SoundTrack_Cologne has selected experienced professionals, who are interested in meeting you to exchange knowledge or to give advice or just to expand your network.
Our Matchmaking Session takes place on Thursday, July 04, 2024 from 16:00-17:30 (04:00pm - 05:30pm) in DIE EINS, COMEDIA Theater.
The registration for our Matchmaking Session is closed by now. We have already pre-arranged short 10min one-on-one meetings.
The meeting information has been sent. If you had applied and did not receive a meeting plan, please check your spam box. If you can't seem to find a meeting plan there, please contact us at matchmaking@televisor.de.
Unfortunately, there are no more meeting slots available at the moment. However, if you still would like to attend the matchmaking:
Please come to the accreditation counter and ask to be added to the waiting list.
Please be in DIE EINS, COMEDIA Theaterno later than 15:45! We will check, if slots become available on short notice.
The Matchmakers
Leija Aliev
LEJLA ALIEV initially studied art sciences at the University of Münster, followed by a study of fine arts at the Kunstakademie Münster. She joined Jan Enste as a managing partner at jae kunst und medien, which was renamed Juli Film in 2021.
Lejla Aliev initially studied art sciences at the University of Münster, followed by a study of fine arts at the Kunstakademie Münster, since 2016 in the class of Suchan Kinoshita. Parallel to her art studies with exhibitions in Europe, she joined Jan Enste as a managing partner at jae kunst und medien. After another three successful years, they decided to give the business partnership a common name, so in 2021 the rebranding to Juli Film took place, for which she works primarily as executive producer and director. Her scenic directing debut took place in 2022 for the docutainment web series ‘Preußen & Westfalen’.
The short film "Porzellan", directed by Lejla Aliev and Hanieh Bozorgnia, premiered at See The Sound Filmfestival 2020.
Managing Director of music supervision and composer representation agency LELAND, Ed has supervised film and television productions including Top Boy (Netflix), Steve McQueen’s five film anthology Small Axe (Amazon) and many others.
Managing Director of music supervision and composer representation agency LELAND, Ed has supervised film and television productions including Top Boy (Netflix), Steve McQueen’s five film anthology Small Axe (Amazon), 2023 BAFTA Best Original Music winner Mood (BBC), The Gold (BBC/Paramount+) and Formula 1: Drive To Survive (Netflix).
In advertising, Ed has supervised multi-award winning brand campaigns such as Greenpeace ‘Don’t Stop’ (2024 Clio Music Grand), PG Tips ‘Rock Solid’ (dir. Steve McQueen), Channel 4 Paralympics ‘We’re The Superhumans’ (Cannes Lions Grand Prix), and John Lewis & Partners widely awarded Christmas campaigns, which garnered several UK No.1 hit singles.
Ed previously headed up the UK sync departments at Blue Mountain Music and Bug Music. He now sits on the senior board of the UK & European Guild of Music Supervisors, as the head of the unions committee.
Three Headed Monkey Films is an innovative film production company and an up-and-coming game studio in one. As a three-headed monkey, we develop and produce high-quality genre films, comedy series and narrative video games from Cologne. Three Heads. Three Arts. One Vision.
Our team consists of two directors/writers and a producer/production manager. Our portfolio includes our own projects as well as collaborations with unique, external talents with whom we build long-term and sustainable partnerships on an equal footing, protecting and strengthening their creative visions. Our goal is to improve working conditions for film and media professionals across all departments, ensuring better art and sustaining young talent. Through our years of varied experience in the industry, we have learned one thing above all: there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Helge Borgarts is a freelance composer and producer. He is programme manager for games music at SoundTrack_Cologne. His references include work for the developers Crytek, Deck13, Spitfire Audio, Steinberg, Stratotainment and phenomedia.
