Canceling your registration will remove your access to the event. If you proceed, you will no longer be able to participate or access event-related materials.
CEO & Founder of InfoList.com, a platform where filmmakers, writers, actors, models, and creative talent of all types can find work, make their own work, and hear about industry jobs, events, and opportunities. Before founding InfoList, Jeff made a living as a composer of music for top TV shows, films, and video games, as well as producing music for Grammy nominated recording artists. Jeff has produced numerous concert event with bands from top celebrities such as Jeff Goldblum, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Bacon, Juliette Lewis, and David Carradine. Through InfoList, Jeff also produces numerous networking events bringing in producers, creators, execs, and talent from major companies such as Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment, Disney, CAA, WME, E! Entertainment, Marvel, TokyoPop, DreamWorks, and hundreds of blockbuster films, top TV shows, and major video game franchises. Also, Jeff is actively producing several feature film projects, pitching TV shows, and involved in several tech startup companies.
Mateusz "Matt" Balcerek is a Forbes 30 Under 30 lister, producer, director and award-winning marketing professional. He is the founder of Sounds Better Productions, a company that produces both scripted and unscripted content, both in the US and Europe. Matt has produced content for companies like Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures, Spectrum TV, and marketing campaigns for Opera, HUSSLUP, Monzo Bank, Finch, Debbie and more.
Peabody award winning Manager/Producer Steven Adams is a Founding Partner at Alta Global Media with a distinguished history of representing international media companies and talent. A few recent highlights are the 3 picture deal with Netflix brokered for South African director Mandla Dube, the success of his first picture HEART OF THE HUNTER which debuted at #1 globally on the Netflix platform and the 6 picture slate finance deal with South Africa's IDC to provide 49% finance. Acting clients appear on such shows as Yellowstone, SWAT, Emily in Paris, Money Heist, Law and Order, and Power, amongst many others. He is a producer on the Netflix Original adaptation of Roger Guenveur Smith’s solo performance piece RODNEY KING and A HUEY P NEWTON STORY both directed by Academy Award winner Spike Lee.
Mark Adler is a musician, composer, and lyricist for film, television, and stage. He won a Primetime Emmy for HBO’s THE RAT PACK (Ray Liotta, Don Cheadle), and received a Primetime Emmy Nomination for FORBIDDEN TERRITORY: STANLEY’S SEARCH FOR LIVINGSTONE (Nigel Hawthorne, Aiden Quinn). Other notable films include PICTURE BRIDE (Youki Kudoh, Toshiro Mifune) FOCUS (William H. Macy, Laura Dern) and BOTTLE SHOCK (Alan Rickman, Chris Pine.) In addition dramatic films, much of his work has been for socially-conscious documentaries addressing environmental and human rights issues. Four of the documentary features Mark has scored are Oscar-nominated, including FOOD, INC. Others docs include FOOD INC., 2 and AMERICAN AGITATORS. Mark has won two HMMA awards for COMMAND AND CONTROL and MERCHANTS OF DOUBT. Mark has served as vice-president of the SCL and as a governor of the music branch of the Television Academy, and is a member of AMPAS and ATAS.
Wendy is a Hollywood Talent Manager and the Founder of Hollywood Winners Circle Academy, the Industry Standard in Acting Business Training.She coaches tens of thousands of actors around the world through her popular YouTube Channel “Secrets of A Hollywood Talent Manager” as well as her Facebook group Talent Managers For Actors. She is a writer for Backstage.com, is regularly a guest on Industry podcasts, Magazines and has appeared with Oprah Winfrey talking about the Law Of Attraction.Wendy’s Actors at Hollywood Winners Circle Academy have booked Network shows including: Equalizer, Love Victor, General Hospital, Waco: Aftermath, FBI, The Umbrella Academy, New Amsterdam, Chicago Fire, Better Call Saul, Chicago Med, Atlanta, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Young Rock, Swat, Blue Bloods, The Bay, Station 19, Gossip Girl, Wonder Years, Gaslit, Mr Mayor, Animal Kingdom.
Feras is a film producer with over a decade of experience spanning development, production management, and accounting. He holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Producing from the American Film Institute and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Animation from DePaul University.
Co-owner of Lumiere Cinema at the Music Hall in Beverly Hills, an independent arthouse movie theater.
Emmy Award winning Supervising Sound Editor (for Shogun), Brian Armstrong also supervised "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist" for Peacock, and the upcoming Netflix dark comedy "No Good Deed." Other supervisor credits include "Bates Motel," "A League of Their Own," and multiple shows from The Walking Dead universe.
Apocalypo, Venom, Gran Turismo
Steve Barr moved to New Zealand in 2010 after working for 16 years in the Hollywood industry. He has been a studio suit for Universal Studios, a feature screenwriter for Walt Disney Pictures, and the vice president of development for indie production company SMASHfilms. Steve has been hired to write over a dozen screenplays in the New Zealand, American, and Chinese industries, two of which have been produced - Timeslow and Born To Dance. He has produced 20 short films and two features - Chronesthesia and Hang Time.
Listed annually in Super Lawyers New York Metro edition. Author of Your Child's Career in Music and Entertainment. Recipient of Hip Hop NYC's 50th Anniversary Lifetime Achievement Award for Legal Excellence. Cited by The Wrap magazine as “21 Great Thinkers of Indie Film".
Joan Bevan Webb is a film producer, virtual production producer and president of Roninfilm. Webb started her career in national TV advertising representing Oscar winning directors for commercials. With $9M VC capital, she built the first professional ProTools facility. Two years later, with $16M additional VC capital, Margarita Mix de Santa Monica was added to their roster of facilities, creating the world’s largest, privately-held, post audio facility.
David Bianchi is a multi-hyphenate artist, actor and filmmaker with over 130 professional credits across studio films, major network TV and independent projects. As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, David has produced six feature films and is the founder of Exertion Films, with projects licensed to HULU, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Apple TV. In the blockchain entertainment space, David is the creator, showrunner, writer, and lead actor of the Primetime Emmy® Nominated sci-fi thriller RZR, where he stars alongside Mena Suvari, Richard Cabral, Emilio Rivera and Danny Trejo. Produced by his company Exertion3 Films and blockchain gaming giant Gala Games, RZR helped launch the new streaming platform Gala Film to rave reviews, featuring digital collectibles on Gala's layer one blockchain.
Ashton Bingham & Art Kulik are Los Angeles based Entrepreneurs, Producers, and Social Media Creators. Upon discovering their passion for creating online content, Ashton and Art founded Trilogy Media Inc in 2016 and are YouTube's favorite scam-busting duo with their channel garnering over 150 million views. Trilogy Media Inc's main purpose is to alert the public about scams in society, and offer awareness with their comedic videos that shed light on detrimental scammers. In 2016, Ashton and Art took on the IRS Robocall Scammers, the relentless scammers that would call pretending to be the IRS to obtain personal information from vulnerable people. Their video went viral garnering millions of views within the first 24 hours. Trilogy Media Inc has been featured in numerous top tier media such as The Dr. Oz Show, ABC's The Briefing Room, CBS KCAL, Fox 11 News, Good Morning San Diego, CBS News Memphis, and more.
Ted Talk. Directed Mena Suvari and Mickey Rourke,
Disney Plus Princess January and and ABC Once Upon A Time.
Sara Bottfeld is currently an owner and Partner at Industry Entertainment, a leading management and production company with offices in Los Angeles and New York. She started her career in the business as an assistant at William Morris Agency where she was promoted to a Feature Literary Agent in 1996. She became a partner at Industry Entertainment in 2009 and expanded her client list to include writers and directors in film and television as well as producing film, tv and theater. Prior to joining William Morris, she was an analyst at Goldman Sachs specializing in the Entertainment Industry. She graduated from MIT in 1991 with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Peter Broderick is a leading Distribution Strategist. He spearheads the distribution of exceptional documentaries and consults with independent filmmakers around the world. He helps design and implement customized plans to maximize revenues, audience, and impact. Peter is President of Paradigm Consulting, which specializes in state-of-the-art distribution techniques—including hybrid strategies and innovative approaches to global distribution.Peter was President of Next Wave Films, which supplied finishing funds and other vital support to filmmakers from the US and abroad. He helped launch the careers of outstanding directors including Christopher Nolan and Amir Bar-Lev. Peter’s reports, “Welcome to the New World of Distribution” and “Declaration of Independence” are concise guides to the latest distribution strategies. Read his articles and subscribe to his Distribution Bulletin at www.peterbroderick.com.He’s a graduate of Brown University, Cambridge University, and Yale Law School.
