide) and was instrumental in negotiating a two-year broadcast agreement with PBS. He has developed numerous television specials for PBS (OMNIBUS: TELEVISION'S GOLDEN AGE; YOGI BERRA: DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN) and successfully run two unique special-interest consumer video divisions, representing such titles as Bill Moyers' AMAZING GRACE; THE TWO FAT LADIES; GARGOYLES: GUARDIANS OF THE GATE; and CROMWELL VIDEO LIBRARY. Aside from his client work, Doug is on the Advisory Panel for The Business for Diplomatic Action and the Plainsboro Educational Television Commission. He is a graduate of Brown University.

Rob Draper has been a cinematographer since 1974, starting in Wagga Wagga, Australia in TV news, then moving to documentary and some commercial production. His documentary and later commercial experience is extensive and involves working in more than 40 countries (primarily USA, Europe, Australia and South East Asia) on hundreds of projects.

His commercials number in the hundreds, for clients including Air France, General Motors, Ford, San Miguel Beer, Reynolds Tobacco, Nabisco, Johnson & Johnson and NYC Tourist Promotion.

Rob has been a constant innovator in his field while working in the US film and television community. He photographed and was instrumental in developing a visual style for MCA's hit series THE STREET in 1989. It would become the forerunner for such shows as NYPD BLUE, revolutionizing the way television is shot and laying the foundations for what is now referred to as reality television.

Often the preferred Director of Photography for LA-based Parallax Productions in the late 1980s and 1990s, Rob worked with them in popularizing and pioneering the style of hybrid movie/music videos. Rob shot the first music video using a movie star in a dramatic role and he also shot the first conceptual fashion/music video hybrid for Coca-Cola.

He has done development work for Fuji on their F-Series motion picture films and for Sony, testing their early Betacams and DigiBeta Systems. He has also been a long-time supporter of Arriflex Cameras and has been instrumental in both the advancement and development of several Arriflex products.

Rob has embraced new media on its introduction, in particular High Definition. He has consulted on the development of the Fujinon and Zeiss electronic cinematography lenses, worked with Sony on testing and evaluation of the 700- and 900-series HD cameras. He has also given seminars and keynote talks on Lighting for High Definition at workshops and trade shows for Avid, Sony and Arriflex. He was recently a guest of the governor of Florida, speaking about and demonstrating high definition acquisition at the Miami International Film Festival.

In 2004, Rob photographed the first feature film to be shot entirely in High Definition in Australia and in 2005 he started his own HD production company, Visionmill, providing everything from TV programming to feature films.

Whether creating a new visual style for David Letterman and NBC on the hit TV series ED or creating stunning visuals for Dolly Parton's BLUE VALLEY SONGBIRD, Mel Gibson's THE THREE STOOGES, Bob Zemeckis and Richard Donner's TALES FROM THE CRYPT and the globally-acclaimed Miramax feature film THE SPITFIRE GRILL; whether pioneering the use of video systems on Universal's THE STREET, or developing innovative use of new technology on Arri's 35mm camera, Rob continually pushes the boundaries and takes his cinematography into unexplored and innovative territory.

Leo Eaton is a British-born independent filmmaker who's been writing, producing, directing and executive producing TV documentary series and specials for US and international broadcasters for more than two decades. He currently heads Eaton Creative, Inc, a Maryland-based international production company. As long-time executive producer with British historian Michael Wood, Eaton's recent work includes IN SEARCH OF SHAKESPEARE, IN SEARCH OF MYTHS & HEROES and the upcoming STORY OF INDIA for PBS & the BBC. Other recent work as producer/director includes the 13-part reality series COWBOY 101 for OLN (the Outdoor Life Network) and the dance special TANGO, THE SPIRIT OF ARGENTINA for PBS. Past work includes IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT IRELAND for PBS & RTE (Ireland), IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT and CONQUISTADORS (also with Michael Wood) and MARIACHI, THE SPIRIT OF MEXICO with Plácido Domingo. Eaton recently executive produced two seasons (26 hours) of the Kratt Brothers' BE THE CREATURE series for the National Geographic Channel. Previously he created (also with the Kratt Brothers) and executive produced PBS's Emmy award-winning childrens' series ZOBOOMAFOO and KRATTS' CREATURES, as well as directing many of the programs. A frequent producer/director for A&E's INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS over the past decade, Eaton's specials and limited series include MISSION POSSIBLE - THE SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS; WOMEN WARRIORS - THE MAKING OF A MARINE; DANGEROUS SKIES; and DANGEROUS SEAS. Between 1989 and 1994 he was Senior VP of National/International Production at Maryland Public Television. Eaton's 2002 book IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT IRELAND was published as a companion to his TV series of the same name. Eaton has taught film production & scriptwriting at the University of Texas (Austin) and lectures on TV production and international co-production at conferences and workshops around the US.