Helge Borgarts is a German composer and producer. Working in the games industry for more than 17 years, he was involved in more than 40 projects as a composer and/or producer. He produced and contributed music to the game “Tiger & Chicken”, which was awarded Best Mobile Core Game at the German Developer Awards. With Thomas Stanger he founded the brand “BowsToHymns” and scored trailers for developers and publishers like Crytek, Stratotainment or Higgs Games, wrote library demos for companies like Spitfire Audio, Steinberg or Orchestral Tools and provided music for SPM or Warner/Chappell. His latest works include the scores for the games “The Surge 2”, “The Surge – The Good, The Bad and the Augmented” and “A Year of Rain”. He is the program manager for games music at the renowned festival and conference for music in film and media Soundtrack_Cologne and a regular speaker and lecturer at events and universities. Since 2021 he is audio director and composer at Deck13 Interactive.
Laila Bounouar is an experienced television producer and screenwriter with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry. She is skilled in negotiation, music management, event management, film production, and market research. In addition to her consulting work, she is also a talented songwriter. With a background as a social scientist, she brings a unique and comprehensive perspective to various areas of the media and entertainment sector. She is also a diversity expert, providing valuable advice to film productions and TV networks.
Claudia Budana’s professional mission is to supply consultancy to self-employed persons who would like to receive funding for further training. Claudia provides information about the funding program, guides you through the administrative process and helps you find the right training courses. As a member of the cultural and creative industries team at the municipal economic development agency KölnBusiness her focus is on the relevant industries in the Cologne area. But generally she advises entrepreneurs from all sectors and throughout Germany.
Composer agent and music industry veteran, Gary is the managing director of MRKR, a hybrid composer agency which he founded in 2023 in partnership with the legendary AIR Studios in London.
Composer agent and music industry veteran, Gary is the managing director of MRKR, a hybrid composer agency which he founded in 2023 in partnership with the legendary AIR Studios in London. MRKR is a leading global agency for diverse and unique talent, shaping and guiding the careers of composers and artists through first-class representation in the film, TV, games and media industries, and holistic management of the various aspects of their work and output.
MRKR’s current roster includes Nainita Desai, Neil Davidge, Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres and Yair Elazar Glotman, and Gary’s experience as an agent has seen him negotiate the composer deals, and oversee the scores of productions for the likes of Disney, Netflix, BBC, Amazon, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Sky, Warner Bros. and Universal, as well as working across advertising campaigns for the likes of Vodafone and Balenciaga.
In 2016, Gary was instrumental in the foundation of the independent agency Leland Originals, the sister company to music supervisors Leland Music, where he was managing director until the start of 2023.
His previous twenty years’ experience in publishing companies and record labels spans copyright, business affairs, A&R and synchronisation and saw him lead the licensing teams at Warner/Chappell Music, Chrysalis Music, Music Sales (now Wise Music) and Caroline International (now Virgin Music).
In 2008 he co-founded Exclamation Music, a freelance sync department and media company, specialising in the representation of independent labels and publishers, unsigned artists, and composers for all areas of media, and acting as music consultant for the infamous T-Mobile ‘flash mob’ series of commercials. This led to him joining FRUKT Communications in 2010, as head of licensing, where he oversaw the engagement of music talent and procurement of music rights directly for global brands including Nokia, Diesel, and Coca-Cola, for which he managed the musical elements of their Olympic Torch Relay campaign for London 2012.
Jan Enste studied fine arts at the Kunstakademie Münster. He founded the film production company jae kunst und medien, which was renamed Juli Film in 2021 after Lejla Aliev joined as managing partner.
Jan Enste studied fine arts at the Kunstakademie Münster in the class of Andreas Köpnick and Daniele Buetti, who selected him as a Meisterschüler in 2011. In 2008, while still a student, he founded his film production company jae kunst und medien in order to produce video art for artist colleges in addition to his work as a visual artist. The company was renamed Juli Film in 2021 after Lejla Aliev joined as managing partner. To date, Jan Enste has produced video art, music videos, feature films and documentaries for artists such as Kirsten Pieroth, Michael Smith, Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca, Suchan Kinoshita, Franz-Erhard Walther and many others, in addition to his own works.
Milena Fessmann is a music supervisor, radio host, producer and DJ. Since 1997, she has been working for Radio Eins/RBB with her own weekly show called "Free Falling".