Chris Browne is the Global Visual Effects Supervisor for Sony Pictures Animation and a highly respected figure in the industry. He previously served as Studio Wide Visual Effects Supervisor at DreamWorks and Head of CG Productions at Bardel Entertainment, one of Canada’s largest studios. Chris is also the founder of Digital Alchemy Entertainment, where he led a team of 40 artists on diverse visual effects projects over 9 years. An award-winning filmmaker, Chris’s independent films have been selected for top international festivals across North America and Europe. He’s an Annie Award nominee and a multiple Leo Award winner, recently earning a Leo for Best Visual Effects for an independent film where he single-handedly completed 200 VFX shots, surpassing major studio-backed productions. Chris is a sought-after speaker at major events like San Diego Comic-Con and the Spark CG Conference, where he shares his innovative approach to visual effects and filmmaking.
Award-winning journalist and author of seven books on music for films and television. Hosts film-music podcasts for Dolby Institute; frequent contributor to Variety; teaches film-music history at the University of Southern California.
Filmmaker Cirina Catania, the Co-Founder and prior Executive Director of the Sundance Film Festival and Founder and Lead Creative at The Catania Group Global, has been involved as a writer, director, producer, cinematographer or marketing exec on over 150 film, television and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic, Discovery, etc. She was a senior executive at MGM-UA and United Artists and is a member of the WGA-West, the PGA, IATSE Local 600, NPPA, the National Press Club, and more. Cirina lives in San Diego, D.C. and Berlin when she is not on the road filming for her projects or for clients, or speaking as a tech evangelist for companies such as Blackmagic Design and Lumberjack System. Cirina is the Founder and Executive Director of the High Media Collective (HSMC) a national nonprofit with top industry mentors bringing media literacy and new career pathways to classrooms across the country. Cirina Catania has produced or hosted over 4,500 interviews, featuring top CEOs, film and TV stars and tech innovators.
Jayanth Jambulingam Chandrasekhar (born April 9, 1968) is an American comedian, film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for his work with the sketch comedy group Broken Lizard and for directing and starring in the Broken Lizard films Super Troopers, Club Dread, Beerfest and Super Troopers 2. Since 2001, he has also worked frequently as a television director on many episodes of Community and The Goldbergs, among dozens of comedy series.[1] He has also occasionally worked as a film director outside of Broken Lizard projects, most notably on the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard.
Kevin Christoffersen has been working in just about every form of media for nearly 3 decades - producing content internationally across 4 continents while living in 5 countries. He is an Educator and Development Executive of, 'Film StartUp.' In this role, Kevin guides filmmakers through the A-to-Z feature film development process with workshop courses, development labs, webinars and consultations. Kevin has presented lectures at NYU, The Gotham, Cineworks, Filmshop, Brooklyn College, Stage 32, HRTS and PANO amongst many other film festivals and organizations. A strategic partnership with Largo Films has introduced artificial intelligent analytics into the casting, financing, and distribution strategies within the dynamics of each of the features he project manages. Kevin was based in Switzerland for 8 years as Executive Producer of World Television (WTV) managing large scale live broadcast event productions for Fortune 500 companies, United Nations agencies and NGO's including the annual WEF Davos Conference.
The Chubbuck Acting Technique, praised by top actors and directors, has shaped the careers of stars like Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, and Sylvester Stallone, helping them deliver career-defining performances. By using personal trauma and insecurities to empower characters, the technique has gained widespread acclaim for its depth and authenticity, leading to numerous Oscar-winning roles. Cathartic Realism builds on this by allowing actors to not only apply these principles but also to tell their own personal stories. Actors write and perform their lived experiences of trauma, guided by a psychiatrist-led process toward catharsis. This unique approach blends the emotional power of the Chubbuck Technique with the healing potential of storytelling, creating a space where actors can reclaim their narratives and shape their own endings.
Marc Clebanoff, a graduate of the USC School of Cinema/Television, is an award-winning filmmaker and global sales agent. He is the managing partner of Odyssey Motion Pictures, alongside long-time producing partner Louis Mandylor.
Jack Cook is an American movie director and filmmaker. Cook's highly-anticipated directorial debut, The Private Eye, released in theaters nationwide February 9, 2024 and is now available digitally. Cook is a co-founder of the Entertainment Studio Illusion Islands. The company has produced and or distributed movies including The Private Eye, The Undead, The Elevator, Bitter Jester and soon to be released Mary Pickford: Love Wild and Baggok.
Michael Crepezzi is Assistant Vice President, Distribution & Administration Services at BMI, and is based in Los Angeles. In his role, he works closely with the licensing and information technology departments. He is an integral part of the team responsible for the ongoing development of royalty payment policies and procedures regarding the use of music in audio-visual productions performed online, including emerging social media platforms. He also continues to execute his responsibilities regarding BMI’s music use reporting and television performance-related initiatives. In addition, Crepezzi maintains and develops relationships within the music publishing, composer and music production communities by answering inquiries and educating key constituents on BMI policies and procedures on a daily basis.
Neil Creque Williams is Head of Filmmaker Relations and Concierge Services at Gathr, the world’s first end-to-end event management system that combines film, talent and venue booking; ticketing; merchandise sales; memberships and in-person, virtual, and hybrid exhibitions into a single platform. He produced the Independent Spirit Award and Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominated film Miss Juneteenth and is an alumnus of the Sundance Creative Producing Lab, The Gotham Cannes Producer Fellowship and has been supported by the Austin Film Society and Cucalorus. As a writer/director his shorts have played international film festivals and he was an inaugural 2023 Blumhouse/K Period Screamwriting fellow for his horror script The Plat-Eye. He has an MFA in Film Production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Public Policy from Duke University.
President, Noble House Entertainment, Inc. and Adj. Professor, USC School of Cinematic Arts/ UCLA Extension, Woodland Hills After graduating Cal Arts Film School (Peewee Herman & Ed Harris were among her graduating class), Cutler-Rubenstein started her career as assistant to legendary Agent-turned-Producer Jerome M. Zeitman at 20th Century-Fox, where she assisted in the development of numerous projects including her first produced studio feature, the sci-fi thriller DAMNATION ALLEY. Following her experience at 20th-Fox, she held various executive positions including Director of Literary Acquisitions for Mona Moore & Associates, Director of the Story Department for Marble Arch Productions, Director of Literary Affairs for Columbia Pictures Television and Vice-President, Promotion and Marketing for Connoisseur Video. A respected screenwriter, she has collaborated with Emmy and Academy Award winning writer-producers Roger Lewis (THE PAWNBROKER, SHAFT) and comed veteran Everett Freeman (MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY).
Michelle Danner is a film and stage director, an author, and a world-renowned acting coach. She teaches the Golden Box Acting workshops around the world and is the Founder of the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory. Michelle has taught acting for the last 30 years and has worked with many A-List Actors privately and on set including: Chris Rock, Gerard Butler, Seth MacFarlane, Penelope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Common, Salma Hayek, Chris Martin, Zooey Deschanel, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Coolidge, Henry Cavill, Michelle Rodriguez, Rita Ora and many others. She is the Founding Director of the Creative Center for the Arts (formerly known as Edgemar Center for the Arts). Michelle has directed eight Feature Films. Her latest Film, Miranda’s Victim, starring Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Emily VanCamp, Mireille Enos, Josh Bowman, Andy Garcia and Donald Sutherland, was released in 2023 to great critical acclaim. She is in Post production for the
Barbara Daoust, MFA, is a Certified Facilitator with the Proctor/Gallagher Institute as well as an Author, Speaker, Success Coach and Business Growth Accelerator. As a certified “Thinking into Results” consultant with the Proctor/Gallagher Institute, I show entrepreneurs, small business owners, and leaders how to access exponential business results and embrace change as an opportunity for growth. It is my passion to help people get out of their own way, breakup with procrastination, say goodbye to perfectionism and stop postponing the life of their dreams. When you work with me, you’ll learn how to engage your creative mind and utilize your most powerful tool – your imagination. It definitely wasn’t easy for me to get to where I am now. I spent my entire life as a director, producer, and acting coach in the Theatre, TV, and Film industry.
After graduating from Law School in Toronto, Canada, Jeff Deverett launched his film career in the Distribution division of Astral Media, a large public entertainment and media company. Throughout his distribution career, Jeff specialized in indie feature films, having acquired and sold over 500 indie movies of all sizes and budget ranges. In 2005, Jeff produced his first indie feature, My Brother’s Keeper and thereafter he has produced and/or written and directed six other features, all of which have been distributed worldwide, three of which were picked up by Netflix.
