Anna Hagnefur

I am an Archive Sales Executive, working for the Swedish pubcaster SVT in this role since 2024. I have previously worked in the film-, tv- and publishing industry in the UK and Sweden in various different roles since 2008, with a particular interest in documentary. I also have a background in art with focus on analogue practices, and I have a soft spot for vernacular photography. I hope the programme will give me an opportunity to learn more about the archive industry from an archival producer’s perspective, and also broaden my network with deeper connections. As the world keeps spinning faster, and AI has brought new dimensions to “content creation” I am even more drawn to archive-based storytelling, which I find crucial to our understanding of not only the past, but also our future. On a personal note I’m very much into human rights advocacy and I’m an avid swimmer.

Anna Wiles

I’m a London-based producer with a background in documentary filmmaking and new media arts. 

After working as an editorial TV producer and contributing to BAFTA-winning series, I moved into archive production, where I discovered a strong interest in uncovering unseen material and shaping new narratives through archival storytelling.

Selected for the Grierson Archive Producer Scheme 2025, I am currently on a placement as an archive producer trainee, continuing to develop my skills in sourcing and managing archive for factual and documentary productions. 

This work is strengthening my practice, while my background in new media arts continues to inform my interest in using archive as a creative storytelling tool across different platforms.

I’m excited by the opportunity the FOCAL mentorship offers to deepen this approach, expand my understanding of the field and learn from experienced professionals working across the archive industry.

Cara Casier

Cara Casier is a filmmaker and history lover based in New York City. She has worked in documentary production with McGee Media for the past couple of years, contributing to projects for PBS and HBO, including Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History, Black History in Two Minutes (or So), Dear Ms: A Revolution in Print, as well as an upcoming PBS history series on Black music. Working on these history-driven projects has given her a newfound appreciation for and curiosity about archives, and she is excited to continue growing her skill set in this integral element of nonfiction storytelling.

Cassie Sagness

I’m a documentary producer based in Ohio. Creatively I’m drawn to archival-driven stories and investigations, and have worked as an archival producer on a variety of documentary features and series. In addition to my documentary work, I’m currently pursuing a Masters degree in the Study of Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. I am especially interested in the intersection of law, archival material, and nonfiction storytelling.

Catalina Altuna

Catalina has worked as a projectionist for the past ten years. After completing her Film Preservation Studies at Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, she gained a year and a half of experience in film digitisation at Filmoteca Española, working with a historical collection. She was later invited to return to the Film Preservation Studies course as a final project tutor. She currently combines this experience with projection work and is part of the technical departments of international film festivals across Spain.

Chantelle Greenough

I'm a Content Executive with a background in photography. Volunteering within the archives at my local contemporary art gallery, writing blogs to showcase archival material in my day-to-day work, and researching my own cultural heritage, I've developed a growing interest in the archive sector. I'm looking forward to learning, making connections, and engaging with the opportunities offered through the FOCAL mentorship.

Claire Bénaud

I’m a French Archive and Digitisation Officer now based in Manchester, UK. After a career change, I decided to go back to university and graduated last year from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris with a degree in archives and heritage, specialising in audiovisual archives. Since starting my role as an archive and digitisation officer earlier this year, I’ve been developing my skills in digitisation, metadata creation, and the long-term preservation of analogue and digital collections. I’m particularly drawn to film archives, visual storytelling, the challenges and importance of caring for moving image materials, and I am looking to develop further in this area. I’m very happy to be part of the FOCAL Mentoring Programme and excited to deepen my knowledge, gain confidence, explore career paths, learn from experts, and connect with the international archival community.

Daniel Marcou

I'm a new archival researcher in Minneapolis, Minnesota, transitioning into documentary work after four decades in librarianship.

I came to archival research through a career of finding and sharing stories — first in libraries, where I produced short documentaries and was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2009, and now in service of filmmakers working with archival footage. Alongside research, I bring hands-on experience in video editing and writing.

I've trained through the Netflix DART Program and Maine Media Workshops, and I'm a member of the Archival Producers Alliance and FOCAL International.

The Mentoring Programme arrives at a pivotal moment in my transition, and I'm eager to learn from a seasoned professional how to build a sustainable archival research practice.

Isabel Lyndon

I am a filmmaker and archival researcher based in Oakland, California. Most recently, I co-produced Who Moves America (2026, dir. Yael Bridge) and was associate producer for an untitled feature documentary about Rev. Jesse Jackson (dir. Shola Lynch). I’ve contributed to documentaries and videos from PBS Frontline, KQED, American Public Media, and the Investigative Reporting Program. I hold a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Jori Brooks-Johnson

Jori Brooks-Johnson is a filmmaker, public historian, and archival researcher based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a double graduate of NYU, with a BFA in Film & TV and an MA in Archives & Public History. Jori has served as an archival researcher and assistant for projects by Retro Report and PBS American Masters. In 2025 she created the archival documentary Harbouring History: Brooklyn's Transforming Waterfront in collaboration with PortSide NewYork, a maritime history organisation in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Jori is passionate about bringing the hidden gems of archives to wider audiences through documentaries, and is excited to expand her work in this field.