Since 1991, Milena Fessmann has worked as a full-time DJ (2001-2014 Radio Eins After Work Lounge, Trompete/Berlin, European Film Awards 2015 etc.) and has worked for various radio stations. Since 1997 she works for Radio Eins/RBB with her own weekly show called "Free Falling".
In 1989 she founded CINESONG and has been working as a music supervisor on more than 400 films and series.
She is moderator of several national events and panels such as the "Cartoon Movie Award"/Postdam 2002-2008, Reeperbahn-Festival 2014-23, c/o pop Cologne 2014-2024 and many more. Milena Fessmann teaches music supervising and copyright clearing at film schools such as DFFB Berlin and is advisory board member of the World Soundtrack Academy and Member of the European Filmacademy.
She founded a film production company called Sugar Town Filmproduction Gmbh & Co.kg in 2011. Its first project was "The Potential of Noise- Conny Plank" by Stephan Plank and Reto Caduff. Fessmann is executive-producer of "When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit", directed by award-winning director Caroline Link, and is co-producer of “Prince of swans”, as well as a few more. Her newest documentary project “Just do it- She-punks from 1977 until now” about female punk and the new wave in german speaking territory from 1979-89 is currently in pre-production.
Marielène Froidevaux co-founded the international publishing house Black Stellar Music based in Zurich, representing a wide catalogue of music in the genres electronica, alternative, indie and urban.
Marielène Froidevaux co-founded the international publishing house Black Stellar Music based in Zurich, representing a wide catalogue of music in the genres electronica, alternative, indie and urban.
Back in 2019 she started supervising on film productions and has been involved in numerous projects since. The 39-year-old is furthermore highly engaged in music policy issues, fair payments for artists as well as AI development in music on legal, political, social and creative aspects. She recently joined the tech start up Ontiko and the Brand Partnership Agency LOY.
Lilly Gibson is the co-founder and art director at Papercoda Games. She is a Fine Arts graduate from South Africa who majored in printmaking and video art. Her work is part of the distinguished Constitutional Court Art Collection in South Africa.
Lilly Gibson is the co-founder and art director at Papercoda Games. She is a Fine Arts graduate from South Africa who majored in printmaking and video art. She worked in the film industry for over 3 years, where she designed sets and props and animated title sequences for films such as The Tokoloshe. Her work is part of the distinguished Constitutional Court Art Collection in South Africa.
Papercoda Games is an indie game studio based in Cologne. With the tagline "Decoding our world through play", their mission is to cater to the rapidly growing but under-served market of strategy & simulation games that explore real-world complexities in a fun and insightful way. Their plan is to lower the high threshold of entry into this sector and attract more gender-diverse and relaxed gamers through non-violent themes, cozy aesthetics and gameplay that is easy to learn but hard to master.
Three Headed Monkey Films is an innovative film production company and an up-and-coming game studio in one. As a three-headed monkey, we develop and produce high-quality genre films, comedy series and narrative video games from Cologne. Three Heads. Three Arts. One Vision.
Our team consists of two directors/writers and a producer/production manager. Our portfolio includes our own projects as well as collaborations with unique, external talents with whom we build long-term and sustainable partnerships on an equal footing, protecting and strengthening their creative visions. Our goal is to improve working conditions for film and media professionals across all departments, ensuring better art and sustaining young talent. Through our years of varied experience in the industry, we have learned one thing above all: there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Martin Häne is a publisher of currently 7 different music production labels for both major distributors as well as independents. Before becoming a music publisher, Häne worked as a composer for 10+ years.
Martin Häne is a publisher of currently 7 different music production labels for both major distributors as well as independents.
Before becoming a music publisher, Häne worked for 10+ years as composer for both production music as well as bespoke music.
His credits as a composer include "Fack ju Göhte 2", "Melrose Place", "Bring it on" (Universal), various Lion's Gate Films (Warrior, Frankenhood) as well as Commercials and TV Series on networks such as ABC, NBC, CW TV, among others.