My name is Mark Edwards and I’m a photographer based in Los Angeles. Growing up in Virginia, loving movies and t.v. from the 1980’s, I found myself captivated by films like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Conan the Barbarian, and Blade Runner. I moved to southern California in the late 90s to pursue a career in film and landed my first role working for James Cameron on Titanic, which resulted in 20 wonderful years of working in post production/visual effects. Today I am a full-time photographer specializing in Live event, Portraits, and Company Branding in the Entertainment Industry. In my free time I enjoy working on personal projects including classic noir photography and western inspired photographs.
Van Elder is a native of Compton, California. He has written, directed, produced, and edited six feature films to date; “I Left My Heart in Colombia” (2024), “Kings of L.A.” (2023), “Perfectly Single” (2019), “DWB: Dating While Black” (2018), “Divine Intervention” (2007) and “Issues” (2006) and four award-winning short films. Van’s films have appeared on the following networks: Showtime Networks, Starz, BET Television, Bounce TV, NBC, and CBS. Van’s work has spread into other visual areas; including directing music videos, a sketch comedy Television series, a Variety Television show, multiple Web and digital Series and many other media related projects. He is also an educator with the Los Angeles Unified School District, teaching Film and Video Production and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Liberal Studies, and a Master's Degree in Film and Television Studies.
Brittany Ellis has over 10 years of experience in the film industry, contributing to acclaimed projects such as Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Old Man, and more. She has collaborated with industry leaders including Warner Bros., Sony Entertainment, Formosa, Westwind Media, Signature Post, and Advantage Audio on various high-profile TV projects. Recently featured in the July 2024 edition of Emmy Magazine, she discussed the intricacies of executing sound for the iconic Godzilla franchise. Brittany is also honored to have been nominated for an Emmy by the Academy of Television for excellence in sound mixing and editorial work.
Among talking to clients about Advertising Strategies, Media Buying and Analytics, Chad is charged with helping content owners (of all sizes) distribute content to traditional linear networks (broadcast, cable) and OTT/CTV providers (Crackle, Amazon Prime. Chad has been helping content creators distribute content for over 20 years. He has worked with many of the top networks (Discovery, A&E, Crackle) in securing the right deal for his clients. Chad enjoys sharing the Branded Entertainment model with content creators and educating them on the benefits of owning the IP.
Sean Fernald has produced several features and documentaries, including "Red Velvet" (2009) (a horror-fantasy film) and is preparing "The Prisonaires" (2021) (five young black men incarcerated in the Tennessee State Penitentiary form a doo-wop group and end up recording a single that becomes a huge hit for the upstart label Sun Records, and inspires a young boy named Elvis Presley to record his first demo). As a Music Supervisor, Sean has worked on about 200 features along with various television series, film & video game trailers, advertising spots, corporate branding campaigns and more. Sean has 10+ years of major record label experience with MCA Records, Virgin Records, Capitol Records and Sony/Relativity, specializing in visual marketing, music video (production and promotion) and music licensing and clearance for film, television and other media. Sean is a voting member of the P.G.A., N.A.R.A.S. (National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences), The Television Academy and the Guild of Music Supervisors
The AFM represents more than 70,000 musicians in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and across Canada. Members work in all fields and genres and include freelance gigging and session musicians, touring musicians, recording artists, and composers/arrangers.
High School Musical, Castle, The Leftovers, Agent Carter, Reservation Dogs
As a filmmaker, Justin's films have been exhibited all around the world, from the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, WA to the Short Shorts Film Festival in Tokyo, Japan. His first film "This Is Normal" is used by USC’s School of Cinematic Arts to teach sound design and his follow up sci-fi "Outpost" has been viewed millions of times across YouTube and OTT streaming platforms. He also has a film coming out this year starring Alfred Molina and his script The Peregrine recently won Slamdance's screenplay competition. As a consultant for filmmakers, Justin has helped thousands of filmmakers raise funds, get into film festivals, and build powerful industry networks through his company Greenlight Yourself, Inc. As the "Kickstarter Guy," he has helped 350 filmmakers crowdfund over $11 million with a 97% success rate. As a working filmmaker in the trenches, his advice is both relevant and effective!
Saturday Night, Alien: Romulus, The Batman, Dune: Part 1&2, Blade Runner 2049, First Man, Stranger Things, Blue Bettle
Member DGA, WGA, SAG. Founder/CEO, The Gathr Companies, Inc.
Shelly Goldstein is a writer-singer-comedian-lyricist-producer who works extensively in the US and UK. Recently she was one of the writers for SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER, an international co-pro starring David Thewlis that will debut in 2025. She wrote the Emmy-winning PBS musical special CHICAGO VOICES and Sheryl Lee Ralph's ABC special, DIVAS SIMPLY SINGING. She's written or polished scripts and written award shows & special material for such artists as Lily Tomlin, Stephen Colbert, Steve Martin, Jay Leno, Hannah Einbinder, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L Jackson, Larry Wilmore, Rachael Harris, J Lo and Yoko Ono. She wrote and performed in PLEASE PLEASE DON'T KILL ME alongside Lily Tomlin. She co-starred in the British film THE RIDDLE opposite Sir Derek Jacobi and Vanessa Redgrave and the Irish film, ASSAULT OF DARKNESS. Her musical-comedy videos have gone viral around the world. She appears in the documentary THE GIRL IN THE ROOM about female sitcom writers.
Chris Gore is the founder and publisher of FilmThreat.com and host of the Film Threat Livecast on YouTube where he reviews movies weekly. He is the author of several books, most notably The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide and The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made. Chris has hosted television shows on FX including The New Movie Show, on Starz with Festival Pass, IFC's Ultimate Film Fanatic and was a regular on G4TV’s Attack of the Show. Chris is also a filmmaker, having written and produced My Big Fat Independent Movie and directed Attack of the Doc and the upcoming documentary Film Threat Sucks.
USC film school graduate and two-time Emmy Award winner, Guerrero Garzafox Co-wrote, produced and did 2nd Unit director of the acclaimed feature A Day Without a Mexican, a landmark in the US immigration movement, directed and served as showrunner for Dos Lunas (FOX), El Vato (NBC), Soccer & Drinks (Imagen Awards finalist), and the Emmy® Award-winning Gracias Maestros. In 2019, he directed and produced Intolerance No More (IWTIFF Winner, Panafest Best Actress), a powerful film on US police brutality. His film Blursday (2021) captures the first 100 days of the global pandemic through the eyes of three couples worldwide. His latest film, Clown & Out, (2023) continues his tradition of blending entertainment with social awareness. Guerrero Garzafox has taught film at UCLA and Anahuac Mayab University. He is a member of the Television Academy and founder of Yucatan VP Studios in Mérida, Mexico.
The “Tech Cat,” Lori H. Schwartz, is a true technology catalyst. A leading subject matter expert in marketing and tech innovation, Lori is a frequent, Los Angeles-based, Technology Contributor to CNN and major industry events such as CES, NAB, NATPE and AdTech. Profiled as one of the 30 Executives Shaping the Evolution of Media & Technology by Variety and 100 People to Have Lunch with by MediaPost Publications, she launched Digital Hollywood’s Women’s Entertainment & Technology Mentor Program, was the key principal launching the highly regarded IPGLAB and is a recipient of the Lucy Hood Digerati Award for her contributions to the Television Academy. She sits on the Board of Governors for the Television Academy’s Interactive Media Peer Group and is broadcast weekly on Voice America’s business channel via her Tech Cat Show.
Mark Harden has almost 100 credits as a film and TV animal trainer which include the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Captain Marvel, Stuart Little 1 & 2, both Cats and Dogs films, Golden Seal, The Lone Ranger, Must Love Dogs, Catwoman and Hachi: A Dog's Tale. Starting with wild animals, he’s worked with tiny ants and small rats to huge elephants - and everything in between. Most often, he worked with dogs and domestic cats - with dogs being his favorite because they can learn complex behaviors and portray a range of emotions that most other animals simply cannot. From 1979-1993, he worked with Animal Actors of Hollywood, a company that supplied exotic animals to the industry, then Boone's Animals for Hollywood until his retirement in 2021. He’s been happily married to Lori since 1983. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.
Harlan Boll (BHBPR) is an independent publicist, specializing in literary, personality, theatre, music, event and non-profit PR. Upon determining a clients specific PR goals and needs, a campaign is structured to enhance their efforts and brand through traditional and online outlets in order to create sharable content and thereby increasing traffic to all their social media platforms. A partial list of archived and active clients include a who's who of current and classic Hollywood for TV and film personalities (Click on Clients for complete list), as well as The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Daytime EMMY® Awards), The estate of the late Mr. Blackwell, Bob Hope/Bob Hope Enterprises, Inc./The Bob Hope Legacy, The Hollywood Museum and Milt Larsen/Magic Castle, Inc.
