IQ Conference Bogotá 2026

Welcome to Wonderpanic (TM) - a creative AI speech by Lars Bastholm

Welcome to Wonderpanic (TM)
AI is like the weirdest yet most useful intern ever hired in Hollywood. It's super fast, often unpredictable and it may just be the biggest opportunity in generations for the industry to reinvent itself. But what's the best way to think about and engage with this new creative partner while keeping humans in the driver's seat?

Lars Bastholm is the founder of BCC – Bastholm Creative Consulting and an internationally recognized Chief Creative Officer whose career has defined the intersection of technology and storytelling.
A US/Danish leader, he has held CCO roles across global brands like Google, traditional giants like Ogilvy, and cutting-edge digital agencies such as AKQA. Bastholm is a proven builder, having managed teams of over 200 people across diverse geographies and cultures, in addition to creating new teams from the ground up.
His work is highly awarded, including three Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. He leverages a vast global network to assemble bespoke creative teams tailored precisely to any brief. Furthermore, he is a leading voice in the field of AI, serving as the co-founder and program director for the Scandinavian Creative AI Summit – the leading conference on creative uses of AI.

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lbastholm/

The Power of Documentary - Awakening Minds in the Age of Climate Crisis - In Conversation with Ewa Ewart led by  Adam Wajrak

This session will feature a special screening of fragments from Until the Last Drop, the award-winning documentary directed by Ewa Ewart, which explores the global freshwater crisis and the fate of rivers under pressure from human activity. The film reveals how the degradation of water ecosystems is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Following the screening, Ewa Ewart will be in conversation with Adam Wajrak, Poland’s leading environmental journalist and author. Together they will discuss the making of the film, the challenges of documenting the climate crisis, and the power of documentaries to awaken public awareness and inspire action.

Ewa Ewart is a journalist and award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work consistently combines journalistic rigor with compelling storytelling. Born and raised in Poland, she has spent much of her career at BBC Television in London, directing and producing documentaries that reach across borders and topics. Her films have exposed corruption in Yeltsin’s Russia, secret prison camps in North Korea, Colombia’s civil war, and clandestine CIA extraordinary rendition programs. Among her most acclaimed works are Children of Beslan, Access to Evil, Mystery Flights, and several others. She has been nominated for and honored with awards from BAFTA, the Royal Television Society, Peabody, and Amnesty International, among others. Her recent project is Do ostatniej kropli (Until the Last Drop), a globally ambitious environmental documentary that examines the planetary water crisis through the lens of rivers, communities and ecosystems. The film is shot across Poland, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and Albania, and investigates how human activity is degrading freshwater resources and threatening life on Earth. Until the Last Drop has been widely recognized on the festival circuit. It won the Krzysztof Kieślowski Beyond Borders Award (Best Documentary) at the Monte Carlo TV Festival in 2024. IMDb It also received Gold Award in the Environment, Ecology & Sustainability category at the US International Awards. journeyman.tv The film took home Best Feature Documentary & Grand Prix at the BNP Paribas Green Film Festival, and it won a Gold Award at Deauville Green Awards. journeyman.tv Additionally, Ewa Ewart was honored with a Special Award of the Sakharov Prize in recognition of the film’s impact in promoting water conservation. Wodne Sprawy In recent years, Ewa has also worked as a presenter of documentary strands on Poland’s TVN24 and TVN24Bis, and appears regularly as a motivational speaker. Her book I Witnessed reflects on her life’s journey and the stories she has brought forward.

Adam Wajrak is one of Poland’s most recognizable and outspoken environmental journalists. For more than three decades he has written for Gazeta Wyborcza, chronicling the beauty, struggles and political battles of Poland’s wilderness — especially the Białowieża Forest, Europe’s last primeval woodland. Wajrak is not just a reporter but also an activist: he has campaigned fiercely for the protection of wolves, lynx, birds of prey and forest habitats, often clashing with politicians, logging companies and lobbyists. His unapologetically direct style, passionate voice and refusal to compromise have made him a controversial but highly respected figure in Poland’s public debate on nature. He is the author of bestselling books for both adults and children (Wilki, To jest nasza historia, Kuna za kaloryferem), blending journalism with personal storytelling. Through his writing, television and public speaking, Wajrak has inspired generations of readers and viewers to see conservation as a moral and civic duty. He continues to live in the Białowieża Forest with his partner and their dogs, practicing what he preaches: to be as close to nature as possible.

