DOC Meeting Argentina

September 17-19, 2009

DOC Meeting Argentina

The US Embassy sponsors the DOC Meeting Argentina, a space devoted to documentaries meant to encourage network building among film and television industry professionals, at the national, regional, and international level; the development of projects under process; and the creation of a discussion forum of different strategies for co-production, marketing and distribution of documentaries.

September 17-19
Regente Hotel
Suipacha 964, Buenos Aires
Information: www.docmeeting.com.ar

The U.S. participants are:

Lorraine Hess is currently Vice President of Acquisitions and Scheduling for LinkTV, a non-profit, independent TV station airing international documentaries, series and cultural content via satellite in the US.  Lorraine started out as a producer of documentaries and series about international topics, travel and cultural subjects. She was Head of Production for International Video Network based in San Ramon, California in 1996/7 and Produced or Series Produced dozens of internationally-focused films and series for that company for independent production companies from 1992-1996.

Cynthia Kane, Program Manager for ITVS International
Cynthia Kane serves as Program Manager for ITVS International, which facilitates an exchange of compelling documentaries between the United States and other nations and promotes programming that transcends stereotypes and headline news to provide international television audiences with new insight into the cultures and people that comprise the global community. They work with independent producers to create and present documentaries taking creative risks, advance issues and represent points of view not usually seen on public or commercial television. ITVS International offers an annual open submission process- the International Call -for independent producers from countries outside the U.S. to apply for production and post-production funding.

Kane began her career as an actress and has appeared in film, theatre and television in New York, Los Angeles and regionally in the U.S. She joined Sundance Channel programming team in the summer of 1999 from the Sundance Channel team at Showtime Networks; she worked in Acquisitions and as Documentary Programmer until 2006. During her tenure, Cynthia championed the celebrated series, The Staircase as well as Emmy-award winning documentary, In Rwanda we say, the family that does not speak dies…. Instrumental in the creation of DOCday, she also programmed world cinema and produced on-air specials such as In Short: Witness, Arte Latino, NY, NY, A Taste of Iran and Not Every Picture Tells a Story: Classic & Contemporary Work from the American Underground.

After leaving Sundance Channel, Kane continued to serve as a consultant and worked in development on several documentary projects such as, To Be Heard, Who’s Afraid of Lynne Stewart? and By Bread Alone: in the company of food heroes and was Associate Producer for Dry Valleys Productions' Ice People. Her other clients included the New York-based production company, Cactus Three, LINK TV and iThentic: Made-for-Mobile. She taught in a New York City after-school program, College Now holding both writing workshops and documentary screenings for her students to generate discussion about current affairs.  

Tom Koch is Vice President of PBS Distribution (PBSd), the world-wide broadcast co-production, acquisition and distribution and new media business development company jointly owned by PBS and WGBH-Boston. PBS Distribution seeks out and manages co-production partnerships with producers and broadcasters and directs the sale of PBS, WGBH programs and programs of independent producers to media companies globally. Koch’s primary role is to oversee all international activities of PBSd.

PBSd represents such acclaimed television series such as Wide Angle, Frontline, NOVA, American Experience, This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, as well as select award winning independent producers such as Ken Burns, Alex Gibney, Eugene Jurecki, David Grubin, Jon Else, David Sutherland, among others.

Koch, a 20 year veteran of public broadcasting and WGBH-Boston launched, along with the Banff Television Festival, History Makers in October, 2001, where he served as chairman for six years. Koch is also a Board member of the International Emmy Committee, a founding partner of the European Television and Media Academy, a member of the Discovery Campus advisory board.

Previously at WGBH Koch was Director of WGBH International and earlier, Director of Licensing for WGBH where he oversaw the launch of This Old House Magazine, among other things. He has also worked in WGBH's budget and strategy departments.