PR firm, Critics reviews of independent film, Author of Making Movies W/O Losing money, Investor and Producer
Matthew Helderman founded Buffalo 8 in 2010, while an undergrad student. Buffalo 8 has since premiered projects at Sundance, SXSW, and Berlin, as well as produced the Netflix original film “Rodney King” directed by Spike Lee and the Joe Berlinger directed Netflix global hit “The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes”. In 2013, he co-founded BondIt Media Capital and has led BondIt in the deployment of over $400M of capital in over 450+ film, television, and media opportunities, while expanding the company’s credit facility to $100M in 2024. Helderman also co-managed the acquisition of 30-year-old entertainment payroll firm, ABS Payroll, in 2017 and today serves as an Executive Director, Partner, and Board Member after having overseen the sale of the business to Vensure Employer Services.
Award winning Director/Producer. Recent short film - "A Year to Life" - premiered at LA Shorts Int'l., 30 festival selections, 9 wins, 8 noms including multiple Social Impact, Catalyst, Best Director awards & Special recognition from CA senate for expanding awareness of world social issues. ; VP Media Strategy & speaker for Artists for Community Transformation Hollywood.; Multiple Cine Golden Eagle, Telly and Impact Awards; Former founding/artistic director City light Performing Arts Co (San Francisco) Writer/director of musical for Nat'l theater Uganda. Commissioned by Gillen Group, LLC to write the recently completed feature film ‘Life Like That’ a coming of age family drama addressing issues of cancer and teen suicide. Currently in production on "Inside Justice: Getting Out”, a socially conscious true crime docuseries exploring the criminal justice system through one man's crime and conviction story. MFA, Directing. University of Southern California.
Barbara Holliday is the owner/operator of Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant. Born in Long Island, New York to a computer programmer and artist, she believes her multi-talented capacity for performance, and business is a result of being raised in a thoroughly “left brain/right brain” family. Experience probably has much to do with her flair as well. After graduating from San Diego State University with her Teaching certification and a degree in Theater Arts (Hon.) English and Dance minor in 1989, she was headed for a high school teaching stint but ended up getting cast instead as a Kid’s Club Host for Fox on the highly-rated television program Fox Kids Club. The television show, which aired daily Mon-Fri 3-5pm allowed Holliday to hone her performance & leadership skills on some of the toughest guests around-young children and animals-while simultaneously writing and producing the daily show.
Eve is the former President of of AFCI—an international organization representing approximately 300 film commissions worldwide. Before that, she held the position ofDeputy Director of the California Film Commisison from 2013 to 2020. Prior to the film commission, the focus of her career had been production management, where she worked in televsion and on feature films, in various staff positions and every freelance capacity from PA to line producer. She was associated with companies such as DreamWorks and Legendary Pictures, and when freelancing, had worked on films such as Titanic, Just Married and Tropic Thunder.
Alfred Hsing (邢思杰) is an actor, stunt coordinator, and action filmmaker who was the first American male to bring home a gold medal at the World Wushu Championships. As an actor, he has an upcoming role opposite Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams. He played the Pyke Traveler in Disney’s Book of Boba Fett, Jian Yang’s employee on HBO’s Silicon Valley, and a VR player in Ready Player One. He is Saitama on the popular Live Action One Punch Man fan film which garnered well over 30M views online. He was also cast on CBS Pilot, Mission Control, executive produced by Simon Kinberg (Deadpool, The Martian, Logan) directed by Jeremey Podeswa (Game of Thrones).
With a career spanning more than 35 years, Lydia Hurlbut has emerged as a respected figure in mindset consciousness, energy, holistic wellness and business. As an ever evolving practitioner, educator, and innovator, her journey through the realms of meditation, self-care, lifestyle and business coaching and energy healing has touched people from all walks of life. As a co-founder of Filmmakers Academy and her own wellness business, Lydia’s expertise is recognized and respected. She has featured articles in prestigious publications including the Variety, Broadway World, Emmy Magazine, Authority Magazine, The Cavalier Daily and Shoutout LA.
Peter Hyoguchi recently completed his fourth feature film The Occult, a supernatural thriller which was shot using a mixture of traditional and virtual production techniques. Raised in Los Angeles by his mother, an animator at Hanna-Barbera Studios (Scooby Doo and The Flintstones), Peter learned the craft of visual story-telling in the home and was creating his own cartoons by age ten. At fifteen, his sci-fi short, The Future’s Future won George Lucas’ youth film festival in 1988 and aired on PBS. Hyoguchi dropped out of high school after being awarded an art grant to direct his first feature film, an adaptation of No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre at age seventeen. In his early twenties, Peter signed with an agent and started taking on writing assignments, including adapting a New York Times best-selling novel called Shooting Elvis and co-writing The Waking with sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury for director John Carpenter.
John J. Lee, Jr. successfully led the vision, launch and expansion of several entertainment and media entities and provided business, funding and distribution services for over 20 major studio-released motion pictures, television network series and specials, with combined production costs of over $470 million and global rights earnings exceeding $4 billion, including: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Goonies, The Terminator and The Nutty Professor; released through Universal, Paramount, Sony, Disney, Warner Bros., HBO among others. Author of The Producer's Business Handbook, used in film and business schools the world over, now in its fourth edition published by Focal Press, co-branded by the AFM.
Rodney J. Hobbs was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, the second of four children to Robert and Remell Hobbs. Rodney dreamed of becoming an actor since he could remember (at least since age 6). He began by acting in community theater around Richmond, and eventually worked his way to professional local theater there. Next he signed up with several agencies and began getting work in commercials, industrial videos, and the occasional movie. After 10 years, Rodney left Overnite and Richmond to further his pursuit of an acting/entertainment career in Los Angeles, where he now resides with his wife Freda. He is slowly but steadily getting work in TV, film, commercials, and short films, and will continue to achieve more and more as he pursues his lifelong dream.
JAINA’s breakout role was that of ‘Detective Annalise Villa’ in the hit Fox series ROSEWOOD alongside Morris Chestnut. The show premiered in 2015 and enjoyed a successful two-season run, earning her widespread acclaim for her performance. Her portrayal of the tough and determined detective solidified her status as a rising star. Following the conclusion of ROSEWOOD, JAINA was hand-picked by Shonda Rhimes to lead the ABC drama series STATION 19 for 7 seasons and over 100 episodes. She stared as firefighter ‘Lieutenant Andy Herrera’, a strong and fearless character who leads her team through the challenges of their profession. Other TV credits include the USA series SHOOTER and the Amazon series THE AFTER.
Richard is the Principal Attorney at m.e.t.a.l IP., a boutique media and entertainment law firm based in Los Angeles. For more than two decades, He has represented indie motion pictures, documentary films, unscripted shows, music videos, video games, podcasts, and content creators, and he has negotiated deals with major studios, networks, streamers, production companies, brands, and other non-traditional companies. Richard routinely publishes articles, provides legal commentary for media, conducts seminars, moderates panels, and presents at conferences (including NATPE and SXSW). He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Southwestern Law School and an active member of many legal organizations. For more information, please visit the firm’s website (metal. law) and its award-winning resource website (lawyersrock.com), which provides helpful information to entertainment professionals who need guidance but may not yet have the budget to hire legal counsel.
The winds of Chicago swept Catherine (Cathy) from her advertising days with Leo Burnett Advertising, to her adventures in talent payment with Abrams-Rubaloff & Associates back in the early '80s. In 1992 she cast 329 voices in the Emmy-nominated television mini-series THE WILD WEST. Cathy now enjoys her partnership with her husband, Harvey, at Kalmenson & Kalmenson Voice Casting in Burbank, California. She casts and directs voice overs for commercials, animation, etc. (if it needs a voice, this team casts it). The U.S. voice over community considers the Kalmensons the number one Los Angeles voice over resource center; for both buyers and sellers of voices. The Kalmenson's applied 47 years of voice over and theatrical experience into a roster of voice over workshops based on the Kalmenson Method, offering the acting community the study of voice over.
A 5x SxSW, 5x Cannes Lions, Emmys, Clios, Anthems, Webbys, SIMA and Impact Shortys winner whose work has been archived at MoMA, Elliot was a Kellogg Innovation Fellow at Northwestern University and named a 2023 Australian Global Gamechanger for work that includes the first user-generated feature film, the world's first 3D-printing prosthetics lab, and the content launch of a social-robot for kids going through chemotherapy (named one of the Top 25 Campaigns of the Decade). He is a producer of documentaries such as 'Queen Mimi,' 'Black Boys,' 'Black Girls,' 'The Hidden Power of Purpose,' 'For Tomorrow,' and 'Unzipped,' covering issues such as homelessness, gender equity, grassroots innovation and social justice. The Nation of Artists, which Elliot founded, has steered films and campaigns for AARP, Accenture, Aflac, Amgen, Campbell's, CDC Foundation, FIRST, Hyundai & the UNDP, LEGO, New Balance, Participant Media, Qualcomm, Quest Diagnostics and Whirlpool & Habitat for Humanity.