Dos and don'ts when pitching. Content strategy, challenges and opportunities within the industry”  - business session with Kai Finke, the Chief Content Officer of SKYSHOWTIME -  led by Alejandro Sugich of Sula Films.

Kai Finke leads the programming team and is responsible for programming strategy, overseeing the service’s top-quality pipeline of partner studio entertainment, merchandising and scheduling, and SkyShowtime’s Original programming slate and acquisitions. Kai joins SkyShowtime from Netflix where he was Director of Content across multiple European markets. He has worked in production, international distribution, and acquisitions for more than 20 years, including for Munich-based distributor Telepool and for Vodafone. Kai has strong relationships with leading creatives, producers, distributors, and networks throughout Europe and a proven track record of bringing local-language entertainment to SkyShowtime markets as well as global audiences.

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-finke-79547224/

Women in Film: Leadership, Voice, Impact - Danna Stern in Conversation with Caroline Lang, Magdalena Szwedkowicz & Ula Pontikos

This conversation will bring together strong, inspiring women from different generations and corners of the industry to talk openly about what it means to lead, create, and shape stories today. It’s about authorship, visibility, responsibility – and the energy it takes to be
the person who decides.

Danna Stern is Executive Producer/Global Content Executive In Transit Productions. Berlin-based executive producer Danna Stern specializes in cross-border scripted series and non-scripted projects. As founder of Tel Aviv's yes Studios, she built a distribution and development powerhouse delivering premium titles for international platforms while spearheading format adaptations worldwide. Previously, she oversaw Israel's Yes TV content offering and business strategy, directly managing acquisitions, programming, digital services, and commissioning a succession of award-winning titles. Danna is a founding board member of the non-profit organization "Big Sister - Women Filmmakers and Television Creators," which promotes women in filmed entertainment by creating opportunities for female voices through mentorship programs, educational forums, and peer support. She is currently in post-production on the second season of Netflix's "Bros," the documentary feature "Noga" about Israeli singer Noga Erez (yes Docu/RBB Germany), and in active development of the period drama "Wool" (Telekom Srbija/RUV Iceland). A sought-after industry lecturer and consultant focusing on international production financing and co-production, Danna frequently addresses various business and strategic aspects of the global entertainment landscape. She began her career as a journalist reporting from volatile regions for nearly a decade, and holds a BA in English Literature and an MBA from Kellogg/Northwestern.

Caroline Lang is a seasoned media executive with over 25 years of leadership experience at Warner Bros., where she served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Warner Bros Television in France and French-speaking countries. She negotiated landmark agreements with major broadcasters and platforms, including Canal+, TF1, Orange, and Netflix, and pioneered the launch of the country's first SVOD service. A PhD in Public International Law, Caroline combines private-sector expertise with a strong commitment to cultural policy and regulation. She currently serves on the Centre National du Cinéma (CNC) Commission for Film Advance on Receipts, is President of the Economic Support Fund for Films and Series at Pictanovo, and sits on the boards of the Series Mania Festival and the Le Refuge Foundation, which supports young LGBT adults who face discrimination. She continues to champion gender equality as Co-President of "Pour les Femmes Dans les Médias". This think tank advocates for equality and parity in the media business. Caroline has published several books.