Don Edkins is a documentary film director and producer. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1953 and left South Africa in 1976 for political reasons. In 1994 he returned to South Africa to vote in the first democratic elections. With an academic background in development studies and African languages, he has extensive work experience in the field of media and development. In Lesotho he published a national popular educational magazine and founded a mobile video cinema that distributes and screens films at a community level. He has directed and produced a number of documentary films, most recently the highly lauded STEPS FOR THE FUTURE (2001/4), a collection of 38 films from Southern Africa about life in the time of HIV/AIDS. STEPS FOR THE FUTURE, the first project of the STEPS group of commissioning editors and producers, was broadcast around the world and screened at 150 film festivals. With 18 different local language versions, the series continues to be part of a major outreach program in the Southern African region using documentary film to reduce discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS. Currently Edkins is the executive producer for the STEPS global documentary project on democracy.

Heidi Ewing is the co-owner of the New York-based production company Loki Films, which has explored subjects such as the inner workings of Scientology, ritualistic body piercing in Sri Lanka and the labyrinthine criminal justice system in the Bronx. Previously, she delved into the dramatic world of Cuban politics with DISSIDENT, a clandestinely-made film about the struggle of Havana-based Nobel Peace Prize nominee Oswaldo Paya, which has been shown around the world. She recently co-directed THE BOYS OF BARAKA, a critically-acclaimed documentary feature currently playing in cities across the United States.

Seth Feldman is an author, broadcaster, film programmer and full professor at York University in Toronto. A founder and past president of the Film Studies Association of Canada, he has published widely on Canadian cinema, documentary film and media, including his most recent book, Allan King: Filmmaker (University of Indiana Press, 2002). In addition to his numerous publications he is an author and broadcaster of 25 radio documentary series for the CBC program, IDEAS. His arts and media commentary appears regularly on other Canadian broadcast outlets and in the popular press. Professor Feldman is currently director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. He is a former Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts. In recognition of his teaching and administrative work, holds the honorific title of University Professor, one of twenty such positions at York. Finally, he would like to acknowledge the AFI for awarding him one of the first of its graduate scholarships in 1972. That support was essential for the completion of his dissertation and subsequent work on the Soviet documentary filmmaker Dziga Vertov.

Sally Jo Fifer is president and CEO of Independent Television Service (ITVS), the leading provider of independently produced programs for PBS. Since 1991, ITVS has funded and presented more than 600 shows for public television-shows that explore complex issues, represent diverse communities, and express points-of-view seldom seen on television. Sally oversees ITVS's core operations that include funding, production management, distribution, promotion and outreach services. She is also executive producer of INDEPENDENT LENS, a 26-week national series for PBS. Prior to taking the helm at ITVS, she spent nine years as the executive director of Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC). She is the co-editor with Doug Hall of Illuminating Video, a widely-used textbook on video art. She has received fellowships for executive training from Stanford and Harvard Business Schools, her BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MA from Stanford University.

Mark Fichandler is Court TV's Vice President of Documentary Development and International Co-Production. Fichandler heads prime time development for Court TV's feature documentaries and specials, working with a wide range of producers and production companies from the initial pitch through the green light. In addition, he oversees the international sales and acquisitions department and represents Court TV at various domestic and international conferences and film festivals.

Prior to joining Court TV in 2000, Fichandler was the president of Toylsome Studio, an independent production company specializing in developing and producing original documentary programming. He has also held positions as executive producer of TV and home video at Reader's Digest Association and head of acquisitions at National Geographic Television.

Paola Freccero is the founder and president of Fast Forward, a consulting firm dedicated to new business development and strategic planning for the entertainment industry. Launched in 2005, Fast Forward works with such clients as Sundance Channel, Court TV, Universal Music and Video Distribution, National Video Resources and Parris Brothers Holdings Group, among others. Previously, Freccero was Sundance Channel's senior vice president for film programming. In that role, she supervised the acquisition, programming and scheduling of Sundance Channel's film line-up which included independent American and international features, non-fiction series, documentaries and shorts. During her tenure, Freccero launched both Sundance Channel Home Entertainment and the Sundance Film Series.