Ashton Bingham & Art Kulik are Los Angeles based Entrepreneurs, Producers, and Social Media Creators. Upon discovering their passion for creating online content, Ashton and Art founded Trilogy Media Inc in 2016 and are YouTube's favorite scam-busting duo with their channel garnering over 150 million views. Trilogy Media Inc's main purpose is to alert the public about scams in society, and offer awareness with their comedic videos that shed light on detrimental scammers. In 2016, Ashton and Art took on the IRS Robocall Scammers, the relentless scammers that would call pretending to be the IRS to obtain personal information from vulnerable people. Their video went viral garnering millions of views within the first 24 hours. Trilogy Media Inc has been featured in numerous top tier media such as The Dr. Oz Show, ABC's The Briefing Room, CBS KCAL, Fox 11 News, Good Morning San Diego, CBS News Memphis, and more.
Composer/Music Editor/MPSE Board Member
John Lambert is an accomplished Motion Picture Producer and Commercial Director, Cinematographer, Editor and Visual Effects Supervisor. John started his career as a Cinematographer and Visual Effects Artist working on award winning commercials such as Ridley Scott’s Apple 1984 and Chanel perfume and music videos for Queen, Madonna, Missing Persons, Gary Neumann and Blockbuster films such as Star Trek the Motion Picture, Ghostbusters, 2010 The Year We Make Contact, Fright Night, Poltergeist 2, Cape Fear and Cool World. John’s talents and experience quickly propelled him to become an executive partner and CEO for several leading production, post production and visual effects studios in Hollywood and Canada. As a studio producer and international co-producer, John manages the development, production and post production for network television movies and theatrical feature films. John’s most recent feature animated production, The First Super Hero will be released in the spring of 2025.
Cleve Landsberg is a producer and a unit production manager for feature films, television movies, and TV series. In 2010, Cleve was honored by the Directors Guild of America with its prestigious Frank Capra Award for career achievement and service to the guild. His film credits include Bruce Almighty, Weekend at Bernie's, BASEketball, The Ultimate Gift, The Ramen Girl, Dennis the Menace Strikes Again, Mr. Destiny. His television work includes Hallmark Hall of Fame "William Faulkner's OLD MAN", the epic Crazy Horse, On Promised Land, An Inconvenient Woman (miniseries), The Broken Chain, Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson, Of Pure Blood, plus TV series Physical (S1 & S2), Perception, Mistresses, Devious Maids (pilot), FlashForward, The District, Earth 2, Spenser: For Hire, etc. Landsberg’s career began in live television at KTLA-TV. Cleve worked on the stage and remote crew at KTLA, while attending UCLA as a full-time student. At UCLA, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Journalism degree in documentary film. He is a U.S. Army veteran. He received an Emmy Award for visual effects work on Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos”. Cleve has taught and moderated many seminars at the DGA. He has been a panelist for seminars put on by American Film Market, Atlas (Annual Finance Summit), CineGear Expo, ShowBiz Expo, Hollywood Reporter, etc. Cleve is a past member of the Advisory Board for AFCI, the Association of Film Commissions International and once served on the board of directors of the LA Film Development Committee. He has also been a guest lecturer at USC and North Carolina School of the Arts.
Meet Dialect Coach Chris Lang! Chris is an Experienced Dialect Coach with over 19 years' experience coaching actors in Film, TV, and Theatre. He also coaches in the corporate arena specializing in working with TED speakers, Keynote speakers, & conference presentations, among others. Chris’ love of dialect work stems from the discovery that it was his road into his work as an actor. Chris loves to help other actors integrate this kind of work into their own processes and to see them grow and prosper in their art and this business. Actors Chris has coached have appeared in HBO's Game of Thrones & Westworld, Yellowstone, Loki, The Afterparty, Spiderman: No Way Home, Stranger Things, So Long, Marianne, Scandal, The West Wing, The Crown, Doctor Who, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, American Horror Story, The Dark Knight Rises, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Peaky Blinders, General Hospital, and Agent Carter among many others.
After graduating from NYU with majors in film production and political science, Andrew Lazar became the executive vice president of Dino DeLaurentiis Communications, where he developed such films as "Bound" and "Unforgettable, " which premiered at Sundance. He bought the script for "Assassins, " which he developed and produced, and produced the HBO film "The Maker, " which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 1997. He created Mad Chance, a film production company, which is affiliated with Warner Bros, but has projects involved with such studios as New Line Cinema and Touchstone Pictures.
An innovator, entrepreneur and author, Randy Lennon’s background spans television, radio, recording artist management, corporate finance, marketing and advertising and the Internet. A Executive Producer of Spinning Gold (2023), Randy Lennon’s recording artists have won US Gold and Platinum Albums as well as the Juno Award in Canada. He’s hosted television and radio talk shows, co-starred with the late Fred Willard in a situation comedy pilot and oversaw the first successful privatization of a public television broadcaster in North America. He won the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was an executive with The Calgary Flames and helped finance deals with the NHL Edmonton Oilers (1992), Tampa Bay Lightning (2008), Arizona Coyotes (2013), co-founded Meridian International Merchant Capital and Meridian Impact Partners Inc and founded the VA Angels (now Valhalla Angels) chapters in Kelowna and Phoenix.
Director and Producer for 30 years from factual to commercial to narrative. Award Winning Documentary Director and Producer Started making Sports TV then moved on to snowboarding and rollerblading action docs. Also produced a Skater Doc "It's All Good" for Showtime, and went on to make Sex Magic (2010) - Sundance / IFC. became a director focusing on travel and adventure series, and Made two Motor Sports docs for History. After turning to making Impact films, currently finishing a documentary about Western support of the Ukrainian War, and The Ride a film that takes an alternative approach to the homelessness issue. aside from that written and sold two narrative screenplays and a few pilots, he now is focused on films that can change the way the world is going.
Ms. Paulette Lifton is a multi-Emmy and MPSE-winning Supervising Sound Editor with an extensive portfolio in animation, television and features. Her work has spanned iconic shows for DreamWorks and Nickelodeon, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Penguins of Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and Blue Eye Samurai. Ms. Lifton was also contracted by The Weinstein Company to oversee animation features and television, where she contributed her expertise in voice casting, directing, dubbing and sound supervising handling all their animation dubbing and theatrical releases. Paulette has managed post production facilities for 20+ years and has handled multiple sound budgets and schedules for Netflix, HBO, Showtime, CBS, ABC, FOX and NBC to name a few. Ms. Lifton serves on the Motion Picture Sound Editors Board of Directors and has served on the National Board of Directors for the Producers Guild of America.
Mark has offered its clients high quality legal and business solutions for more than thirty years, serving a global clientele in transactions involving financing, producing, and distributing motion picture, television, and new media projects. His firm represents numerous writers, directors, producers and production companies. Mark is the author of six books, numerous articles and has been cited as an authority by many scholarly publications. He has been an adjunct professor at U.S.C. law school since 2013 teaching entertainment law. He previously taught at U.C.L.A. for more than twenty years. He also has worked as an expert witness and serves as an IFTA arbitrator. The firm has won millions of dollars in damages for filmmakers who have been defrauded by distributors.
Lisa London has been a Casting Director for 30 plus years and has cast over a 100 successful film and television shows. She has cast along with her business partner, Catherine Stroud, many notable actors and actresses early in their careers who have all gone on to become stars; such as Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana, Jonah Hill in Grandma’s Boy, Emma Stone, Katharine McPhee and Kat Dennings in The House Bunny, Selena Gomez in two Disney pilots, Jennifer Aniston in her first feature, Leprechaun, Mark Ruffalo in an episode of a CBS series, Due South, Brad Pitt in an episode of the series, Freddy’s Nightmares, Megan Hilty, Adrian R. Mante, and Joey King in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Yara Shahidi in her first television series, The First Family, Noah Centineo in the Disney pilot, Growing Up and Down and Josh Gad in a wild comedy film,
Vice President of Business Development at Mometu, a free ad-supported platform that is focused on independent and underserved content that is 100% hand-curated & Founder of the Mometu College Shorts Film Festival, supporting the future filmmaker via placement on Mometu, hosted educational panels, and building industry relationships.