Justina Tran

My name is Justina Tran and currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Some of my favorite docs are American Movie, Act of Killing, Pianoforte, and New Wave. As an archival person, I'm always on the lookout for more music and media at all times. Feel free to send any recs! I enjoy films that include my interests of music, cinema, food, and travel. The older Vice series, States of Undress does a very good job of combining culture, politics, and fashion in a way that I hope to see in more docs in the future. Even Though, I'm in NYC I'm curious about the doc world in London and abroad, so I'm excited to see where FOCAL leads me.

Victoria Muldoon

Hello, I was a Documentary Filmmaking Zoom Film School Trainee at Four Corners and have  attended the Screenskills Archive Researcher Trainning Programme. I've voluntered for the Bengali Photo Archive at Four Corners and the London Screen Archive.I was a junior researcher on a Netflix feature documentary and a six part anthology series as part of Rise at Raw at Raw TV. I'm delighted to be part of the Focal International Mentoring Programme. 

Yassmine Betioui

Yassmine Betioui is a filmmaker and emerging film preservationist. She has worked as an archive assistant with LUX London and Cinédoc Paris, and restored original nitrate negatives with TransPerfect Media. Her interests are in the future of film restoration, where she wishes to contribute to projects focused on artist moving image and heritage cinema from the MENA region.

Zlata Filipović

Originally from Bosnia Zlata Filipović is Irish-based EMMY and IFTA award winning producer of numerous feature and television documentaries as well as short films that have screened across the world gathering awards and acclaim. She most recently produced the IFTA nominated 'Listen to the Land Speak' for RTE presented and authored by the late Manchán Magan. In 2022 she produced 'Epic West' as well as the IFTA nominated hybrid feature documentary 'How To Tell A Secret'. Zlata was producer on the multi award-winning documentary 'Farthest' (IFTA Best Documentary 2018, EMMY 2018) about NASA's Voyager mission which premiered at Tribeca Festival 2017 and well as producing IFTA-award winning documentaries 'Somebody To Love' (IFTA 2014) and Blood of the Irish (IFTA 2010). Her other notable work includes Grierson award nominated documentary 'Here Was Cuba'. She is the recipient of Netflix Documentary Talent Fund 2023 for the film 'Two Mothers' nominated for IFTA 2025. She is a EURODOC 2024 alumni with feature documentary project 'The Last Balkan Cowboy' (currently in production).

Alessia Petitto

Alessia Petitto began working as an archive researcher in 2009. She attended training courses at the Cineteca di Bologna, FIAF, and INA (France), deepening her knowledge of the various aspects of the archival footage workflow, from film restoration to rights management. She worked on archive research for Martin Eden, directed by Pietro Marcello (Venice Festival 2019); Marx Can Wait, directed by Marco Bellocchio (Cannes Festival 2021); and Leonora Addio, directed by Paolo Taviani (Berlinale festival 2022), Wax and Gold, directed by Ruth Beckermann (Berlinale Festival 2026). She teaches at various Italian universities and film schools, training new archive researchers and archive producers.

Camille Carlier

After graduating in journalism with an experience at the Documentary department at ARTE, Camille worked for several years in the Acquisitions and News Departments of France Télévisions. After which she worked as a freelance for the Very Short Films International Festival as a Development Coordinator. She then moved to London to develop her career in Archives and worked for two years at FOCAL International as the Awards, Events and Membership Coordinator. She developed the awards competition as well as designed, launched and managed FOCAL's first Mentoring Programme for people willing to grow a career in the archive industry.

Camille is now back in Paris, working at Le Chaînon Manquant (The Missing Link), a sourcing, research and clearance agency, as Archive Researcher and Development Coordinator. Her credits include Surf, le feu sacré, Chaplin, Spirit of the Tramp, The real story of Saving Private Ryan, Narcotrafic: Poison of Europe and the posthumous short film of Jean-Luc Godard, Drôles de Guerres.

Chris Fossey

Chris has a 20+ year career working in Content Services and Post Production facilities in London. A large amount of Chris's career was spent at the BBC working across many archive projects, Post Producer on many BBC programmes including Strictly Come Dancing, Children in Need and Pointless.

Since 2020 Chris has worked at Iron Mountain Media & Archive Services as a Senior Business Development Manager, a role that allows him to work with Broadcasters, Distributors and Sports Associations to name a few to help preserve and protect their historic archives.

Elizabeth Bowley

Elizabeth has worked at British Pathé for over seven years, beginning her journey at the company as an Archive Coordinator before progressing to her current role as Business Development Manager. She oversees territories across the Americas, Germany, Eastern Europe, and Australasia, and has helped provide archive content for projects including Marty Supreme, Babylon, and Turning Point: The Bomb and The Cold War. With a background in history, she is passionate about the incredible archive content the company is able to offer clients.

