Speakers Announced for 2026 Festival

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Daniel Suarez-Reis is an independent, award-winning producer and founder of Stonecutter Productions. His work focuses on bold, distinctive storytelling that aims to fully immerse audiences and transport them into cinematic worlds beyond everyday reality.

He has produced seven short films, which have screened at several BIFA-qualifying festivals, including international festivals. His recent project Weeyagale, funded by the Roundhouse, is set to screen at both Sunderland Short Film Festival and the New York African Film Festival. His period drama The Lace has received multiple awards across the festival circuit, marking a key milestone in his producing career.

Working across both fiction and documentary, Daniel is now focused on developing visually and narratively ambitious projects that prioritise atmosphere, world-building, and audience immersion.

Julian Butterworth is a German-British cinematographer based in Bournemouth with a passion for elevating visual storytelling and technical expertise for the entire production pipeline from shoot day to final delivery. His experience in editing, colour grading and VFX has allowed him to produce several award-winning short films.

We are excited to have this refreshingly broad selection of speakers to share their experiences and wisdom, that you can listen to on the 13th of June!