WIFTI SUMMIT 2026 SPEAKERS
Speakers will continue to be added.
Ruth Negga
Oscar- and Emmy-Nominated Actor, WIFTI Summit Special Guest
Biography
Ruth can recently be seen starring opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Apple’s remake of Presumed Innocent, adapted by David E. Kelley. She has received nominations at the Independent Spirit and IFTA awards for her performance. She also recently starred in Dan Levy’s directorial debut Good Grief for Netflix.
Ruth was nominated in 2022 for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her portrayal of ‘Lady Macbeth’ in her Broadway debut opposite Daniel Craig in Sam Gold’s Macbeth. Previously, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Loving opposite Joel Edgerton, which Jeff Nichols wrote and directed. Ruth’s performance in the film earned her several other Best Actress nominations at the BAFTAs, Film Independent Spirit Awards and SAG Awards.
Ruth can also be seen in the feature film Passing for Netflix opposite Tessa Thompson, adapted for the screen and directed by Rebecca Hall. She won the Independent Spirit Award for her performance and received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She also previously starred opposite Brad Pitt in the Plan B/New Regency film Ad Astra, which James Gray wrote and directed.
On the small screen, Ruth starred as ‘Tulip O’Hare’ in the critically acclaimed AMC series Preacher, which Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg executive produced. She received rave reviews for her electrifying turn as the unpredictable and volatile ‘Tulip,’ a gifted criminal who is not afraid to steal, cheat or kill to get what she wants. In addition, Ruth won the Irish Film and Television Academy Award for Best Actress in 2012 for her portrayal of 'Shirley Bassey' in the TV movie Shirley.
Ruth previously performed as the Prince of Denmark in Yael Farber’s take on the Shakespearian play Hamlet. After an acclaimed sold-out run in October 2019 at The Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ruth reprised the titular role in her American stage debut in February 2020 at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York. Ruth and the production received stellar reviews and she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.
Aisha Tyler
Actor, Director, Producer, CEO Hot Machine Films
Biography
Almudena Carracedo
Filmmaker & CIMA Board Member
Biography
Anna Serner
Former CEO, Swedish Film Institute
Biography
Anna is a lawyer but has spent her professional life as a CEO at three major organisations; The Swedish Advertising Association (Komm), The Swedish Media Publishing Association (TU) and The Swedish Film Institute (SFI) where she was CEO 2011-2021.
In all her positions Anna has worked with equality and inclusion in order to make sure the highest possible quality and freedom of expressions.
During her period at Komm she published a book A Man Called Rolf, And Other Stories, written by female copy writers. It was a book about being a copy writer in the advertising world. The book led to a leadership educations for women in creative works, an education that she offered in the film world (called ”Moviement") at SFI, as a strategy to get more women behind the camera in big budget films. ”Moviement" was a part of the action plan to reach equity behind the camera, a strategy that became 50/50by2020 which was released by SFI in Cannes 2016. That inspired the big festival movement for equality with the same name.
Anna is now starting an organisation called The Swedish Center for Investigative Journalism to support a diversity of investigative reports to ensure an open democratic society.
Anne Lajla Utsi
CEO, International Sami Film Institute
Biography
Anne Lajla Utsi belongs to the Sámi people and is based in the Sámi village of Kautokeino in Norway, above the Arctic Circle, where she has served as CEO for the International Sami Film Institute (ISFI) since 2009. She was one of the founders of the Institute and had a background as a documentary film director. Utsi has, through the ISFI, guided a new generation of Sámi filmmakers, and the International Sámi Film Institute represents a watershed in Sámi film production. Utsi has worked in the film and media industry for 25 years as a film director, film festival manager, and producer. She has served as an advisor for Walt Disney Animation Studios, as leader of the Sámi cultural expert group working with the filmmakers of Frozen 2. She has also been a Native film advisor for the Berlin Film Festival. Utsi has served on international and national film juries and as a mentor in various film labs and workshops and has represented Indigenous film at conferences and seminars around the world. Through her work as a CEO at ISFI, she has built a solid international film network with partners such as Netflix, Canada Media Fund, European Film Academy, Berlin Film Festival, and many more. Anne Lajla Utsi is also a member of The Academy, as well as a board member of The European Film Academy. Utsi has through her work initiated international collaborations between indigenous filmmakers, such as the establishment of the Arctic Indigenous Film fund, where Utsi is also a member of the board. “Storytelling has been a survival tool for Sámi people in the harsh Arctic landscapes for centuries, and the power of telling our own stories has global value. We can inspire world audiences and create exciting job opportunities for generations to come with our own stories.”
