Since 2018, Orwa Nyrabia (he/him) has been the Artistic Director of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, IDFA, the world’s largest documentary film and new media festival. At IDFA, Orwa is a member of the board of directors, overseeing the organization's various programs and offers.
Board Members
Michael A. Turner (he/him) is armed with double degrees in Economics and Political Science from Swarthmore College, and a law degree from Cardozo. He began his career in 2001 as a corporate associate at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson in NYC with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, before moving to Sony Music as a business affairs executive. The next chapter of his career unfolded at Discovery, where he rose through the ranks to become SVP and Head of Business and Legal Affairs for its in-house production studio. After more than a decade with Discovery, Michael answered the call of a new challenge and joined Netflix in 2019. As a Director at Netflix, Michael oversees business and legal affairs for Netflix’s slate of award winning and critically acclaimed Documentary Films.
Founder of Iguana Films, and a professor at Emerson College, Maria Agui Carter’s (she/her) recent work includes REBEL: Loreta Velazquez, Secret Soldier of the American Civil War, on Amazon Prime, Erik Barnouw award winner for best historical films in America; and the PBS series SCIGIRLS nominated for a 2019 daytime Emmy. She is a 2021-2 Concordia Studio Fellow with a first-look deal. Concordia is Executive Producing ALLEGED, Maria’s criminal justice series currently in production. She is also a 2022 winner of a Spark grant from the National Endowment for Humanities & Firelight Media for BIRTHRIGHT, an essay film exploring the racialized roots of immigration policy in America. In development is her feature script SECRET LIFE OF LA MARIPOSA, a fable on immigration and climate change based on Maria’s experience growing up undocumented.
Ina Fichman (she/her) has been producing creative documentaries, interactive projects and series for more than 25 years. Recent credits include Fire of Love, Once Upon a Sea, The Oslo Diaries and The Gig is Up. Her company, Intuitive Pictures is based in Montreal. Ina sits on the board of Hot Docs and Chairs the National Board of the Documentary Association of Canada.
Hallee Adelman (she/her) is a writer, educator and documentary film producer. She has served as an executive producer on documentary films including The Social Dilemma, US Kids and Writing with Fire. Adelman is currently co-directing/producing a documentary feature, Our American Family. She co-founded World of HA Productions, which fosters fresh and heartfelt film and theater projects by upcoming and experienced creatives. She believes in the power of story to bring joy and hope to families and to spark important conversations around the world. Adelman participates in the Sundance Institute's Catalyst Program and is a Board Member of the IDA. She resides outside of Philadelphia, PA with her family and dogs.
As executive vice president, Global Communications and Talent Relations for Disney Branded Television and National Geographic Content, Chris Albert (he/him) is responsible for developing and executing global consumer and trade communications strategies for Disney Branded Television, Disney Original Documentary, National Geographic Content and National Geographic Documentary Films. His purview also includes linear channels, Disney Junior, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo MUNDO. Albert also leads both the talent relations department, which manages internal and external demands of on-air talent, and the events department that works across National Geographic and Disney Branded Television.
Born in North Carolina, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill as a John Motley Morehead Scholar, Alfred Perry (he/him) is a graduate of Yale Law School. Worked as a Wall Street lawyer in NYC and since at major movie studios and now as an exec at AMC Networks. A world traveler who pursues photography, screenwriting, and documentary filmmaking as an avocation.