Zach Braff

Zach Braff first rose to prominence starring in the beloved series Scrubs, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations over its nine-season run while beginning his transition behind the camera. A graduate of Northwestern University, Braff also built an early career in theater, performing in New York, London, and on Broadway. He made his feature debut as writer, director, and star of Garden State, which premiered at Sundance became a breakout indie success, earning him an Independent Spirit Award and a Grammy for its soundtrack. He went on to write and direct the feature films Wish I Was Here and A Good Person, and has continued to work across film, television, and podcasts, solidifying his reputation as a versatile multi-hyphenate.

Lily Rabe

Lily Rabe is a Tony-nominated actress who recently completed a run of Ghosts at Lincoln Center alongside Hamish Linklater and Billy Crudup, in which she earned nominations for the Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award, and the Drama League Award. On stage, she has also appeared in Merchant of Venice opposite Al Pacino, Steel Magnolias, Seminar, The American Plan, Heartbreak House, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, A Doll’s House, and Crimes of the Heart. She can currently be seen on in Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey alongside Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Her film credits include The Great Lillian Hall, The Tender Bar, Vice, Pawn Sacrifice, and Fractured, and she won Best Actress at SXSW for Miss Stevens opposite Timothée Chalamet. As a filmmaker, she made her directorial debut with Downtown Owl, which she co-directed, produced, and starred in alongside Hamish Linklater, which premiered at Tribeca. On television, Rabe has appeared in Presumed Innocent, Love & Death, Shrinking, The Undoing, Tell Me Your Secrets, The Underground Railroad, The First Lady, and American Horror Story.

Hamish Linklater

Hamish Linklater is an acclaimed American actor, writer, and director known for his dynamic work across film, television, and theater. He will next be seen in the Netflix thriller The Whisper Man opposite Robert De Niro and Adam Scott, and can currently be seen on Apple’s Widow’s Bay. Recent credits include season 2 of Amazon’s The Boys spinoff Gen V. He is also the voice of ''Batman/Bruce Wayne'' in Prime’s animated series Batman: Caped Crusader. Linklater made his directorial debut with Downtown Owl, co-directed with Lily Rabe. His recent film work includes Nickel Boys, based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel and nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 97th Academy Awards as well as Koganada's A Big Bold Beautiful Journey alongside Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. He earned critical acclaim and a Critics Choice Award nomination and win for Midnight Mass. Additional television credits include Manhunt, Gaslit, The Newsroom, Legion, and Fargo. A celebrated stage actor and playwright, Linklater is a frequent collaborator with Shakespeare in the Park and a recipient of an Obie Award, with multiple major theater nominations.

Katya Ochagavia

Katya Ochagavia is an Executive Producer on the Guardian's Documentary strand, creating award-winning character-led short films for the Guardian's digital platforms. With 15 years experience as a film director and editor at the Guardian, she is passionate about finding the most powerful ways to bring stories to life while staying firmly grounded in the Guardian’s distinctive editorial voice. Katya is deeply committed to innovation and creativity in visual storytelling, and brings firsthand understanding of the craft and complexity of filmmaking to the projects she works on.

Paul Moakley

Paul Moakley is the executive producer of The New Yorker, where he leads the magazine's Oscar-winning short-film series. In this role, he also produces and directs original short films and videos that support storytelling at the magazine. In his career in news, he's earned numerous awards, including Emmys, ASMEs, and World Press Photo.

Alexandra Garcia

Alexandra Garcia is currently the Executive Producer for The New York Times Op-Docs, the newspaper's Oscar-winning series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers. Previously, she was a documentary director/producer for The New York Times’s video newsroom and for its documentary series “The Weekly” and “The New York Times Presents” on FX and Hulu. Her directing work at the Times has earned three Emmy awards, over a dozen Emmy nominations and screened at film festivals worldwide. Formerly, she was a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and a senior video journalist at The Washington Post.

Myha'la

Myha'la is a rising star best known for her breakout role as Harper Stern in the critically acclaimed HBO/BBC series Industry, recently renewed for a fifth and final season. On the big screen, she stars opposite Zazie Beetz in They Will Kill You and appeared in Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire, which premiered at Venice and TIFF. Her recent credits also include Swiped, inspired by Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Leave the World Behind for Netflix. Additional film work includes Dumb Money and A24's Bodies Bodies Bodies. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama, Myha'la is based in Brooklyn.

Peyton Dix

Moderator

Peyton Dix is a Brooklyn-based, Los Angeles-raised writer, strategist, and co-host of Higher Ground's Lemme Say This podcast. She’s served as MAC Cosmetics' Global Social Director, InStyle’s Special Projects Editor, and PAPER’s Head of Social. Peyton has written for publications like ELLE, W Magazine, New York Magazine, Bustle, and Teen Vogue. She has worked with brands such as Bumble, HBO, Meta, Starface, and many more.

Tracy Jarrett

Tracy Jarrett is a Peabody and Emmy-award winning filmmaker who synthesizes rigorous journalistic investigation with heartfelt documentary storytelling. Retrieval, Jarrett’s directorial debut, will premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. Previously, Jarrett worked as a producer on the Emmy Award winning feature films Victim/Suspect (2023, Sundance, Netflix) and The Fire That Took Her (2022, MTV Studios); as well as the Emmy Award winning documentary series Working: What We Do All Day (2023, Netflix), featuring President Obama. Her work on Charlottesville: Race and Terror (2017, HBO) earned 4 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and was TIME’s TV 2017 episode of the year. Jarrett is a recipient of the Catapult Film Fund Research and Development grants, as well as a 2023 Directing fellow through the Concordia Fellowship and a 2025 Film Independent & Netflix Amplifier Fellow.

Reid Davenport

Reid Davenport makes documentaries about disability from an overtly political perspective. Reid's first two feature films, Life After (2025) and I Didn't See You There (2022), both premiered and won awards at the Sundance Film Festival. Life After won a Special Jury Award and I Didn't See You There won the Directing Award. Life After was a New York Times Critics Pick and premiered on PBS's syndicated series Independent Lens.

Jessica Harrop

Jessica Harrop is Executive Director of Sandbox Films and an Emmy and Peabody Award winning documentary producer dedicated to inspiring passion for science through film. She oversees company strategy and serves as an executive producer across Sandbox's slate, including Oscar-nominated Fire of Love, Sundance Special Jury Prize winner All Light, Everywhere, Emmy-winning Fathom, and Fireball, directed by Werner Herzog. Harrop has produced content for Netflix, Showtime, Discovery, National Geographic, and PBS. A founding partner of Sandbox Films, she brings a deep commitment to science storytelling to every project. She holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University, where she also taught a course on climate storytelling. She is a member of the PGA and WGA and serves on the board of Reel Works.

Megan Gelstein

Moderator

Megan Gelstein is an Emmy Award winning producer and Co-Director/Chief Program Officer of Catapult Film Fund, a nonprofit supporting nonfiction filmmakers with early-stage funding and mentorship. She works closely with filmmakers worldwide, providing creative and strategic guidance to develop distinctive, story-driven films. Projects supported by Catapult include All That Breathes, The Territory, Crip Camp, and American Factory. Gelstein has also served as an executive producer on films including Beyond Utopia and To Hold a Mountain. Prior to Catapult, she was an independent producer and spent over 15 years at PBS/WGBH-TV, producing and directing for American Experience and NOVA. She is a National Emmy Award winner for her work on Africans in America and has produced documentaries for The History Channel, ITV, and Discovery.

Adam Goldman

Adam Goldman is the founder and executive director of The Necessary Foundation, a nonprofit ensuring a vibrant future for queer filmmakers through financial sponsorship and mentorship. He is also the writer and director of The Outs, the Guardian's 'Best TV Show Not on TV,' and Hot White Heist, an award-winning Audible Original podcast. His work has been featured by the Paley Center for Media, the Brooklyn Museum, Vanity Fair and the White House, back when that was a thing that anyone wanted, among others.

Sarah Flores

Sarah Marie Flores (she/her) is a producer and co-founder of Anarchists United Studios and Foundation. On the foundation side, Sarah is the Director of Programming. Sarah holds an MFA degree from UCLA's Producers Program. Prior to her transition to Hollywood, Sarah worked for over a decade in film exhibition, publicity, and with film-based non-profits like The Roxie Theater, and the Frameline Film Festival in the Bay Area.

Jon-Sesrie Goff

Jon-Sesrie Goff is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, curator, and cultural strategist. As part of the Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression team, he makes global grants for the JustFilms program, focusing on creative non-fiction film, new media, and visual storytelling. He contributes to cross-sector initiatives focused on narrative equity, AI ethics, global media infrastructure, and the future of public-interest media.

Allison Hironaka

Bryce Norbitz

Moderator

Bryce Norbitz oversees Tribeca's Artist Development programs, which empower filmmakers through year-round creative incubation, workshops, production prizes and curated mentorship. This includes tentpole the programs Tribeca/AT&T Presents: Untold Stories, which provides $1 Million to a feature film each year, and Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women's Filmmaker Program which has supported short filmmaking for over a decade. In addition to programmatic work, she collaborates on Tribeca Studio’s film productions, content creation and branded entertainment initiatives. At the 2026 Tribeca Festival, the studio is premiering eight brand new films. Bryce works with creatives throughout the U.S. and abroad to provide emerging voices with connections, creative mentorship, industry access and film pitch training.