Geoff Walton

Geoff Walton is a London-based Archive Producer working mainly in feature-length documentaries; most recently for MGM's Sounds of 007 and the Abbey Road Studios anniversary documentary If These Walls Could Sing.

Graham Relton

Graham co-leads the Yorkshire and North East Film Archive at York St John University, a unique pan-regional resource dedicated to saving and celebrating the screen heritage of Yorkshire and the North East over the past 135 years.

As Head of Access, he facilitates access to the rich and diverse collections for artists and academics, curators and programmers, researchers and producers to reveal compelling stories from the vaults. 

Graham is the producer of a series of award-winning human-centred archival short films, he also regularly curates and presents archive screenings as part of his commitment to connecting with a wide variety of audiences. 

With over 25 years’ experience in the arts and heritage sector and a proven track record in project management, film curation and interpretation, Graham is a passionate champion of the UK public film archive sector, advocating for the value of archive in a changing cultural landscape.

James Macmillan

James has over 20 years’ experience in the film and television industry, covering Post Production, Broadcast Operations, Access Services, Archive Digitisation and Restoration, and Content Operations.

After nearly 2 decades at ITV, James moved to Prime Focus Technologies in 2022 as Head Of UK Operations, working closely with Channel 4.

James is passionate about archive preservation and access services, and has a keen interest in film and music.

James McDonald

James has over twenty years of experience on over a hundred film and TV productions as archive producer and in other roles. He founded Shanakee Archive Agency in 2013 and now leads the team of archive producers overseeing projects' archival workflow and trouble-shooting issues relating to budgeting, negotiation, intellectual property, and anything unexpected.

Jeremy Shields

My name is Jeremy Shields and I’ve been a TV Researcher and Archive Researcher for 25 years.

I studied History and Politics at Queen’s University in Belfast and started work for the BBC in Belfast in 1999. I started off working in Information and Archives and a year later I put an idea forward for our local politics magazine programme, Hearts and Minds, based on archive I’d found about architecture in Belfast, we made the film and I was there in Television Current Affairs until I took voluntary redundancy in 2023. I worked on many different kinds of programmes, I was the lead researcher on the audience debate programmes, but my main love was working on anything that was archive based. I developed a deep knowledge of archive relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland and that was my specialist subject. I was part of the team that won a FOCAL Award for the archive in our Ian Paisley obituary/documentary and the last big project I worked on was a film called “The Secret Army”, that looked back on and investigated a film made about the IRA in 1972 that had disappeared from view for reasons that became obvious in the film. I’ve been involved in freelance film research since 2023 and I’ve started working for the library service in Belfast where I’m currently working in the library round the corner from where I live.

Jo Griffin

Jo Griffin is the co-founder and Digital & Restoration Director at R3store Studios, a leading London-based film restoration and digital archiving company. With more than 25 years of experience in the media and restoration industry, Jo has led high-profile projects for organisations including the British Film Institute, Arrow Video, BBC, ITV, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Wimbledon, and Guinness. Known for her expertise in film preservation and client-focused approach, she has helped position R3store Studios as a trusted name in restoring and safeguarding cinematic and historical archives for future generations.

Lawrie Schneider

Lawrie Schneider is Associate Director, Content Distribution at CBC/Radio-Canada. In this role, he oversees all external access to, and the monetization of, the archive of Canada's national public broadcaster. He leads a team of customer service representatives and librarians across English and French services, enabling the offering of over 90 years of content to clients from around the world. Prior to joining CBC/Radio-Canada, Lawrie held several distribution roles at Warner Bros. International Television Distribution and Blue Ant Media. He has a BA from Queen's University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, both in Canada.

Louise Pankhurst

I am a technically trained film archivist with an MA in Film with Film Archiving. I have over 20 years of experience working in the film archive sector both in private and public archives and I am currently an Account Manager at the Associated Press archive, where I collaborate closely with archive producers around the world on documentary projects covering a wide range of subjects. I also run London’s Home Movie Day held every third Saturday in October at the Cinema Museum in Kennington.

Luke Smedley

Luke Smedley is Head of Orchard Clips, the footage sales division of OR Media Group. He is an innovative content and operations manager with extensive experience in the commercialisation of film and video footage. Across more than 20 years he has handled all types of footage, from nitrate newsreels to viral mobile phone video. Luke has managed the film and video archives of the Associated Press as well as the extensive user generated content collection and content partnerships of social media publisher, LADbible Group. His knowledge spans from film formats and video codecs to metadata and copyright. Luke led the FOCAL International Award winning AP Archive Digitisation project.

Paul McClintock

Paul brings over 15 years of film and television experience to his role as Digital Collections Officer at Northern Ireland Screen, where he is responsible for curating, managing, and promoting the moving image archive’s digital collections. Previously Paul worked as an editor for major broadcasters including BBC, ITV, RTE and Disney. He served as editor for the Broadcast award winning Pablo, and most recently on the archive based series Sixties NI for ITV.