As a Publisher, his mission is simple: To create Production Music with character, and helping media creators to tell their story.
Alexander “Aki” Hemmpel has been part of the music business scene for more than 40 years now. He started with an education as a merchant and worked in a record store for the first 5 years. Besides that, he worked as a freelance journalist. In 1986 he started his career at several record companies (Phonogram, now Universal records, east / west records, WEA both now Warner Music) which lasted for nearly 10 years in different functions. He started as a Regional Promotion Manager in the southwest of Germany, then moved to Hamburg and became Marketing Manager and later A&R Manager for all three companies. He worked with artists such as Yello, Doro Pesch / Warlock, Nana Mouskouri, Can, Rausch, Jingo de Lunch, just to name a few.
In 1994 he started his own Management Company managing Beautiful World / Phil Sawyer, Sun, Rausch, Lovekrauts and Even Cowgirls get the Blues with actresses Jasmin Tabatabai and Regula Grauwiller. Through the latter he made first contacts with the film industry, which lead to the founding of MX IN Agency for Film Music (at that time called TOP:TWENTY) in 1997. Up to now, he has represented more than 50 film composers throughout his career as an agent and MX IN has 27 composers on their roster at present.
From summer 2011 until summer 2014, Alexander Hemmpel built the complete sync department for the German dependance of one of the world's largest music publishers, Concord Music Berlin, then called Imagem Music. Beside their pop / rock catalogue, Concord also represents the catalogues of Boosey & Hawkes / Bote & Bock, the biggest contemperary classical publisher, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, the biggest musical-publisher and agency worldwide.
Within this time, he negotiated deals between Daft Punk & Audi A3, Phil Collins & Mercedes, and 3 placements with Germany's most successful director, actor and film producer Til Schweiger for Linkin Park.
Since 2013 he owns the music label and publishing company Score and More Music (short SAMM) with partner Malte Brants, which releases side projects of film composers out of MX IN, film soundtracks and high quality artists from outside the mainstream.
All in all, Alexander has worked on more than 500 movies as a supervisor, record label owner and agent for composers.
Nicole Kortlüke is a freelance film editor. She received the German Film Award 2024 for "Best Editing" for the award-winning cinema documentary ‘Seven Winters in Tehran’.
Nicole Kortlüke is a freelance film editor. After working as an assistant editor on cinema and television films, she studied film editing at the International Film School Cologne. Since 2006, she has worked as an editor on well-known cinema and television feature films, series, children's films and documentaries. She received the German Film Award 2024 for "Best Editing" for the award-winning cinema documentary ‘Seven Winters in Tehran’. Nicole Kortlüke has worked on fictional cinema films such as ‘Geborgtes Weiß’ (Director: Sebastian Ko) and the children's films ‘Too Far Away’ (Director: Sarah Winkenstette) and ‘Lassie - Ein neues Abenteuer’ (Director: Hanno Olderdissen). The latter won two prizes for ‘Best Feature Film’ and ‘Best Leading Actor’ at the Goldener Spatz 2023 children's film festival. She edited the TV feature films ‘Ostfriesensühne’ (Director: Sebastian Ko) and ‘Eher fliegen hier Ufos’ (Director: Gina Wenzel, Ingo Haeb). She has also worked as a lecturer at the International Film School Cologne and at the Mainz University of Applied Sciences.
Jan-Paul Laarmann`s professional mission is the promotion of creative industries in Cologne. Together with two colleagues, he advises creatives and companies, develops funding structures and strong networks at the municipal economic development agency KölnBusiness. His main fields of activity are design, music, art and advertising. Still impressed by the inventive spirit of Cologne`s media economy, he also is enthusiastic about all projects dealing with Extendend Reality. In former positions he developed and executed EU-funded projects in creative and cultural tourism on state level for Tourismus NRW e.V., worked as a project manager for a start-up in film marketing and in communications for the annual Ruhrtriennale festival of the arts.
Catherine Lieser is the managing director of the German Association for Filmsound Professionals (Berufsvereinigung Filmton e. V, bvft) which represents the interests of Filmsound Professionel towards clients and politics.
