How It Started

Hanè Saga was created during the 2020 pandemic. The vision of Hanè Saga came to life as a way for storytellers to continue to hone their talent and craft and do it in a way that will take the positives from the era we are in and put to use for the future.

About The Name

Using the Navajo word for story -HANÉ - together with the Norse word for story - SAGA, we aim to bring unity through storytelling.

By bringing IndustryProfessionals together, we offer thought-provoking discussions, a call for action, and the urge to keep stimulating the creative forces for screenwriters, actors, filmmakers, and producers.

Our Vision

Our VISION is to unite the Masters of storytelling in a forum that will stimulate creative minds by setting the stage for some thought-provoking discussions, and how to utilize new tools in the New Era of Hollywood.

Our goal is to spark conversation and action, continuingwith what is already in motion - there is no time to wait,the time is NOW! May this be a spark to see storytelling ina new way, get the motivation and tools needed tocomplete, and pick the brains of Hollywood’s best.

Hanè Saga Advisory Board

Heidi Stangeland - Founder & CEO

A Norwegian Native, Heidi is an optioned and award-winning screenwriter and the founder of the Hané- Saga Filmmakers Conference. Heidi has always had a passion for storytelling and has been writing stories from a young age while also exploring storytelling through photography.

Alexia Melocchi, Board Member

Alexia Melocchi has over 25 producing credits of films from emerging filmmakers from all over the world and has been an instrumental facilitator to the financing process of movies by pre-buying on behalf of her International Distribution clients, which grossed 900 Million US in the box office in the last decade. She attends all Major Film and Television Markets and is fluent in five languages. She is also the host of the 5-Star rated podcast THE HEART OF SHOW BUSINESS, and author of the book "An Insiders Secret: Mastering the Hollywood Path".

Jeremy Kaufman, Board Member

Jeremy is a veteran IP attorney in the entertainment field. He has worked at Netflix, Disney, and 20th Century Fox. Some of the shows he has worked on include High School Musical, The Muppets, Avatar, Modern Family, The Simpsons, X-Men, Ice Age, Empire, Family Guy, Glee, Sons of Anarchy, Stranger Things, The Witcher, When They See Us, and Bridgerton. Jeremy has been recognized as an IP Star by Managing IP, and as a top 300 in-house IP professional by World Trademark Review, and his Netflix team has repeatedly been nominated as one of the best in-house teams in its industry, region, and the world.

After leaving his role as head of IP for Netflix, Jeremy began organically working with Fortune 500 and mid-market companies to solve significant, complex issues. This consulting experience made him realize that he truly treasures leveraging his many years of IP and media experience to help great people solve complex problems. Consequently, he is excited to introduce his company, Jeremy Kaufman Consulting, which specializes in IP, media, technology, and legal management matters.

David Wienir, Board Member

David Wienir is a Business Affairs Executive at Harper Collins, and prior was at United Talent Agency, UCLA Extension Instructor, founder of Entertainment Law Exposed and author.

Before HC, he practiced law at two of the top talent boutiques (Gang Tyre & Grubman) where he represented A-List clients including Spielberg and Madonna. He began his legal career as a litigator and First Amendment lawyer in New York with the 150-year-old international law firm Coudert Brothers, representing prominent book publishers along with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

He has taught entertainment law for 20+ years, including at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, The New York Institute of Technology, The College of New Rochelle, and UCLA, and is the founder of the premier online entertainment law class Entertainment Law Exposed. www.entlawexposed.com