Magdalena Szwedkowicz is one of the most prominent independent film producers in Poland, recognized for her collaboration with international streaming platforms and local talent. As the founder of the production company MAG Entertainment, she is responsible for an impressive range of productions spanning multiple film genres, from drama to comedy and family films. In less than four years, she produced nine feature films. Among her most notable titles is the hit film Znachor/ Forgotten Love, which remained in Netflix’s global Top 10 for eight consecutive weeks and reached over 55 million views. Her two latest productions, the feature film Napad/ Justice (Netflix) and Poland’s first series for SkyShowtime, Sleboda/ Deadly Ties, are setting new viewership records. Her portfolio also includes other major successes, such as the audience-favorite romantic comedies Squared Love and its sequels Squared Love Everlasting and Squared Love: All Over Again, as well as Death Before the Wedding and the family film David and the Elves. Before founding MAG Entertainment, she held executive roles at Fox Networks Group, where, as Vice President of Content Distribution for Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Head of Production, she oversaw the sales and international distribution of Fox and National Geographic content. Her first industry experience was at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
Magdalena continues to build her strong presence in the film and television production market, delivering high-quality content that resonates with audiences in Poland and around the world.

Ula Pontikos Ula Pontikos, BSC is an award-winning cinematographer known for her artistic eye in telling stories with emotional resonance as well as her accomplishments as a master technician. has an upcoming psychological thriller, “The Man in My Basement,” directed by Nadia Latif and starring Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe and Anna Diop. From Disney’s Andscape, the film based on Walter Mosley’s novel will World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before opening in select theaters on Friday, September 12 and on Hulu and Disney+ this fall.
Pontikos also recently completed work on the anticipated upcoming series, “Blade Runner 2099,” for Prime Video. The series will premiere on the platform in 2026.
Among Pontikos’ other recent credits as cinematographer include her work on Season 2 of “Russian Doll,” which she received an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series and an ASC Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography of a Half-Hour Television Series. The season revolved around Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) after escaping their time loops, discovering a time portal that jumps from the 1940s, 1980s and present day. Pontikos was also cinematographer on multiple episodes including the pilot on the series, “Three Women,” based on Lisa Taddeo’s acclaimed novel for Starz.
Pontikos made her feature film debut on acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh’s “Weekend.” The film garnered her Rising Star recognition by BBC Film in 2012. Since her impressive feature debut, her range of credits include “Lilting,” directed by Hong Khao and starring Ben Whishaw, Cheng Pei Pei and Andrew Leung, which Pontikos won the 2014 Sundance World Cinematography Award; and “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool,” directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Walters. Based on Peter Turner’s memoir, the film follows the relationship between Turner and Academy Award®-winning actress Gloria Grahame in 1978 Liverpool. Among the technical achievements of the film, it became the Guinness World Record holder for the largest cinematic rear projection used in a film at 1,283 feet while recreating the techniques used in film noir during the height of Grahame’s career. The film received three BAFTA Award nominations including Best Actress.
Originally from the seaside town of Gdynia, Poland, Pontikos has had a passion for photography and cinema from an early age. She went on to graduate from the prestigious National Film and Television School in London. In 2022, she was awarded the annual Sue Gibson BSC Award from NFTS for her work on “Russian Doll.”

Michael Souvignier is CEO and producer of Zeitsprung Pictures, which he founded in 1985. A leading voice in German film and television, he has overseen more than 500 nonfiction programs and over 100 scripted features and series. Signature works include Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank (2016), the event drama Contergan – Eine einzige Tablette (ARD/WDR, 2006), Netflix’s hit KLEO (Seasons 1 & 2), and Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood (Seasons 1 & 2). Recent Cinema highlights span Lieber Thomas (2021), Cranko (2024), and the upcoming MEDICUS 2 (2025). Under Souvignier’s leadership, Zeitsprung develops ambitious literary adaptations, premium drama, and high-end factual projects with strong international partners. He is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the European Film Academy. Zeitsprung is based in Cologne.

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-souvignier-b6242216/?originalSubdomain=de

Turn sustainability into your competitive advantage. In today's industry landscape, eco-production isn't just about doing good—it's about securing funding, meeting broadcaster standards, and future-proofing your business. This isn't theory; it's practical, actionable intelligence that will transform how you approach every project.