Catherine Lieser is the managing director of the German Association for Filmsound Professionals (Berufsvereinigung Filmton e. V, bvft) that is representing the interests of Filmsound Professionel towards clients and politics.
She studied at the University of Television and Film in Babelsberg and is a member of the board of Women In Film And Television.
Verena is a filmmaker and producer. In 2009, after spending time abroad in London and New York, she graduated in Audiovisual Media at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, specializing in experimental and documentary film.
Verena is a filmmaker and producer. In 2009, after spending time abroad in London and New York, she graduated in Audiovisual Media at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, specializing in experimental and documentary film. Her diploma film “Brown” was funded by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW in 2008.
In the early 2000s, she was active in Cologne's club scene as part of the DJ team “Frauen und Technik”. After permanent positions at the publishing houses Walther König and TASCHEN in Cologne, she founded The Colgogne Art Book Fair, an artists' book fair for self-publishing, together with André Sauer and Tim Grothaus in 2015.
She has been working as a freelance director, camerawoman and editor since 2015. Dealing with public space is almost always at the center of her films.
Urban spaces, pop culture and changemaking are also the foundation of her company: in 2020, Verena Maas founded tvist GmbH with Sebastian Züger. For their business idea, the two received the NRW start-up grant and the grant from the Mediengründerzentrum NRW.
Verena holds teaching positions at the Institute for Pop Music at the Folkwang University of the Arts and at the Professional Center of the University of Cologne.
Thomas Mikusz was born in Vienna, but now lives in Los Angeles. As president of White Bear PR, he spearheaded several successful Oscar winning campaigns for Best Song and Best Score.
In 2011 Thomas Mikusz co-founded White Bear PR, a Public Relations Company, specializing in Composers, Music Supervisors, Soundtrack Promotions and Music Companies.
He spearheaded the successful Award campaigns for Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front), Hildur Gudnadóttir (Joker, Chernobyl), Germaine Franco (Encanto) and Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queens Gambit). In addition, he worked on the PR campaigns for the Academy Award-nominated Best Score and Best Original Song for Everything Everywhere All At Once and on the campaign for Best Original Song for Husavik from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. He works with composers such as Rachel Portman, John Murphy, Daniel Hart, Stephen Barton, Gordy Haab, Amelia Warner, Austin Wintory, Natalie Holt, Dan Romer, Anthony Willis, Rob Simonsen, and Benjamin Wallfisch, to name just a few.
For the past four years he served on the leadership of The Alliance for Women Film Composers, amplifying and supporting the work of women composers.
His career is quite diverse, he has worked as flight attendant, served as General Manager for the two largest German tour operators in the US, and has been Managing Director for a Miami based talent agency, representing headline entertainers to major cruise lines.
His spare time is dedicated to hiking, nature and travel.
Eigenvermarktung, Publicity, Webpräsenz, Social Media 1
Pragya Mukherjee is the co-founder and Lead Designer of Papercoda Games. She is a Literature graduate from India who has worked as a writer, journalist, film editor and EdTech product manager before joining the games industry.
Pragya is the co-founder and Lead Designer of Papercoda Games. She is a Literature graduate from India who has worked as a writer, journalist, film editor and EdTech product manager before joining the games industry as a game and narrative designer for an indie studio. Her first shipped PC game “The Last Bastion” (2022) was nominated for an Indie Game of the Year award at the India Game Developer Conference. She also won first prize at the Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur’s “Game & Mod Jam zu Außenpolitik” in 2023.
Papercoda Games is an indie game studio based in Cologne. With the tagline "Decoding our world through play", their mission is to cater to the rapidly growing but under-served market of strategy & simulation games that explore real-world complexities in a fun and insightful way. Their plan is to lower the high threshold of entry into this sector and attract more gender-diverse and relaxed gamers through non-violent themes, cozy aesthetics and gameplay that is easy to learn but hard to master.
Fitore Muzaqi is a screenwriter and director based in Cologne, Germany. Her work as a writer deals with cultural differences, feminist issues and injustice.
