straight 8

- CHAIR OF THE BOARD.

A lawyer by background, Steve also advises on contracts, copyright and production issues, and anything else which is of concern to APA members.

Under his leadership, the APA has built on its core functions to provide members with new services, including marketing advice and opportunities to connect with new markets, in the UK and abroad, the APA Show and The Future of Advertising. He also founded the Masterclass, a course which trains 110 producers per year and myriad other initiatives and ensured the APA is a respected and effective advocate for its members’ interests.

Steve is a member of the APA Council, of the board of the Advertising Association and Vice President of the CFPE, as well as one of the founders of the World Producers Summit.

Avelino's career started in 1991 as a PA for the CCC film school, which he later joined in 1992 as the first production student ever recorded.
During the 1990's he focused his career towards the production of feature films, His first Feature as a producer was in 1994 (when he was only 20). He has never stopped producing films ever since.
During the late 1990's and the early 2000's, he served as In Lot Producer, Head of Production and Chief Operating Officer in what were the most relevant companies known to the industry at the time: Altavista Films, Argos Comunicacion, and Cineconcepto.
In 2005 he imported The Lift, a company focused advertising production, to Mexico. By setting a high standard in the services it provides, The Lift has become a leader in the International audiovisual production service, catering to the best directing talent in the world, positioning itself as a top player in the Mexican Industry.
Avelino has been juror for film festivals such as AICP Show, Circulo Creativo de México, Ciclope, Guadalajara Film Festival, Shorts Shorts Film Festival, amongst others.
He has also acted as speaker for several film festivals, panels, and universities. He served as the VP of Circulo Creativo de Mexico, as VP of international the affairs for the AMFI, and currently serves as President for the short film/advertising section of the Mexican Film Industry Chamber.
Avelino's academic background includes a Film General Studies Course in Production at CCC and the Harvard Business School OPM Program, where he graduated in 2015.

With over 30 years experience in the South African commercials industry, Janette De Villiers is considered one of the top producers and a prominent industry figure, regularly serving on various discussion panels and juries. Having produced for and collaborated with various award winning South African directors, and servicing some of the world’s most renowned international directors with top international production companies, Janette has an exceptional background in the film and advertising world.

Janette opened Groundglass in 2001 as a director focused production company but soon expanded the business to include service production work. More recently she launched another division of the company, “inc.creative”, which specializes in online content development and non-traditional forms of advertising – including mentoring and nurturing young creative talent. The digital age has created new platforms from which advertisers can engage with their target markets, and Janette is at the forefront of bringing this type of advertising to local and international clients. With strong views on social responsibility and the necessity to create a sustainable advertising industry, Janette is tireless in her endeavour to uncover and develop new talent.

Peter Grasse is an awarded producer who shaped the reputation of Asia-Pacific’s most dynamic production companies in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. For more than a decade Grasse has produced some of the World’s most talked- about and awarded commercial campaigns. Having been ranked in the Top Three Production Companies of the Decade by BestAds, he continues to cultivate the Asia- Pacific region’s most inspiring new talent as Mr+Positive.
Peter joined Curious Film Auckland as General Manger in 2004. Soon thereafter he launched new production offices in Sydney & Singapore to supply a growing Australasian demand for crafted commercial filmmaking. Under his leadership, Grasse’s team was awarded 3 Grands Prix, 3 Gold Lions, the Cannes Film Festival’s Semaine de la Critique Grand Prix for Stephen Kang’s Blue, as well as being name Ciclope’s Asia Pacific Production Company of the Year from 2013 to 2015.
Peter moved to Japan in 2016 in search of fresh thinking and new challenges. There Grasse launched Dictionary Films Tokyo and soon produced work which would go on to win top advertising honours worldwide.
Grasse has chaired the film craft jury at Ciclope, Spikes, Lisbon and Award and served on juries for Cannes Lions, Adfest, Axis, and Adstars. Grasse has also

lead sessions on craft at advertising events around the globe. With ‘My Mutant Musical Mind’, Peter returned to Cannes as a speaker in 2017 after speaking on the ’Redefinition of Production Value’ at the 2016 Entertainment Lions.

Adrian Bull is CEO of Cinelab London which he co-founded in 2013, he has a demonstrated history of successfully working in the motion picture film and television industry. Cinelab London has now worked with over 700 cinematographers and on many high-profile production such as Star Wars, ‘Succession’ for HBO, ‘Small Axe’ for BBC/Amazon Prime, Nike, Adidas, John Lewis, Gucci, Mercedes. Adrian has been a driving force in the renaissance of film being used as a creative medium of choice for so many filmmakers, including younger talent.

Adrian is also one of the most well respected, trusted and well-liked people working in the industry today. Adrian Bull “Ten years ago, I saw film in decline driven by a switch from print film to digital. In fact, not just in decline but in real danger of its knowledge and capabilities disappearing forever. I just had to step in. Most labs were closing down, and we wouldn’t accept the lack of choice and of losing film as a format for future generations. Cinelab London process hundreds of films each year, from 70mm down to super 8, with recent films including No Time to Die and Wonder Woman 1984, and yet still one of the most exciting projects we are involved with is straight 8.”