Prior to joining Sundance Channel, Freccero was artistic director of the Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival. Before joining the festival, Freccero spent five years working as a publicist in independent film and television.

Erica Ginsberg is co-founder of Washington, DC-based Docs in Progress, an organization focused on giving independent documentary filmmakers feedback on their works-in-progress through public critique sessions, small peer-pitching workshops between filmmakers, and private consultations. Public workshops are held every other month at the George Washington University in collaboration with The Documentary Center.

Ginsberg grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and is especially proud to be returning to the resurrected Silver Theater where she saw movies as a child. She is an independent documentary filmmaker who wrote and produced CRUCIBLE OF WAR (2004), about how ordinary people have rebuilt their lives after the wars in the Balkans. She is currently at work on AVENUE OF ASPIRATIONS about the history and development of Sixteenth Street in Washington, DC.

Ginsberg serves on the board and is co-vice president for programming for Women in Film and Video DC and is also very active in The D-Word, which is sponsoring a special sidebar networking event for its members during SILVERDOCS this year. In addition to her film work, Ginsberg organizes international exchange programs for the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Julie Goldman has over 15 years of experience as a producer specializing in financing documentary films. Goldman is a founding partner of Cactus Three, a New York-based company that executive produces high-end documentary films and non-fiction programming. Since establishing Cactus in 2003, Goldman has executive produced an award-winning slate of films, working with a line-up of talented and acclaimed filmmakers. Cactus' feature documentaries have screened at the most prestigious film festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca and London.

Goldman recently executive produced several films that will be released in 2006, including: WHAT REMAINS (HBO/BBC), ONCE IN A LIFETIME (Miramax/ESPN/ Pathe/BBC), Sidney Pollack's SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY (Sony Pictures Classics/PBS), THREE OF HEARTS (THINKFilm/NBC-Bravo) and LOUDQUIETLOUD: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES.

Other recent productions include the acclaimed HBO series FAMILY BONDS, Don Letts' PUNK: ATTITUDE (IFC/Fremantle/3DD ) and Lewis Lapham's THE AMERICAN RULING CLASS (BBC/Sundance Channel). Previous productions include John Landis' SLASHER (IFC), HONKY TONK BLUES: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HANK WILLIAMS (PBS/BBC) and EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS (Trio/BBC/TF1), based on Peter Biskind's best-selling book.

Goldman is currently working in production with ALEXIS (A&E/Channel Four), CAT DANCERS (HBO), HOMELAND (ITVS) and the BBC co-productions DMITRIY SALITA and OFFICE TIGERS.

Rachel Grady the co-director of THE BOYS OF BARAKA, is a private investigator turned filmmaker. She has produced and directed numerous non-fiction films for The Discovery Channel, A&E and Britain's Channel 4. She has directed several films that focus on mental illness, including MAD JUSTICE, a verité documentary about the troubling fate of mentally-ill parolees, and WARD 2 WEST, shot on location at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Hospital on New York's famed Ward's Island. She also acted as series producer for TX, an eight-part series for VH1 filmed entirely in a drug rehab center. She is the co-founder of Loki Films.

Elli Hakami is the Director of Program Development for the Discovery Channel. Prior to joining Discovery, Elli worked for Court TV's program development team. During this time, she brought several series to the network, including TEXAS SWAT; BEACH PATROL: SAN DIEGO; and PARCO, PI. Elli also developed numerous documentary specials, including A DANGEROUS GAME, which contributed to the highest-rated evening in the network's history. In addition, she helped launch Court TV's feature documentary initiative and acquired several critically acclaimed specials for this strand. Prior to joining Court TV, Elli worked in HBO's original documentary programming department, on a wide variety of non-fiction programs, including G-STRING DIVAS and Academy Award-winning documentary KING GIMP. Along with her network experience, Elli has worked for several post-production facilities and as an editor on TLC's TRAUMA: REAL LIFE IN THE ER. Elli holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a master's degree from Tufts University.

Mark Halperin has been the Political Director of ABC News since October of 1997. Halperin is responsible for the planning and editorial content of all political news on the network. In this role, he works with correspondents and producers for all ABC News programs, including WORLD NEWS TONIGHT, THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, NIGHTLINE, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, 20/20 and news specials. He also regularly appears as a correspondent and political analyst on ABC News television and radio programs.

