Michael Holstein is an award-winning executive producer, director, writer, and media executive with more than 20 years of experience across scripted television, documentary filmmaking, unscripted series’, live music events, and digital media.

He began his career in marketing films for MGM and writing on HBO’s landmark series The Wire, before expanding into senior leadership roles in media. After earning his law degree, he served as Vice President of Business Affairs and Executive Producer at WETA-TV in Washington, DC – one of the nation’s largest PBS production organizations. In that role, he oversaw and contributed to an extensive slate of flagship programming, including In Performance at the White House, The PBS NewsHour, Finding Your Roots, The Mark Twain Prize, Made in Spain with José Andrés, and multiple documentaries by Ken Burns. He also spearheaded the organization’s early expansion into digital-first content strategy and distribution.

Across his producing career, Michael has created, written, directed, and overseen unscripted television, live music specials, documentaries, branded content, and national campaigns. His credits include The Gershwin Prize, An Opry Salute to Ray Charles, Don’t Stop the Music USA, A Chance to Dance, Soccer in the City, and Live at 9:30, along with commercial and digital work for national brands and cultural institutions. He has collaborated with artists including Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lord Huron, Harry Connick Jr., Leon Bridges, Drew Holcomb, and My Morning Jacket.

Michael is currently directing and producing two documentary projects: Where the Mountains Sing, exploring the music and cultural legacy of Appalachia, and Building Opportunity, a documentary on Waterfall City and new cities development in Africa. He continues to develop new content with partners across sports (NFL, NASCAR), music, and global media platforms.

He is the founder and CEO of Mesmeric Media (formerly The Content Farm), a production company developing and producing award-winning content across broadcast, cable, streaming, and digital platforms. He also founded and sold AllCast Media, an early streaming aggregation platform that distributed curated content to more than 1.1 billion viewers globally. He also currently serves as Head of Communications and General Counsel for the Charter Cities Institute, where he produces large-scale global events and helps develop and build new cities around the world.

Michael’s work has been recognized with multiple Emmy, Telly, Davey, and W3 Awards, the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Media Arts, and he is a three-time winner of the RealScreen Summit Showdown Pitch Competition. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Recording Academy (Grammys), and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and has served as an adjunct professor at UCLA teaching The Business of Entertainment and a guest lecturer at the University of Miami, Georgetown University, and other institutions.

He continues to explore storytelling at the intersection of culture, music, sports, and global development, while steadily navigating both the business and creative sides of a rapidly changing media landscape. Outside of work, Michael can be found driving race cars, surfing, traveling, playing soccer, or rabidly following Miami Hurricanes football.