New York - Headquarters
Liz Manne
Executive Director
Liz Manne was appointed Executive Director of FilmAid in February 2011. A long-time studio executive and independent producer, Liz Manne co-founded Fine Line Features with Ira Deutchman in 1990 and served as its Executive Vice President Marketing until 1997 (Hoop Dreams, My Own Private Idaho, The Player, The Sweet Hereafter). From 1998 to 2001, she served as Executive Vice President Programming and Marketing for Robert Redford’s Sundance Channel.
In 2002, Manne was a co-founder, with Catherine Tait, of Duopoly, a boutique content production and consultancy firm, where she earned multiple producing credits (3 Backyards, The Heart of the Game, A Dog Year, Fall from Grace, Lucky); co-founded the online and mobile content platform iThentic; and served as an advisor to HBO Films for its theatrical releases including Maria Full of Grace, American Splendor, Real Women Have Curves and Elephant.
In 2009, Manne was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, where her focus is cultural diplomacy. She is a member of the board of directors of Mountainfilm in Telluride and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She holds a BA in Dramatic Art from University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Sarah Schwarz
Development & Communications Officerr
NAIROBI, KENYA - East Africa Head Office
Stella Suge
Country Director
Is a graduate in Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Studies from Kenyatta University. She has over 8 years experience working in finance and administration in various organizations ranging from private business to non-governmental organizations. Stella has been with FilmAid since 2005.
Victor Ombonya
Program Director
A graduate of the University of Nairobi with, of all things, a BSc. degree in Chemistry and Botany, Victor's passion for art, and especially artistic expression, has taken him to organizations and endeavors that seek to place people at the center of their focus. Prior to FilmAid, Victor worked at Abila Creative Center, a community based organization located in Kisumu, Kenya which uses art, creativity and community media to address social challenges facing rural communities. Victor believes that the stories of the underprivileged, and how they are told, is what will ultimately break down barriers that continue to deny millions of people the opportunity to be human and to live life with dignity. Victor believes that FilmAid affords a great opportunity to contribute his creative and inspiring ideas. Victor loves movies and music, and he is an accomplished visual artist.
FilmAid Asia
Mary Soan
Regional Programme Director
Mary Soan is the Regional Programme Director for FilmAid Asia, currently running FilmAid’s programmes in Thailand. Mary has worked on numerous international feature films as First Assistant Director and as Second Unit Director (Welcome to Sarajevo, The Madness of King George, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Chinese Box, Pearl Harbour) and now freelances as a Director/Producer/Writer. Her extensive film work has given her wide experience in filming in diverse and challenging places with many different nationalities and languages. Instrumental in the launch of FilmAid, Mary helped create the organisation’s first outdoor screening program in Macedonia and Kosovo in 1999. She went on to design and build FilmAid’s mobile cinema in Kenya, which continues today. Having worked actively in the creation of FilmAid programmes in Kenya, Tanzania, Haiti and Thailand, Mary’s leadership continues to be a critical factor in the organisation’s growth and development. She is a voting member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and holds a BA Hons degree in Drama and French from London University.
FilmAid International UK
Iliane Ogilvie Thompson
President of FilmAid International UK
Iliane Ogilvie Thompson is President of FilmAid International and Chair of the UK Board. She also sits on the US and Hong Kong Boards, and is a trustee of the Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic and the We the Change Foundation. Prior to this she was Global Alliances Director at Diageo, after heading Business Development for the Diageo Venture Group. She was eCommerce Business Development Director at Yahoo! Europe, Marketing Manager at Yahoo!UK and was part of the Strategy practice at Accenture. She started out in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble. Iliane is a Dutch national and speaks five languages. She lives in London with her husband and sons.
Vicky Suzman
Projects Co-ordinator