Grant is the Global ECD of iris based in London. He works alongside CCO Shaun McIlrath on pushing iris’ global creative output forward. During his time at iris he has led the award-winning Moon For All Mankind VR experience for Samsung, led the design team for the 2012 Olympic Mascots, developed Johnnie Walker's F1 branded content series 'Step Inside The Circuit' and the 'Force Of Black' platform for adidas' partnership with the All Blacks. He is the co-author of Newsjacking published by Thames and Hudson and is a regular speaker and juror at creative industry events including D&AD Shift.

Danny Edwards is the co-editor of shots and, alongside Jamie Madge, is responsible for the editorial content of shots.net, shots magazine and the brand's affiliated events. Over his 20 year career at shots he has covered the creative output of the global advertising arena, showcasing the best work and interviewing the most creative and inspiring companies and people in the industry. He has served on a variety of advertising award show juries including the Epica Awards, the Porsche Awards, the Music Video Awards, and also sits on the committee of the Young Director Awards, and the Board of Directors of The British Arrows. He has chaired events and panel discussion at ProMax, the YDA, Creative Week and the Daydreaming with... event, interviewing creative luminaries such as John Hegarty, John Hillcoat, UNKLE's James Lavelle, Alma Har'el and others. Outside of his work for shots he has also written for media publications including Screen International, The Cannes Lions Daily and The Guardian.

Partner / Executive Producer Indiana Production / MD of Advertising

Elected Board Member of the ADCI (the Italian Art Directors Club)

Elected Board Member of CPA (the Italian Advertising Production Company Association)

Karim Bartoletti is a multi-award-winning producer with great international experience. Born in Switzerland, Karim grew up in Iran, Italy, and the USA, and has gotten married in Chicago, Campinas (Brazil) and Washington DC to the same woman.

Karim has won every award in the industry – Cannes (9 lions of which 2 gold), Eurobest, London International, NY Festivals, Epica, D&AD, Cresta, Clio (6 clios of which 1 Grand Clio).

Karim has participated as a Juror in some of the best Award Shows in our business – Cannes, Eurobest (President), NY Festivals, Ciclope, ADCI Awards, Venice TV Awards, Lynx Dubai, AICP, etc - and is a regular lecturer, presenter, guest speaker in various schools, shows and events in Italy and abroad.

Karim has been elected for 3 consecutive terms on the Board Member of the ADCI – The Italian Art Director’s Club. It is an anomaly for a production person to have a chair on the board of a national creative association, but Karim has been ahead of its time in trying to diminish the distance between creative and production as well as allowing production to be considered a creative – and not a service-providing - extension of any creative project.

As of July 2018, Karim is also on the board of the newly-born CPA – the Association of Italian Advertising Production Companies, part of the CFP-e, to help create a system within the Italian production community that can allow production companies to not only work within the realms of a changing market but also to allow for the Italian production community to be able to speak the language of a global community.

Karim is also Global Ambassador for the AICP, a national REP for Cannes Lions in Italy and was Chairman of the Jury of the 2020 edition YDA - Young Directors Award.

Karim speaks 4 languages – of which 3 on a daily basis - and lives in Milan with his wife and 2 kids.

Lexi is the Creative Director of Iris Atlanta, putting her inquisitive nature, creative spirit and knack for telling a good story to work for a roster of diverse global and national brands. During her tenure, she’s led the charge on award-winning work for Reebok, adidas, and Ram Trucks. Beyond her client work, Lexi invests her time in mentoring young creatives and developing initiatives that carve a path for more female leadership in the advertising industry. She co-led the reinvention of the North American chapter of Iris Potential, a program that cultivates young creative talent, and established Take Your Mother to Work Day, an annual Iris event meant to inspire progress toward gender equality in the workplace.

Jason Stone has been championing great work as editor of DAVID REVIEWS for twenty years. Along the way, he has acquired an undeserved reputation for outspokenness, and an entirely deserved reputation for persuading charismatic people to say interesting things. Most recently, he has cast himself as a modern St Jude - the patron saint of hopeless causes - and it's in this context that he regularly offers full-throated support to his friend Ed Sayers and the wonderful Straight 8 competition.

Joce Capper is General Manager at Cinesite London and a long time friend and champion of straight 8.

Previously Joce was Creative Director at Cinelab Film + Digital before which she was Rushes Managing Director for 15+years, part of Deluxe Entertainment working globally with leading talent producing work across feature films, episodic tv, commercials and music videos.

Committed to training and education, Joce served on the board of UK Screen Alliance and the board of the Advertising Producers Association, also participating on Skillset's post-production Advisory Group. She was a driving force in founding the Soho Shorts Festival, which became established as the Uk's premier short film festival, hugely important to emerging filmmaking talent.

Joce Capper “I’ve worked in post-production for almost 30 years and I am still in awe of how talented people are, the passion, ideas, skill, creativity and commitment to their work. straight 8 is a brilliant idea, those who have made films (myself included) learn so much on many levels .. I recommend being brave enough to get involved, experienced or not, you will never forget the ride or watching the films.”

President and CEO of The Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP)