Names in the News Archive 2011
01.11.2011
Joachim Malling
Managing Director of G.E.C. Gad's Fund Joachim Malling is the new chairman of the board of the Danish Film Institute. The chairman of DFI's board is appointed by the Danish Minister of Culture. Joachim Malling Succeeds Bo Damgaard, who is now the director of Film Fyn.
01.11.2011
Noemi Ferrer Schwenk
Since 1 September, Noemi Ferrer Schwenk is filling in the newly created position as International Producer at the Danish Film Institute. She will be coordinating DFI's work with co-production (minor and major) and will be a key figure in DFI's overall international activities.
Noemi Ferrer Schwenk is a political science graduate and has a Masters in Scandinavian Studies. She has many years' experience in international production and distribution, most recently as international co-production manager at Zentropa. Before that, she worked for Eurimages, as head of Production Investment at the Irish Film Board and as acquisitions manager for the German distributor Prokino Filmverleih.
01.11.2011
Giorgio Gosetti
Giorgio Gosetti has been appointed director of the New Visions programme at Reykjavík International Film Festival. The former director of Venice Days will be responsible for New Visions, the main festival competition section and will act as a general programme advisor for the other sections.
Gosetti replaces RIFF's founding artistic director Dimitri Eipides, who has taken on the directorship of Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
01.11.2011
Thomas Breinholt
As of 1 January 2012, Thomas Breinholt is the new commissioning editor of documentaries at DR Medier. He will ao have the editorial responsibilities for documentaries on DR1 and for documentary and reportage series on DR1 and DR2. He has previously been the editor of Fakta at TV 2 Denmark, head of development at TV 2 and at production company BLU. Breinholt takes over from Anders Riis Hansen, who has gone back to the life of documentary film making.
01.11.2011
Arne Notkin
Arne Notkin has left the position as head of DR2 to be a journalist on Danish radio channel P1.
His successor is yet to be announced.
01.11.2011
Charlotte Cook
Hot Docs has named Charlotte Cook as new director of programming. She joins Hot Docs from the Frontline Club in London, where she was the head of film programming for the past two years. Prior to that, she was a BBC Storyville executive and programmer at Edinburgh Film Festival. She replaces Sean Farnel, who was the director of programming at Hot Docs for the past 6 years.
01.11.2011
Kate Townsend
Kate Townsend has been appointed as the new executive producer for BBC Four's international documentary strand Storyville. She will be responsible for developing and delivering commissions for Storyville, both from the UK and from producers throughout the world.
Kate Townsend will assume her new role on 4 January 2012 and she replaces Greg Sanderson, who has been appointed executive producer for the Review Show at BBC.
23.06.2011
Irina Krohn Continues at Finnish Film Foundation
The Board of the Finnish Film Foundation, FFF, has decided to prolong the contract of the current manager of FFF, Irina Krohn, for another five-year period.
49 year-old Irina Krohn, former politician and representative of the Green League, joined the Finnish Film Foundation in December 2005 and during her management, domestic films have reached a high popularity with a 27% market share (according to Nordisk Film & TV Fond). The positive track record of Irina Krohn lead to her re-election out of a total of 12 candidatures to the position.
23.06.2011
Bo Damgaard New Director of FilmFyn
Bo Damgaard has been appointed managing director of the Danish regional film fund FilmFyn. FilmFyn is part of the EU project North Sea Screen Partners and is a film fund as well as a regional film commission.
Damgaard replaces Lars Hermansen who is the new head of the Copenhagen Film Festivals in charge of the three major Danish festivals CPH:DOX, CPH:PIX and the childrens' festival BUSTER.
Bo Damgaard was Head of Programmes at TV 2 Denmark from 1997-2007 and has since had his own media consultancy company on Funen. He has also served as chairman of the board of the Danish Film Institute.
Damgaard will take on his new position on 1 July.
