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The Team

  • Theresa Berens

    Graphic Designer

    Theresa is responsible for Cinereach’s graphic design and branding, and for the visual identities of Cinereach produced films. Prior to joining Cinereach, she was head graphic designer for the True/False Film Festival for four years, and has also worked in editorial design for several publications in New York and the Midwest. She earned her B.J. and M.A. in journalism at the University of Missouri.

  • Terry Chang

    General Counsel

    Terry manages Cinereach’s legal and business affairs including production legal for Cinereach’s original productions. Prior to her current role, she provided legal counsel to The Esteé Lauder Companies Inc. on television, digital and print production, talent and music licensing agreements. Prior to that, she worked at an NYC entertainment boutique law firm as a talent lawyer representing actors, writers and directors in film, television and theater. Before joining the entertainment industry, she began her legal career as a finance lawyer. Terry is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Harvard University.

  • Philipp Engelhorn

    Executive Director

    Philipp founded and currently serves as the Executive Director of Cinereach. He’s also a member of the boards of the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), Cinema Conservancy, Court 13 Arts, as well as a Trustee of the Sundance Institute. Additionally, he serves on the board of Synergos, a non-profit dedicated to eliminating global poverty and social injustice. Originally from Germany, Philipp attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in New York.

  • Melissa Estro

    Head of Finance

    As part of the Business Affairs team at Cinereach, Melissa’s role is to ensure the smooth operation of Cinereach’s financial processes and day-to-day activities. Prior to joining Cinereach, Melissa worked at Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) as Finance Associate and Manager of the Fiscal Sponsorship program, providing administrative support to BAC’s sponsored artists and organizations. Prior to BAC she worked as a rentals coordinator at one of the cities oldest costume collections where she got to play dress up on a daily basis.

  • Kelly Hartnett

    Finance Associate

    As the Finance Associate Kelly plays an integral supporting role in the company’s day-to-day financial affairs. Prior to working at Cinereach, Kelly worked at LMCC (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council) doing finance and operations and was instrumental in opening the first Arts Center on Governors Island. In addition, she worked as a freelance production manager for film, theatre, dance, and events. Some favorite events include the International Emmy Awards and the New York City Marathon. She received her BFA from SUNY Purchase in Theatre Design & Technology with a concentration in Stage Management.

  • Margaret Klingler

    Operations Manager

    As Operations Manager, Margaret facilitates a space that encourages and supports collaboration and creativity while throwing a few parties along the way. A native Chicagoan, she obtained her degree in film production from Columbia College Chicago before venturing to Los Angeles, where she worked with live entertainment organizations to produce award-winning animated content at Cinevative.

  • Syia Lewis

    Chief of Staff

    Syia is Cinereach’s effective COO responsible for the organization’s internal operations, culture, people processes, strategic growth, and business development. Syia’s work at Cinereach ensures the company is cohesive and efficient. She has worked extensively in the media & entertainment industry since 2005 and prior to joining the leadership at Cinereach, has held various strategic operations and business development roles at media startups and legacy media companies like A&E Television Networks and Oxygen Media. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hartford.

  • Candice McFarlane

    Director of Creative + Cultural Strategies

    Candice oversees all marketing and communication efforts for Cinereach. This includes developing branding, strategic marketing, PR and communications for the company and its supported films. She has an extensive background in media and entertainment having created, developed and produced original content, campaigns and programming for blue-chip companies such as Nike, Visa, Universal, McDonald’s and AT&T. As a screenwriter her work has been awarded at various film festivals including Urbanworld and The Tribeca Film Festival. She holds a dual Marketing and Management degree from Georgetown University.

  • Nshira Turkson

    Artist + Content Initiatives Associate

    As the Artist + Content Initiatives Associate, Nshira supports the work of Grants, Creative Initiatives, and Fellowships at Cinereach. Her previous experience in the film industry comes from her time teaching documentary journalism at Reel Works and working as a production assistant on commercials, shorts, and documentaries. Nshira was also a Fellow at The Atlantic.