David Low has worked across the professional musical landscape. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School (BM,MM), served as principal cello for the New World Symphony, New West, and Juilliard Orchestra. He is proud to have worked with many of the worlds finest composers as both a music contractor and cellist including Mark Adler, Jeff Beal, Jerry Goldsmith, John Willams, Chris Lennertz, Nate Barr, and Hans Zimmer. Throughout his career, David has worked on over a thousand films and countless episodes of television, including Titanic, Schindler’s List, and his Emmy award cello solos for House of Cards. He especially loved working on documentaries include Food Inc, Blackfish, and The Biggest Little Farm. Mr. Low has contracted and performed for live broadcast performances such as the Grammys and Academy Awards. His kids would say his career highlights are working with Beyonce, Elton John, and at Coachella with the Wu-Tang Clan.
Former Lionsgate Story Editor, Former Head of Development at Lynda Obst Productions, Named to Variety 10 Assistants to Watch. Now represent a wide range of writers and directors in both film and TV.
Amy Lyndon is considered Hollywood’s premiere celebrity Acting/Booking coach and creator of the Internationally acclaimed, revolutionary book, The Lyndon Technique: The 15 Guideline Map To Booking.“The Lyndon Technique” is part of the curriculum at the University of Kansas and was part of “Aaron Sorkin Week” through Syracuse University. Amy has had the opportunity to travel all over the United States and Canada conducting intensives and lecturing about how to make it in the acting world teaching her Technique, helping Actors understand the philosophical principals of booking and teaching the importance and application of marketing and business strategies.
In 1999 Ms. Lyons launched Snowfall Films and to date has produced/executive produced thirteen movies. These include: A BAFTA award-winning British comedy UNDERTAKING BETTY (aka “Plots With a View”), with actors Christopher Walken, Brenda Blethyn, Alfred Molina and Naomi Watts with Miramax Distribution. British/Canadian thriller JERICHO MANSIONS staring James Caan, Genevieve Bujold, Maribel Verdu and Jennifer Tilly. JERICHO MANSIONS was an official selection at the Montreal Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival. British/Canadian family comedy BAILEY’S BILLION$ which stars Dean Cain, Laurie Holden, Tim Curry, and Jon Lovitz. A drama THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, based on J.T. LeRoy novel, starring Asia Argento, Marilyn Manson, Winona Ryder, Peter Fonda and Jeremy Renner. The film premiered during the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and screened to high acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival.
Executive Produced and Distributed the Large Format film NSYNC Bigger Than Live. Directed, Wrote, Produced two independent movies that lead to the founding of the distribution company Indie Rights. Beta tested the TVOD launch of Amazon, Google Play and Adrise which later became Tubi. Helped build Indie Rights catalog to 1,500 + titles.
Christie Marchese is the founder and CEO of Kinema. Kinema is a global film distribution and exhibition platform that leverages the power of community and social interaction to screen and stream films. She was previously the founder of the impact agency Picture Motion and led as CEO for 9 years. Prior to PicMo, she ran impact for Righteous Pictures, led digital strategy for the social action group at Participant Media, and handled program coordination and social media strategy at Norman Lear's nonprofit Declare Yourself. Christie is also the co-author of The Distribution Playbook and won several industry recognitions, including being named one of Fortune’s Rising Female Founders in 2023 and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2021. She’s currently on the board of Subject Matter and The Reinvent Stockton Foundation, and on the Capacity Council for Brown Girls Doc Mafia.
Diana Maria Riva’s ability to easily transform from one character, genre and/or medium to another continuously showcases her versatility and furthers a prolific career that keeps her in the company of some of today’s most creative talent in both film and television. Riva most recently appeared in the Netflix series Glamorous as “Julia,” a no-nonsense mother who works to maintain a relationship with her young adult son when he begins working for Kim Cattrall’s character, a legendary makeup mogul. Her performance earned her an Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Riva earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble nomination, a Hollywood Creative Alliance Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and won the Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television (Comedy) for her portrayal of “Detective Ana Perez” in Netflix’s hit series Dead to Me which starred alongside Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. She then went on to star as “Adela Castelli”, the feisty and sexy matriarch in the critically acclaimed HBO Max series The Gordita Chronicles. Riva’s other television and streaming credits include NBC’s comedy Sunnyside from executive producers Kal Penn and Michael Schur and Telenovela with Eva Longoria for NBC. She played “Mrs. Rodriguez”, the tough as nails nemesis to Matt LeBlanc’s character in the first season of CBS’s Man With A Plan and received rave reviews for her portrayal of “Vivy Porter”, a feisty, outspoken woman who refuses to allow her diagnosis of cancer get the best of her in Lifetime’s drama series Side Order of Life. Other series regular television credits include FX’s Saint George, opposite George Lopez , Fox’s The Good Guys, opposite Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks, and FX’s The Bridge. She also recurred on such prominent series as The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Riva’s feature film work includes Disney’s McFarland, USA with Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, Love and Mercy with Elizabeth Banks and John Cusack and Fox Searchlight’s Our Family Wedding, which also starred America Ferrara and Forest Whitaker. Riva also had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed Short Term 12 starring Brie Larson. Other notable film credits include 17 Again, What Women Want, Employee of the Month, Chasing Papi, The Third Wheel and Disney’s feature holiday film and Disney + feature release Noelle with Anna Kendrick, Bill Hader and Shirley MacLaine. Riva was first discovered by ABC Studios and was quickly signed to a holding deal which led to recurring roles in several Steven Bochco projects - City of Angels, NYPD Blue, and Murder One. Having made a name for herself in the Bochco world, Riva landed her breakout role, playing Kim Delaney’s colorful and confident office manager on the ABC/Steven Bochco series Philly. Diana recently turned her sights towards activism, originating the idea of Latinas Acting Up, a group of SAG-AFTRA Latinas who recognize the need for Latinas in the entertainment industry to have a community of support. Joining forces with actor Lisa Vidal in 2023, the two women nurtured and grew Latinas Acting Up into a meaningful platform, offering Latina union members support, mentorship, resources, and community, all while striving to raise the visibility of Latinas within the industry. This group of hermanas quickly grew in rank becoming an undeniable force of television and film industry Latinas sharing the impact of their collective voices. The group has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Hip Latina, Deadline, Remezcla, The Hollywood Reporter, Latina and Vogue, among others. Latinas Acting Up remains committed to continue to growing its members as creatives and leaders in Hollywood and to raising the level of representation of Latinas in front of and behind the camera. Diana, whose maternal roots go back to the Dominican Republic, was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where she received her MFA in Theater Performance.
Kristen Marie Michel is Founder/Owner of DapperDoll Management. She was born into the world of entertainment. Kristen Marie’s dapper grandfather, Emile, joined the legendary agent Abe Lastfogel, at William Morris Agency in Los Angeles in the 1960’s. Rubbing elbows with Hollywood legends such as Frank Sinatra, Natalie Wood, Elvis Presley and Jimmy Durante was his life. That love he had for the industry was handed down to his granddoll, Kristen. Kristen became a child actor and eventually earned her BA degree from California State University Fullerton in Communications, specializing in Journalism and a Minor in Speech. She spent much of her years in & after college working as editorial assistant, casting assistant and production coordinator for companies Walt Disney, FOX and various Independent Productions.
Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer of multiple feature films that have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW and Cannes. I led the dialogue recording and editorial process for EA's Star Wars Jedi Survivor. My team's sound work on NFL 360's The Legacy of Jimmy Raye won a 2023 Sports Emmy.
Stephanie Massman is a veteran when it comes to show business. She started in the industry at the age of 18, where she worked as an extra’s casting director. She went on to run a few acting schools and then decided she wanted to represent actors. She worked as an agent for a few years and later opened her own Talent Management company in 2005. After selling the company she joined forces with The Parmeter Group and absolutely LOVES helping actors and is always looking to find that diamond in the rough.
Brooklyn McLinn's life journey is one of resilience, perseverance, and a deep commitment to health and wellness. Growing up in a family with a history of heart problems, Brooklyn made a vow early on to prioritize his physical fitness to avoid succumbing to the same fate as his grandmother and father, both of whom passed away from heart attacks. Brooklyn founded the "What The Heart Wants Wellness Organization," a nonprofit dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and raising awareness about potential health issues. Notably, their inaugural heart walk in September 2023, held on World Heart Day, underscored the importance of disease prevention, supported by esteemed entities such as The American Heart Association, Keck Medicine of USC, Los Angeles Dodgers, Help From The Hart, The Kyle Family Foundation, and many more.
Alexia is an accomplished entertainment industry professional with a long-proven track record of success within both the domestic and international arenas. A vital contributor to the Little Studio Films brand, Alexia Melocchi's footing in the Entertainment Industry began in the international marketplace in the 1990s, as both a sales agent and buyer’s representative for eleven theatrical distributors. As a P.G.A producer with 30 credits, she uses her professional relationships and expertise in screenplay development, film and television IP packaging, securing co-productions and arranging for US and International Distribution for her clients' projects. A regular participant at most major Film and Television markets as well as Festivals around the world, Alexia Melocchi still pursues international acquisitions and uses a global film marketing approach for the projects of her clients as well as the films she is producing under the Little Studio Films banner.