23.06.2011
Pil Gundelach Brandstrup Programme Director at TV2 Norway
36 year-old Pil Gundelach Brandstrup from Denmark has been appointed Director of Programmes at TV2 Norway. Starting 1 September, Gundelach will move to Oslo where she will be part of the Editorial Board of TV2 and also be responsible for in-house productions.
Gundelach comes from a position as Director of Programmes at TV3 in Denmark where she was also Commissioning Editor.
23.06.2011
Helle Hansen New Documentary Film Consultant af DFI
Journalist and documentary filmmaker Helle Hansen has been appointed new short- and documentary film consultant at the Danish Film Institute.
Hansen has since 2004 been collaborating with Danish journalist Niels Olaf Jersild at DR 2 on his debate programmes.
Hansen has also directed the documentary BZ (2006) about the Danish squatter movement and is currently editing the documentary Ordet fanger.
Helle Hansen replaces Jesper Jack, and she will start on 1 September.
23.06.2011
Anita Svingen New Managing Director Norwegian Short Film Festival
Anita Svingen will be the new managing director of the Norwegian Short Film Festival in Grimstad. She takes over from Torunn Nyen who has been manager of the festival since 1994. Nyen continues as as artistic director of the festival.
Anita Svingen has a wide background in film and TV with a Bachelor degree in Film- and TV from University of Westminster, London, and production experience. Since 2009 she has been working as project manager for New Media at Equus Informasjon and Media AS. I 2006 she was connected to the Norwegian Short Film Festival as project coordinator before she took on the position as director of programmes at The Voice TV.
23.06.2011
Casten Almqvist CEO of TV4 Group
49 year-old Casten Almqvist will take over from Jan Scherman as CEO for Sweden's TV4 Group owned by the Bonnier Group. The Bonnier Group is a privately held Swedish media group operating 40 TV channels, pay TV and premium digital services in Sweden.
Almquist is currently CEO for Dagens industry, Bonnier Business Press and Bonnier Digital and will take on his new posistion as of 1 January, 2012.
26.05.2011
Mikael Fellenius New CEO of GIFF
48-year-old Mikael Fellenius has been appointed CEO of the Gothenburg International Film Festival, GIFF.
Fellenius comes from a post as CEO of the Gothenburg Wind Orchestra, where he has worked since 2007. Fellenius was Finance Manager at the Göteborg Opera and he has a background as a percussionist with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Fellenius combines experience in cultural life with an education in finance, brand management and marketing. He has an MBA from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, a Masters Degree in Music from the University of Cincinnati, USA, and a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Music at the University of Gothenburg.
Mikael Fellenius will take on the position as CEO at the end of the summer.
26.05.2011
Carsten Holst Gulstad Director of Filmby Aarhus
43-year-old Carsten Holst Gulstad becomes the new General Manager of Filmby Aarhus succeeding Søren Poulsen who held the position since 2003.
Holst Gulstad comes from a position as CEO of Globus Aps, a company that works with production and development of short films and feature films.
Holst Gulstad is a well-known face within the Danish film industry where he has worked as director and producer at Thura Film, been a personal assistant to Lars von Trier, and has been Senior Producer at Zentropa Real.
Carsten Holst Gulstad takes on his position as of 1 August 2011 and his contract runs until 31 July 2016.
28.04.2011
Birdie Bjerregaard to the Danish Television Festival
Birdie Bjerregaard will be Chairman of the Board of the Programme Committee of the Danish Television Festival. The Committee plans the around 30 sessions at the annual non-profit Danish Television Festival. The TV Festival is organised by the Danish Producer's Association in collaboration with all of the main television networks in Denmark.
Birdie Bjerregaard comes from a position as Senior Commissioning Editor at DR1. She takes over from Lars Feilberg from Nordisk Film TV who headed the Programme Committee in 2009 and 2010.
