About Us

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

Head of Business Affairs

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.

Natalie Difford

Head of Filmmaker Development

Natalie is responsible for designing and overseeing Cinereach’s highly personalized Fellowships program, an incubator for creative exploration. Prior to joining Cinereach, she was Senior Program Officer of the non-profit film fund Chicken & Egg Pictures for five years. She has extensive film industry experience, from development to festival programming, having worked with This is That, IFP, London Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and on various TV productions for A&E, Comedy Central, IFC and MTV Productions. As an independent producer, Natalie was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Adam Leon’s feature debut, Gimme the Loot and co-produced Leon’s Tramps. She also produced the interactive documentary 11/4/08. Natalie is on the Film Advisory Board for SXSW, and was named one of the “Jezebel 25 Amazing and Kick-Ass Women” in 2012.

Meredith Duff

Creative Executive

As Creative Executive, Meredith works alongside the Outreach and Creative Direction Team to identify emerging storytellers and content for the organization to support. She also manages project submission and review processes. Before becoming Creative Executive, Meredith was Cinereach’s Filmmaker Outreach Coordinator. Before joining Cinereach, she was an agent trainee at ICM Partners working within the Motion Picture Literary department as well as the International Film Department. Prior to ICM, Meredith was an assistant digital planner at Zenith Media.

Philipp Engelhorn

Executive Director

Noel Estrada

Operations Associate

As Operations Associate, Noel facilitates interdepartmental communication and collaboration and helps maintain a space that encourages staff and filmmaker creativity. Prior to Cinereach, Noel’s very first foray into the working world was as a ticket taker at her local movie theater in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she became hooked. She went on to attend Tisch School of the Arts, worked as a crew member on various film and television productions across the Tri-State region, and held a management position in television distribution at FremantleMedia International.

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.

Leah Giblin

Head of Grants

Leah ensures that relationships with Cinereach’s supported films flourish, while also serving as an antenna for new projects and ideas of potential resonance. Her previous experience includes work with the Tribeca Film Institute, the Rockefeller Foundation’s Media Arts Fellowships and the programming department of the Tribeca Film Festival. She is also part of a proud lineage of former video store clerks.

Andrew Goldman

Head of Production

Andrew manages Cinereach’s slate of internally produced films. Prior to Cinereach, he worked at Journeyman Pictures, the independent production company behind the Academy Award nominated films Half Nelson and Maria Full of Grace.

Caroline Kaplan

Director of Film & Creative Programs

Caroline’s role is to develop strategies for how Cinereach can effectively support and strengthen the filmmaking community and the independent film landscape. She has extensive film and television industry experience having been Head of Production, Acquisitions and Original Programming at IFC and IFC Films, and a founding member of InDigEnt, where she oversaw films and programs including Decade under the Influence, My Best Fiend, Our Song, Spring Forward, Mr. Death, Waking Life, Monsoon Wedding, Tadpole, Personal Velocity, and Me and You and Everyone We Know. She is also an independent producer whose recent films include Oren Moverman’s Time out of Mind starring Richard Gere and Gary Winick’s Letters to Juliet.

Sara Kiener

Head of Distribution Strategies

Sara handles outreach initiatives and provides distribution guidance for Cinereach supported films and productions. She has been championing outside-the-box distribution strategies since 2010 when she co-founded Film Presence with Merrill Sterritt. Prior to working at Film Presence, Sara was Exhibitor Relations Manager at Magnolia Pictures. Sara sits on the Advisory Board of IFP.

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, Marketing and Brand Strategy

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.

Paul Mezey

Director, Original Productions

Paul works closely with the Cinereach productions team, providing creative and strategic support for projects. He also advises on Cinereach’s program strategies, particularly as they relate to the evolving landscape of independent film.  Paul has over 18 years experience as an independent producer in the motion picture industry. He is the founder of Journeyman Pictures and has produced more than two dozen theatrical feature films, including the Academy Award nominated films Maria Full Of Grace, Half Nelson, and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts Of The Southern Wild (Cinereach), and David Riker’s The Girl starring Abbie Cornish, Tom Gilroy’s The Cold Lands, and Joshua Marston’s The Forgiveness Of Blood.

Merrill Sterritt

Head of Partnerships & Creative Initiatives

Merrill develops and oversees organizational partnerships for Cinereach, as well as new creative initiatives to provide support for filmmakers and a more sustainable industry. Prior to joining Cinereach, Merrill co-founded Film Presence in 2010 where she lead theatrical outreach campaigns for over 50 independent films. Merrill began working in film as an editor, before managing the Production Assistance Program at Women Make Movies. Merrill is on the IFP Advisory Board.

Nshira Turkson

Filmmaker Support Associate

As the Filmmaker Support 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.

Osvaldo “Ossie” Valdes

Finance Associate

Elliott Whitton

Head of Development

Board Members

Jo Schuetz, Treasurer Jo is the Managing Member of The Manhattan Family Office, LLC, a NY-based investment advisor specializing in alternative investments and asset management. He has held positions within the private banking divisions of Bank Julius Baer, NY and Coutts & Co., NY and is a Member of the Board of SCS, Inc., NJ a global leader of industrial packaging products. Jo received his MBA in Corporate Finance from Long Island University, and his BA in Marketing from Hofstra University. Bruce Rabb, Member of the Board Bruce is an attorney who advises both business and nonprofit entrepreneurs and organizations. He serves as Director Emeritus and Secretary of Human Rights Watch, and as Co-Chair of its LGBT Advisory Committee and as Vice Chair of its Middle East North Africa Advisory Committee. In addition he serves on the Boards of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, Health Builders, the National Economic & Social Rights Initiative, Asia Catalyst, and The People’s Portfolio. He is a Fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities at New York University, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.