Originally from Los Angeles but based in Copenhagen, Alexandra Cruz began her European career in 2018 as a sales agent for Copenhagen Bombay Productions, working on both series and feature films. She now represents The Yellow Affair, a Finnish-based international sales agency, focusing on a diverse range of genres in film and series. In addition to her sales role, Alexandra serves as a Network & Strategy Consultant for Cinekid Industry Forum, a key part of the Cinekid Film Festival, where she helps connect industry professionals to new and upcoming projects for the international market.

Christophe Erbés has worked as programming director for Canal+, Premiere, SUPER RTL and Nickelodeon, and as managing director for Jetix. Since 2006, he has been working as an international consultant for content strategies and development in the field of children’s media, as well as a published author and script- writer. Christophe also hosts various international conferences.

Producer / Editor  at ARD/ Südwestrundfunk (SWR), Baden-Baden

Benjamin Manns has been working for Children’s TV for 30 years at the ARD (RBB and SWR), with a special focus on pre-school programs and animation. He particularly enjoys to work with children and to invent stories that empower children.
Benjamin has developed, produced and co-produced programs for all age groups, such as “Animanimals”, “I know an animal”, “TOM and the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam and Honey”, “Arthur and the Children of the Round Table”, “Said and Anna”, “Rabbit “Academy” or “Raven the Little Rascal”. His formats have been awarded at a number of festivals such as the “Prix Jeunesse”, “Goldener Spatz”, “New York International Children’s Film Festival”, “Kidscreen Awards”, or the “Grimme Prize”.
Benjamin Manns has been a member of the preselection Jury of the ITFS “Tricks for Kids”-competition for over 20 years.

Since January 2024 Annegret Richter is the Artistic Director of the ITFS and Managing Director of Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH. She already supported the ITFS intensively in the programme design for two years before that. Since 2016, she has also been Managing Director of AG Animationsfilm, the federal association of the German animated film industry. Annegret studied Communication and Media Studies at Mercy University and the University of Leipzig, where she also worked as a research assistant for five years. She led the Dresden International Short Film Festival and then the animation section at DOK Leipzig. She also works as a moderator and lecturer and is a member of the awards committee of MDM, MFG, the Zurich Film Foundation and the board of ASIFA.

CEO & Executive Producer of the Danish based company Parka Pictures Aps and the German based company Dreamin’ Dolphin Film GmbH. Since 1995 Lilian Klages has worked as producer and executive producer for international animated feature films with a focus on development and financing for companies like UFA Cinema GmbH, A. Film Germany, Munich Animation and Lego. In addition to her position as a producer, Lilian Klages gives lectures at filmschools, serves as a head of the study line „Animation Producing” at the animation academy in Ludwigsburg and as censor for the Animation Workshop in Viborg.

After exploring multimedia storytelling via music and video games, Claire decided to specialize in animation and entered Gobelins, in Paris. Trained there as an animation director and designer, she is the recipient of the first Netflix X Gobelins Post-Graduate Fellowship in 2019. Developing animated projects at Netflix Japan as well as in multiple Japanese studios, Claire became a Production & Art Supervisor in Netflix’ Creative Production team (Onimusha, B the Beginning, Spriggan…). Once back in France, she co-created YABUNOUSAGI to offer a World Building service for entertainment projects, and also to develop new IPs. She’s now the producer (and sometimes co-creator) of many animated projects : shorts, series and feature films. YABUNOUSAGI also seeks to produce content with an editorial line based on humanism and respect for the environment, with an appetite for transmedia content.

Karen Mitrega is working as creative producer (development and production) for animated and live action series and movies. She consults platforms on content for children and strategy for their kid profile. Karen works as curator for the Animation Production Days and mentors filmstudents.
Until 2014 she was Head of Children’s Content at Super RTL. She was responsible for the development, co-production and acquisition of series and magazines as well as the website www.toggo.de. Karen has been working as production manager for several international feature films and a degree in Film and TV producing of the Filmakademie in Ludwigsburg, Germany. She is working in the industry for more than 20 years.

Currently ALEXANDRA STAUTMEISTER is working as VFX and animation producer at Lavalabs Moving Images, leading productions such as Woodwalkers, Cranko and Butterfly Tales.
Mixed media projects always caught her attention, probably due to her start in the live action film industry in 2005, before exploring the broad field of Animation and VFX during her studies at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Since 2016 Alexandra has been a lecturer at the Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf and the Filmakademie. She is passionate about passing on the craft of production to the next generation.