Matchmaking for Women

Mara Deuschle

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.

Milena Fessmann

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 400 films and series.

She is moderator of several national events and panels such as Reeperbahn-Festival 2014-22, c/o pop Cologne 2014-2022 and many more. Milena Fessmann teaches music supervising and copyright clearing at film schools such as DFFB Berlin 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. The first project was "The Potential of Noise- Conny Plank" by Stephan Plank and Reto Caduff. She is executive-producer of "When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit", directed by award winning director Caroline Link and her newest documentary Project is called "Jung kaputt spart Altersheime", directed by Reto Caduff about female punk and new wave in german speaking territory from 1979-89 which is currently in pre-production.

Gabriele Graf

Gabriele Graf studied pedagogy, graduating with a diploma. After graduating, she took the step into self-employment. For ten years, she produced an exclusive prêt-à-porter clothing line and set up franchise stores for the label. From this period comes the love for the production of artistic products.

The move into the television business followed in 1993. From 1996 to 2005 she headed the development department of Cologne-Gemini Film in Cologne (now merged into Warner TV), where she was also managing partner.

In 2006, Gabriele Graf changed again and has been working as a freelance producer ever since. Gabriele Graf develops and produces the films under the umbrella of selected production companies. Gabriele Graf produces series and television films.

Melissa Graj

Melissa Graj joined Warner Bros. ITVP Germany in 2017. She has worked for the successful ZDF crime series "Wilsberg" and "Friesland" since 2018. She is now the executive producer of the ZDF crime series "Friesland" and also develops new series concepts.

Kathrin Jahrreiss

After graduating as a conference interpreter in 1997, Kathrin Jahrreiss has been working as a freelance interpreter for Italian and English for 25 years, mainly for TV news channels such as Phoenix or n-tv. During this time she has also translated books and film subtitles for arte. In 2011 she started to enter the field of documentary filmmaking and attended various workshops (Ulrike Franke & Michael Loeken, Andrès Veiel, Monika Preischl and others) and industry events as well as an internship at Arne Birkenstock's company "fruitmarket".
In 2019, she was a student in the non-fiction masterclass at the international film school köln (ifs) to further develop a project started in 2016.
Since 2020, she has been working more actively on the realisation of this project, a feature-length documentary about her German-Jewish family, which she is currently editing.

Andrea Lässig

Andrea Lässig has studied music tuition and french horn in Munich, followed by music journalism at the National Academy for Music and Theater.
In 2012 she became part of the team of Music Supervisors at the public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk with focus on TV but also radio and net programmes.

Tessa Langhans

Born in 1989 in Gießen, Germany. Form 2009 to 2016 studies at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne with focus on documentary and feature film directing. 2012/2013 DAAD scholarship holder at the Facultad de Artes of the Universidad Nacional in Bogotá, Colombia. Co-founder of the production company “Leuchtfeuer Film“, scholarship company of the Mediengründerzentrum NRW 2018.

Since 2020 Junior Producer in the Fiction Department of Warner Bros. International Television Production Germany in Cologne for the ZDF series "Wilsberg".

Sophie Linnenbaum

After completing her studies in psychology and working as a playwright, Sophie Linnenbaum studied directing at the Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. In addition to her national and international award-winning short films, she makes series and documentaries. Her first feature film THE ORDINARIES had its international premiere in the main competition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, was awarded the Förderpreis Regie at the Munich Film Festival and won the First Steps Award for best full-length feature film.

Corinna C. Poeszus

Corinna C. Poeszus is a senior business executive with over 30 years experience in the music, digital media & film production, advertising and tv entertainment industries driven by the power of passion and an open mind to think outside the box. Corinna is a successful Leader and Manager with more than 18 years of experience in leading teams to their goals. Her experience is well rounded with an in-depth understanding of international media business management & operations, product branding, online marketing, social media, CRM, planning and controlling of marketing, monitoring, marketing & comms, monitoring of strategic marketing activities, B2B as well as B2C.
Her professional career took her from Polygram via Endemol Entertainment to Bertelsmann and Universal Publishing, Bavaria Media and many more.

Corinna C. Poeszus ist eine erfahrene Führungskraft mit über 30 Jahren Erfahrung in den Bereichen Musik, digitale Medien und Filmproduktion, Werbung und TV-Entertainment. Sie ist angetrieben von der Kraft der Leidenschaft und Offenheit, über den Tellerrand hinaus zu denken. Corinna ist erfolgreiche Managerin mit mehr als 18 Jahren Erfahrung, ihre Teams zu Zielen zu führen. Ihre Erfahrung zeichnet sich durch ein tiefgreifendes Verständnis der internationalen Medien, Business Management & Operations, Produkt-Branding, Online-Marketing, Social Media, CRM, Planung und Controlling von Marketing, Monitoring, Marketing & Kommunikation, Überwachung von strategischen Marketing-Aktivitäten - sowohl B2B als auch B2C.

