Page 41 - Winter/Spring 2015 Issue

As founder and executive director of the first, largest and most prestigious web series festival on earth, Mike is considered an expert on web series and his counsel is sought worldwide. In 2011, he helped launch Marseille Webfest—Europe’s first web series festival-- in the south of France, was honored with a Medal to the City by Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin, and serves as Honorary President (www.marseillewebfest.com). In 2013, Mike was Keynote Speaker at Asia’s first web series festival-- Hong Kong Webfest (www.hkwebfest.com); Keynote Speaker at Australia’s first web series festival-- Melbourne Webfest (www.melbournewebfest.com); and President of the Jury at Italy’s first web series festival-- Rome Webfest (www.romawebfest.com). In 2014, Mike was Guest of Honor at Mexico’s first web series festival-- Baja Webfest (www.bajawebfest.com) and was the Keynote Speaker at Germany’s first International Web Series Symposium at Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany. In 2015, Mike helped launch the first web series festival in Northeast Asia, KWebfest— Korea’s first web series festival.
He’s a Special Adviser to Webfest Berlin (Germany’s first/www.webfestberlin.com), Dublin Webfest (Ireland’s first/ www.dublinwebfest.com), Moscow Webfest (Russia’s first), Atlanta Webfest (the first web series festival in The South/ www.atlwebfest.com), and SanFran Webfest (the Bay Area’s first/ www.sanfranwebfest.com). LAWEBFEST also has strong affiliations with Austin Webfest (first in Texas), Buenos Aires Webfest (first in Argentina), and Rio
Webfest (first in Brazil).

Janet DeNardis, Rome Webfest Co-founder (ITALY); Jean Michel Albert, Marseille Webfest Founder (FRANCE); Suzette LaQua, Vancouver Webfest Founder (CANADA); Michael Ajakwe Jr., LA Webfest Founder (USA); Max Gigliucci, Rome Webfest Co-founder (ITALY) at the inaugural Rome Webfest in September 2013.