Halperin received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1987 and joined ABC News in January 1988. He has specialized in national political coverage, working through four presidential and four mid-term elections.

He is the founder and editor of The Note, which appears daily on ABCnews.com. The Washington Post has written that The Note has "a core audience of fanatics who swear by its political analysis." US News & World Report has called it "a major player in national politics" and The Wall Street Journal said, "The writing is always spicy, sometimes hilarious."

Joan Harrison is Vice President for Development at Discovery's Travel Channel, best known for its much-imitated hit, WORLD POKER TOUR. Reporting to General Manager Pat Younge, she has an impressive roster of new series and specials currently rolling out on the Travel Channel. Her projects offer immersive travel experiences and an irreverent sophistication previously not seen on the channel, and she has brought in highly-regarded producers and signature talent - Jeremy Piven, Joan Cusack, and Drew Carey included - to host new series. Prior to joining Discovery, Joan was a literary agent for the venerable Broder, Webb Agency, where she had a distinguished client list of writers and directors working in series and long-form television. A member of The Writers Guild, Joan herself has written and sold two romantic comedies. Before joining Broder, Joan spent eight years at CBS where, as Vice President of Miniseries, she oversaw the development, production and marketing of the network's miniseries. Under her watch, CBS doubled its number of miniseries, leading to successive sweeps wins and Emmy nominations. Reporting to CBS President Leslie Moonves, she supervised the selection, production and marketing of 20 miniseries, helping to catapult the network from third to first place. Moonves created the position for Joan after her four years as director of movie development (more than 50 high rated docudramas). Joan began her career at the dynamic syndication company, Telepictures, developing alternative programming in the courtroom, talk and game-show genres. She joined Telepictures handpicked out of the University of Pennsylvania, where she created and directed Bloomers -- still the Ivy League's only female sketch comedy troupe.

Chris Haws has been an active participant in the international documentary production community for over three decades. During that time he has written, directed and produced a host of award-winning documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Discovery, PBS, ABC - and many other broadcasters around the world. He founded and ran the internationally successful production company, InCA. He chaired the European Commissions Documentary project for seven years. He has represented the interests of documentarians on numerous industry bodies, such as IPPA, PACT, IDFA, the IDA and NATPE. He has taught a range of documentary production skills, from scriptwriting to co-production development at the National Film School, the European Film Academy, Ludwigsburg University, the Sorbonne and the Banff Executive Training Centre. Currently, he consults to the EU and United Nations, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, World Bank Group, PBS stations across the country and many other broadcast, production and distribution companies. Recently he was appointed adjunct professor at the American University School of Communications in Washington, DC, where he teaches international media studies.

Diana Holtzberg is Director of Acquisitions, Project Development and US Sales for Films Transit International, a leading worldwide documentary film sales company founded in 1982. Their roster includes KZ; SMILING IN A WAR ZONE; WHEN I CAME HOME; A LION IN THE HOUSE; THE GIANT BUDDHAS; THE CORPORATION; METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER; SHAPE OF THE MOON; WAR PHOTOGRAPHER; MY FLESH AND BLOOD; and SOUTHERN COMFORT. In 2005, Diana negotiated several US theatrical releases, including SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL, ANOTHER ROAD HOME, SEARCHING FOR THE WRONG EYED JESUS, and LA SIERRA. Her 2006 US theatrical releases include THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN, STATE OF FEAR, YANG BAN XI, and AMERICAN HARDCORE, to be released in fall 2006. Diana deals with each film individually to come up with the best strategies. She executive produces, often with Jan Rofekamp, a select number of films the company represents, including recent examples: END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES; IMAGINARY WITNESS: HOLLYWOOD; AND THE HOLOCAUST (for AMC); LOVING & CHEATING (for HBO/Cinemax); and STILL DOING IT: THE INTIMATE LIVES OF WOMEN OVER 65. She also served as creative consultant on PUCKER UP: THE FINE ART OF WHISTLING.