Bryn Mooser

Bryn Mooser is a two-time Academy Award–nominated filmmaker, Emmy Award winner, and entrepreneur at the forefront of emerging storytelling technologies. In 2024, he co-founded Asteria, an AI-driven film and animation studio developing artist-first, commercially safe AI tools for filmmakers. Previously, as co-founder of RYOT, he helped pioneer immersive storytelling through award-winning VR and AR documentaries. He later founded XTR and DOCUMENTARY+, producing acclaimed nonfiction films. Mooser’s work has earned two Oscar nominations, multiple Emmy nominations, Peabody Awards, and a Cannes Lion. Across his career, he has focused on using technology to expand—not replace—the role of artists, shaping the future of storytelling.

Cristóbal Valenzuela

Cristóbal Valenzuela is the CEO and co-founder of Runway, a global AI research and technology company building foundational AI research models and tools to create multimodal simulators of the world. Before Runway, Cris was a researcher at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Simon Horsman

Simon Horsman is a media executive, financier, and award-winning producer with over 30 years of experience across law, technology, and entertainment. A qualified attorney in both the UK and California, he began his career representing leading tech companies before moving into media and finance. He co-founded Los Angeles Media Fund (LAMF), where he financed and produced film, television, and documentary projects with aggregate budgets exceeding $350 million. His work has earned an Emmy Award, a Tony Award, and two Olivier Awards. Horsman currently serves as CEO of Quilty, a next-generation media and technology platform designed to transform how content is developed, financed, and brought to market. Across his career, he has operated at the intersection of capital, creativity, and technology, building companies and supporting ambitious storytelling at scale.

Luke Arrigoni

Moderator

Luke Arrigoni is a technologist and entrepreneur best known as the founder and CEO of Loti AI, a company dedicated to protecting digital identities in the age of generative AI. With a background in mathematics from Columbia University and early experience as a data scientist CAA, Luke brings a rare blend of technical expertise and industry insight to his work. Prior to Loti AI, he led Arricor AI, an AI consulting firm serving clients across defense and entertainment. His deep interest in ethical technology and identity protection led him to launch Loti AI, which now partners with major talent agencies to safeguard public figures from AI-driven impersonation and content misuse. Under Luke’s leadership, Loti has built a strong roster of partnerships across entertainment, privacy and security including WME, CAA, CMG, UTA, CMG Worldwide, and more.

Amber Ruffin

Emmy, Tony, and WGA Award nominee Amber Ruffin is an NYC-based comedy writer, playwright, performer, and host. She is best known for her work on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she became the first Black woman to write for a U.S. late-night network talk show, and as host of The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. She currently appears as a team captain on CNN’s "Have I Got News For You." Ruffin earned a Tony nomination for co-writing Some Like It Hot and also co-wrote the Broadway revival of The Wiz. Her additional credits include A Black Lady Sketch Show, The Golden Globes, and the Tony Awards. She has performed with Second City and Boom Chicago, and her voice work includes Big Mouth and Central Park.

Alex Baze

Alex Baze is a producer and the head writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers. Before that, he was the head writer for Saturday Night Live’s "Weekend Update." And before that, there was only darkness.

Sal Gentile

Sal Gentile is a supervising writer/producer at Late Night with Seth Meyers where he writes "A Closer Look." He has received 8 Emmy nominations and 9 Writers Guild Award nominations since the show’s premiere in 2014. He previously performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York and was named one of LinkedIn’s “Next Wave” of professionals transforming the entertainment industry.

Zach Woods

Zach Woods began his career performing at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre before gaining widespread recognition for his roles in The Office and Silicon Valley. He has since appeared in films including The Post, Other People, Downhill, and Spin Me Round, and co-created and stars in Peacock’s animated series In the Know. Woods has also written, directed, and produced short films including David (2020), starring Will Ferrell, which screened at Cannes, TIFF, and AFI Fest, and Bud (2021), starring Michael Peña. Most recently, he wrapped production on Tom McCarthy’s The Statement, alongside Paul Giamatti and John Turturro. His feature directorial debut, The Accompanist, starring Susan Sarandon and Aubrey Plaza, which he also wrote and produced, premieres at this year’s Tribeca Festival.

Erika Dilday

Erika Dilday is Executive Director of American Documentary and Executive Producer of its multi award-winning series POV and America ReFramed. Previously, she was CEO of Futuro Media Group and Executive Director of the Maysles Documentary Center. She recently co-directed and co-produced Emancipation to Exodus with Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon. Her work centers on advancing independent nonfiction storytelling that reflects the breadth and complexity of the global experience.

Rahsaan ''New York'' Thomas

While incarcerated, Rahsaan Thomas published 42 stories in 31 months through his creation of Empowerment Avenue, an organization dedicated to empowering incarcerated creatives. He also directed, wrote and/or produced documentaries including Friendly Signs and What These Walls Won't Hold, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist with the ''Ear Hustle'' podcast. He is the co-creator of the San Quentin Film Festival, the first held inside state prisons with submissions from currently and formerly incarcerated filmmakers.

Nathan Stenberg

Nathan R. Stenberg is a multi-disciplinary artist and scholar whose work explores what happens when systems built to care for people become systems that harm them. A first-generation college graduate from rural Minnesota, he's been an FFA member, musician, actor, and policy advisor. He holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota and faculty appointments at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. The Haunting of Pennhurst is his directorial debut.

Daniel Forkkio

Daniel Forkkio is the CEO of Represent Justice, a national nonprofit that harnesses the power of film and storytelling to uplift the voices of formerly incarcerated people and spark public action for legal system reform. Over the past six years under Daniel's leadership, Represent Justice has become a force for cultural change. Its campaigns have reached millions of people with firsthand stories of the legal system, inspired thousands of advocacy actions, cultivated a community of more than 200,000 engaged supporters, and elevated the visibility and influence of dozens of system-impacted leaders and organizations nationwide. Daniel's work centers storytelling not just as a tool for systems change, but as a catalyst for empathy, human dignity, and building collective power.

Megan Gelstein

Megan Gelstein is an Emmy Award–winning producer and Co-Director/Chief Program Officer of Catapult Film Fund, a nonprofit supporting nonfiction filmmakers with early-stage funding and mentorship. She works closely with filmmakers worldwide, providing creative and strategic guidance to develop distinctive, story-driven films. Projects supported by Catapult include All That Breathes, The Territory, Crip Camp, and American Factory. Gelstein has also served as an executive producer on films including Beyond Utopia and To Hold a Mountain. Prior to Catapult, she was an independent producer and spent over 15 years at PBS/WGBH-TV, producing and directing for American Experience and NOVA. She is a National Emmy Award winner for her work on Africans in America and has produced documentaries for The History Channel, ITV, and Discovery.

Kevin Nadal

Dr. Kevin Nadal is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the City University of New York and the current President of the Filipino American National Historical Society. He is the former Executive Director of The Center for LGBTQ Studies; a past president of the Asian American Psychological Association; and the founder of the LGBTQ Scholars of Color National Network.He authored 14 books and 100+ publications, including Filipino American Psychology, Microaggressions and Traumatic Stress, and Queering Law and Order. Having been featured on NBC, CBS, PBS, The History Channel, The New York Times, The LA Times, and more, his most important role is Papa to his three children.

Thomas Allen Harris

Moderator

Thomas Allen Harris is president of the Family Pictures Institute for Inclusive Storytelling which grew out of his socially engaged transmedia project Digital Diaspora Family Reunion and the PBS series Family Pictures USA. Harris is currently working on his upcoming documentary film, My Mom, The Scientist, and its national outreach campaign, Scientists in the Family, exploring hidden figures within STEM. A Professor-in-the-Practice at Yale University, he also teaches non-fiction film theory and production classes based on his pioneering research methodologies.

Ellen Lewis, CSA

Ellen Lewis is an award-winning casting director whose career spans over four decades. She began working with legendary casting director Juliet Taylor before starting a 35-year creative collaboration with Martin Scorsese, beginning with Goodfellas and continuing through Killers of the Flower Moon. She has also worked extensively with Jim Jarmusch and has credits including Forrest Gump, The Devil Wears Prada, Her, The Post, and The Queen’s Gambit. Lewis is a three-time Emmy winner and BAFTA nominee, and has received multiple Artios Awards. Known for her exceptional eye and instincts, she has helped shape some of the most iconic performances in film and television.

Ellen Chenoworth, CSA

Ellen Chenoweth became interested in casting while working at New York's Actors Studio, watching Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan, and Arthur Penn work with actors. Some of her films are Diner, Terms of Endearment, A Bronx Tale, Wag the Dog, No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, and Past Lives.

Douglas Aibel, CSA

Douglas Aibel is a New York–based casting director and producer who has cast over 100 films for directors including Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, James Gray, and Kenneth Lonergan. His credits include The Royal Tenenbaums, Manchester by the Sea, Marriage Story, Moonrise Kingdom, Split, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as television projects such as Succession, Servant, and The Staircase. He has received numerous Artios Awards, an Emmy nomination for Succession, and a BAFTA nomination for Marriage Story, for which he also received the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award. Aibel is also Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre, where he has produced Pulitzer Prize–winning and Tony Award–winning work.