This year's TV Festival will focus on reality and factual entertainment as well as new perspectives in the future of television.28.04.2011
Lars Herman CEO of Copenhagen Film Festivals
Lars Herman, previously Managing Director of FilmFyn, will be the new CEO of Copenhagen Film Festivals as of 1 July.
Copenhagen Film Festivals include the feature film festival CPH:PIX, Buster - Film Festival for Children and Youth and the Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX.
From 2007 Lars Herman was Managing Director of FilmFyn. He has a background as producer, head of development at the Danish Film Institute, managing director of Nordisk Film Post Production and head of co-production for Nordisk Film.
01.04.2011
New Head of SFI
The board of the Swedish Film Institute has appointed Anna Serner as the new CEO.
Anna Serner has a degree in law and is currently Managing Director of the Swedish Media Publishers' Association (Tidningsutgivarna). Prior to this she ran her own marketing communications consultancy business and has also been CEO of the Advertising Association of Sweden (Reklamförbundet). In addition, she has studied film and filmmaking at the Stockholm School of Film. Over the past 20 years she has given lectures and spoken widely on law, advertising, creativity and management.
The 46 year-old Serner will take up her new position on 1 October. She replaces Cissi Elwin Frenkel, who stepped down last December.01.04.2011
New Head of Archive and Cinemateque at DFI
Lene Halvor Petersen, 46, will be the new Head of Archive and Cinemateque. She comes form a position as editor of new media at Danish public broadcaster DR. Her focus has been on strategy, coordination, idea development and large sections of DR's website and she will bring digital know-how to the Danish Film Institute.
Lene Halvor Petersen will succeed Dan Nissen no later than 1 June.
25.02.2011
New Director General at DR
Maria Rørbye Rønn, 47, is the new Director General of Danish public broadcaster DR. She is replacing Kenneth Plummer who resigned from the position in 2010. Maria Rørbye Rønn will be the first female director holding this key position.
Rørbye Rønn has been with DR since 1995. She headed the DR Legal Policy and Strategy Department and has been DR’s representative at the EBU’s Legal and Public Affairs Committee for several years.25.02.2011
Kim Foss Knighted
Managing director of Camera Film and Grandteatret in Copenhagen, Denmark, was named Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government for his efforts in promoting French cinema in Denmark. Foss is the organiser of Franske Film Mandage (French Film Mondays), two annual film seasons of French cinema at Grandteatret.25.02.2011
Two new board members at SFI
The Swedish government has appointed two new members of the board of the Swedish Film Institute.
The two new members are representatives from the film industry and with their appointment, the board is now complete.
The two new members are:
Anna Croneman, producer at Bob Film and former vice chairman of the Producers’ Association.
Per Strömbäck, spokesperson for the game industry, has been working as game developer and publisher.25.02.2011
Changes at DFI
On 1 March, documentary film commissioner Klara Grunning-Harris begins her maternity leave. Head of Development, shorts and documentaries, Malene Flindt Petersen will be her substitute.
Former film commissioner at the Danish Film Institute Dola Bonfils will serve as a substitute for Jesper Jack, who was recently dismissed as documentary film consultant at DFI. She will take over his duties from 1 March until a new commissioner has been found.27.01.2011
Director of GIFF Stops
After 17 years as director of Gothenburg International Film Festival, GIFF, Åsa Bernlo stops to take on at new position at the Gothenburg Media Days, that she will be heading and developing.
GIFF is Europe’s 5th largest film festival with more than 200 visitors each year. The festival has grown in size and importance to the city and the region in recent year. In addition to the festival programmes, the festival also offers a market for Nordic feature films and manages a film fund to support filmmakers that live and work in developing countries in collaboration with SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency).
27.01.2011
Lotte Lindegaard New Head of DR1
Lotte Lindegaard will be the new Head of DR1 succeding Ulla Pors Nielsen who has taken on a position as Head of Event- and Development on TV2.
Since 2007 Lotte Lindegaard has been producer and part of the Board of Directors at STV Production, a company that has produced a number of TV-programmes for DR.