Dirk Hoogstra is Director of Development for The Learning Channel. In this position, Hoogstra is charged with the development of original programming for daytime and primetime series and specials for TLC and Discovery Home. Hoogstra began his career with Discovery Communications Inc. in 1995. Over a seven-year period he worked in production and development at TLC, Discovery Primetime and Discovery Networks International. He was integral to the success of numerous high-profile productions including the Emmy Award-winning RAISING THE MAMMOTH, which was the second-highest rated cable documentary of all time, with more than 26 million viewers. In 2002, Hoogstra left Discovery to head up development for Brainbox Productions, an independent production company. While there, he developed and executive produced specials and series for Discovery Networks, HGTV, History Channel, Style and Court TV. In 2004 he returned to Discovery Channel as a development producer, overseeing development and editorial on various primetime series and specials.

Debra May Hughes is president and CEO of Public Interactive, LLC. She joined New Market, the company that preceded Public Interactive, in 1996, first as its vice president and executive producer. She was brought on to help develop broadcast program Web sites including sites for Car Talk, Michael Feldman's Whad'ya Know?, The Savvy Traveler , and others. After forming Public Interactive, Hughes was instrumental in defining and overseeing the development of a growing product suite built for public broadcasting stations.

Hughes has been involved in technology since the early 90s. Prior to her tenure with Public Interactive, she was an early Internet pioneer and product manager with Delphi Internet Services and NewsCorp/MCI Internet Ventures where she worked on developing a Web-based tool suite that bundled online access with best-of-breed applications and unique content delivered to consumers. Before News Corp., she worked for IRI software, helping to develop and market a business-to-business software product to analyze consumer patterns and product placement.

Hughes earned her master's degree in professional and technical writing from Northeastern University.

Ian Inaba is a director, writer and producer who possesses a wide range of experience in media creation, technology production, marketing and business development. He brings this wealth of experience to all of his productions, from music videos and documentary films to investigative reports and next-generation technology projects. Over the past four years, Ian has transformed from a strategic advisor and creative consultant to a director and producer of highly controversial and informative media projects. In 2004, his highly controversial, pre-election music video for Eminem's Mosh incited throngs of young people to head to the polls and was recently nominated for MTV's Breakthrough Music Video Award (watch the video at: http://gnn.tv/videos/27/). Earlier that year, Inaba became a published author with the debut of True Lies, co-written with his partners at the Guerrilla News Network. Ian has served as the CEO of Switch Technologies, a technology and media development group in Berkeley, CA.

Jacquie Jones, Executive Director of the National Black Programming Consortium, is spearheading the 27-year-old media arts organization's transition into the dynamic new media environment by establishing innovative partnerships and products designed to help black content producers access next-generation media models and delivery systems. Jacquie is an award-winning director, writer and producer of documentary films. She won a Peabody for her work as a producer/director on the groundbreaking PBS series, AFRICANS IN AMERICA, and was more recently senior producer of the four-part series, MATTERS OF RACE. In addition to her filmmaking, she is also a widely published critic of black popular culture and was formerly the editor of the internationally respected journal, Black Film Review. Jacquie holds a BA in English from Howard University and an MA in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University.

Christoph Jörg is a Senior Commissioning Executive in the Arte France Specialist Factual department handling history, science, religion and sport ideas. He is in charge of international development and international co-production. Previously, Jörg worked in the Thematic Evening Department of Arte France and ZDF/ Arte, supervising more than 200 thematic evenings on various topics, a series of factual entertainment programs, and specials. He was previously working as a journalist for German newspapers and as a news reporter for ZDF. He won numerous awards for the films he commissioned and works currently as a consultant, teacher and professional support for various international media programs. He is a board member of Steps International, a non-profit organization that opens up new ways of commissioning and making films around the world. Steps International was established in 2004 as an extension of the work of Steps For the Future and is currently developing a ten-part series on democracy.

Valentine H. Kass serves as Program Director for science media in the Informal Science Education (ISE) program, Education and Human Resource (EHR) Directorate at the National Science Foundation. The ISE program is responsible for providing support for innovative projects that reach large numbers of people through the media, science museums and other non-classroom settings. Valentine manages the media portfolio including video, television and large format film. She is also currently co-chair of the NSF International Polar Year '07 Working Group. Prior to joining NSF, Valentine served as president of Valentine Associates Inc., an independent consulting firm specializing in the large format film industry and related media. Her previous positions included director of Omnimax production and programs and executive producer at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; director of the Navy Pier IMAX Theater, Chicago; founding director, American Children's Television Festival, Central Educational Network; producer/director at KQED-TV, (PBS) San Francisco.