Destiny Lilly, CSA

Destiny Lilly, CSA, is a three-time Emmy-nominated casting director working across film, television, and theatre. Recent projects include The Color Purple, Only Murders in the Building, Single Drunk Female, Water Angel, and upcoming films This Will Never Work, and Enjoy Your Visit, A Strange Loop, Purlie Victorious, and Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway, and 50+ off-Broadway and regional plays and musicals. She has won 5 Artios Awards forOutstanding Achievement in Casting and received 29 nominations. Destiny is an advocate for actors and artists. She served on the board of directors of New York Women in Film and Television for 6 years, and she currently serves as the President of Casting Society.

Karlee Fomalont, CSA

Moderator

Karlee Fomalont, CSA, is an Artios Award–winning casting director and NYU Tisch graduate whose acting background informs her work behind the camera. She began her career at CBS and ABC Primetime NY before moving into independent casting, where she has collaborated with casting director Rori Bergman for over a decade. Her film credits include A Complete Unknown, The Post, I Care a Lot, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, You Hurt My Feelings, Eileen, and No Hard Feelings. Television work includes The Get Down, Living with Yourself, Rabbit Hole, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. In 2024, she received the Rosalie Joseph Humanitarian Award for her work with Covenant House New York.

Rebecca Miller

Rebecca Miller is an Emmy-nominated writer, director, and producer, and a recipient of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Gotham Award, and Independent Spirit Award. She has written and directed six feature films, including Angela, Personal Velocity, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Maggie's Plan, and She Came to Me. Her HBO documentary Arthur Miller: Writer earned an Emmy nomination. Miller is also the author of two novels and two short story collections. Her latest project is the Apple TV+ docuseries Mr. Scorsese, a portrait of Martin Scorsese, which earned her the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement.

Josh Safdie

Moderator

Born and raised in New York, filmmaker Josh Safdie has been writing and directing feature films since 2007. His credits include Uncut Gems, the comedy special Adam Sandler: Love You, Good Time, Heaven Knows What and Daddy Longlegs. Most recently, he released Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, on Christmas Day 2025.

Danya Jimenez & Hannah McMechan

Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan are a writing duo who met in college and have been collaborators ever since. Named Variety’s “Screenwriters to Watch” in 2025, they broke out at age 24 with K-Pop Demon Hunters, which became Netflix’s most-watched film of all time. The film earned widespread acclaim, winning two Golden Globes, two Critics’ Choice Awards, six Annie Awards (including Best Writing), a Grammy, and two Oscars, and was named TIME’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year. They are currently writing Tim Burton’s reimagining of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment and Warner Bros. They are taking out their original series A Really Bad Person with Legendary Entertainment, as well as their original feature, a queer western, with Gloria Sanchez. They go into production on their live action comedy horror this summer and are writers and co-producers on Brothers, the upcoming Matthew McConaughey/Woody Harrelson series for Apple+ and Skydance.

Nayeema Raza

Moderator

Nayeema Raza is the creator and host of “Smart Girl Dumb Questions,” a Spotify Top 10 Best New Show of 2025 and 2026 iHeart Podcast Award Winner. Each week, Nayeema unpacking big ideas with simple questions in a comedic interview format. She's asked Mark Cuban whether billionaires can save us, Neil deGrasse Tyson how we'd know if we were living in a simulation, Esther Perel if feminism f*d modern love, and Diplo why every guy she dates is a DJ. Nayeema was previously a Senior Editor at The New York Times and the On-Air Executive Producer of New York Magazine's On with Kara Swisher. Nayeema came to journalism with a background in TV and filmmaking and her documentary feature Sublime premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2019.

Philip Barantini

Philip Barantini is an award-winning, BAFTA- and BIFA-nominated director whose career spans acting, writing, and directing across film and television. He began as an actor in 1996, with credits including Band of Brothers, Ned Kelly, and Chernobyl. Transitioning behind the camera, he quickly established himself as a distinctive directorial voice. His second feature, Boiling Point (2021), earned four BAFTA nominations and eleven BIFA nominations. He went on to direct ITV’s acclaimed thriller Malpractice and the Netflix feature Accused, and co-created the BBC series adaptation of Boiling Point. An Emmy Award–winning director for Adolescence, Barantini continues to develop projects through It’s All Made Up Productions.

J. Todd Harris

J. Todd Harris is President of Branded Pictures Entertainment and has produced or executive produced over 65 films, including the Golden Globe–winning, Oscar-nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Kids Are All Right. His credits span Sundance favorites like Bottle Shock and recent releases including Lilly, Soul On Fire, and Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire. In theater, Harris has produced ''Heathers The Musical'' and ''Buena Vista Social Club'', winner of five Tony Awards and a Grammy, among others. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild, and the Broadway League, and serves on the boards of the Napa Valley Film Festival and Ojai Playwrights Conference. He holds a BA and MBA from Stanford University.

Thomas Pettinelli

Thomas Pettinelli is a writer and producer with over a decade of experience across film and theater. He began his career in sci-fi feature development at NBCUniversal and is currently Vice President at Branded Pictures Entertainment, where he focuses on IP acquisition, story development, and production oversight. He is also a founder of the Notorious Productions Film Fund, which invests in film production. Pettinelli has worked on more than 20 films and five musicals, with credits including Chasing Summer (Sundance 2026), Dead Man's Wire (Venice 2025), Stone Cold Fox, Soul On Fire, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Stage credits include ''Heathers'', ''American Psycho'', and ''Buena Vista Social Club''. He is a graduate of Emerson College.

Alexander Slater

Alexander Slater runs MediaScout, the new book-to-screen rights discovery service from Ingram Content Group. With over fifteen years of experience at leading literary agencies, he has represented and launched the careers of multiple New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors. Some of his clients have included Ali Novak, author of the #1 global Netflix series My Life with the Walter Boys, and New York Times bestselling authors Kelly Yang and Frederick Joseph. He’s also internationally represented major authors like Mark Greaney (The Gray Man), R.J. Palacio (Wonder), and the Herbert Estate (Dune)

Ken Davenport

Ken Davenport is a Tony and Olivier Award–winning Broadway producer whose credits include Kinky Boots, Once On This Island, The Play That Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day, and Oh, Mary!. His productions have been staged in over 25 countries worldwide. He also produced A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical and upcoming projects including Smash and Operation Mincemeat.\nOff-Broadway, Davenport’s work includes Altar Boyz (co-conceiver) and The Awesome 80’s Prom (creator). He is the founder of TheaterMakersStudio.com, a leading online education platform for theater professionals, and his company, Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. A champion of accessibility in theater, he helped create initiatives like TEDxBroadway and 20at20, and writes the widely read blog TheProducersPerspective.com.

Joana Vicente

Joana Vicente is an award-winning producer, executive, and entrepreneur who has played a defining role in the global independent film ecosystem. She is the CEO and co-founder of Open Cities, a production company and accelerator supporting the next generation of filmmakers. Vicente has led several of North America's most influential film institutions, including serving as CEO of the Sundance Institute and co-head of the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as Executive Director of IFP/The Gotham Film & Media Institute and the Made in NY Media Center. She has produced or executive produced over 30 feature films with acclaimed directors such as Jim Jarmusch, Nadine Labaki, and Alex Gibney, and co-founded pioneering digital production companies that helped shape the modern independent film landscape. Her latest venture is Open Cities, a tech-focused film accelerator and production company she co-founded with her partner Jason Kliot, where she serves as CEO.

Jason Kliot

Jason Kliot is an Academy Award-nominated producer and director who has produced over 40 feature films with acclaimed directors including Jim Jarmusch, Steven Soderbergh, Nadine Labaki, Alex Gibney, and Todd Solondz. His films have premiered and won honors at major festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Toronto, earning multiple Grand Jury Prizes, Independent Spirit nominations, and an Academy Award nomination for Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. A pioneer of the digital film movement, he co-founded Blow Up Pictures and HDNetFilms, helping transform independent film production and distribution. Most recently, he directed and executive produced the PBS docuseries The Invisible Shield and continues to develop projects across film, television, and emerging media. His latest venture is Open Cities, a tech-focused film accelerator and production company he co-founded with his partner Joana Vicente, where he serves as President.

Liz Nord

Moderator

Liz Nord is an Emmy-winning producer, filmmaker, writer, and creative strategist dedicated to championing bold storytelling and emerging creators. She is Head of Programs and Creative Development at the NYU Production Lab, where she leads the Feature Film Development Studio and designs initiatives to launch sustainable creative careers. Previously, Nord was Director of Content at Sundance, helping grow Sundance Collab into a global hub for filmmakers, and Editor-in-Chief at No Film School, where she oversaw one of the industry's leading platforms. She has mentored hundreds of creators and advised programs at Film at Lincoln Center, Latino Public Broadcasting, and beyond. A founding member of Film Fatales, she is a frequent speaker at major festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW.

Jason Fuchs

Jason Fuchs is a writer, producer, and actor whose work has grossed over $1.9 billion globally. He most recently co-created, co-showran, and executive produced HBO's Welcome to Derry, the IT prequel series, which became one of the platform's top debuts. His screenwriting credits include Argylle (2024), which he also produced, Wonder Woman, IT: Chapter 2, and Ice Age: Continental Drift. He is currently writing the live-action adaptation of My Hero Academia for Netflix and Legendary. As an actor, Fuchs has appeared in La La Land and the upcoming Crystal Lake series. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30, he began acting at a young age and holds a degree in Cinema Studies from Columbia University.

