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Official Selection 2024 – Meet The Programmers
Introduced in 2020, our Official Selection showcases creative and bold stories that spark positive and restorative action for our natural world, acting as a global launchpad for new and diverse voices. From short and feature films to extended reality productions, these entries from amateur and experienced filmmakers alike are sure to inspire.
Each year our truly international selection is reviewed by a group of pre-selectors, then curated by a diverse team of programmers, here’s who we picked to join the Wildscreen programming team this year…
Lucy Mukerjee
Documentary Lab Director, Firelight Media
Lucy J. Mukerjee is a queer British-Indian cultural worker, dedicated to elevating the careers of underestimated storytellers, and leveraging the power of film to expand perspectives and shatter stereotypes. In 2023, Lucy became the Director of the Documentary Lab at Firelight Media, the premier destination for non-fiction cinema by and about communities of color, founded in 1998 by Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith.
Lucy’s 20+ years of industry experience include the roles of Director of Programming at Outfest and NewFest LGBTQ+ Film Festivals, and Senior Programmer at the Tribeca Festival. In 2019, alongside friends and colleagues from festivals worldwide, Lucy co-founded the Programmers Of Colour Collective, a global grassroots group of BIPOC film curators calling for transparency and accountability in the curatorial process.
Shaunak Sen
Director, All That Breathes
Shaunak Sen is an Academy award nominated filmmaker and writer based in Delhi. His film ‘All That Breathes’, received nominations at the 2023 Academy and BAFTA awards. The film won awards at Cannes, Sundance, BFI London, IDA and Cinema Eye, and 24 other film festivals. Cities of Sleep (2016), his first feature-length documentary, was shown at various major international film festivals and won 6 international awards.
Shaunak has received grants from Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA – Amsterdam amongst others. He has received the Pro Helvetia residency in Switzerland, the Sarai-CSDS grant, the Charles Wallace grant as visiting scholar at Cambridge University. Shaunak holds a PhD and has published in journals including Bioscope and Widescreen.
Chioma Onyenwe
Founder/Filmmaker, Raconteur Productions
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” I am thrilled to rejoin Wildscreen Programming team to celebrate earth’s beauty through film amidst challenging times.”
Chioma Onyenwe is the founder of Raconteur Productions, an international film production company telling stories at the intersection of history, culture and identity. Her first narrative feature, 8 Bars & A Clef, was nominated for the 2016 AMAA, and her latest feature, ‘I do Not Come To You By Chance,’ premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 and won the Audience Choice Awards at the Africa International Film Festival 2023. She is a Creative Producer Indaba and EAVE fellow, a freelance film programmer, a deep sea diver, a burgeoning tennis player, and an avid swimmer.
Benn Wiebe
Owner/Executive Producer, HFP Productions
“Wildscreen represents a crucial call to action in our world. A need to answer the call we all must heed as human beings: to be good stewards of this place. To serve as guardians and protect it in all its facets. Because it is a privilege to have this beauty, this art, this community of natural elements surrounding us everyday. And we get to choose how we commune back with it. I hope in championing these stories we all choose to be good stewards here. Because it is a privilege being human with you.”
Benn is an Oscar Shortlisted and SXSW winning Producer who has championed natural storytelling across the creative landscape. Benn has created campaigns and helped convene initiatives for the United Nations in support of the UN Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, providing a unique expertise and understanding of global issues. He has produced climate impact campaigns for Netflix titles (“Breaking Boundaries”, “Don’t Look Up”…); has been a consultant for UN Live, Count Us In, Vice; is a member and brand producer of UNEP’s Playing for the Planet Alliance; co-organizer of the SDGs in Action Film Festival with UN DESA; producer for SONY Picture This with UN Foundation; owner of the Arctic Film Festival in Svalbard; and an initial convener of the UNFCCC’s Entertainment & Culture for Climate Action initiative. Mobilizing people to impact social movement through stories is Benn’s personal mission.
Benn currently serves as the Executive Producer of HFP which runs film festivals across 13 countries. He is also a Mentor for SXSW, Creative UK, and for film schools including London Screen Academy, East London Arts & Music, and the National Film & Television School.
Wangechi Ngugi
Producer & Programmer
Wangechi Ngugi is a film producer, writer and curator based in Nairobi. With a deep belief in the transformative nature of storytelling, I strive to bring diverse narratives to the screen, amplifying voices and sparking meaningful conversations through the magic of film.
“Joining the Wildscreen Official Selection Programming Team this year presents an exciting opportunity to unveil nature’s cinematic marvels, celebrating its diversity in every frame. I’m thrilled to be part of this journey!”
Find out more about our Official Selection and submit your film here.