Karen Kenton is responsible for developing WETA-produced and co-produced television projects for distribution to national public television. Her work encompasses the genres of historical documentary, travel, public interest and cultural programming. Kenton serves as project manager on WETA's co-productions with acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns, including THE WEST; LEWIS & CLARK: THE JOURNEY OF THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY; NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE: THE STORY OF ELIZABETH CADY STANTON & SUSAN B. ANTHONY; JAZZ; MARK TWAIN; UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS: THE RISE AND FALL OF JACK JOHNSON; and the upcoming series, THE WAR. She serves as project director for WETA's adventure travel series, GLOBE TREKKER and works on WETA's high-definition art specials, including MARY CASSATT: A BRUSH WITH INDEPENDENCE, JOHN SINGER SARGENT: OUTSIDE THE FRAME and VAN GOGH'S VAN GOGHS, and is executive producer of the recent CÉZANNE IN PROVENCE, a collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Kenton has worked in program production for 20 years. Prior to joining WETA in 1996, she was a freelance film and video producer, concentrating on educational and public awareness projects for national clients.

Mary Kerr is a seasoned film programmer who began her career with the Sundance Institute in Park City, Utah. She worked with the Sundance Film Festival, the Filmmakers Lab, the Playwrights Lab and the Producers Conference. She left Sundance in 1999 to pursue a career in writing and has worked as a writer in television, radio and new media. She continued to consult for Sundance through 2001 until she returned full-time to the film festival world as senior programmer for the Los Angeles Film Festival. In 2003, Kerr was hired by the SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival to be the Director of Programming for the inaugural festival. She worked with SILVERDOCS for their first three years and helped it become one of the world's premiere documentary festivals. She currently lives in New York City and works as the artistic director of DocuClub, a non-profit membership organization dedicated to assisting documentary filmmakers throughout their filmmaking journey.

John Koch has been a strong advocate for the rights of non-fiction filmmakers during his five-year tenure at the Writers Guild. Championing such initiatives as the Documentary Screenplay Award and Non-fiction Writers Caucus, Koch recently designed a low-budget agreement exclusively for documentary filmmakers, allowing them to receive a host of benefits including medical coverage and residuals. In addition, Koch has produced numerous industry events, panels and seminars, including the recent "101 Greatest Screenplays" tribute hosted by Harry Shearer. A contributing editor for Written By magazine, Koch is a board member of the International Documentary Association. He has an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ingrid Kopp began her career in television as an editorial assistant in the documentaries department at Channel 4 Television in the UK. While there she worked across both original commissions and documentary acquisitions and ran a series of workshops for young filmmakers. She moved to New York in 2004 to work as an Associate Producer for a number of independent production companies and is currently heading the US office of Shooting People, an online networking resource for independent filmmakers that originated in the UK.

Joe Krushinsky is Vice President for Development at Maryland Public Television. At MPT, Joe guides the planning and execution of strategic fundraising and relationship-building programs in major and planned gifts, corporate and foundation support, on-air fundraising, direct mail and telemarketing. His career includes not only management and development efforts at public radio and television stations in the region, but also the creation of strategic direction and policy for public broadcasting nationwide. Prior to joining Maryland Public Television, Joe served as director of the Television Future Fund at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

A native of Pennsylvania, Joe received BA degrees in broadcast journalism and telecommunications from Pennsylvania State University, and began his career as station manager for the university's radio station (WPSU-FM). Following this, he instituted efforts to strengthen donor support and development at public television stations WITF in Harrisburg, WETA in Washington, and New Jersey Public Broadcasting.

Carey Kyler has been with Discovery Communications for the past two years. As the head of programming for the Travel Channel, she leverages her past experience and education to bring a consumer-based approach to her job. She spent her first year at Discovery conducting a "deep dive" of the Travel Channel, understanding what drives the interest in Travel and travel television, to help craft a strategic direction for the network. With an MBA (emphasis in marketing and advertising), a background in media buying and over 15 years of strategic research and planning for Procter & Gamble and Pulte Home Corp., Carey brings a range of diverse experience to her role at Travel.

Susan Lacy is responsible for the production and national broadcast of more than 140 documentary films about our country's artistic and cultural giants. She is the producer of the widely-acclaimed Martin Scorsese-directed production AMERICAN MASTERS-NO DIRECTION HOME: BOB DYLAN. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary season on PBS, AMERICAN MASTERS has received 16 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Primetime Non-Fiction Series in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004, seven Peabodys, an Oscar and two Grammys.