Fitore Muzaqi was born in Kosovo and moved to Germany in 1995. From 2009-2013 she studied Literature, Culture, Media and Social Sciences at the University of Siegen. In her Master's programme she studied Communication Arts - Narrative Environments at the Braunschweig University of Art (2013-2016). After her studies, she worked as a writer, director and creative producer for WDR and production companies in Cologne.
In 2021-2023 she completed the Serial Storytelling (MA) programme at the International Film School Cologne (ifs).
She is a founding member of Female Filmmakers CGN and has been on the board of DDV (Deutscher Drehbuchverband / German Screenwriting Association) since 2023.
Fitore Muzaqi is a screenwriter and director based in Cologne, Germany. Her work as a writer deals with cultural differences, feminist issues and injustice.
Kim is a German-born musician living in Montreal, Canada. She learned classical piano and jazz harmony in Berlin, where she also became a licensed event manager in the 2000s. She is a long time collaborator of Cristobal Tapia de Veer.
Kim is a German-born musician and music manager living in Montreal, Canada.
Growing up in Berlin, a city known for its dynamic art scene, boundless possibilities and unvarnished character, young Kim began with classical piano lessons and later studied jazz harmony. She practised as a “Meisterschülerin” (master student) under Jürgen Düsterhues, whose mottos were “the law is: there is no law” and “every note has a justification”. But Berlin was too bustling, and life was too full of exciting opportunities to pursue simply one. Kim fell in love with the capital's nightlife, festivals, and music scene and began working as an intern at Berlin's famous venue Tempodrom am Ostbahnhof. The venue collaborated with Piranha Arts on many occasions.
While still playing music on the side, she quickly realized how much she enjoyed helping other musicians advance in their careers. Working with international artists of all genres was thrilling and invigorating. She became a licensed event manager and transitioned from tour booking, production, and festival organization at world music specialist Transatlantico Tours & Services Agency (which split into F-Cat Productions and Prime Tours & Promotion later on) to music publishing, licensing, studio recording, and album record production in Montreal, where she now runs her own agency, Free Run Artists Productions.
She has spent the previous 12 years at Free Run Artists working alongside one of today's most recognized screen composers, Cristóbal Tapia de Veer.
From their first joint film music production, the UK cult-series Utopia (C4, UK), to Black Mirror (Netflix), The Girl with all the Gifts (Warner), beloved The White Lotus (HBO), and 2022 box office surprise hit Smile (Paramount), Cristo has grown into one of the most highly acclaimed contemporary and sought-after artists.
As Cristo’s long time collaborator and second pair of ears, Kim has also assisted him in the studio on many projects including Série noire (CBC), Humans (AMC), Jamaica Inn (BBC), The Third Day (HBO/SKY), Hunters (PRIME), Smile (Paramount) and most recently, The White Lotus S2 (HBO).
Sebastian Parche is a German composer with a passion for creating captivating music that enhances storytelling. He studied "Composing for Film and Theatre" at the ArtEZ University of Arts in Arnhem, Netherlands.
Quickly, he discovered the joy of composing for nature documentaries and recording orchestras, which has significantly shaped his artistic path.
In 2015, he expanded his horizons by entering the world of production music. His repertoire boasts over 600 production music titles, which are successful internationally.
Since 2017, he often works in cooperation with his musical partner Rainer Quade.
Sebastian is co-founder and co-CEO of the production music company MUSIC SCULPTOR. With years of experiences in the media industry, the logical consequence was to build up a music catalogue for storytellers, including repertoire of renowned authors worldwide.
Cornelius Tometten is a film producer and managing director of L’accord Filmproduktion, based in Cologne. L’accord develops and produces commercials, documentary, and feature films, and has completed projects for, among others, WDR, L’Oréal Paris, and Eurowings Digital. Cornelius Tometten, M.A., studied social and cultural anthropology with a focus on media anthropology in Cologne and cultural studies in Indonesia, and was a scholarship holder at the Mediengründerzentrum NRW.