Mario Niccolo Messina, a top expert in YouTube and AVOD ecosystems, developed hisexpertise by working with Europe’s leading telecommunications CEOs, focusing on internet mobile traffic andvideo searches. His insights have made him a recognized authority in free streaming distribution.
Julian graduated from the LA County High School of the Arts (LACHSA) and went into singing commercial jingles, radio jingles and becoming the lead singer of various local cover bands around the LA area performing and having residency's at such places as BB Kings Universal City Walk, Disneyland, California Adventure and over seas in Guam & Thailand. Julian's first major tour was singing back up for Jessica Simpson on her sweet kisses tour, then on to Teena Maria and Rick James for 7 years, as well as the Enrique Iglesias World Tour, where they traveled to over 33 Countries. He has sang with and opened for Ray Charles, Oleta Adams, Luther VanDross, Gloria Estefan, Stephen Bishop, Juanes & Nelly Furtado. Currently, Julian sings with the iconic Taylor Dayne.
Award-winning filmmaker/author Dan Mirvish directed and produced such features as 18½, Bernard and Huey, Between Us, Open House and Omaha (the movie). Dan’s films have screened in over 100 festivals on 7 continents, sold to 150 countries, all had theatrical releases and played on everything from Netflix and Showtime to Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue. He co-wrote the critically-acclaimed novel I Am Martin Eisenstadt (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) and wrote two editions and an audiobook of The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking (Focal Press/Routledge). Dan’s lectured in over 70 film schools around the world and teaches regularly at Chapman University and he cofounded the Slamdance Film Festival.
Stephen Murray, Founder and Co-CEO of Bingeable, a new marketing and sales platform for independent film, is an innovator with over 25 years experience in the entertainment industry. He has become known as a passionate advocate for creators. Beginning as a staff songwriter in Nashville, TN at just nineteen years old, Murray has spent the majority of his career focused on developing production, marketing and distribution solutions that give artists more creative and business control.
CEO Indie Rights for past 15 years, filmmaker, ex-international investment banker.
Robin Nixon is a versatile Media / Film / Music producer, Director and Consultant who has significantly impacted the music, film and TV industries. He began his career working at Roger Corman’s infamous Studios where he climbed the ladder of film making. He went on during the rise of MTV to work on the hitlist of music videos for major bands like Oasis, Boyz II Men and The Fugees. His work spans various genres and includes collaborations with notable artists such as 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, The Killers, Britney Spears and many more. In addition to his production work, Nixon is recognised as a pioneer in the electronic music scene, where he helped introduce a broad audience to new music trends. He has owned record stores in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London, further establishing his influence in the music industry.
Producer's Rep, Blood Sweat Honey (300+ films into distribution); Producer/Creator, "Independent Focus" (IFC); EP "Aint it Cool with Harry Knowles"; Distributor, Walking Shadows; Director of Programming, IFP/Los Angeles aka Film Independent, Director/Producer "Burning Man - The Burning Sensation"
Keith is a filmmaker and Founder of Show&Tell. Over the last four years, Keith has coached and advised thousands of filmmakers on their distribution and fundraising strategies. Filmmakers in the Show&Tell community have raised over $20 million in nontraditional ways including: partnerships, sponsorships, conferences, and more. Keith was a filmmaker for 12 years and produced three films that appeared on PBS and Netflix. His film Age of Champions screened in over 3,000 communities and generated over $1.5 million—powered by partnerships with groups like AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association and companies like Cigna Health. He’s delivered keynote presentations on distribution at filmmaking organizations like IDA and his work has appeared in IndieWire and Documentary Magazine.
Andreas Olavarria has over 25 years of experience in the development, production and distribution of motion pictures and television movies, having worked as an executive at both 20th Century Fox and The Walt Disney Studios. His specific areas of expertise include film packaging, production, sales, marketing and distribution.
John K. Painting is the Director of the Electronic Media Services Division (EMSD) for the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), the department charged with overseeing and administering the Federation's non-symphonic recording agreements. Painting has worked in Electronic Media since he began his career at AFM Local 802 in New York in 2011, joining the International in 2019. Both at the Local and Federation level, Painting has been regularly involved on the bargaining team for EMSD contract negotiations over the last decade. He also sits on the AFM’s Education Committee and has worked to create new and updated educational content to better explain Electronic Media Services agreements to both musicians and employers.
Wally Pfister is an Oscar winning Director and Cinematographer who played a key role in feature films that have grossed over 4 billion dollars worldwide. Before shifting his focus to directing full time, he was best known for his collaborations with Director Christopher Nolan. He received 4 Academy Award nominations for his work on Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight. and won the Oscar for Best Cinematography in 2011 for his work on Inception. Pfister’s also photographed Memento, The Italian Job, Laurel Canyon and Moneyball. He made his feature film directing debut in 2014 with Transcendence, starring Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman. He also Directed the pilot for Flaked on Netflix, and The Tick on Amazon. Currently Pfister directs high profile commercial campaigns for Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Nike, Under Armour, Michelob, Taco Bell, Ford and Capital One, through Reset Content, a commercial production company co-owned by David Fincher and Dave Morrison. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Directors Guild of America, and The American Society of Cinematographers.
Transcendence, Education of Charlie Banks, Door in the Floor, Meaning in Madness, PowerOn! Series
Kurt Ravenwood is a producer originally from northern Wisconsin, now working between Milwaukee and Los Angeles. After graduating from UW-Milwaukee's Film & New Media program, he started a production company that eventually turned into boutique creative agency SRH, a full service advertising agency in which he leads strategy for clients and entertainment projects. He led the marketing and self-distribution for Hundreds of Beavers.
Composer and music editor Shie Rozow (pronounced shy ro-zov) has taken a different path than most leading him to work on over 150 feature films including major international blockbusters like The Flash, The Lost City, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hustle & Flow and Training Day. Armed with over 25 years of industry experience and driven by his lifelong passion for music and storytelling, Shie has earned 17 Golden Reel Award Nominations, winning for his work on IMAX: Deep Sea, and Wu Tang: An American Saga. Shie’s first book, “Preparing for Scoring Sessions”, was published in March 2023, reaching number one on Amazon and becoming required reading at Berklee College of Music’s Film Scoring program. His second book “Every Note Tells a Story”, Shie was published in October of that same year and has earned multiple accolades including a Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence and Person of the Year Book Award.
Stephen M. Saleen, is the founder and CEO of Saleen Automotive. This automotive visionary founded Saleen in 1984 with a purposeful goal of bringing race-proven performance to the street. Mr. Saleen is considered one of the most successful and well-known automotive legends in the country. He was born and raised in Southern California which has been the home of the “Car” culture for decades. He is an accomplished racer, winning his first race in a Shelby Mustang in 1973, then graduating to open wheel Formula Atlantic cars and winning the Pacific Coast Championship. His open wheeled racing culminated with him behind the wheel of an Indy car. Mr. Saleen’s entrepreneurial business plan laid the groundwork for an entire new industry of design, engineering, manufacturing, and sales of high-performance vehicles that were race-proven and marketed for sales through showrooms nationwide.
Daytime Emmy Award Winner - CBS Mornings 3 time Emmy Award Winner - Editing - CBS Los Angeles Film Festival Director Indie film director
Lisanne Sartor is an award-winning writer/director whose short films have screened at hundreds of worldwide festivals. An alumna of the AFI DWW, and Yaddo, Hedgebrook, Storyknife, Ragdale and Gulkistan residencies, she has a UCLA Screenwriting MFA, had an original screenplay air on Lifetime, worked with numerous production companies, and taught screenwriting at UCLA, Stephens MFA, Disney Launchpad and the AFI DWW. She is The CineStory Foundation Board President/Creative Director Mentorship.
In a very fortunate career some of my professional highlights include creating Global Cinema Events for Pearl Jam, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett/Pink Floyd, Green Day, Miles Davis, RUSH, Iron Maiden, Melanie Martinez, Iron & Wine, and others to help bring these films to fans around the world.
n/a
Ashley Scott Meyers is a screenwriter and blogger / podcaster. Since beginning his career as a screenwriter in the late 1990's he's optioned more than two dozen feature screenplays and sold a half dozen.
