BREAKTHROUGH DRINKS

Mara Gourd-Mercado is an Argentinean-Canadian arts manager, specializing in film, television and digital media. She was Executive Director of the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) from 2015 to 2020 and Executive Director of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television – Quebec section from 2021 to 2023. Mara is now Head of Industry & Training at CPH:DOX.

Mads K. Mikkelsen is Head of Programme at CPH:DOX. He runs two public cinema clubs, teaches film history at the Danish Film School, and is a frequent contributor to local and international film magazines, as well as the author of a book about non-fiction cinema. In 2019, he received an award for his programming work from Festival de Cannes - Marché du film and Screen International.

Senior programmer IDFA (2000-2019), Guest Programmer Nordisk Panorama (2020), Programmer Mirage (2021-2023). Working for Eurimages, MDAG. Worked for many doc fests, Dutch Cultural Media Fund. Currently Documentary Consulting & Moderation for e u R O P E doconsultancy. Founder Doc Shelter 2025.

MA in Documentary Cinema and Cinematography from ESCAC (University of Barcelona). With a rich background in non-fiction storytelling, he has worked extensively as a director and cinematographer, as well as artistic director of Manlleu Film Festival (2018-2023). He joined DocsBarcelona in 2023.

Founder of OTOXO Productions. Director of award-winning feature doc 'Unbound' (DocsBarcelona, FIPADOC, Reframe Film Festival) Directing and producing for The Guardian, TV3, RakutenTV, BTV, El Pais. Developing emerging talent with Sheffield DocFest, CPH:DOX, FIPADOC, DocsBarcelona

Tomoko Okutsu started working for NHK in 1992 as a TV programme director. She is currently commissioning editor of NHK’s international co-production and acquisition slots on factual contents for its Terrestrial and Satellite channels.

I'ver worked with international co-pros and acquisitions within factual and documentaries for more than 15 years. I'm a journalist and look after feature docs and current affairs for SVT. I have a background in production.

Michelle McCree is an Executive In Charge of Production at CBC Docs. The team commissions broadcast hours, features and documentary series. Michelle oversees The Passionate Eye, which is home to an internationally-renowned playlist of documentaries from Canada and around the world.

Rasmus Steen is the Head of Documentary at IMS in Copenhagen, Denmark. He holds a master in Anthropology. For nearly two decades, Rasmus has been deeply engaged in documentary filmmaking across the world. Rasmus was a jury member at CPH:DOX 2025, Cannes Film Festival 2024 and at IDFA 2022.

Sarah is the Founder & CEO of Together Films, an impact and sales company serving the international film community.

Producer currently based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Since 2019, she is the co-production executive for short format and documentary at Film i Väst, the largest film fund in the Nordics. She also runs several talent schemes, aimed at emerging directors, producers and script writers.

Jane supports emerging documentary-makers to shape their stories through The Whickers. She is also a mentor and executive producer for feature documentaries. She was UK MD of Al Gore’s documentary channel Current and Executive Editor, BBC London before working for Discovery, Turner and UKTV.

Freja Sørensen is responsible for the international sales of Nordic documentaries to global streamers, covering North America, the Nordics, German speaking territories, Australia, and New Zealand. She has worked as a Senior Sales Executive at DR Sales for the past 7 years.

John Turner is the SVP & Head of Documentaries and Original Content at IMAX Entertainment where he develops a slate for the global theatrical and premium narrative space. An Oscar and Emmy-nominated Executive Producer, John previously served as a Development Executive to Netflix Original Docs team.

Francesco Giai Via is an Italian Industry Expert, programmer, and festival director. He is a member of the Venice Film Festival selection committee and a scout for the Venice Gap-Financing Market. He's head of studies at TorinoFilmLab, the international training institution and coproduction market.

Tracie Holder is a producer & U.S. film funding strategist who advises filmmakers on U.S. grant funding, all aspects of producing and how to successfully navigate the film industry. Holder is widely regarded as a “go-to” person for filmmakers seeking U.S. funding having raised more than $3 million.

Andreas Dalsgaard, director, producer and founder of Elk Film. Most recent directing or producing credits include Venice Days winner ‘The War Show’, ‘The Lost Leonardo’, ‘Hacking Hate’, ‘As the Tide Comes In’, ‘Daughter of Genghis’, ‘Eye for an Eye’, ‘Afghan Circus’ and ‘American Doctor’.

Tatiana Villacob is a film and TV producer with 18+ years’ experience. She has built an international career across Latin America and Europe and is now based in Salzburg as a Production Manager for Red Bull Studios, working on premium documentary films and series.

Krishan Arora was recently Int'l Content Consultant for Australian public channel SBS, and now produces and consults through his company Mixing Media, based in London & Copenhagen. He was previously at ARTE and commissioning editor at BBC in the areas of Science, History & Arts.