Esther van Messel holds a Bachelor's degree in film & television production from the University of Tel Aviv. In 1990, she joined Warner Bros. Israel and became Head of Distribution. From 1992 she produced international feature films and documentaries as Head of Co-production and Sales for an independent production company in Zurich. In 1998 she found her own company First Hand Films in Zurich and Berlin for world sales of documentaries and fiction films.
In 2004, the company represented about 150 films and about 120 producers from all over the world. The films have been sold internationally and awarded at major festivals, including Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Esther van Messel has been working as a lecturer and consultant for various organizations like IDFA Forum Amsterdam, Cinemart Rotterdam, Eurodoc Paris, AVEA Johannesburg etc. In addition she was appointed member of the Selection Committee for the Austrian Film Institute and serves on the following juries: Golden Link (EBU) and Nordisk Filmpanorama. Since 1999 she has headed Vertical Strategy Ltd.
Posted on Tuesday 25 Oct 2005
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