Matt Wolpert

Ben Nedivi

Liza Mandelup

Liza Mandelup is an award-winning documentary and narrative filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Her debut feature Jawline, dubbed ''A Grey Gardens for Gen-Z'' by the New York Times, premiered at Sundance Film Festival, won the Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker, and became a Hulu Original with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Her second feature, Caterpillar, premiered at SXSW 2023 to rave reviews — Indiewire praised its ''layered approach'' as ''a single, beguiling cinematic package'' — and is now streaming on Netflix with a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2026, her short film Luigi screened at Sundance Film Festival, and her documentary series Grandmasters is set to premiere at Tribeca 2026. Named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema, Liza created, wrote, and directed the pilot for Lifted, a scripted series with A24 and Amazon, and is currently in development on a TV project with Seaview. Her first scripted feature, TUNNEL, which she wrote and will direct, is in development with Archer Grey.

Alexandria Stapleton

Alexandria Stapleton is an Emmy Award–winning director and producer whose work spans sports, music, pop culture, and social justice. She is the founder of House of NonFiction, a production company dedicated to storytelling rooted in authentic voices and community impact. Stapleton most recently directed and executive produced the Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning, a global #1 hit that earned her a 2026 DGA nomination. Her recent projects include ESPN's The Brittney Griner Story, which premiered at Sundance 2026, and Prime Video's Reggie, nominated for a Critics Choice Award. Additional credits include HBO's God Save Texas: The Price of Oil, How Music Got Free, Shut Up & Dribble, and FX's Pride. She serves on the DGA National Board and co-chairs its Documentary Committee.

Xan Parker

Xan Parker is an award-winning producer of documentaries and branded storytelling. She is behind Netflix's The New Yorker at 100 directed by Academy-Award winner Marshall Curry, as well as acclaimed films Rebuilding Paradise, After the Bite, The Big Payback, and Tigerland. Xan cut her teeth at Maysles Films, where she partnered with Criterion Collection on re-releases of the cinema verité classics Gimme Shelter, Salesman, and Grey Gardens. And a couple of years ago she got to pay homage to the movies that beckoned her to the greatest city in the world, through a 16-screen film/art installation about the first 100 years of filmmaking in NYC – it's one of the most popular exhibits at the Museum of the City of New York and still on view now.

Ché Chisholm

Ché Chisholm is CEO of Ghetto Film School (GFS), an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of storytellers. With programs in New York, Los Angeles, and London, GFS identifies emerging talent and provides free access to its 20-month fellowship, preparing students for top universities and careers in the creative industries. A visionary founder, producer, and educator with over 30 years of experience, Ché has created media and arts programming for organizations including HBO, The Gotham, and the NYC Department of Education. She is also the founder of Automatic Studios, a filmmaking program for youth. Ché holds degrees from Syracuse University, The New School, and FIT, and has completed executive training at NYU Stern. She serves on multiple boards supporting arts, design, and cultural institutions.

Omarr Salgado

Omarr A. Salgado is a media executive, entrepreneur, and cultural strategist with over 25 years of experience across music, film, and digital distribution. He serves as Chief Content and Branding Officer at In The Black Network, where he shapes the platform's creative vision and amplifies diverse voices. Salgado began his career in hip hop, working with influential artists before expanding into film production with projects including A Tie Never Broken and Two Days in Harlem. In 2019, he founded Fast Forward Films and Distribution, supporting independent and underrepresented creators. Known for bridging creativity and commerce, Salgado leads with a focus on cultural authenticity, ownership, and storytelling as a powerful tool for connection, legacy, and impact.

Patrice Francois

Patrice Francois is the Founder and Festival Director of Imagine This Women's International Film Festival and a post-production professional in television and digital media. Her work championing emerging voices, particularly women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, has opened doors and shifted what's possible for a new generation of talent.Through festival programming, mentorship, networking events, industry workshops, and community-driven storytelling, she has supported countless filmmakers with the guidance and resources needed to navigate the industry and the platform to be seen. Her mission is to disrupt the status quo and ensure that the next generation of diverse storytellers has every opportunity to thrive.

Lamonia Brown

Lamonia Deanne Brown is a globally influential film executive, festival programmer, and content strategist known for shaping the landscape of contemporary cinema. With experience spanning festivals, studios, and international networks, she bridges creative vision, strategic development, and global collaboration, with a focus on championing emerging voices and storytellers of color. She most recently founded the Essence Film Festival, building it into one of the most prestigious festivals in the U.S. At HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery, she helped launch WarnerMedia 150, the mini-studio behind the Oscar-winning Drive My Car (2022), working with a slate of 22 filmmakers and managing partnerships across 40+ identity-based festivals. She has also held leadership roles at the American Black Film Festival and NYWIFT. A recognized leader in festival programming, Lamonia curates initiatives that elevate diverse voices and create pathways to executive leadership while fostering international collaboration.

Gabriel Alexis

Gabriel Alexis is a filmmaker and producer with 15+ years of experience working across film, television, commercials, and digital storytelling. He is the Founder and CEO of Learn Filmmaking Network (LFN) a global community of over one million creatives. He has built one of the world's most engaged filmmaking communities, championing and empowering talent at every level with a focus on emerging voices who deserve to be seen and heard. Driven by purpose, his work centers on making education, resources, and opportunities more accessible. He believes in the power of community, genuine connection, and creating real pathways for storytellers to grow and be discovered. Gabriel continues to cultivate a space rooted in impact, belonging, and meaningful change.

John Gibson

Moderator

John Gibson leads global outreach and workforce development initiatives at the Motion Picture Association, building strategic partnerships that expand access to careers across the entertainment industry. Since launching the program in 2012, he has collaborated with more than 60 organizations across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., supporting training, pipeline development, and industry entry opportunities. His work has helped strengthen connections between emerging talent and the evolving needs of the global media marketplace. A frequent speaker and advocate, Gibson has been featured in Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Los Angeles Times, and recognized by numerous organizations for his leadership in advancing workforce diversity and access.

Dan Goor

Dan Goor is an Emmy and Golden Globe Winning writer, showrunner and executive producer. Previously, Goor was an executive producer on the NBC comedy “Grand Crew&“, a co-creator and executive producer on the Peacock comedy, "Killing It.", and co-creator and executive producer of NBC’s Golden Globe-winning comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” In addition to having run the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” room, he also wrote and directed numerous episodes. Prior to working on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Goor was an executive producer, writer and director on NBC’s Peabody Award-winning comedy “Parks and Recreation.” Goor got his start writing for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” for which he won an Emmy Award in 2001. He was also a writer for NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” winning an Emmy in 2007. Goor resides in Los Angeles with his wife and their two daughters.

Tracey Wigfield

Tracey Wigfield is a television writer, producer and showrunner. She is the co-creator and co-showrunner of the comedy series The Four Seasons on Netflix. She previously created and ran Peacock’s Saved by the Bell as well as the NBC comedy series Great News. Tracey got her start in television writing for NBC’s award-winning 30 Rock. During her six years on the show, Tracey rose from writers’ assistant to producer, and in 2013 she and Tina Fey received an Emmy for writing the show’s series finale, making her the fourth woman in Emmy history to take home that award. Tracey also won a Writers Guild Award, a Comedy Central Comedy Award and received five additional Emmy nominations for her work on the show.

Robert Carlock

Robert Carlock is the co-creator of NBC's The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, and Erika Alexander. He co-created Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Mr. Mayor, and was an executive producer on Girls5eva and the Netflix animated series Mulligan. Carlock also served as executive producer and co-showrunner of 30 Rock, which won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. He began his career on The Dana Carvey Show before joining Saturday Night Live for five seasons, including two as head writer of ''Weekend Update.'' He later wrote on Friends during its final three seasons. Carlock’s work has earned him nine Writers Guild Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. In 2018, he received the WGA's Herb Sargent Award for Excellence in Comedy. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and three children.

Tony Yang

Tony Yang is a Chinese-American film producer based in Los Angeles and New York. A Sundance Producer’s Intensive Fellow and graduate of Columbia University’s Creative Producing program, he has produced numerous feature films and over 40 shorts. His work has premiered at major festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Venice, and the New York Film Festival. Recent credits include Lucky Lu (Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes 2025), Blue Sun Palace (Cannes Critics’ Week, French Touch Jury Award), and Rosemead (Tribeca 2025), which won the Locarno Audience Award. He also executive produced Bunnylovr (Sundance 2025) and Seagrass (FIPRESCI Prize, TIFF 2023). Named one of Variety’s “Top 10 Producers to Watch” in 2025, Yang received the 2026 Independent Spirit Producers Award.

Celine Rattray

Celine Rattray is co-founder of Maven Screen Media, a UK and US–based film and television production company she launched with Trudie Styler. Her credits include The Kids Are All Right, which earned four Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe wins, and became Sundance's biggest sale of the year, The Whistleblower, American Honey, The Kindergarten Teacher, Bernie, Girl Most Likely, Skin, A Mouthful of Air, Silent Night, Novitiate, Driveways, Unicorns, Infinite Storm and Golda. Through Maven, she is committed to producing multi-platform content while championing greater representation for women on and off screen.Recent projects include Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great, Christmas Karma, Sons, Happy Hours, and Rose’s Baby. She holds a first-class degree in Mathematics and Philosophy from Oxford University.

