Crafting Compelling Content: A Conversation with Michael Holstein

The Art of Film Funding

Michael Holstein is a co-founder and executive producer at Mesmeric Media. He began his career writing for HBO’s The Wire and marketing major films like The Rock and Independence Day. After earning a law degree, Michael became VP of Business Affairs at WETA-TV in Washington, DC, where he produced numerous shows, including In Performance at the White House and PBS NewsHour. He later launched The Content Farm, where he created award-winning content across unscripted genres and platforms. His honors include being the only 3x winner of Real Screen’s "Summit Showdown" competition, being a 2017 Producer’s Guild Award nominee, and receiving the 2019 Washington, DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Media Arts. Holstein has produced several series and won multiple awards, including Emmy and Telly accolades. Michael is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.