The Argentinean-Canadian executive will be replacing Tereza Simikova from May 1st, 2023.

Her mandate will be to further develop CPH:DOX’s markets, industry and training activities together with the Copenhagen-based documentary festival’s management.

Gourd-Mercado has a background in arts management, specialising in film, television and digital media. Her latest job was Executive Director of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television-Quebec section. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director for the Montreal Int’l Documentary Festival between 2015 to 2020.

“It is an honour and a great joy to join CPH:DOX and a team that champions great documentary making throughout all its activities, programs and projects. I look forward to taking on this new position and being part of developing and sustaining a strong doc community”, she said.

Katrine Kiilgaard, CEO of CPH:DOX added: “I’m very excited that Mara has decided to join CPH:DOX. I’m confident that her open mind and solid experience is the right match for our organisation to secure and further develop a vibrant platform for documentary professionals to evolve their craft, strengthen their careers and advance their business.”

For its 20th anniversary, CPH:DOX celebrated its biggest audience ever, with 125,680 people. "The 20th anniversary of CPH:DOX was really a celebration of documentary cinema and of the film festival as a social event", commented artistic director Niklas Engstrøm. “The most wonderful thing is that the massive interest by our local crowd goes hand in hand with rising international attention, and I’m happy to see how so many of the films premiering at CPH:DOX are now continuing their journey in the international festival circuit and market,” he said.