ADVISORY COMMITTEE

About the Committee

The Advisory Committee is made up of TV industry professionals who are invited to join each year by the Festival’s Creative Director. Working alongside the Creative Director and Advisory Chair, the Committee helps shape the Festival’s programme, contributing their expertise and sector knowledge to ensure a timely and relevant programme that responds to the needs of the industry. It is a role Committee members undertake alongside their day jobs, and their commitment is invaluable in ensuring the Festival’s continued reputation for agenda-setting dialogue and debate.

Being on the Committee also gives senior industry figures the chance to give something back to the industry via The TV Foundation. Our Festival-funded organisation helps the next generation of talent develop the skills needed to secure their dream TV jobs.

The 2024 Festival

This year’s Advisory Chair is Harjeet Chhokar, Unscripted Executive at Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video. The Edinburgh TV Festival 2024 will run from 20-23 August. Tickets are available now.

Meet the committee

Headshot of Denise Seneviratne

Denise Seneviratne

Commissioning Editor, Non-Scripted UK Originals, Channel 5 & Paramount+

Lily Wilson

Commissioning Editor, Entertainment, ITV

John Battsek

Managing Director and Producer, Ventureland
Headshot of Ana De Moraes

Ana De Moraes

Chief Creative Officer, MultiStory Media
Headshot of Anna Thomson

Anna Thomson

Vice Chair, Directors UK
Headshot of Chris Aird

Chris Aird

Creative Director, Element Pictures

Sian Price

Creative Director, Yeti

Lynn Sutcliffe

Managing Director, Mighty Productions

Nichola Garde

Creative Diversity Partner, Disability Lead, Content, BBC

Toby Smith

Creative Director, Bolla Media

Muslim Alim

Commissioning Editor, Daytime, BBC

Gama Gbio

Development Producer, Nutopia

Charlotte Reid

VP Commissioning, Networks & Streaming WBD UK & Ireland

Fernando De Jesus

Creative Director, Rare TV

Ravin Sampat

Executive News Editor, UK, BBC News
Headshot of Deborah Sathe

Deborah Sathe

Creative Director, BBC Studios Drama Productions

Samantha Stewart

Managing Director, 72 Films

Ed Havard

Senior Vice President, Unscripted Programming, Universal International Studios

Lee Mason

Director, Scripted Originals, Disney+
Headshot of Andrea Colomina Basanta

Andrea Colomina Basanta

Head of Programming and Marketing Planning, Amazon Prime Video
Headshot of Andy Worboys

Andy Worboys

Director

Hannah Griffiths

Head of Adaptations, Banijay

Joanna Potts

Commissioning Editor, Dispatches, Channel 4

Luke Seraphin

Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Sky Original Programming, Sky
Headshot Emma Cahusac

Emma Cahusac

Executive Producer

Sreya Biswas

Head of Natural History, BBC Commissioning
headshot of Alf Lawrie

Alf Lawrie

Head of Factual Entertainment, Channel 4

Mona Qureshi

Director, Scripted, Netflix UK

Helen Perry

Head of Drama, UKTV
Headshot of David Smith

David Smith

Director of Screen, Screen Scotland

Yemi Bamiro

Director

Nicola Howson

Managing Director, Studio 99

Isabel Davis

CEO, Screen Scotland
Headshot of Charlie Coombes

Charlie Coombes

Executive Producer, Emanata Studios

Tom Barry

Commissioning Editor, Documentaries and Factual, Sky