Dena Ghieth

As a location manager in New York’s film and television industry, Dena Ghieth has helped to bring some of the city’s most celebrated stories to the screen. With credits that include Nurse Jackie, Boardwalk Empire, The Sinner, Kaleidoscope, Ramy and Survival of the Thickest, Dena has built a career in environments that feel authentic to each project and defined by an understanding of how the energy, texture and unpredictability of filming on location can influence and elevate the medium. Her most recent project is Superfakes for A24.

Aaron Hurvitz

Aaron Hurvitz is one of the top location scouts in the Eastern United States, best known for discovering the iconic “Joker steps,” which became a global cultural phenomenon. Over a 20-year career, he has collaborated with leading directors including Steven Spielberg (West Side Story), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), James Mangold (Indiana Jones 5), and Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer).Hurvitz has worked across a wide range of productions—from independent films to major studio franchises—both in the U.S. and internationally. In addition to his film work, he is an award-winning photographer whose work has been exhibited and sold in New York, San Francisco, Minnesota, and Spain.

Teddy Au

Moderator

Teddy Au is a New York–based producer known for delivering high-quality television and film at the highest level. He has been a key force behind several acclaimed HBO series, including And Just Like That… (Seasons 1–3), Betty (Seasons 1–2), and The Chair Company (Season 1, with Season 2 in development). He also contributed as a co-producer on the final season of Veep. In film, Au has worked as an executive producer on Two Days in New York and served as production manager or supervisor on The Big Short, Jackie, Only Lovers Left Alive, and Phil Spector. His television credits also include Crashing and Mrs. Fletcher, reflecting a career spanning both independent film and premium television.

Porschia Adler

Porschia Adler is the Founder & CEO of Tasting Menu, a startup using narrative intelligence and human curation to solve film discovery for viewers and emerging filmmakers. Before founding Tasting Menu, she cut her teeth at Creative Artists Agency, where she worked across two worlds that rarely intersect — Scripted TV and Media Finance — specializing in independent television. Her work in film sales includes A Real Pain and It's What's Inside. Prior to CAA, she spent nearly a decade as a producer, with credits including Never Better (Wayfarer Studios) and award-winning shorts A Reason To and Talk to Me, which screened at major festivals including Cannes. She holds a degree in the Business of Cinematic Arts from USC.

Marielle Huey

Marielle Huey is a producer and creative executive currently consulting at Pijama, a platform giving independent filmmakers direct control over how their films are released, priced, and marketed all while providing access to a worldwide audience. Previously, Marielle served as VP of Content and Development at Galerie, where she helped build a platform defined by bold, intentional programming and collaboration with filmmakers. Her producing credits span Netflix, Hulu, CNN, and MTV. Her longstanding work at Telluride Film Festival keeps her closely tied to the filmmaker community.

Teddy Kunhardt

Teddy Kunhardt, the Executive Director of Life Stories, is an award-winning filmmaker and four-time Emmy winner, recognized for directing and producing the Emmy and Peabody Award–winning True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality. His recent work includes Lincoln's Dilemma (Apple TV+), Becoming Katharine Graham, The Silent Witness, and Fragments of Paradise, which premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. For HBO, he has directed acclaimed documentaries including A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks, Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, The Soul of America, John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls, King in the Wilderness, and Jim: The James Foley Story. Kunhardt is the Executive Director of the Kunhardt Film Foundation/Life Stories and lives in New York with his family.

Matthew Henderson

Matthew Henderson, Programming Director at Life Stories, is an award-winning filmmaker and Program Director and Producer at the Kunhardt Foundation, where he leads educational initiatives through post-screening conversations, strategic partnerships, and community engagement. With over fifteen years in film and television, his work is rooted in powerful storytelling that blends technical precision with a soulful visual style. His projects have taken him from remote Aboriginal communities in Australia to the canals of Makoko, Nigeria, guided by a commitment to “tell the story you find, not the one you expect.” His credits include the Emmy Award–winning The Silent Witness, Becoming Katharine Graham, Fragments of Paradise, and True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality.

Christie Marchese

Moderator

Christie Marchese is the Founder & CEO of Kinema and EVP of Entertainment Partnerships at Publicis Media. Kinema is a global streaming and screening platform that empowers filmmakers to distribute work through community-driven screenings and direct audience engagement. Previously, Christie founded the impact entertainment agency Picture Motion, which was acquired by Publicis Media in 2024 as part of PMCI Entertainment. Before Picture Motion, she led impact campaigns for Righteous Pictures, developed digital strategies at Participant Media, and worked with Norman Lear’s nonprofit, Declare Yourself. Christie is also the co-author of The Distribution Playbook. Her honors include Fortune’s Rising Female Founders (2023) and Fast Company’s Most Creative People (2021). She currently serves on several nonprofit and film-related boards focused on storytelling and social impact.

Anne Thompson

Anne Thompson is Editor at Large at IndieWire, where she has covered the film industry for decades and co-hosts the Screen Talk podcast. Raised on New York’s Upper West Side, she studied Cinema Studies at NYU and began her career in publicity at United Artists, working on films including Rocky, Annie Hall, and Manhattan. She has held editorial roles at Film Comment, Entertainment Weekly, Premiere, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety, and wrote the syndicated LA Weekly column Risky Business. Thompson has also contributed to The New York Times and The London Observer. Her book, The $11 Billion Year: From Sundance to the Oscars, an Inside Look at the Changing Hollywood System, offers an insider’s look at the evolving Hollywood system.

Ryan Lattanzio

Ryan Lattanzio is IndieWire's Executive Editor, having been on staff at the website since 2019. He oversees IndieWire's film and festival coverage, reviews movies, and co-hosts the Screen Talk podcast with editor-at-large Anne Thompson. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle.

Ronan Farrow

Ronan Farrow is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter and contributing writer for The New Yorker, as well as an Emmy- and Peabody-nominated documentarian and journalist. His reporting has exposed major abuses of power, including the first assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and has led to policy reforms, criminal prosecutions, and high-profile resignations. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers War on Peace and Catch and Kill, the latter adapted into a hit podcast and HBO series. His recent work includes the Audible podcast Not a Very Good Murderer and the HBO documentary Surveilled. Farrow previously worked at NBC News and served as a State Department official. He holds a law degree from Yale and a Ph.D. from Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and is based in New York City.

Max Reisinger

Max Reisinger is Co-Founder and CEO of Creator Camp, a digitally native film studio bridging online audiences and theatrical cinema. After building a community of 750,000+ subscribers through his documentary YouTube series, he realized that online media had no clear path to maturity - and set out to build one. With 300 curated creators commanding 3 billion yearly views, Creator Camp has built the infrastructure to finance and distribute premium, creator-led entertainment. Their debut film Two Sleepy People grossed 2.5x its production budget in its opening week, driven by an almost entirely organic marketing strategy that reached 50+ million people - proving that a new model for film is not just possible, it's already here.

Luke Maxwell

Luke Maxwell is a Manager and Producer at 3 Arts Entertainment in Beverly Hills. Originally from Ontario, Canada, he began his career in finance at BlackBerry before transitioning into film and television, and has spent the past 13 years at 3 Arts. He represents a range of screenwriters, directors, and athletes, helping figures like Blake Griffin and P.K. Subban build careers beyond sports. He also works closely with a new generation of creator-filmmakers emerging from platforms like YouTube, supporting their transition into film and TV. As a producer, Maxwell has developed projects with Netflix, A24, Paramount, Hulu, and Amazon, while structuring innovative financing models across the industry.

Kareem Rahma

Kareem Rahma is a three-time Webby-nominated writer, producer, comedian, and musician. He is the creator and host of two hit digital series: Keep the Meter Running and Subway Takes, which have amassed billions of views across platforms online. Kareem and these shows have received acclaim from Vanity Fair, GQ, The New Yorker, People Magazine and The New York Times, and attracted celebrity guests such as Cate Blanchett, Austin Butler, David Byrne, Charli XCX, Halsey, and even Jane Goodall.

Shayna Weber

Shayna Weber is a screenwriter, producer, and director who writes characters who were never meant to fit in the box — so they blow it up. Shayna, and her writing partner, sold their horror feature Gara's Return which is awaiting release, have completed a horror feature commissioned by Full Moon Features, and hired to rewrite a horror thriller feature. Her produced short Lunch Ladies is a cult phenomenon with forty-six festival wins across more than 150 screenings worldwide. A two-decade veteran of unscripted television — RuPaul's Drag Race, So You Think You Can Dance, Bands Reunited — she brings a producer's instincts and a writer's hunger to everything she makes. She currently serves as Creative Executive at The International Screenwriters' Association.

Felicity Wren

Felicity Wren is VP of Development at the International Screenwriters’ Association (ISA) and Creative Screenwriter Productions. An award-winning actor originally from London, she holds Honors and Master’s degrees in performance and founded Unrestricted View, which operates a long-running theatre and curates BIFA-accredited film festivals. Since relocating to Los Angeles, Wren has continued acting and producing, earning multiple performance awards and producing over 18 projects. She works closely with ISA’s development slate, supporting emerging writers and facilitating industry connections, including writer-director pairings and screenplay options. She is also the founder of A Wren Bird Company, a creative collective focused on innovative storytelling, including the adaptation of A Thousand Paper Birds. Across her work, Wren champions bold, original voices in film and theatre.

