Nadia Denton
Curator, public speaker and impact producer (UK)

Nadia Denton is based in London and has worked in the film industry for two decades as a curator, public speaker and impact producer. She specialises in Nigerian Cinema and coined the term BEYOND NOLLYWOOD. In 2014 she wrote The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: BEYOND NOLLYWOOD. She has worked with organisations which include the BFI London Film Festival, EFM at Berlinale, Doc Society, London Film School, Sundance Film Festival, British Council and Comic Relief. She co-produced Shooting it Like a Woman, a BBC World Service radio documentary about Nigerian women in the film industry. Nadia is an official African Heritage Guide across the V&A, Tate Modern and British Museum. She has a degree in Modern History from St. Hilda’s College, Oxford. She is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter. Her father is the late Black British filmmaker Menelik Shabazz. www.nadiadenton.com

Scott Roxborough
European Bureau Chief, The Hollywood Reporter (Germany)

Scott Roxborough is European Bureau Chief at leading U.S. entertainment industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter.

He has been reporting on the German and European film and television industries for more than two decades.

Scott Roxborough also works as a producer and on-air presenter for German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle. He lives in Cologne, Germany with his wife and two children.

Jude “M.I” Abaga
Rapper, producer & founder of TASCK (Nigeria)

Jude Lemfani Abaga, popularly known as M.I Abaga, is a pioneering hip hop artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker who has spent two decades shaping Africa’s creative industries. Rising to prominence with Crowd Mentality and celebrated albums like MI2: The Movie, The Chairman, and The Guy, he quickly became one of the continent’s most influential musical voices. Beyond his artistry, he served as CEO of Chocolate City from 2015 to 2019, where he played a key role in building one of Africa’s most powerful music labels.

In 2020, M.I founded TASCK, a creative solutions company connecting creatives with causes, campaigns, and opportunities for growth. TASCK has since impacted over 7,000 Nigerian creatives through initiatives in civic engagement, men’s mental health, and youth empowerment. He also leads the Incredible Music Festival, an annual celebration in Jos that boosts grassroots talent and the local economy, alongside Sound Board, a monthly mixer that bridges creatives, policymakers, and business leaders to spark collaboration and social change.

M.I. firmly believes that creatives hold the key to transforming Africa, shaping narratives, and driving positive social change across the continent.

Pam Mutembei
Investment Director, HEVA Fund (Kenya)

Pam Mutembei is a finance, impact, and corporate leader with over 20 years of experience driving purpose-led growth across Africa. She is the Investment Director at HEVA Fund, where she designs and delivers innovative and blended financing solutions for Africa’s creative and cultural enterprises unlocking jobs, market access, and sustainable economic growth.

A passionate advocate for inclusive finance, Pam is the founder of This Girl Boss Hustle, which has empowered over 500 women entrepreneurs to access capital, build resilient businesses, and advance gender equality. She chairs the Audit Committee of a Kenyan government parastatal, serves on several advisory boards, and is an active member of Women on Boards Network and Women in Africa Investments, championing women’s leadership and representation in decision-making spaces.
Named Champion of Change in the Workplace and a Rising Star semi-finalist, Pam is a sought-after speaker on blended finance, SME growth, and gender-lens investing. She leverages her global networks across government, business, and society to shape an equitable, innovative, and prosperous future for the continent.

Outside of work, Pam is a Loving mom, mentor, and budding DJ, bringing the same energy and creativity she applies to finance into every part of her life.

Sata Cissokho
Head of World Cinema Fund (Germany)

Sata Cissokho is the Head of the World Cinema Fund and EFM Toolbox programmes.

From 2014 to 2025, she worked at the Paris-based sales company Paradise City Sales, first as festival manager and curator of the arthouse label ARTSCOPE, before becoming Head of Acquisitions and coproductions.

She previously worked at the New York-based independent distribution company Zeitgeist Films, and assisted the Tribeca Film Festival’s programming team. She also took part in several co-production platforms, working as Industry coordinator for Paris Project, Les Arcs Co-production Village and Paris Co-production Village.

Sata Cissokho has served on numerous film commissions, selection committees and juries, including for the French CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, the Marrakech Film Festival Atlas Workshops, Rotterdam’s CineMart, and the New Dawn fund.

In addition, she has been a mentor, workshop leader and industry expert for many internationally renowned initiatives such as the Cannes’ Producers Network, Rotterdam Lab, EAVE or Creative Producer Indaba. 