Clare Cheetham
Emmy Award–Winning VFX Executive Producer
Biography
Clare is an Emmy Award–winning VFX Executive Producer whose impressive career spans more than two decades. Her credits include Chernobyl>, Tetris, The Martian, Altered Carbon, and This Is England. Clare began her career in the Film & TV industry as a VFX artist advancing to VFX Supervisor, eventually transitioning to the production side. Over the years, she has been instrumental in building and expanding VFX studios, nurturing exceptional creative talent, and fostering collaborative, high-performing teams. Having held senior positions at renowned studios such as Double Negative and Framestore, Clare is known for building great relationships with clients and teams, guiding productions from concept through to final delivery. Her hands-on leadership ensures creative excellence, smooth workflows and seamless execution. Outside of work, Clare enjoys running around after her kids, encouraging them to pursue their passions. When she finds a spare moment, she loves travelling, painting, and baking imaginative novelty cakes..
Dame Heather Rabbatts
Chair, TIME’S UP UK
Biography
Dame Heather Rabbatts’ career spans law, government, media and sport. She is currently Chair of Saatchi PLC, Associated British Foods PLC (where she is also Senior Independent Director) and Soho Theatre and until recently was MD of film & TV production company Cove Pictures where she produced The Drifters and The Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu.
In 2018, Heather became Chair of TIME’S UP UK and in 2019 joined TIME’S UP global board. Born out of the revelations of #MeToo, TIME’S UP advocates to end sexual harassment, change representation and pay parity to achieve long-term cultural change. She was previously Chair of CIISA, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, currently in development. Heather began her career as a lawyer, then a government advisor and was the youngest CEO of a Local Authority. She was the first woman and person of colour on the board of the English FA in 150 years, served on the boards of the BBC, Bank of England, the Foreign Office and the Royal Opera House and commissioned award-winning content as a senior executive at Channel 4 Television.
Dearbhla Walsh
Emmy, BAFTA and IFTA Award-Winning Director
Biography
Dearbhla Walsh is a renowned, international director whose work has been recognised with multiple awards wins and nominations including EMMY, BAFTA and IFTA awards. Dearbhla's newest show is MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES for Apple TV/ A24, starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman. Dearbhla was lead director and EP for both series of the BAD SISTERS. She has directed multiple episodes of FARGO, and the award-winning Washington DC episode of THE HANDMAID'S TALE. Dearbhla's work has also ranged from LITTLE DORRIT (winning her a Best Director Emmy) to Roald Dahl's ESIO TROT with Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman, TALES FROM THE LOOP, and SHAMELESS.
Deborah Doherty
Managing Director and Executive Producer of Elephant Goldfish
Biography
Deborah Doherty is the joint Managing Director and Executive Producer of Elephant Goldfish, Dublin’s newest soon to launch VFX and Post Production studio offering creative-first solutions across the Film, TV, Animation and Gaming sectors. She began her career in audio production in London in the 2000s and joined Windmill Lane in 2005, where she oversaw significant growth in the audio division before expanding her management role. As a leader and executive producer, Deborah excels in building strong client relationships and is passionate about nurturing new talent. Recent credits span high-profile projects including Steve (Netflix/Big Things), Blue Moon (Richard Linklater), The Tourist (BBC), Bodkin (Netflix/Higher Ground), Doctor Who (BBC/Disney), and acclaimed dramas like Black Shore, Smother, and Kin. She has been involved in numerous award-winning advertising campaigns and in the animation sector she has overseen post on standout titles like Grimsberg, Kizazi Moto and My Little Pony: A New Generation.
Debbie Ging
Professor, Digital Media and Gender, DCU & Director, DCU Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities
Biography
Debbie Ging is Professor of Digital Media and Gender in the School of Communications at Dublin City University and Director of the DCU Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities.
She teaches and researches on gender, sexuality and digital media, with a focus on digital hate, online anti-feminist men's rights politics, the incel subculture and radicalisation of boys and men into male supremacist ideologies. Debbie’s research also addresses youth experiences of gender-based and sexual abuse online and educational interventions to tackle these issues.
Domizia De Rosa
Founding Member & President, WIFTM Italy and Vice President, WIFTI
Biography
Domizia De Rosa is a founding member and President of Women in Film, Television & Media Italy and Vice President of WIFT International.
She teaches as an adjunct professor at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart) in Milan and at NABA - Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (New Academy of Fine Arts) in Rome. Previously she held several roles including Executive Director, Television at Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia, a company she joined in 1995. Her research interests are: gender media studies, visual cultures and production studies.