Doug Roland

Doug Roland is an Oscar-nominated director for his film Feeling Through. Executive produced by Oscar winner Marlee Matlin and made in partnership with Helen Keller National Center, Feeling Through is the first film to star a DeafBlind actor. Doug has used the film to create accessible screening events and speak at conferences, institutions, and schools around the world about collaborative, inclusive storytelling. Doug directed the short film Jada (25 million views on YouTube) and produced the short doc, Barefoot Empress (directed by Michelin-star chef and humanitarian, Vikas Khanna) and the feature film Life Hack (winner of 16 festival awards). He studied film at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and FAMU in Prague

Susan Ruzenski

Susan Ruzenski has served as Chief Executive Officer of Helen Keller Services (HKS) since 2021, guiding the organization’s 130+ year legacy with a focus on innovation and accessibility. HKS empowers individuals who are blind, have low vision, or are DeafBlind to live and work independently. With a career spanning over four decades at HKS, Dr. Ruzenski has played a key role in shaping its evolution, including serving as Executive Director of the Helen Keller National Center, where she expanded educational and vocational opportunities. A strong advocate for collaboration, she partnered on the Oscar-nominated film Feeling Through, advancing visibility and dialogue around the DeafBlind community. She holds degrees from NYU and Teachers College, Columbia University, and was named a 2023 Women of Distinction honoree.

Christopher Woodfill

Chris Woodfill (he/him) was appointed Executive Director of the New York State Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office in 2024 by Governor Kathy Hochul. He previously served as Associate Executive Director at the Helen Keller National Center and spent over a decade as a regional representative supporting communities across the Northeast and Caribbean. Before that, he was a high school teacher at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. With more than 30 years of leadership across Deaf and DeafBlind communities, Chris serves on the boards of the World Federation of the DeafBlind and DeafBlind Citizens in Action. He played a key role in passing Wisconsin’s Sign Language Interpreter Licensure bill, a landmark achievement in accessibility. A strong advocate of servant leadership, Chris brings both professional and lived experience to his work, identifying as DeafBlind following a diagnosis of Usher Syndrome.

Bill Guentzler

Bill Guentzler is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Obscured Releasing, launched in 2025 to build filmmaker-first distribution strategies that prioritize audience engagement through festivals, publicity, and thoughtful release windows. Current and upcoming releases include Blue Film, She’s the He, and Westhampton, which premiered at Tribeca 2025. Previously, Guentzler was Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Operations at Gravitas Ventures, overseeing a library of 3,000+ titles and more than 150 annual releases. He spent 15 years as Artistic Director of the Cleveland International Film Festival, helping grow it into one of the most respected festivals in the U.S. and leading its transition to an online format in 2020. He is a graduate of Cleveland State University and serves on the board of Collaborate Cleveland.

Rob Williams

Rob Williams is President of Sumerian Pictures, where he oversees the curation and theatrical distribution of independent films. The company’s recent and upcoming releases include the Sundance award-winning comedy The Incomer, the 2026 Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner Josephine, Mile End Kicks, and Tribeca-selected titles including The Wolf, The Fox and the Leopard, Turnstile: Never Enough, and Horsegirls. Previously, Williams served as Senior Vice President at Participant, where he led global distribution and acquisitions strategies for films including the Academy Award–winning Green Book, Roma, and American Factory, as well as the Oscar-nominated All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. He has also held executive roles at Netflix and Lantica Studios and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Munir Atalla

Munir Atalla is the Head of Production & Acquisitions at Watermelon Pictures where he produced The Encampments (2025). He previously worked at Netflix where he oversaw creative writing strategy for growing and emerging markets. Informed by his background as an investigative reporter, Munir has produced projects for A24, Peacock, and NBC News. His work for PBS Frontline was nominated for a DuPont Award for Journalistic Excellence in 2020. He teaches filmmaking courses at Columbia University and Hofstra University

Janet Grillo

Moderator

Janet Grillo is an Emmy Award winning producer, an acclaimed, award winning indie film writer/director/producer whose work has premiered at Tribeca, Sundance, SXSW and Bentonville Film Festival (where she won the Jury Prize). She is a full time Arts Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Film & TV program, where she is head of studies in producing and teaches classes in screenwriting and fiction film production. During the late '80's through the '90s rise of the American independent filmmaking, Janet was a creative executive at New Line Cinema, where she launched the cult franchies HOUSE PARTY and the careers of auteur filmmakers including David O. Russell.

Tim League

Tim League is the founder and former CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, where he redefined moviegoing with a mission-driven, community-focused approach combining film, food, and culture. He is currently the founder and CEO of Metro Cinema, a new private cinema concept launching in Manhattan. League has also co-founded several influential film and entertainment ventures, including Mondo and Mutant, known for artist-driven collectibles; Fantastic Fest; and the American Genre Film Archive, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving genre cinema. He is also a co-founder of the independent distribution company NEON, which has released acclaimed films including Parasite, I, Tonya, Anora, and Longlegs.

Beth Gilligan

Beth Gilligan is Executive Director & CEO of the nonprofit Coolidge Corner Theatre, a six-screen independent cinema and New England cultural landmark. During her 17 years at the Coolidge, Beth has overseen a $14 million capital campaign that added 14,000 sq ft to the existing theatre; launched a youth and community education program and several programming initiatives; and continues to serve as Program Director for Science on Screen®, a national grant program of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation administered by the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Beth has a B.A. from Trinity College and a M.A. in film studies from the University of East Anglia. Prior to joining the Coolidge, she worked at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Tabitha Jackson

Tabitha Jackson is the Director of Film Forum, the legendary independent arthouse in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village - the only autonomous, nonprofit cinema in NYC. This is Jackson’s latest role in a 30-year career that began in public broadcasting before she moved to independent film. After leading the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program for 7 years, she became the first woman and person of color to have been appointed director of the Sundance Film Festival. Jackson’s previous experience as Emmy-winning director-producer, executive producer, commissioning editor and non-fiction author has demonstrated her unshakeable belief in the arts as a public good, and in freedom of creative expression and exchange as a democratic necessity. Tabitha is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a research fellow at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab.

John Vanco

John Vanco oversees programming, marketing, and audience development for Netflix’s three cinemas: the Paris Theater in New York, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and the Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades. He curates both first-run titles—including Maestro, The Killer, and Nyad—and signature series such as Big & Loud. His collaborations include programs with Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, and Karina Longworth, as well as partnerships with the Academy Museum and American Cinematheque. Previously, Vanco led the IFC Center from its opening in 2005 through 2023, shaping it into a cornerstone of the independent film community. He was also part of IFC Films’ senior team, guiding acquisitions and releases from leading international filmmakers. A champion of documentary cinema, he co-founded DOC NYC, now the largest documentary festival in the U.S. He is a member of the Academy, BAFTA, and the Television Academy.

Allason Leitz

Moderator

Allason Leitz works at the strategic intersection of media, creativity, technology, and audience development. She is the founding Director of Art House New York, where she leads audience development, research, and industry initiatives. Its flagship program, Art House New York Cinema Week, reimagined theatrical marketing and garnered over 600 million impressions across out-of-home, digital, and editorial platforms in its first year, with partners including the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and 30+ Cinemas across NYC and original design by Pentagram's Paul Scher. With over 15 years of global experience—from Goma to Berlin to New York—Leitz specializes in scalable, cross-sector solutions. She's been serving as Chief of Staff at Magnet Originals, helping define and actualize business model from the ground up.

Michael Sarnoski

Michael Sarnoski is an award-winning filmmaker known for his atmospheric, character-driven storytelling. He made his feature debut with Pig, starring Nicolas Cage, which was released by Neon to widespread acclaim and earned him the National Board of Review Award for Best Directorial Debut and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay, along with DGA and Gotham nominations. In 2024, Sarnoski wrote and directed A Quiet Place: Day One, personally selected by John Krasinski to expand the franchise. The Paramount release debuted to strong reviews and a $53 million opening weekend, ultimately grossing over $260 million worldwide. He most recently directed The Death of Robin Hood for A24, starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, premiering June 19, 2026. Sarnoski is also developing a live-action adaptation of Death Stranding for A24.

Haley Z Boston

Haley Z. Boston is a queer horror filmmaker from Portland, Oregon, known for blending psychologically rich storytelling with genre-defying chills. She is the creator, showrunner, writer, and executive producer of Netflix’s Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, an original horror series produced by the Duffer Brothers and Hilary Leavitt. Set during the week leading up to a doomed wedding, the show transforms relationship anxiety into escalating psychological horror, showcasing Boston's distinctive voice and character-driven approach. Previously, Boston wrote on acclaimed Netflix series Brand New Cherry Flavor and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, establishing herself as a rising force in genre television. Her short film Beach Logs Kill premiered in the Narrative Short Competition at SXSW 2024, earning recognition for its haunting, surreal take on coming-of-age and queerness. Boston continues to emerge as one of the most exciting new voices in horror.