Lindegaard has a background as Cand. Comm. from Roskilde University and a Bachelor in TV-production from Washington State University.
Lindegaard worked in DR from 1990-2004 as Development Consultant and project manager for the Board of Directors. From 2000-2004, Lindegaard was Head of Programmes for Children and Youth at DR until she moved to TV2 to take on a similar position from 2004-2007.
27.01.2011
Claus Hjorth New Director of the Media Council for Children and Young People
Claus Hjorth has taken up the position as director of the Danish Media Council for Children and Young People on 1 January 2011.
The primary task of the Media Council is to classify films and DVDs for children under the age of 15. Moreover, the Council is obliged to inform about children’s use of films, computer games and digital media in the form of the Internet and mobile devices.
Claus Hjorth comes from a position as consultant at the Danish Film Institute where he has worked at Executive level with focus on analyses and strategy prior to the Film Agreement 2011-2014. Hjorth takes up the position after Susanne Boe.
27.01.2011
Mia Lindrup to NFI Promotion Department
Mia Lindrup has joined the Norwegian Film Institute's Promotion and International Relations Department. Lindrup will be responsible for the handling of applications for international promotion support of Norwegian feature films, documentaries, short films, animation films, TV series and games, as well as coordinating NFI’s international initiatives within the institute. She will also continue to work with the regional film centres.
Since 1996 Lindrup has been working for the Norwegian Film Institute as film adviser for young people and later as director of the Audience Department. And since 2009, she has been responsible for co-ordinating the work of the Institute related to regional film centres and national programmes for young talents in pre-film school age.
27.01.2011
Tytti Rantanen Appointed Information Officer at FFF
Tytti Rantanen has been appointed information officer of International promotion of the Finnish Film Foundation, FFF. Rantanen will promote Finnish films internationally and communicate the success of Finnish films on a national level. She is also responsible for editing the publications of international promotion. Rantanen holds a Master’s Degree in Art from the University of Tampere, and she has been working for years in various cultural organizations and events.
27.01.2011
CEO of the Swedish Film Institute Steps Down
Cissi Elwin Frenkel has stepped down as CEO of the Swedish Film Institute, SFI. Frenkel leaves the Swedish Film Institute where she has been since August 2006 to take up the position as CEO and Director of Chef magazine from 1 March 2011.
Until a new CEO has been found to the Swedish Film Institute, Bengt Toll is acting CEO.
27.01.2011
Niels Jensen Passes Away
The Danish film expert, teacher and writer, Niels Jensen passed away at the age of 81 last December.
Niels Jensen had an education as schoolteacher and devoted his life to film and the study of films. He was a respected colleague with a huge knowledge of film and was regarded an excellent communicator, teacher and storyteller.
Niels Jensen served as film consultant at the National Film Board of Denmark (now Danish Film Institute), where he was also a member of the board of directors as he was of many other committees. For a period, Niels Jensen worked as a film critic at the radio film programme Ugens Film (Film Weekly) at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR.
For more than 10 years Niels Jensen taught at the Danish Film School (1988-1999), where he was also a member of the board.
27.01.2011
Dag Alveberg Passes Away
Norwegian producer and former CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond passed away last December aged 59 after a long illness.
Dag Alveberg was known as a respected film producer in the Nordic region who had been active within the Norwegian film and television industry since the mid 1970s.
Alveberg leaves a track record of almost 20 films, among others the Oscar-nominated Norwegian film Elling (2001) produced by Alveberg’s company Maipo and Orion’s Belt (1984) directed by Ola Solum, films that became domestic and international hits.
In addition to his production activities, Dag Alveberg also held senior positions at Nordic public audiovisual organizations, such as Head of Drama at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, NRK (1994) and at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR (1999) as well as Head of Nordisk Film & TV Fond (1995-1999).
Alveberg also produced the opening and closing ceremonies at the Lillehammer Olympics in 1993.
