Award-winning filmmaker Frederico Lapenda is a global executive who has worked in the entertainment industry for almost 30 years. Lapenda is a pioneer of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and is credited as one of those responsible for the globalization of sport.

In addition to presiding over the Beverly Hills Film Festival® Grand Jury, Lapenda has produced films, MMA events, video games, commercials and documentaries. His documentary, Kidnapping, was eligible for an Oscar nomination in 2011.

Lapenda received a national honor for his lifelong achievements while serving as Tourism Ambassador, appointed by the President of Brazil, placing him among fellow nominees Ronaldinho, Vitor Belfort, Renzo Gracie and Romero Britto.

One of his most significant achievements was the creation of Amazon Allies, a mix of Avengers and Lion King, a children’s book about four super-powered talking animals that protect the Amazon rainforest, co-authored with Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee.

Tucker Tooley, is CEO of Tucker Tooley Entertainment, a prominent film and television finance and production company established by Tooley and Greg Renker in 2016. Tooley’s films have earned more than $2.61 billion at the worldwide box office.
The company produced two feature films in 2024 including The Deliverance directed by academy award nominee Lee Daniels, which debuted #1 on Netflix; starring Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique and Aunjanue Ellis, and Lionsgate’s Arthur The King, starring Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu and Nathalie Emmanuel.
Tucker Tooley Entertainment co-financed and produced Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, starring Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr., with director and writer Christian Gudegast returning for the sequel to the hit heist thriller, which debuted at #1 at the U.S. box office on January 10, 2025. Also set for release in 2025, Finding Satoshi a premium documentary that explores the mysterious founder of Bitcoin and the state of cryptocurrency, with the help of best-selling author and financial journalist William D. Cohan and the renowned private investigator, Tyler Maroney.
Other Tooley Entertainment films include Netflix’s Concrete Cowboy starring Idris Elba, which opened number one in the US and has been seen by more than 25 million people worldwide, HULU’s The United States vs, Billie Holiday, directed by Lee Daniels; starring Andra Day, for which she earned a Best Actress Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, Den Of Thieves staring Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Pablo Schreiber and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. In addition, Tooley produced the 2013 summer box office hit We’re The Millers which grossed $270 million worldwide.
Prior to Tucker Tooley Entertainment, Tooley was president of Relativity Media. Under his
leadership the film studio earned numerous Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. He was instrumental in the launch of the company’s television division which later sold to a private equity firm for $125 million.
At Relativity Studios, Tooley oversaw and executive produced David O Russel’s The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg, which earned seven Oscar nominations including a Best Actor win for Christian Bale and Best Actress win for Melissa Leo, the film grossed over $130 million worldwide, Immortals, which grossed $227 million worldwide, Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper, the Action-thriller Act of Valor, and Nicholas Sparks’ Safe Haven. All films opened number one at the US box office.
Tooley is a Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as a longstanding member of the Producers Guild of America.

In 1982, Minkoff began his career as an intern at Walt Disney Productions, apprenticing under Eric Larson. He worked as an animator and character designer on films like The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), and The Little Mermaid (1989). His directorial debut came with Roger Rabbit shorts Tummy Trouble (1989) and Roller Coaster Rabbit (1990). In 1992, he co-directed The Lion King (1994), overseeing the iconic “Circle of Life” sequence.
Minkoff transitioned to live-action with Stuart Little (1999) and its sequel, later directing The Haunted Mansion (2003). He founded Sprocketdyne Entertainment and developed Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) with DreamWorks. His recent projects include directing Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) and overseeing Netflix’s Llama Llama series.

Influenced as a young kid by the 1988 animated cyberpunk action film “Akira” by Katsuhiro Otomo, Crawford knew at early age that he loved animation. Citing the works of Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking “Dollars Trilogy” along with the films of Akira Kurosawa, Crawford began to develop his own style of visual storytelling.
He was able to marry his passion for the spaghetti western with his love of absurdist comedy in his most recent project as director of the of the 2023 Academy Award® and BAFTA nominated film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault from DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures. A hit with both critics and audiences, the film has amassed nearly half a billion dollars at the global box office.
He made is feature film directorial debut on the DreamWorks Animation feature film The Croods: A New Age. After serving as head of story for the smash musical adventure Trolls in 2016, Crawford directed the Trolls Holiday Special for NBC.
Crawford joined DreamWorks Animation in 2006 and quickly became an integral part of the creative process working as a story artist on Trolls, Shrek Forever After, Rise of the Guardians, Bee Movie and all three Kung Fu Panda films. Prior to joining DreamWorks, his story artist credits include The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
A native of Southern California (via Hawaii), Crawford attended The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). To make ends meet while in school, he worked as a caricature artist at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, before joining Nickelodeon. Crawford is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, and ASIFA-Hollywood. In 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in recognition of his contributions to the field of animation.

London born Arnold Schwartzman is the Oscar winning Producer and Director of the feature documentary “Genocide” (1981), and a renowned designer and prolific author. His other feature documentaries include “Building A Dream” (1989), “Echoes That Remain” (1991) and “Liberation” (1994).