In addition to her producing role, Lacy is an award-winning filmmaker. Her 2004 JUDY GARLAND: BY MYSELF earned her an Emmy for writing and an Emmy nomination for directing. She wrote, directed and produced JONI MITCHELL: WOMAN OF HEART AND MIND (IDA nomination for Outstanding Documentary) and LEONARD BERNSTEIN: REACHING FOR THE NOTE (Emmy award and DGA nomination). She produced the Peabody award-winning PAUL SIMON: BORN AT THE RIGHT TIME, directed and produced ROD SERLING: SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL, and directed and produced LENA HORNE: IN HER OWN VOICE -- all for AMERICAN MASTERS.

Susan was recently one of the select 2005 honorees at the Museum of Television & Radio's "She Made It" event. She serves on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is a trustee of the Independent Documentary Association; she is also a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and New York Women in Film & Television.

Jennifer Lawson is general manager of WHUT-TV, Washington, DC. In 2001, she co-produced AFRICA, an acclaimed eight-hour television series. From 1989 to 1995, she served as PBS's first chief programming executive. Her work led to the most-watched weeks in PBS history, including such notable broadcasts as Ken Burns' THE CIVIL WAR and the new children's programs, BARNEY and WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? Her career in media production as a writer and producer led to an appointment at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting where she became head of its TV Program Fund, dispensing over $43 million in grants annually.

In 1990, Entertainment Weekly recognized her as one of "the 101 Most Influential People in Entertainment," and in 1994, The Hollywood Reporter named her as one of the "Power 50," or 50 most influential women in entertainment. She is currently co-producing a one-hour documentary, SECURITY VERSUS LIBERTY: THE OTHER WAR, in association with ABC News Productions.

Thomas Lennon is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University and director of a PBS series on the US Supreme Court. Lennon worked for almost a decade at ABC NEWS CLOSEUP. In 2003, Lennon completed the film BECOMING AMERICAN, with Bill Moyers, tracing Chinese immigration from the early 19th century to the present day. "This is a model documentary that gets almost everything right," wrote the New York Times. The series won a Christopher and four Emmy nominations. His film THE BATTLE OVER CITIZEN KANE, an Academy Award-nominee, was later adapted as an HBO dramatic film, RKO 281, and BATTLE OF THE BULGE went on to win the Peabody and Dupont-Columbia awards in 1995. Lennon's THE IRISH IN AMERICA: LONG JOURNEY HOME series earned four Emmy nominations and its companion CD won the Grammy for best folk album of the year. Lennon's co-written films include SEVEN DAYS IN BENSONHURST, JEFFERSON'S BLOOD, THE CHOICE and TABLOID TRUTH. His work in documentary film has won the field's most coveted honors: a Dupont-Columbia award, two George Foster Peabody and Writers Guild awards, two Emmys (12 nominations) and a nomination for an Academy Award.

He is currently collaborating with filmmaker Ruby Yang in creating a series of Chinese-language public service announcements and documentary films about AIDS on Chinese television.

Joanne Levine joined Al Jazeera International in February as Executive Producer of Programming for the Americas. Prior to that, she worked for nine years at ABC NEWS, first as a producer of special projects for WORLD NEWS TONIGHT and, the last few years, as a producer for NIGHTLINE. Levine has been awarded two Emmys for her work in Iraq and a Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award for a documentary in 1997 about rape as a weapon of war.

She has covered every major conflict over the last 15 years, starting her career as a print reporter in Moscow in June 1991. Over the last five years, she has focused on the Middle East, living and working extensively in the region.

Kenneth Levis, (Producer/Director) has been making documentaries for over thirty years. During that time his work has covered a wide range of subjects, from the arts and world history, to public affairs and current events. It has been broadcast on PBS, ABC, CBS, the Discovery Channel, and released theatrically. Most recently, he produced and directed ADDICTED TO OIL: THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN REPORTING, which is premiering at the Silverdocs Festival on June 16th. It is the fourth documentary he has made with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist. Mr. Levis' work has been honored with seven national Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, and three DuPont-Columbia Awards, among others.

Cara Liebenson, is a Senior Program Associate in primetime programming at PBS. With over ten years in public television, Cara evaluates program submissions for consideration for broadcast on the national primetime schedule. She works closely with producers to provide assessment, production support and creative supervision of projects. In addition, Cara served as a juror at the 17th Annual Black Maria Film and Video Festival (1998.)