Colin Stetson

Colin Stetson is a renowned saxophonist and composer known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary music through his innovative approach to the instrument. Raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he trained in both classical and jazz traditions, studying at the University of Michigan under Donald Sinta and Christopher Creviston. His work is defined by extended techniques—including circular breathing, multiphonics, and percussive key sounds—transforming the saxophone into a fully immersive, orchestral voice. His solo recordings, including his latest album The love it took to leave you, showcase his ability to build dense, emotionally resonant soundscapes without overdubs or loops. In addition to his solo work, he has collaborated with artists such as Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, and Laurie Anderson. Stetson is also an acclaimed composer for film and television, with credits including Hereditary, The Menu, Uzumaki, and the Netflix series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen (2026). With a fearless dedication to exploration, Stetson continues to redefine what is possible in modern music, earning his place as a singular voice in the world of contemporary composition and performance.

Frida Torresblanco

Frida Torresblanco is co-CEO of Hangtime Films, a p.g.a. and Academy member, and a film, TV, and documentary producer with the 3x Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth to her credit. As Alfonso Cuarón’s producing partner, she co-founded Esperanto, later joined by Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu. Alongside Cuarón, she produced The Assassination of Richard Nixon starring Sean Penn, Crónicas, and Rudo y Cursi. Frida produced Disobedience, directed by Sebastián Lelio, starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. She executive produced Married to El Chapo (Peacock) and The Night Manager S2 (Prime). Named among The Hollywood Reporter’s Latin Women Power 25 list, her films screened at Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, and Sundance, earning three Oscars, 100+ nominations, and honors from Cannes and Critics Choice awards, cementing her legacy in world cinema.

Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson is both an Oscar (Rain Man) and an Emmy (Breaking Bad) winner. He has produced over seventy television shows and films. On the TV side, Johnson has executive produced Better Call Saul, Halt and Catch Fire, and Rectify, among others. A few of his feature credits include Diner, Good Morning Vietnam, The Natural, A Little Princess, The Notebook, and Galaxy Quest. Most recently, he produced Alexander Payne's feature film The Holdovers, and his current television shows include Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Lestat) and Mayfair Witches which air on AMC.

Jack Lechner

Jack Lechner is chair of the graduate film program at Columbia University. His\nfilm and TV producing credits include the Oscar-nominated Blue Valentine; the Oscar-winning The Fog of War; Group: The Schopenhauer Effect;\nThe New Yorker Presents for Amazon; Untouchable for Hulu; Explorer for National Geographic; Left of the Dial for HBO; TruInside for TruTV; Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys for Sundance; The New Public for PBS; the web series Group; Bite Me; and the pilot of Mad Men for AMC. As an executive at\nMiramax and Film Four, he was involved in the production and development of many movies, including The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and The Full Monty. His book Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You was published in 2000, and his picture book Mary Had a Little Lamp in 2008. He also wrote the lyrics for the\n2010 off-Broadway musical The Kid.

Mynette Louie

Mynette Louie is a Spirit Award-winning, Emmy and Critics Choice-nominated producer. Her credits include Suzanne Andrews Correa's Sundance 2026 selection The Huntress, Eric Lin's Locarno-winning Tribeca 2025 selection Rosemead (Vertical), Heidi Ewing’s Sundance-winning, Spirit Award-nominated I Carry You With Me (Sony Pictures Classics), Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ Tribeca-winning, Gotham-nominated Swallow (IFC Films), Jennifer Fox’s Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Spirit Award-nominated The Tale (HBO), Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation (Drafthouse/Netflix), and Martha Stephens & Aaron Katz's Spirit Award-winning Land Ho! (Sony Pictures Classics). Louie serves on the Board of Directors of Film Independent, the Producers Branch Executive Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is a member of Producers United and the Television Academy. She is also an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and Co-Head of Creative Producing at Columbia University’s graduate film program.

Joan Bofill

Joan Bofill Amargós (1982) is a Spanish filmmaker and visual artist working across documentary films and painting. His films focus on portraiture, approaching their subjects beyond conventional biographical frameworks. He bridges visual and audiovisual media, creating work that moves between art and cinema. Most recently, he directed the feature documentary The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld (2025). His previous credits include Raymond Roussel: Le Jour de Gloire (2017) and La Hie (2014).

Ted Hope

A producer of over 70 films and a studio executive on more than 60, Ted Hope launched Amazon’s foray into feature film production, leading to 19 Oscar nominations and 5 wins. As a producer, his films have earned 25 Oscar nominations and 6 wins. His memoir Hope for Film and Substack of the same name have helped spark both “FilmStack” and the growing “NonDē” movement. Hope has helped shape the careers of filmmakers including Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener, Hal Hartley, and Michel Gondry. Recent projects include Lone Wolf (dir. Mark Pellington) and the documentary Invisible Nation, which he helped distribute using a “slow distribution” model, becoming the third highest-grossing documentary of all time in Taiwan. He has also served as the CEO of a start-up streamer, co-head of 3 production, executive director of a film society & festival, a Professor Of Practice at 2 universities, and founder of a post-production facility, 2 websites, 2 think tanks, & an app.

Gerrad Hall

Pop culture and entertainment enthusiast Gerrad Hall has interviewed hundreds of movie and TV stars over the past 20 years, traveling the globe as a reporter and editor, including Egypt, Japan, Bora Bora, and Hawaii. Currently, he’s an Editorial Director at Entertainment Weekly, where he oversees coverage of Movies, Awards, and Music, and is the host of The Awardist podcast. Gerrad also co-hosts EW’s live red carpet shows, from the Oscars and Emmys to the Grammys and Actor Awards, and he’s appeared on various talk shows and entertainment programs, including Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, The Talk, and Extra!. Gerrad’s job highlights include his guest-starring role (as himself) on the season 3 premiere of Hacks opposite Jean Smart, being a guest judge on Hell’s Kitchen, his cover stories on his childhood obsession turned movie starring Nicholas Galitzine, Masters of the Universe, and on Netflix’s Queer Eye reboot and interview with the new Fab 5, as well as his Family Matters cast reunion, and spending post-Oscars morning behind the scenes at Good Morning America.

Cara Cusumano

Cara Cusumano is Festival Director and SVP of Programming for the Tribeca Festival, where she has led programming since 2008. During her tenure, Tribeca has become a globally respected showcase, premiering Oscar-nominated documentaries like Virunga and Ascension, as well as early work from filmmakers including Damien Chazelle, Reed Morano, Nia DaCosta, and Ryan Coogler. Cusumano has been a driving force behind Tribeca’s expansion into multi-platform storytelling, launching its episodic section, Tribeca X, the standalone Tribeca TV Festival, and the first of its kind Audio Storytelling program. She also oversaw the launch of Tribeca Membership and Tribeca Festival Lisboa. Prior to Tribeca, she worked with organizations including Sundance, POV, and Chicken & Egg Pictures. She frequently serves on festival juries and industry panels and holds degrees from Columbia University and NYU.

Ben Grossman

Ben Grossmann is co-founder of Magnopus, a team creating immersive content and technologies that work across physical and digital experiences with more than 200 artists, designers, and engineers in Los Angeles and London. He is an Academy Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning artist in media & entertainment. He lead creative and technology as a Producer of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere.

Jen Koester

As President and Chief Operating Officer of Sphere, Jen Koester leads the strategy and execution of all business aspects and operations. In this role, Ms. Koester works together with executive leadership, and across the broader Sphere team, to grow the Sphere businesses and optimize its operations. She provides strategic oversight for Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio in Burbank dedicated to developing multi-sensory experiences exclusively for Sphere – including further developing the Studios’ capabilities as a full-service production studio. Ms. Koester also focuses on maximizing venue utilization across a range of categories, such as original programming, attractions, concerts, residencies, and brand and marquee events; driving strategic partnerships; delivering the best customer experience; and growing Sphere as a premium global brand.

Carolyn Blackwood

Carolyn Blackwood is Head of Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio dedicated to developing multi-sensory entertainment experiences exclusively for Sphere. In this role, Ms. Blackwood leads the day-to-day operations of the Burbank-based Sphere Studios, which is home to an interdisciplinary team of creative, production, technology and software experts who provide full in-house creative and production services, including strategy and concept, capture, post-production and show production. The Studios team is responsible for creating and executing content for a wide variety of events at Sphere, including original Sphere Experiences, concerts and residencies, and premier brand and marquee events, as well as for the venue’s exterior – the Exosphere. Ms. Blackwood directs Sphere Studios’ production operations to maximize the full technical and creative possibilities of Sphere and strategically positions both Studios and Sphere for continued growth and development.

Alessandro Durando

Alessandro Durando is an award-winning Creative and Animation Director with over 15 years of experience across advertising, storytelling, and IP development. His creative process is driven by curiosity and the cross-pollination of wildly different fields. Founder of Unrelated Studio, and before that Nerdo Studio, he has spent his career making bold aesthetic choices central to his work, from internationally recognized campaigns to his debut game LOFSÖNG. Rooted in Brutalist architecture, deep time, and the philosophy of Architecture Parlante, LOFSÖNG is built on the conviction that form, geometry, and sound can carry meaning beyond language. For Alessandro, maximalism is not about excess but about intentionality: every visual and sonic decision exists to say something specific, and loudly.

Jordan Bloemen

Writer and composer based in Vancouver, Canada, Jordan Bloemen works on games and films, using words and music to help tell stories and build weird worlds. The best part of the work is getting to collaborate with talented visual and interactive creators, bringing sound and narrative to the things they make. Co-creator of Rebounder by ThirtyThree Games, a video game inspired by comic books and graphic novels. Co-creator of CBC On Design, an original streaming series on CBC Gem, and Hacked, a Spotify Top Ten tech podcast. Jordan has a cat who is accurately named Goblin.