Ihre beruflichen Stationen führten sie von Polygram über Endemol Entertainment zu Bertelsmann und Universal Publishing, Bavaria Media und viele weitere Stationen.

Silke Pützer

Silke Pützer, born in 1974, has been a producer at Network Movie since December 2003 and has responsibility for various projects. In addition to the ZDF television films "A Village Torn Apart", "Das Verhör in der Nacht", "Das Licht in einem dunklen Haus", "Tage des letzten Schnees“ and "Ein großer Aufbruch," she was also responsible for the series "Merz gegen Merz" and "Tilo Neumann und das Universum". She also supervised the productions "Soko Köln", "Lutter", "Helen Dorn", "Tod einer Polizistin", and "Der Verdacht". Born in Bad Honnef, she entered the film business at the age of 20. Her editorial work for "RTL Samstag Nacht" and "RTL Nachtshow" was followed by a six-year stint as a Junior Producer for a RTL subsidiary as well as further training as an IHK Fiction Producer at Filmhaus Köln (2001).

Nicole Schmeier

Nicole Schmeier born 1970 in Monheim.

1989 - 1991 Studied media science and did an internship in psychiatry in Marburg for several months.

1991 - 1998 Studied social pedagogy in Cologne.

1999 - 2009 Worked as a qualified pedagogue in a social psychiatric residential home in Cologne.

2009 - 2012 Studied Editing Image and Sound at the ifs internationale filmschule köln, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

2012 - 2013 Work as training coordinator in the subject Digital Film Arts / Editing Image and Sound at the ifs internationale filmschule köln.

since 2013 she works as freelance editor.

since 2019 has a position as a lecturer in the field of editing.

Filmography (selection)

2012: Wahrer Anfang 

2013: Mrs. Highlander – von einer die auszog 

2013: Dorf in der Heide 

2013:Like Bird 

2014: Entr'Art 

2014: Blaues Gras im grünen Wald

2014: Hier und Heute Dokumentation – Von Amts wegen 

2015: In der Schwebe  

2015: Terra X - Rom am Rhein (episode 3)

2015: The Art of Moving 

2015: Der Angler – Bohren und der Club of Gore

2015: Niemals geht man so ganz 

2017: Ich. Du. Inklusion – Wenn Anspruch auf Wirklichkeit trifft  

2017: plan b – Kleine Miete, tolle Wohnung 

2018: Kaputt und... zugenäht - Staffel 3 

2018: Salonika – A City with Amnesia 

2018: Der Mann der nicht da war

2018: Kaputt und... zugenäht - Staffel 4 

2019: Solange Sie noch Arme haben 

2019: Kaputt und... zugenäht - Staffel 5 

2020: Der Endlose Moment 

2020: Kaputt und... zugenäht - Staffel 5 

2021: Hella & Bernd 

2022: Total Thrash 

2022: 37 Grad Leben – Nächste Hilfe auf Gleis 1 

2022: Hinter guten Türen 

2023: The Return of the Projectionist 

2023: Der dritte Bruder (AT)

Su-Jin Song

Su-Jin Song is a writer, director and producer. She studied film at the ifs internationale filmschule köln with a focus on creative producing and received her master's degree in Game Development and Research at the Cologne Game Lab. Su-Jin Song first worked as a producer for international productions in Germany and South Korea, then founded autumn song production, a studio and collective of filmmakers and researchers with a special focus on spotlighting and original stories about post-migrant identities, co-productions between Europe and Asia. Autumn song production develops and produces award winning shorts, feature films and series and actively promotes diversity in film, in front of and behind the camera. In addition, Su-Jin Song is also working as an associate researcher and lecturer at the Cologne Game Lab/TH Köln. The main topics of her academic work in the field of media and game studies are migration, gender, identity and mental health.

Antonia Uhl

ANTONIA UHL was born in Bonn 1996 and brought up in Dusseldorf. After graduating from high school, she did a social voluntary year. For one year, she studied art history, but she quit for studying film directing at ifs international filmschool in 2017 which she completed in 2021. During her studies, she has completed many short films out of which some were written and produced by her as well.

Since her graduation she is working as a freelance director, producer and writer. She is currently developing several tv series as well as her debut feature.