Evelyn Seubert is co-founder and president of the International Youth Media Summit (IYMS) and Managing Director of IYMS Films. Since 2006, at total of 1600 young people from 80 countries have collaborated at the annual Summit to produce 133 short films. For IYMS Films, Seubert co-produced the feature film JOHN with Vaasil Films which premiered to glowing reviews in Karachi, Pakistan in 2023. She was executive producer for Pari of Pokhara, a 30-minute film about human trafficking in South Asia; and series producer for 21 short films for the SANATIONE web series. These films have garnered hundreds of commendations and awards, including two UN prizes. For Next Generation Productions, Seubert executive produced Common Bonds, a feature film made by a teen crew which screened at the Sundance Film Festival (1996). With co-writer, Ken Martinez, she has just completed a feature film script, Wonder Kid.
Reid Shane is a seasoned television producer with a long history of overseeing successful shows. Currently based in Los Angeles, Reid has filled executive in charge of production roles on several recent series, including "I'm a Virgo" (Media Res / Amazon Prime Video), "Yellowjackets" (Eone / Showtime Networks), "Extrapolations" (Media Res / Apple TV+), and "Pachinko" (Media Res / Apple TV+). Reid's extensive experience also includes work on "The Morning Show" (Media Res / Apple TV+), "American Gods" (Fremantle / Starz), "Counterpart" (MRC / Starz), and "Ozark" (MRC / Netflix). Earlier in his career, he contributed to shows like "The Astronaut Wives Club" (Fake Empire / ABC), "Mistresses" (ABC), "Almost Human" (Bad Robot / 20th Century Fox), and "Fringe" (Bad Robot / Fox Network). On the feature side, Reid executive produced the film "Dead Man Down" (FilmDistrict).
SHARI SHAW is one of Hollywood’s top acting and performance coaches. A gifted, passionate, dedicated, high-energy coach, motivator, mentor, author and entrepreneur, Shari works with artists, performers and professionals from all walks of life, at every level; including A-list TV & movie stars, business executives, pop stars, athletes, influencers, kids, new actors and everyone in between. She has developed sure-fire methods to help performers Get Prepped, Get Pumped, Get Focused, Get Confident and Get The Job. Currently, Shari is producing a series of MasterClass-style instructional online videos to take her message of inspiration, confidence, positive prep and creativity to a world-wide audience. To make everyone’s every day performance, professional and real-life, more captivating, inspired, authentic and successful.
Tema Staig is the Executive Director of Women In Media, an organization that she founded in 2010. In 2016 she established the searchable CrewList database as the go-to place to find, vet, and hire women who work behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. Soon after, she transitioned the grass roots community into a vibrant nonprofit organization. Women In Media hosts industry events, training, and networking. Ms. Staig has a background in scenic art and has worked as a production designer, art director, and producer. She is best known for her work on the feature films KISSING JESSICA STEIN, HAPPY HOUR, BATTLEFIELD AMERICA, and AMERICAN SPLENDOR as well as commercials and music videos.Ms. Staig was LA County Woman of the Year for 2023.
J.R. Stewart is the known as "The Queen Of Branded TV."
She is currently is Chief, of Celebrity Acquisitions & Branded Entertainment for Indistry Media, and C.E.O of Content Kingdoms.
J.R. has worked with some of the largest and most respected TV and Film networks for development of International” and “National” Television programming for the United States, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, and specializes in Branded Entertainment acquisitions for linear and O.T.T. Platforms.
Her client list includes ABC, Disney, NBC, CBS, Nickelodeon, TNT, ESPN, TLC, E!, HGTV, Soap Net, NBC, Discovery, A&E, FOX, VH1, Lifetime, FYI, NBC Sports, and MTV.
CEO and Founder of BooksOffice. com, Makers&Shakers Tech Production of the Year 2023 Winner, Top 10 global Startup at EFM Berlinale, 25 years experience in publishing and entertainment, Created QuestX talent event for HRH The Princess Royal, set up the first ever live vote on British TV, entrepreneur, author and award winning marketeer.
Monica Trombley is Of Counsel to YK Law. Her background is rather unique as entertainment lawyer, creative professional (specifically actress, singer, writer, model, blogger, podcast host/producer of "The Gorgeous Ginger Lawyer" and beauty ambassador for How to Be a Redhead) and former film production company executive. A first generation college graduate and a first generation lawyer, Monica has a long history of trailblazing, overcoming adversity and fighting against the odds such as overcoming age discrimination to get her first retail job at 15.5 years old and moving to NYC at 26 in fulfillment of her lifelong dream to live there despite no family, friend, trusts or preexisting business contacts at her disposal. She also got a tubal ligation at 26 despite being told otherwise by “well meaning” doctors and had her story published in Slate.com's “XX Factor” blog as well as Look magazine in the UK.
Carol Trussell has a long history in both content development and production. Carol has produced Network, Cable and Streaming series over the past twenty years. In 2012 Carol joined Gaumont Television as Head of Production. There she oversaw production on the series Hannibal, Hemlock Grove, F is for Family and Narcos. In 2018, Carol joined the launch of Apple TV+. She oversaw the building of the platform as well as the production of the original slate of shows including The Morning Show, See, For All Mankind. Carol has been instrumental in the building of Apple Studios and the expansion of content on the Platform. As Head of Production Carol has lead a team that has overseen and produced such series as Foundation, Severance, Pachinko, Invasion, Black Bird and Ted Lasso. This Spring, Carol stepped down as Head of Production and is currently involved as a Producer on several high profile Apple series
Nadine Velazquez is more than an actress; she is a beacon of empowerment and resilience. While she has shone brightly on screen—playing an ambitious rapper and dancer in ABC's musical-drama series Queens alongside stars like Eve and Brandy, and capturing hearts as 'Catalina' in NBC’s My Name is Earl—her real passion lies in using her platform to advocate for mental and spiritual wellness. Her notable roles include starring in History's Six with Walton Goggins, The Real Husbands of Hollywood with Kevin Hart, and feature films such as Paramount's Flight with Denzel Washington, Ride Along 2, Snitch opposite Dwayne Johnson, and The Bounce Back with Shemar Moore. Beyond the screen, Velazquez is a dynamic creative force as a writer, singer, and poet.
Award winning actress Lisa Vidal is most recognizable for the multi-dimensional roles she’s played on television and in film for the past forty years, portraying characters that have reflected the diversity of the Latino community while also building it up. She recently starred in ABC romantic comedy-drama “The Baker and the Beauty.” Based on the highly successful Israeli scripted show, Vidal portrayed Mari Garcia, the hilarious and heartwarming matriarch of the family. She will next be seen in a wonderful arc on the hilarious and Emmy nominated series “Ms. Pat” on BET as well as the second season of the Gloria Calderón Kellett series “With Love” for Amazon. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three kids. A breast cancer survivor, Vidal is a vocal proponent of early detection and has worked alongside the American Cancer Society to help raise awareness.
CHRISTOPHER VOGLER is a former Hollywood studio executive and story analyst whose book THE WRITER’S JOURNEY has been called “the screenwriter’s Bible”. Born in Missouri, Vogler grew up on a farm outside St. Louis, studied journalism, made documentary films for the Air Force space program, and attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts, before entering the film industry as a script reader. At the Walt Disney Company he wrote an influential memo on story structure that went viral and deeply influenced Hollywood thinking. Based on the Hero’s Journey concept of mythologist Joseph Campbell, Vogler’s work has become the cornerstone of many college writing programs and has had a wide influence in Hollywood and around the world. His 12-stage guide to story structure has inspired artists and writers and has become a kind of orientation device for people facing challenges or trying new things.
In addition to her role as a child advocate, Rebekah is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer in the entertainment industry. Rebekah and her husband Joshua have been at the helm of "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,” as the writers, producers. and Josh as director. Together they founded PEACETREE PRODUCTIONS, a company devoted to creating life-changing, spiritually significant entertainment. The Weigels produced Sound of Hope through Peacetree Productions in association with Letitia Wright’s Threesixteen Productions. Angel Studios released the film on 2000 screens on July 4th, 2024 and it outperformed initial projections opening weekend, and debuted to positive critical and audience reviews earning a coveted A+ Cinema score, and 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film released in UK theaters on October 11th, 2024. The production budget for “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot”
Executive Producer Season 2 & 3 of Invasion for Apple TV+, Producer Season 1 American Rust, Producer Season 3 of Westworld, Co-Producer/UPM - Shazam & Star Trek, UPM - Dunkirk, Gone Girl, Mission Impossible III, & War of the Worlds
Charles “Bo” Bowen is the Managing Partner of Bowen Schmidt Entertainment Attorneys based in Savannah, Georgia. Bo comes from a long line of entertainers, singers and performers ranging from Broadway actors to silent film stars. Growing up in a theatre environment (and being a veteran of the stage himself) inspired a deep love of all things artistic and creative that has shaped and guided Bo’s career and his unique approach to the practice of law.
Sign up to receive the latest announcements, tips, networking invitations and more.