Thong Kay Wee is a cultural worker specialising in film programming and curation, currently serving as the Programme Director of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) since 2021. He has previously served on film festival juries in Jeonju, Taiwan and Yogyakarta, among others. He was previously the Programmes and Outreach Officer at the Asian Film Archive (AFA) from 2014 to 2021. During his tenure at the AFA, he was responsible for establishing the AFA’s regular programmes and presiding over specialised showcases, including the Singular Screens film series (2018-2021) commissioned by the Singapore International Festival of the Arts and the State of Motion exhibition series (2016-2021) commissioned for the Singapore Art Week.
Producer / TOKYO VIDEO CENTER, INC.
I joined Tokyo Video Center Co.,Ltd. in 1997, Since 2001, I have produced documentaries, sports and variety shows.
Sofia Tocar is a film distributor and festival agent, leading the short film distribution slate at Square Eyes—a Vienna-based agency known for bold, non-mainstream cinema. In her role, she works closely with filmmakers to shape tailored strategies for navigating the international festival landscape and expanding the reach of auteur-driven shorts.
Previously, she was part of the Institute of Documentary Film in Prague, where she coordinated the East Silver Caravan and East Doc Market.
Director of Silvana S. Foundation. Together with Objectifs and In-Docs, we are coorganisers of LENScape: Documentary Shorts from Southeast Asia, a new short film programme that celebrates the creative spirit of the documentary form.
Shan TONG is a Beijing-based film curator, scholar, and programmer for Beijing International Short Film Festival (BISFF). She has collaborated with major Chinese festivals, including Shanghai, Beijing, Hainan Island, FIRST, and West Lake (IDF), and has curated programmes for Japan’s Image Forum and Queen Mary University of London. Her writing has appeared in Studies in Documentary Film, Journal of Chinese Cinemas, and Senses of Cinema. Recently, she has expanded her work into documentary production.
Rasha Salti is commissioning editor at Arte France, for La Lucarne, the weekly flagship program strand dedicated to experimental documentary.
Co-founder of M’GO FILMS, Panuksmi produces fiction, documentary and interactive multimedia installations. Focused on creating works that respect cultural diversity as being significant and inherently complex have led her to produce projects rooted in the intricate stories of Southeast Asia. Born in Jakarta, Panuksmi spent her formative years in New York City until she moved to Montreal to pursue her university studies. She lives and works in Singapore since 2004.
Writer, Director, Editor, Producer and Founder, Docedge Kolkata, Asian Forum Documentary, Nilotpal is a Post Graduate in Editing from Film & Television Institute of India, the former Professor/Dean Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute and Director, Manipur State Film and Television Instiute, he has been extensively engaged in mentorship programme for South Asian filmmakers.
Natasha Gadd is the CEO/Creative Director of the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC), Australia’s premier event for nonfiction screen content dedicated to supporting and elevating documentary and factual storytelling through marketplace, industry development initiatives, programming and networking activities. Natasha’s passion for documentary and factual storytelling spans three decades working across industry development, film production, programming and festival curation. She is looking to connect with storytellers across Asia to strengthen opportunities for collaborations in our region.
Natalia (she/her) brings 25+ years of experience in film & TV. With parabellum film, she produces international documentaries at the intersection of memory, identity, and sociopolitical commentary, and centering women filmmakers and personal storytelling. Her current slate includes Casas Muertas by Rosana Matecki (premiered 2025 at HotDocs & Sheffield), plus several films in various stages with directors from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, Georgia, India, and Germany. Natalia also freelances in curatorial, advisory, and mentorship roles, and serves on the boards of DAE and B2B Doc.
Melissa manages Screenwest’s factual funding programs for Western Australians and projects co-produced with a WA-based company or producer.
With 20+ years in scripted and unscripted, she has written, directed, and produced for ABC, SBS, Seven Network and Discovery Channels.
She produced Something to Tell You (2011) and Hotel Coolgardie (2016), both selected for Hot Docs, with Hotel Coolgardie also screening at Slamdance and Sydney Film Festival. It later inspired See-Saw Films’ The Royal Hotel (2023).
Mélanie de Vocht finished her MA in Cultural Anthropology in 2005. After graduating she started working for the Program Department of IDFA. From 2006 until now she’s working for the IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF). As manager of the Fund Mélanie oversees the development and implementation of the different support programs, the mentoring of supported projects, she’s part of the selection committee and takes care of the IBF selection and delegation at IDFA each year.
Mandy Marahimin is a film producer. She worked on fiction and documentary. Her latest fiction film, Crocodile Tears, premiered in Toronto International
film Festival. Her latest documentary, Queer as Punk, premiered in Berlin International Film Festival.
After working at different festivals in France (Les Rencontres du Cinéma, Sunny Side of the Doc, FIPA…), Maëlle moved into international distribution, first with Point du Jour International and Doc&Co before joining Catherine Le Clef to launch CAT&Docs in 2009.
She also offers her expertise as an industry advisor and panelist and has been part of several juries and workshops.
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.
