Meet professionals: in these sessions, we talk to those whose job it is to fund, program and distribute documentary films.
At the final session, you will meet sales agents from some of the major European companies and discover how they work and what kind of films they are looking for.
You can also attend this event at KINO42 (Kyiv, Kostiantynivska St., 11). The moderator will be present in person.
Sales agents:
Wouter Jansen (Square Eyes);
Aïda Aziz (Mediawan Rights);
Nevena Milašinović (Lightdox);
Shoshi Korman (Cinephil);
Aleksandra Derewienko (CAT&Docs).
Moderator: Brigid O’Shea
Wouter Jansen is the founder of the sales company Square Eyes, which specializes in having outstanding non-mainstream films find the audience and recognition they deserve. This has resulted in a small catalog of films premiering at festivals (Cannes, TIFF, Berlin, Locarno and Clermont-Ferrand) and winning multiple awards. In the past, Wouter worked as the head of programming at the Go Short — International Film Festival. He is an expert for Locarno Open Doors and First Cut Lab, and has been giving lectures at Le Fresnoy, HEAD Geneva and Netherlands Film Academy school and leading workshops at IDFA, True/False, Winterthur, VIS Vienna Shorts and other festivals.
Square Eyes is a sales company based in Vienna, that specializes in representing bold, author-driven features and shorts, and is willing to take narrative and aesthetic risks. They collaborate closely with filmmakers to devise bespoke festival distribution and sales strategies. By limiting their portfolio, they ensure that each film receives the attention it needs to reach its fullest potential.
Aïda Aziz graduated from Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne, specializing in international sales under the mentorship of Nicolas Brigaud-Robert, the founder of PlayTime, a renowned French sales company. She worked on the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, immersing herself in the Film Market. Recently joining Mediawan Rights as an International Sales Assistant, she evaluates acquisition projects, manages meetings at international film markets, and assists in the showcasing of Mediawan Rights’ documentaries in festivals worldwide.
Nevena Milašinović is Sales & Acquisitions Executive at Lightdox. She oversees distribution and sales in Central & Eastern Europe, Asia, LATAM and Africa. Nevena embraced the challenge of mastering the most promising markets with creativity and innovativeness. She graduated Painting at the Academy of Arts (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (Brno). Nevena has been working in sales and distribution of documentary films since 2015, with a deep focus on VOD and festival distribution.
Shoshi Korman is Co-Managing Director at Cinephil, an international sales and advisory firm with a strong reputation for securing international distribution, broadcasting and financing deals for documentaries from around the world on behalf of producers and directors. Recent titles she has worked on include three-time Academy Award nominee FLEE, by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, two-time Academy Award nominee Collective, by Alexander Nanau, as well as a Sundance winner and Academy Award nominee A House Made of Splinters.
Cinephil is an international sales and advisory firm with a strong reputation for securing distribution, broadcasting and financing deals for documentaries from around the world on behalf of producers and directors.
Aleksandra Derewienko finished postgraduate studies in TV and Film Organization at the National Film School in Lodz, as well as the MEGA Plus course — European Master in Audiovisual Management in Spain. She joined CAT&Docs in sales and acquisition in 2016, having previously worked as a sales manager at Taskovski Films for four years. She was a member of the pitching panels in numerous international festivals and marketplaces, including Baltic Sea Docs, Visions du Reel, Krakow Film Festival, and Doc Lisboa.