Eranka Weerasuriya
Head of Virtual Production, Studio Ulster
Biography
Eranka Weerasuriya is the Head of Virtual Production at Studio Ulster Ltd, a £72 million next-generation virtual production studio and creative technology firm based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
With more than two decades of experience spanning Virtual Production, Visual Effects, Animation, and Live Action, Eranka has an unwavering passion and commitment to advancing immersive storytelling and driving technological innovation. She has been integral in delivering high-profile film, television, commercial, and branded entertainment projects for international clients.
Most recently, Eranka served as Head of Production (VP) at Eyeline Studios, Powered by Netflix, where she managed over 65 virtual production shoots and led cross-functional teams comprising up to 150 members worldwide. Previously, she held key roles at Industrial Light & Magic in both London and Singapore, where she contributed to the strategic bidding, planning and execution of VFX productions and effectively managed client relationships on major projects.
Gemma Ní Chionnaith
TV & Radio Broadcaster
Biography
Gemma Ní Chionnaith is a broadcaster with over 20 years' experience across television and radio, working on a wide variety of programming as Gaeilge. Much of her university education was conducted through Irish, reflecting her longstanding professional and personal commitment to the language. She serves as a board member of Foras na Gaeilge, the cross-border body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language.
Gretchen McGowan
Emmy Award-Winning Producer & Production Manager | Head of Production, Goldcrest Features
Biography
Gretchen McGowan is an award-winning producer and the head of production for Goldcrest Features in New York City where she oversees titles such as Carol and Restrepo. Gretchen has collaborated with Sebastian Junger on five films, most recently as a producer on the documentary features Hell of a Cruise for Peacock and the Emmy Nominated 64 Days. She produced Paramount’s Emmy Award winning The Fire That Took Her and in 2025 and the Oscar shortlisted Once Upon a Time in Ukraine.
Gretchen independently produced Jim Jarmusch’s The Limits of Control in Spain for Focus Features and she produced American Swing for Magnolia Pictures. She line produced the Oscar nominated Dancemaker, Buffalo ’66, Two Girls and a Guy, American Psycho and Heavy. While head of production with Mark Cuban’s HDNet Films, Open City Films and Blow Up Pictures, Gretchen supervised over 25 features including Brian De Palma’s Redacted, Alex Gibney’s Enron, Zoe Cassavetes’ Broken English, Steven Soderbergh’s Bubble, Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely and Amazing and Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes. Last year, Gretchen’s career memoir, FLYING IN: MY ADVENTURES IN FILMMAKING was published with Post Hill Press.
Guneet Monga Kapoor
Academy Award-Winning Producer and CEO, Sikyha Entertainment
Biography
She also served as Executive Producer for the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary short Period. End of Sentence. A BAFTA nominee, Guneet is among the first Indian producers invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Guneet is the founder of Sikhya Entertainment, a Mumbai-based production house. She has produced close to 40 feature films, including ground-breaking cinema such as Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), The Lunchbox (2013), Monsoon Shootout (2013), and Masaan (2015) all of which received critical acclaim at prestigious international festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, and Sundance.
Guneet is a recipient of the prestigious French Honour "Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres". In 2019, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation awarded her the prestigious Sloan Science and Film grant. Guneet is passionate about issues of representation and diversity in the film industry and discovering, amplifying & distributing the work of Indian women filmmakers across the globe.
Her recent projects include groundbreaking actioner - KILL, which earned a spot among IMDb India’s top 10 films of 2024 and achieved mainstream international distribution in a first of it’s kind deal with International Studio Lionsgate. Other successes include the sci-fi thriller web series Gyaarah Gyaarah (ranked No. 4 by IMDb India), Gutar Gu on Amazon MX Player, a first-of-its-kind Netflix documentary film on globally celebrated Hip Hop Artist - Yo Yo Honey Singh, and the 2025 Oscar-shortlisted live-action short film Anuja.
Gwenllian Gravelle
Head of Film & Drama, S4C
Biography
Following a distinguished career at the BBC producing high-end, award-winning dramas such as Keeping Faith (Un Bore Mercher), Gwenllian Gravelle now serves as Head of Film & Drama at the Welsh-language broadcaster S4C. Building on the recent renaissance of Welsh drama and spearheading the rise of Celtic noir, Gwenllian is committed to commissioning original productions that resonate locally while capturing global, world-class appeal.
Her recent slate includes Y Golau (The Light in the Hall); a gripping six-part psychological thriller starring Joanna Scanlan, Alex Roach, and Iwan Rheon. As S4C’s first co-production with Channel 4, APC, Sundance NOW, and Channel 4’s most-watched drama in 2022, it marked a milestone in Welsh storytelling. Dal y Mellt (Rough Cut) followed as the first-ever Welsh-language drama streamed on Netflix and CRISIS, the first drama on ITVX, demonstrating the growing international appetite for powerful content, regardless of language.
