Advisory Board
Mukesh Chhabra
Casting Director
Mukesh Chhabra is at the forefront of casting in Indian cinema and entertainment. As one of Bollywood’s most influential casting directors, he has been a key force in shaping the careers of some of the industry’s biggest stars. With an eye for raw talent and a deep understanding of cinematic storytelling, he brings together the perfect synergy of actors, filmmakers and visionaries to create magic on-screen.
From blockbuster films to high-profile OTT projects, his legacy is built on an unwavering commitment to artistic quality. Beyond the glitz and glamour, Mukesh is equally passionate about discovering fresh talent, nurturing emerging artists and supporting young filmmakers on passion-driven projects. This blend of visionary insight and heartfelt mentorship continues to set new benchmarks in the industry and redefine cinematic excellence. Some of his diverse body of work includes IC814, 12th fail, Poacher, Black warrant, Santosh, Scam 1992, Delhi Crime, Dangal, PK, Chamkila, Dunki and Jawan.
Jérôme Paillard
Film Producer / Consultant
After successively working as a classical musician, artistic director and CFO for a classical record label, Jérôme Paillard produced alongside Daniel Toscan du Plantier at Erato Films over a dozen feature films by such famous directors as Satyajit Ray, Mehdi Charef, Souleymane Cissé, Maurice Pialat, Jean-Charles Tachella…
He then served the Festival de Cannes from 1995 to 2022 as Executive Director of the Marché du Film overseeing the development and management of what is now heralded the world’s leading film market.
He has also been the co-director of Ventana Sur, the first market specialized in Latin-American films, since its creation in Buenos Aires in 2010. Paillard is also the founder of cinando.com, a leading online resource, communication and screening platform for the industry.
He now consults for events, film and business projects. He is also President of the ACM Distribution Commission at CNC and mediates in audio-visual industry disputes. Paillard has participated in several commissions at CNC and SACEM, has been a professor at the ESCP-EAP, the INA SUP, the Universities of Avignon and Lausanne, and is Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
In a second life, he is also an aircraft commercial pilot and flight instructor.
Rana Daggubati
Actor / Producer
Rana Daggubati is a National Award-winning filmmaker and a successful actor in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi (Indian) films. He made a sensational debut, simultaneously winning the Filmfare Award and Zee Cine Award for Best Male Debut in Telugu and Hindi for his roles in Leader (2010) and Dum Maaro Dum (2010), respectively. He is widely known for his roles in the magnum opus films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). A Belly Full of Dreams (2004), a film he co-produced at the age of 20, received two National Awards for Best Picture and Best Child Actor. His company, Spirit Media, currently works with all the leading platforms and studios. Having a keen eye for top-quality content, he has presented films like C/O Kancharapalem, Charlie 777, and Pareshan through his home production house, Suresh Productions. Daggubati’s entrepreneurial spirit has seen him invest in tech companies like Gamezop and Iknoz Club and promote unique media-tech startups through Anthill Studio. His latest venture includes SouthBay, a pop-culture marketplace driven by setting new narratives in cinema, showbiz, music, and marketing. He also owns a large part of the iconic publication company Amar Chitra Katha.
Julian Friedmann
Literary Agent/Executive Producer
Julian Friedmann is co-owner of the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency and was the publisher of ScriptWriter magazine, which became the premier magazine for screenwriters in the UK and Europe. At the agency, he represents both book and scriptwriters and also acts as Executive Producer for and with clients.
Julian is the author of the Make Money Screenwriting series (an updated version of the previous How to Make Money Scriptwriting), co-author of The Insider’s Guide to Writing for Television, and editor of two volumes on Writing Long-Running Television series.
He has taught at universities and film schools all over the world. He designed the MA in Television Scriptwriting at De Montfort University, and PILOTS (for developing long-running television series) for the EU MEDIA Programme.
In India, Julian has led impactful scriptwriting workshops for NFDC and Cinevesture, sharing invaluable insights into the intricacies of the scriptwriting business, and leaving a lasting impact on aspiring storytellers in the country.
He has been on Emmy and Grierson Juries and is a Senior Advisor to the London Screenwriting Festival.
Ajitpal Singh
Director/Writer
Ajitpal Singh is a self-taught filmmaker living in Mumbai. Born in Punjab, Ajitpal was a young boy when his father’s cinema in Bathinda suffered huge losses during the Punjab insurgency of the 1980s. The family had to move to Gujarat, where they lived amid poverty and violence. Ajitpal overcame these early barriers to study chemistry, theatre and photography, before choosing filmmaking to express himself creatively.
His first feature film which he wrote and directed, Fire in the Mountains (2021), premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic competition. It went on to play at more than 30 film festivals around the world and won numerous awards. FITM was on the list of NY Times’ best films of 22. Ajitpal directed his debut web series Tabbar (2021) which is streaming on SonyLIV and was ranked highly in various Indian ‘Best of 2021’ lists – it came in fifth in Variety’s Best International Shows of 2021. In 2018, his short film Rammat Gammat won honours at the prestigious Oberhausen International Short Film Festival and is now available to watch on YouTube.
Ajitpal is currently engaged in developing a series set in Mumbai and two feature films, continuing his journey of creating impactful cinema.
Nicole Guillemet
Film Producer
Guillemet has worked in key positions in the film industry for over thirty-five years. For 16 years she worked at the Sundance Institute as Vice-President and Co-Director of the Sundance Film Festival. In 2002, she founded the Utah Film Center bringing the world of film to local audiences, emphasizing social content and artistic excellence. From 2002 – 2007, Guillemet was the Director of the Miami Film Festival leading the Festival through an astounding five-year period of growth. In the last 18 years, she has worked as an executive consultant for various international film festivals including, the Middle East Film Festival in Abu Dhabi. She co-founded two festivals in Latin America: Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. She is currently a Senior Programmer at El Gouna Film Festival. In 2005 she was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Minister of Culture for her support of French Cinema.
Nuhash Humayun
Writer/Director/Producer
Nuhash Humayun is a Bangladeshi writer/director with a love for combining genre with South Asian identity.
A self-taught filmmaker, Nuhash wrote, directed and edited the short film Moshari (2022), Executive produced by Jordan Peele and Riz Ahmed. Moshari won the 2022 SXSW Jury Award as well as 10 awards at HollyShorts, Fantasia, Atlanta, Melbourne and many more. It is now slated for a feature film adaptation.
Nuhash also wrote and directed the Disney/Hulu original Foreigners Only as part of 20th Digital’s Bite Size Halloween, Season 3. It is the first Bangladeshi production on any U.S. streaming platform. Nuhash is currently working on his debut feature film Moving Bangladesh, a co-production between Bangladesh, Taiwan, and USA. Nuhash is a Sundance Screenwriting Fellow, and has received support from Berlinale Talents, Film Independent, the Hollywood Foreign Press, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Cannes Marche du Film & ScreenCraft.
