Catherine Olsen, Mentor / Consultant and Executive Producer, Passionate Eye, Canada

Catherine Olsen has a wealth of experience in the international documentary marketplace, and is now working as a programming consultant and freelance executive producer, moderator, mentor, and editorial coach at documentary festivals and workshops around the world. Catherine is one of the founding members of the Canadian Documentary Festival – Hot Docs, and for many years, a member of its international advisory board. She began her career as a camerawoman and editor, and has since worked as a TV journalist & host, writer, director and documentary producer. Films she has commissioned or invested in have won virtually every award available, including Oscars, Emmys, Canadian Geminis, Bafta’s, and Peabody’s. Those of her films commissioned for the Passionate Eye that she is particularly proud of include Yung Chang’s “Up the Yangtze”, Peter Raymonts’s “Shake Hands with the Devil”, Neil Diamond’s “Reel Inju”’, Ric Bienstock’s “Sex Slaves”, Ido Haar’s “Presenting Princess Shaw” to name just a few.