Gwenllian’s latest commissions include two critically acclaimed crime dramas: Cleddau (The One That Got Away); an RTS award-winning co-production with BANIJAY, starring Elen Rhys and Richard Harrington, penned by Cath Tregenna; and Ar y Ffin (Mudtown), S4C’s inaugural co-production with UKTV, starring Erin Richards and Tom Cullen.
In addition to drama, Gwenllian leads Sinema Cymru, S4C’s cinema fund for Welsh-language feature films in partnership with the Welsh Government and Ffilm Cymru. She is also developing Wales' first interactive Welsh-language film, in collaboration with Wales Interactive; a bold move towards expanding narrative innovation in the medium.
ABOUT S4C: S4C is a public broadcaster and the only Welsh language television channel in the world. S4C distributes a wide range of programmes including drama, documentaries, news, music, entertainment, live sport and children programmes world-wide. Online content includes HANSH a unique platform with content aimed mainly at 16-34-year-olds. S4C Clic , S4C's player and on demand Service, provides exclusive content, catch up, archive material and box sets. All S4C content is also available on demand via BBC iPlayer.
Iris Zappe-Heller
Deputy Director, Austrian Film Institute
Biography
Iris Zappe-Heller joined the Austrian Film Institute in 1993.
She took over the Austrian representation at the Board of Eurimages from 1997 to 2021.
In 2011 she became deputy to the Director of the Film Institute.
In 2013 she installed the department for Gender Diversity Inclusion within the Film Institute, taking a package of measures as Gender Incentive, Gender Budgeting, Gender Reports, ProPro, Script competition. In this function she represents Austria in Eurimages’ Gender Equality Working Group that she has chaired from 2016 to 2021. She joined the EFAD’s Gender Inclusion Working Group in 2018, where she took over the chair in 2021. In 2015 she has been the Austrian expert of the Sarajevo Conference Declaration and therefore actively involved in the drawing up of the European Council’s Recommendation on Gender Equality. Since 2024 she is member of the board of European Women’s Audiovisiual network, EWA.
In 2023 she was appointed Deputy Director of the Film Institute and is member of the board of Filmarchiv Austria since.
Jenn Brown
Executive Director, St John’s International Women’s Film Festival Newfoundland
Biography
Jenn Brown is a respected arts leader with 20 years of experience driving sustainable growth in Canada’s not-for-profit cultural sector. As Executive Director of Canada’s longest-running women’s film festival, she has played a pivotal role in transforming the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (SJIWFF) into a thriving platform for underrepresented voices. Under her leadership, SJIWFF launched Canada’s first gender equity in film institute and received numerous awards, including recognition by USA Today as one of the top ten film festivals worth traveling to. In 2025, Atlantic Business Magazine named Jenn one of the regions 25 Most Powerful Women in Business. In 2024, she was nationally recognized by Business / Arts as one of 25 leaders shaping Canada’s next wave of artistic development and honoured with the Circle of Distinction – Equity at Work Award by YWCA St. John’s.
Lesley McKimm
Executive Producer
Biography
Lesley McKimm is an Irish producer and Exec Producer of feature films, TV drama series and documentaries. She worked as a freelance producer in the early part of her career on documentaries such as Southpaw and TV dramas for RTÉ such as Relative Strangers and No Tears.
She set up her first company Comet Film & TV in 1998. A highlight here was the comedy drama series Any Time Now for BBC1, RTÉ 1 and S.I. At the time, Any Time Now was the first prime-time, Irish led and created TV series to be developed out of Ireland for BBC 1.
She merged Comet Films with Newgrange Pictures in late 2006 and co-ran Newgrange with fellow producer Jackie Larkin for 10 years. During her time there, she helped successfully raise domestic and international production finance on 9 feature films, and acted as a minority co-producer for German, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish films. She also produced the award-winning feature film My Name is Emily written and directed by the late Simon Fitzmaurice, who suffered from Motor Neuron Disease, and the documentary It’s Not Yet Dark, about Simon’s life which premiered at Sundance.
She then spent 5 years as a Project Manager with Screen Ireland where she Exec Produced over 30 feature films and 20 documentaries. Credits from then include the feature films Deadly Cuts, Herself, and The Hole in the Ground, as well as the acclaimed feature documentaries Nothing Compares and Katie. A key focus of her time at Screen Ireland was achieving gender parity in directing and writing as well as better female representation on screen.
Lesley joined Playground Television in January 2022, and has Exec produced the hit Channel 5 series The Hardacres for them. She is currently in post on The Hardacres Series 2 – both series are in co-production with her newly set up Irish company, Red Berry Productions.
If you have any enquiries, please contact the events team at: wiftisummit2026@wft.ie
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