Filmography

As director

2023 SAILBOAT, drama, 12‘ [in post production]

­2022 KANNST DU WOANDERS TRAURIG SEIN – CONNY, [real life action director], 4‘, music video

2022 KLINGELSCHILD – CONNY, 7‘, music video/short film

2021 AUSTER, 47‘, Drama / World premiere at 50. Sehsüchte international student film festival, 2021 / Competition of 3rd Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin, 2021 (Winner "best screenplay" - Nina Meyer, Antonia Uhl; "best performance" - Nicole Marischka) / Short film competition des Boston Women’s film festival, 2021 / Noble International Film Festival And Awards, Bengaluru, Indien, 2021 / White Unicorn International Film Festival,  Kolkata, Indien, 2021 (Winner "best film") / Boden International Film Festival, Boden, Schweden, 2021 / 5th edition of the best social/family/kids film festival on moviescreenpro, Los Angeles, USA, 2022 / Golden short film festival, Italy, („golden actress category winner“ for the 2021/2022 Fourth Quarter Competition)

2021 UNTIL I BELONG TO YOU – Ariane, 4‘, music video/short film

2021 ERSTES MAL LETZTES MAL – CONNY x Toksi, 5‘, music video/short film / 3rd Munich Music Video Awards – best female director

2019 IL BUSTO DELLA CORTE, grotesque, 7 ‘/ pre film at Filmschauplätze NRW, 2021 / Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 2021

2018 BLINDDATE, thriller, 4‘ / nomination at Sky Blaue Blume Award, 2018

As creative producer

2022/2023 MEIN DEUTSCHLAND. DAS TEILE ICH NICHT, director: Mimi Zak, documentary film, 30‘

2021 AVEC LES SANS PAPIERS, director: Mimi Zak, documentary film, 24‘

2018/2022 SEGELBOOT, also director, drama, 12‘

2018 BLINDDATE, also director, Thriller, 4‘

As writer

2021 AUSTER, with Nina Meyer, also director, 47‘, drama

2019 IL BUSTO DELLA CORTE, also director, grotesque, 7‘

2018 BLINDDATE, also director, thriller, 4‘

Awards

2022 best social/family/kids film festival on moviescreenpro, Los Angeles, USA – best feature: AUSTER

2021 White Unicorn International Film Festival, Kolkata, India – best film: AUSTER

2021 3rd Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin – best screenplay: AUSTER (mit Nina Meyer)

2021 3rd Munich Music Video Awards – best female director music video: ERSTES MAL LETZTES MAL – CONNY x Toksi

2018 Sky Blaue Blume Award, 2018, nominated for: BLINDDATE

Rosalie Vos

In 2021, after gaining 7 years of experience in composer management, Rosalie Vos started her own artist management company in Berlin, where she moved ten years earlier, fresh from earning a degree in Fine Arts.

Having worked in the arts industry for her early years in the city, Vos pivoted towards music and film when she was hired as production manager for Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Last and First Men in 2014. Initially a multimedia performance with a live score performed by the BBC Philharmonic at Manchester International Festival, Last and First Men later premiered as a feature length film narrated by Tilda Swinton at the 2020 Berlinale.

Vos joined Jóhannsson’s general management team at Redbird Music, where she also represented composers like Dustin O’Halloran, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka). There, she immersed herself in the vast world of scoring, from artistic theatre to high budget Hollywood productions, and also became a valued member of the Berlin Kreuzberg studio community, home to, among others, Jóhannsson, O’Halloran, Rutger Hoedemaekers and Hildur Gudnadottir. She also developed a broader interest in combination careers, paying close attention to how different disciplines can enhance one another, and continued to cultivate a passion for a colourful and eclectic spectrum of music and art.

Mareike Wegener

Mareike Wegener is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer who studied directing at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne and the New School in New. Her directorial debut, the feature-length documentary „Mark Lombardi – Death-defying Acts of Art and Conspiracy“ (2012) premiered theatrically in Germany and at the MoMA in New York. She also co-wrote Hannes Lang’s non-fiction films „PEAK“ (2011),  „I WANT TO SEE THE MANAGER“ (2014), and „RIAFN“ (2019). Her company PETROLIO is a filmmakers’ cooperative she runs alongside fellow filmmakers Hannes Lang and Carmen Losmann. Production credits include Losmann's „OECONOMIA“ (2020) which was invited to the 70th Berlinale. In 2021 Wegener’s short “X” premiered in Oberhausen and won the German Short Film Award in silver. Her first fictional feature "ECHO" was invited to the 72nd Berlinale in 2022.