He began his career in British network television, then became an advertising agency art director, producing commercials for Coca-Cola etc. In 1978 he was invited to Hollywood by legendary designer/filmmaker Saul Bass to be his studio’s design director. Schwartzman was later appointed the Director of Design for the1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

He is the designer of several of the Academy’s Oscar commemorative posters, programs and theatrical trailers. A Governor and past Chairman of BAFTA, Los Angeles, and the founding Chair of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Documentary Branch, 2001.

In 2001 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth ll for services to the British film industry in the USA, and in 2006 was conferred the distinction of Royal Designer (RDI) by Great Britain’s Royal Society of Arts.

Roberta Augusto is Brazilian-born stalwart in the film industry, boasting an illustrious career spanning two decades. Her journey commenced at Summit Entertainment, where she made her mark by spearheading the release of blockbuster hits like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Sahara,” among others. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Roberta has ascended to the esteemed position of Senior Vice President of Marketing, Distribution & Publicity at IDC, a Lionsgate Company. In this pivotal role, she oversees operations across more that 20 countries in Latin America, cementing her reputation as a dynamic leader in the field.

Throughout her tenure, Roberta has facilitated the theatrical release of over 165 movies, contributing significantly to the cinematic landscape. Her unparallel expertise has been instrumental in the success of iconic franchises in Latin America, including “The Twilight Saga,” “The Hunger Games,” “John Wick, and “Saw.” Notably, she played a pivotal role in the promotion and distribution of acclaimed films such as the Oscar-winning “La La Land,” further solidifying her reputation as a visionary in the industy.

Roberta Augusto’s remarkable journey serves as a testament to her passion, dedication, and unparalleled contributions to the world of cinema. With a keen eye for innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence, she continues to shape the landscape of the film industry, leaving an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.

Amanda Sthers is a French artist living in Los Angeles.
She has written more than a dozen novels translated into twenty languages and awarded with multiple literary Prizes.
As a playwright, she has written nine plays that have toured internationally, including her 2006 play The Old Blonde Jew, which was included in the Harvard University curriculum. She also wrote Le lien (The bond), which premiered at the Avignon Festival.
She is the writer and director of four feature films, the last three in English language. MADAME, starring Rossy di Palma, Toni Collette, and Harvey Keitel, followed by HOLY LANDS, adapted from her novel HOLY LANDS, (Bloomsbury) the last film of the legendary James Caan, also starring Tom Hollander, Rosanna Arquette, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. PROMISES starring Pierfrancesco Favino, Kelly Reilly, and Jean Reno, premiered at the Rome Film Festival, won numerous awards worldwide including Best Feature Film at the Bervely Hills Film Festival.
On television, she was the lead writer for the legendary French series CAMERA CAFÉ, for which she wrote over seventy episodes. More recently, she created a one-off COUP DE FOUDRE A NOËL for TF1 with Tomer Sisley and Julie de Bona, which attracted more than 6.4 million viewers, making it the largest French fiction audience for 2017.
Amanda Sthers is also a producer and CEO of IDEA(L), a company that creates opportunities for new voices and female filmmakers, as well as bridges between Europe and the United States. BONNIE, a documentary celebrating one of the most prestigious casting directors, was screened in the official selection of the 2022 Venice Film Festival and the Deauville American Film Festival. She co-produced MAFIA MAMMA directed by Catherine Hardwicke, based on her original idea, with Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci in the lead roles, released in American theaters in April 2023. Two animated films are in production LOVEBIRDS with the Tat studio and MITE, for which Jean Paul Gaultier will be artistic director.
Amanda also explores contemporary art. Her first exhibition which was exhibited at Galerie 75 in December 2022 and was repeated at Galerie Huit during the 2023 Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles under the direction of curator Laura Serani. The exhibition will soon travel to Venice for the Biennale.
In 2024, Amanda Sthers was promoted by the French Government to the rank of Officer of « Arts et lettres » for her significant contributions to the arts and literature.

Jeff Rice is recognized as one of the top Independent Producers in Hollywood. He has worked on well over 130 films in his lucrative career as producer and executive producer. Jeff’s business background from owning a Real Estate and Mortgage company has helped him with the financial side in the film industry. Jeff’s movies have opened as box office hits, premiered in all of the world’s top film festivals including: Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Berlin and Toronto, and many have won numerous awards. He has worked with the biggest actors in Hollywood such as Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert De Niro, Russell Crowe, Keanu Reeves, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Rosamund Pike, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Selena Gomez, Ethan Hawke, Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Oscar Wilde, and many others.

Jeff’s most celebrated movies that have made number one at the box office include: Lone Survivor starring Mark Wahlberg. Released by Universal and Directed by Peter Berg, Lone Survivor made over 125 million domestically. 2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, End of Watch, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, The Watcher, starring Keanu Reeves and Marissa Tomei.

Other A-list movies include, Escape Plan, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Broken City, starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta Jones. His World War II television movie of the week, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, stars Academy Award winning actress Anna Paquin and is based on a true story. It won an Emmy, was nominated for three, additionally the film was nominated for a Golden Globe.