She holds a BA in International Management from the University of Westminster, London, and a Master’s degree in Cinema, TV and New Medias from La Sorbonne, Paris.

Mohamed Kordofani
Director of Goodbye Julia (Sudan)

Mohamed Kordofani is a Sudanese aircraft engineer turned filmmaker. His work includes several short films, including Nyerkuk, which received the NAAS Award for Best Arab Film at
the Carthage Film Festival. His debut feature, Goodbye Julia, exec-produced by Academy Award winner Lupita N’yongo was the first Sudanese film to premiere at Cannes, where it won the Un Certain Regard’s Prix de la Liberté . The film went on to win 65 additional awards, including Audience Awards at Gouna and
Singapore International Film Festivals and Jean Renoir prize from the French ministry of eduction which includes the film in the cinema studies for High School Students all over France.
Kordofani is the Co-founder of Klozium Studios; a production house based in Khartoum, Dubai and Nairobi.

Joel Chikapa-Phiri
Producer & Chairman Known Associates Group (South Africa)

Joel Chikapa-Phiri is a distinguished film producer and industry leader with a career spanning over three decades. As Chairman of Known Associates Group (KAG), he oversees a diverse range of media companies, including Known Associates Entertainment, Zero Gravity TV & Media, Moonlighting Films, AEIA, 1215KA, Cradle Film Studios, Known Associates Film & TV Investments, and a corporate gifting division. Joel’s notable productions include Flame, Fools, and The Bird Can’t Fly. He has been instrumental in capital raising and structuring project finance at KAG, contributing to the success of recent projects like The Drop, The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island, and Death of a Whistleblower.

Michael Baruti
Creative Director Ubongo (Tanzania)

Michael Baruti is a passionate storyteller dedicated to using media to educate, empower, and transform communities. With over 15 years of experience in media production, strategic communication, and leadership across education and entertainment, he blends creativity with purpose in every project.

As Creative Director at Ubongo, Africa’s leading edutainment organization, Michael leads the development of innovative, research-driven content that reaches more than 42 million households across the continent. He oversees beloved shows such as Ubongo Kids, Nuzo and Namia, and Akili and Me programs that entertain while delivering vital lessons in literacy, numeracy, STEM, and life skills to underserved communities.

Previously, he was a Senior Producer at BBC Media Action, where he led the award-winning governance radio program Haba na Haba, fostering civic engagement in Tanzania. His work continues to bridge information gaps and spark dialogue on critical societal issues.

Michael is also the co-founder and host of Men Men Men, which won Podcast of the Year (2023) at the Tanzania Digital Awards, providing a platform to unpack masculinity, fatherhood, and mental health. As a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow, he continues to champion conversations around mental health, leadership, and social transformation.

He believes that stories can change lives, whether through a podcast, a TV show or a digital campaign and continues to champion content that both entertains and uplifts.

Jorge Cohen
Co-Founder Geração 80 (Angola)

Jorge Cohen is a producer with 15 years of experience and a cultural entrepreneur committed to developing sustainable business models for the creative industries. He believes cinema is an art form that empowers, educates, and entertains, and that making films only has meaning if they reach audiences. For him, cinema is not a luxury but an essential cultural asset, capable of creating social impact and transforming the way people see the world.

Jorge Cohen is the co-founder and General Director of Geração 80, a film production company dedicated to connecting generations and strengthening Angolan cinema since 2010. His mission is to bring Angola to the screen, tell African stories, and collectively make films. He sees the role of a producer as a space to reinvent paradigms and create sustainable cultural production models. Under his leadership, Geração 80 has shaped contemporary Angolan cinema, with films shown at major festivals across five continents. His work spans documentaries and fiction, including Independência (2015), Air Conditioner (2020), Our Lady of the Chinese Shop (2021), and Meu Semba (in post-production selected to Venice Final Cut), with dozens of festival screenings worldwide. 

Jorge also created Cine Zunga, a mobile cinema initiative that aims to reshape film distribution in Africa. These projects reflect his commitment to accessibility and audience development, making cinema a shared cultural experience across the country.

Dean Gichukie
CEO & Game Producer, Kunta Content (Kenya)

Dean Gichukie is a creative industry professional. He is a storyteller & builder, specializing in the creation, production and distribution of creative content like music, games, film, Esports & TV.