Matthew Satchwill

Animator, visual effects artist, and game designer from Edmonton, Canada, Matthew Satchwill worked on video game projects big and small, from AAA mega-franchises to humble indie darlings. He came to game art through his university design degree, after realizing that creating interactive worlds scratched an itch that making marketing assets for regional construction companies couldn't. This path led him to co-create Rebounder, a game that pays homage to the risograph, the letterpress, the lithograph, even the crummy photocopier. The goal is to make a game where every screenshot looks like a scan of a vintage comic book.

Manda Farough

Lucas Rizzotto

Rafal Zaremba

Rafal Zaremba is the CEO and Co-Founder of LICHTHUND. His passion for games began at age five with an Amiga 500 and grew through the 90s, building PCs with Pentium processors and 3dfx cards to play everything from strategy games, FPSs to RPGs. That era sparked his dream of making games. In 2014, he left the corporate world to co-found LICHTHUND as a two-person indie studio. Today, the company has grown into an award-winning team creating bold, unconventional games for players worldwide. Rafal still does a bit of everything, toggling between production, coding, business side, and many others, all driven by one simple goal: making great games. He might be a CEO on paper, but he’s an indie dev at heart."

Anil Glendinning

Anil Glendinning is a BAFTA-nominated Creative Director at the independant games studio, Friday Sundae. Having worked on projects for Microsoft, Disney, Lucasfilm, Vivendi and Blizzard, he is now leading Friday Sundae's debut game, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand. There Are No Ghosts at the Grand, is a musical, comedy-horror starring broadway actor, Alex Brightman, and uses music as a core storytelling device. With original ska, punk and reggae inspired songs performed by characters throughout the game. Anil writes, directs and occasionally acts in the game, due out later this year.

Dr. Regina Davis Moss

Dr. Regina Davis Moss works at the intersection of public health, media, and culture change, with a lifelong commitment to empowering women and adolescent girls to make informed decisions about their health. A leading expert in health equity, narrative strategy, and reproductive health, she currently serves as President & CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda and its Action Fund. Previously, she was Associate Executive Director of Public Health Policy and Practice at the American Public Health Association, overseeing initiatives spanning social determinants of health to global health. She has also held senior roles at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is the author of the award-winning Black Women’s Reproductive Health and Sexuality.

Praise Odigie Paige

Paige Odigie Paige is a Nigerian-born filmmaker and creative executive whose work centers girls and women at moments of quiet transformation. Across her films and editorial leadership, she is drawn to intimate, atmospheric storytelling shaped by history, interiority, and the tension between private desire and collective forces. Her narrative short film Birdie premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. She is currently developing her debut feature, which continues her exploration of girls and women impacted by the Biafran war. Alongside her filmmaking practice, Paige serves as Vice President of Creative Studio at Sundial, where she drives creative strategy and stewards multidisciplinary teams behind some of the world’s most trusted editorial platforms for women, including Essence, Refinery29, and Afropunk, shaping large-scale narratives with the same care, rigor, and intentionality that define her cinematic work.

Prairie Rose Seminole

Prairie Rose Seminole (Northern Cheyenne, Arikara and Dakota) is an educator, culture bearer and storyteller. She is the Co-Director of We Ride for Her. Prairie Rose is a grant manager at the Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College and Placemaker with the Northern Plains National Heritage Area. Seminole serves on the Olamina Advisory Board, the Midwest Innocence Project Board, Gender Justice US and Humanities ND. She has been a part of efforts, institutions, and organizations that have seeded, supported, and strengthened public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement on local, state, and national levels. Prairie Rose grew up in North Dakota and is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of ND on the Fort Berthold Reservation. She lives with her partner, their 7 dogs and 11 horses in White Shield North Dakota.

Carmelyn P. Malalis

Moderator

Carmelyn P. Malalis is the Head of Impact at Level Forward and the former Commissioner and Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the agency charged with enforcing the New York City Human Rights Law. She co-founded and co-chaired the firm’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Workplace Rights Practice Group and co-chaired its Disability and Family Responsibilities Discrimination Practice Group. Ms. Malalis earned her J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law and received a B.A. in women's studies from Yale University. Through her work at Level Forward, Carmelyn brings a creative approach to human rights.

Dan Houser

As longtime writer and director of the Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and Bully video game series among others, Dan Houser has helped establish video games as a leading form of narrative fiction. Dan has now founded the storytelling entertainment company, Absurd Ventures and is authoring new storytelling works including the American Caper crime-fiction comic book series, the A Better Paradise technothriller series of novels and audiobooks, Absurdaverse animated series and two open world AAA action adventure video games in development at Absurd Ventures studios.

Lazlow

As longtime creative and writing partner to Dan Houser, Lazlow worked for nearly 20 years at Rockstar Games as a Director, Producer and Writer on history-making franchises Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Bully, Max Payne, Midnight Club and more while serving as co-chair of the Rockstar Games Production department, responsible for in-game creative audio and video content. Lazlow is now a founding partner at Houser’s Absurd Ventures entertainment studio, producing, directing and writing on projects across the A Better Paradise, American Caper and Absurdaverse worlds.

Tim Wiesch

Tim Wiesch is the Head of Publishing at Dark Horse Comics, where he wrangles cats on everything from original creator-owned comics to fan-favorite licensed worlds. Equal parts storyteller and ringmaster, he works closely with creators and partners to bring original ideas to life. He previously held a leadership role at Mondo, the cult art and collectibles brand, where he helped shape its stylish, pop culture driven releases. Wiesch signed Absurd Ventures’ American Caper comic book series, which launched in 2025 as a bestselling crime-fiction title.

Kevin Anderson

As founder and CEO of Kevin Anderson & Associates, Kevin Anderson leads the world's largest book-writing and editorial firm, working closely with bestselling and award-winning authors, literary agents, Big-5 publishers, and a wide range of public figures, executives, celebrities, and aspiring authors. Anderson and his firm served as editorial partners on Dan Houser's debut technothriller novel, A Better Paradise, and is currently working with Houser on upcoming books in the series.

Paul Lee

Paul Lee is Vice President of GTM (Global Operation) at Smilegate, leading global go-to-market strategy and collaborating with partners including Absurd Ventures. Previously, he led APAC publishing for Embark Studios’ THE FINALS and ARC Raiders at Nexon, and oversaw multiple global franchises at Activision Blizzard. With 20 years of experience across Korea, the US, and Europe, he specializes in bridging development, publishing, and GTM to launch games globally. Smilegate are strategic investors in Absurd Ventures and will be publishing an upcoming action-adventure videogame set in Houser’s A Better Paradise universe.

Andrew Neel

Andrew Neel is an award winning writer, director and producer. He has\ndirected and produced award winning documentaries including Darkon\nand Alice Neel. Neel’s critically acclaimed fictional film Goat premiered\nat Sundance and Berlin in 2016 and was released by Paramount in 2016.\nHe co-wrote Zola produced by A24 released in 2021. Previously he\nproduced Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors\n( Tribeca Jury Prize ) and the critically acclaimed documentary Breaking a Monster. Neel also worked as a writer, director and co-producer on\nthe FX limited series A Teacher released 2020.

Witold Szabłowski

Witold Szabłowski is a journalist and one Poland’s most respected reporters, best known for his books about great politics seen through the kitchen door. Witold’s books have been published in more than 30 countries, on 5 continents. Author of the books The Assassin from Apricot City: Reportage from Turkey, 2010), Dancing Bears: True Stories of People Nostalgic for Life Under Tyranny, 2014, and Righteous Traitors, 2016, which have gained recognition in Poland and worldwide. In 2008, he received an honorable mention in the Amnesty International competition for the best human rights journalism for his article "It’s out of Love, Sister". The writer also signed a contract with one of the most prestigious publishing houses in the world - Penguin Random House. His book How to Feed a Dictator was a bestseller in United States and in Iran, where it was published illegally.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History at New York University, specializing in authoritarianism, propaganda, and resistance to tyranny, and a Senior Fellow at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. She is the author of The New York Times bestseller Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and the publisher of the Substack newsletter Lucid on threats to democracy. She is a consultant on television and film productions, including Guillermo del Toro’s Academy Award-winning 2022 movie Pinocchio and the 2024 Netflix docuseries Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial. Her next book, to be published by Viking, will be Resisting Autocracy: What History Teaches Us About Fighting Back.

Ethan Palmer

Ethan Palmer has been working in film production for over 20 years. His recent cinematography work can be seen in Plainclothes starring Tom Blyth and Russel Tovey (Sundance 2025), Taylor Swift’s Folklore: The Long Pond Sessions (Disney +), Adopting Audrey starring Jena Malone and Ted K (Berlin 2021) starring Sharlto Copley. He also photographed Goat (Sundance 2016) starring Nick Jonas and James Franco, Breaking a Monster (SXSW 2015), Stand Clear of the Closing Doors (Tribeca 2013) and King Kelly (SXSW 2012). Ethan also regularly shoots commercial and short form projects. As a partner at SeeThink Films, he produced Darkon (SXSW 2006) and the feature documentary Alice Neel (2007). Ethan graduated from NYU's Gallatin School with a concentration in Film Studies and Comparative Religion and lives in NY’s Hudson Valley.