Kathryn Lo, is Associate Director of Program Development and Independent Film for PBS. Lo manages the daily operations of PBS' West Coast offices in Los Angeles and interfaces with regional PBS member stations as well as the creative community of documentary filmmakers and producers as they navigate public television submission and broadcast standards policies. She is responsible for program evaluation, development and acquisitions. Working alongside the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Lo curates the PBS series INDEPENDENT LENS, the weekly Emmy Award-winning anthology showcase for independent film. She also co-produced two seasons of REALIDADES, a short documentary series for Los Angeles PBS member station KCET, which aired nationally on PBS as part of Gregory Nava's acclaimed television drama AMERICAN FAMILY. Lo's previous experience includes working as the program director for KPFK-FM public radio in Los Angeles and journalist for several print and radio outlets.

Julie Lofton, a filmmaker and TV producer, won a Genesis Award for her documentary film BEST FRIEND FORGOTTEN, hosted by David Duchovny and produced by her own company. Shortly after receiving the award, she began developing Animal Content in Entertainment (ACE) with the Hollywood office of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Her previous professional experience includes writing, producing and directing for comedy, drama and reality shows at NBC, Buena Vista and USA Networks. Her films have also shown as part of the official selection of the Chicago Film Festival.

Kenneth M. Mandel is the co-founder of the Great Projects Film Company, a documentary production company based in New York. At Great Projects, Ken produced the Emmy-nominated THE TRIAL OF ADOLF EICHMANN; the PBS special and Academy Award-nominated AN ESSAY ON MATISSE; and GEORGE MARSHALL AND THE AMERICAN CENTURY, an Emmy Award-winning documentary described by General Colin Powell as "a stunningly beautiful story about a great American." Mandel is currently producing the second part of the AMERICA REBUILDS TRILOGY -- FOUNDATIONS OF FREEDOM, the story of the reconstruction at Ground Zero. It is scheduled for broadcast on PBS in September 2006, the fifth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, along with a program about the trial of Saddam Hussein. Among his programs recently completed are AMERICA REBUILDS: A YEAR AT GROUND ZERO, GREAT PROJECTS: THE BUILDING OF AMERICA and RESISTANCE: UNTOLD STORIES OF JEWISH PARTISANS.

Ken graduated from Rutgers College with degrees in both industrial engineering and liberal arts. Currently, he serves on the board of trustees of the Friends of the Edison National Historic Site; on the board of directors for Ensemble Studio Theater (New York); as founder and director of the West Orange Film Society; and as advisor to Fairleigh Dickinson University's electronic filmmaking program.

Glenn Marcus is a Washington, DC-based independent producer and adjunct professor of communications. He received his degree in history at Johns Hopkins, studying under Stephen Ambrose, and taught at Rikers Island Prison and other schools before becoming a Program Officer in public programs and media at the National Endowment for the Humanities for 13 years, then an associate director in the PBS National Program Service for 12 years. Since leaving PBS in 2001, Glenn has taught graduate seminars at Johns Hopkins, and lectured at schools ranging from the University of Pennsylvania to the University of California at Santa Cruz, and presented at the Film and History Studies Conference. He has co-produced and written two national prime time PBS specials along with his director/co-producer/co-writer partner Robert Uth of New Voyage Communications - THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL: A TESTAMENT TO FREEDOM premiered in 2004, and THE MARCH OF THE BONUS ARMY in 2006. He coaches youth basketball and tutors in his spare time.

Steven Markovitz is a festival organizer and film producer. He is the co-founder of ENCOUNTERS: SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL, now in its eighth year. ENCOUNTERS has been integrally involved in developing new talent in South Africa. They have commissioned 24 documentaries through their laboratory process, founded the Southern African Co-Production Forum, established a distribution label and are launching similar festivals in Southern African capitals. Steven has executive produced and produced over 40 documentaries including PROJECT 10 (Sundance, Berlin, Hot Docs and Tribeca) and the multi-award-winning documentaries IT'S MY LIFE and BEYOND FREEDOM (Berlin). Steven has produced dramatic films including PROTEUS (Berlin and Toronto), HUSK, (Cannes Short Film Competition) and INJA (Oscar nominee).

Conference@SILVERDOCS.com