He is currently the CEO & Game Producer at Kunta Content. Kunta Content is an African game studio. Their vision is to make great African games. Kunta Content is currently working on HIRU a Maasai-inspired 3D Video Game for consoles and PC. They have signed groundbreaking partnerships with Minecraft, Xbox & Microsoft as one of the few studios to do so. They have also received support from Ubisoft, Epic Games and Steam. 

Olympe Challot
Project Manager Spielfabrique (Germany)

After studying International relations and European Studies in Master’s, with a research paper on Creative Europe MEDIA’s financing scheme for the videogame industry, Olympe Challot has previously worked in the EU Advocacy/lobby for NGOs.  Now Project Manager at SpielFabrique, she takes care of various co-acceleration programs in Europe & Africa, the Coproduction market and the EU Public Funds Network (among other side quests projects!).  She is also the main Community manager and support many indies across the world!

SpielFabrique is a Video games ecosystem catalyst bringing together all industry stakeholders. Since 2016, they develop an international and cross-border expertise of the industry, from mentoring indie studios to bringing high-quality expertise to the business.

Odongo Ahere
CEO of Weza Interactive Entertainment (Kenya/Germany)

Odongo Ahere is the Co-Founder and CEO of Weza Interactive Entertainment, one of Africa’s pioneering game development studios. Based between Nairobi and Cologne, Odongo works at the intersection of African creativity and the global gaming industry. Through Weza, he is committed to activating the potential of the African gaming sector by developing world-class immersive experiences and building sustainable pipelines for talent, funding, and innovation. Weza’s projects include Mzito, which reached over 120,000 players, and Riziki, a rhythm game that celebrates African music, dance, and identity while connecting with global audiences. Odongo brings deep insight into how Africa’s gaming ecosystem can shape the future of creative economies worldwide.

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese
Filmmaker and visual artist (Lesotho)

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese is a filmmaker and visual artist hailing from Hlotse, Leriba, Lesotho. His works are a complex investigation of identity and its amorphous quality in relation to time. Indeed, Mosese’s art is a layered exploration of the physical cycles of life, death and rebirth in relation to human subjectivity.

A self-taught filmmaker, his feature-length, visual essay film ‚Mother, I am Suffocating, This is My Last Film About You‘, was selected for Final Cut in Venice, winning six awards. It premiered at the Berlinale Forum in 2019 and continues to be showcased in film festivals and exhibitions, including Moma, BOZAR Brussels, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and SAVVY Contemporary as a three channel video installation. Mosese was one of three filmmakers selected for Biennale Cinema College with his first narrative feature film, ‚This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection,‘ which won over 30 awards, including the Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking at Sundance Film Festival 2020. The film garnered critical acclaim including glowing reviews in the New York Times and L.A times.

Mosese has also worked as a visual artist, creating installations for various distinguished art institutions. His most recent work, a seven-channel video installation entitled ‚Bodies of Negroes: Sculpting God‘ commissioned by Eye Museum, was shown at several exhibitions including Eye Museum and Tabakalera, International Centre of Contemporary Culture in San Sebastián. His four channel video installation entitled, ‘New God,’ commissioned by Humboldt Forum, was shown in Dak’Art Biennale 2022.

Mosese served as an official juror for several film festivals, including the Berlinale International Film Festival, Rotterdam, Locarno, Eye Museum and San Sebastian Film Festival. He has been invited to be a guest lecturer for several institutions including Cambridge University’s Masters in Writing for Performance, Netherlands Film Academy Masters Program, German Film and Television Academy Berlin and The Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg.

Slim Mrad
Distributor, Pathé Touch Afrique (France)

Slim Mrad is the current sales manager at Pathé Touch Afrique, a film distribution company based in Paris and operating across around fifteen French-speaking African countries. As he oversees the commercial strategy for about fifty film releases a year — from Hollywood blockbusters to African auteur cinema and major international releases — he contributes to shaping the region’s film distribution landscape.

Born and raised in Tunisia, where he attended the French high school Gustave Flaubert in La Marsa, he pursued film studies at Paul-Valéry University Montpellier 3, where he also worked with the Cinemed Mediterranean Film Festival. In 2022, he joined The Boxoffice Company as a journalist for Boxoffice Pro, leading the Boxoffice Pro Maghreb project dedicated to the cinema exhibition industry in North Africa.