Leslye Headland

Leslye Headland is an Emmy®-nominated writer, producer and director. She made her Broadway debut this past year with Cult of Love, marking her return to Second Stage Theater, which produced her play, Bachelorette. Headland served as writer, director, showrunner and executive producer of “Star Wars: The Acolyte” for Disney+. Headland also served as writer, director, showrunner and executive producer of Netflix’s acclaimed series “Russian Doll,” which was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and nine Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Headland made her directorial film debut with Bachelorette, which she adapted from her critically acclaimed play.

Michèle Stephenson

Emmy®-winner Michèle Stephenson draws from her Haitian and Panamanian roots to disrupt dominant storytelling traditions. Grounded in a Black Atlantic lens, she crafts emotionally resonant narratives of resistance and healing, centering Black radical tradition and lived experiences of communities of color. Her acclaimed works include Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and “Black Girls Play” (2023 Tribeca Best Documentary Short), both Oscar®-shortlisted. Stephenson is a Guggenheim Fellow, Creative Capital Artist, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is currently in post-production on True North, a hybrid feature exploring Black Power in Canada.

Nia DaCosta

Nia DaCosta is among Hollywood’s freshest and most in-demand voices, having written and directed projects for stage, film and television. Up next, DaCosta wrote, directed, and produced Hedda for MGM’s Orion Pictures and Plan B. DaCosta is in post on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and previously directed and co-wrote The Marvels, making her the youngest and the first Black woman to direct a Marvel Studios picture. DaCosta also directed and co-wrote Candyman for Universal Studios. Her debut feature, Little Woods, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Festival and was released theatrically in 2019 via NEON.

Gabrielle Nadig

Gabrielle Nadig is an award-winning film producer and co-founder of the production company, Storm City Films. This year, Gabrielle executive produced The History of Sound, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Films produced by Gabrielle include Hedda for Amazon/MGM/Orion, written & directed by Nia DaCosta, If You Were the Last starring Anthony Mackie, Little Woods written & directed by Nia DaCosta, Standing Up Falling Down starring Billy Crystal, and The Sunlight Night starring Jenny Slate. Her first feature King Jack premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Festival, where it won the Narrative Audience Award.

Nikkia Moulterie

Moderator

Nikkia Moulterie is a NY-based Producer, a 2023 Variety Producer to Watch, 2022 Gotham Cannes Fellow, and 2019 Sundance Creative Producing Fellow Mark Silverman Honoree. She produced “Suicide by Sunlight” with writer/director Nikyatu Jusu, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and Nanny, which won the Grand Jury Dramatic Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. She co-produced the premiere season of the Peabody award-winning Random Acts of Flyness for HBO & A24. Her work as a producer also includes episodic projects, Final Witness at ABC, One Bad Choice for MTV, and numerous campaigns for global brands. She is currently in development on a slate of debut features with emerging filmmakers.

Julien Levesque

Julien Levesque is an agent in the Indie Film Group at Gersh, where he works to package, finance, and sell films. During his time at Gersh he has helped package and finance films which include Gore Verbinski's Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die and Zach Woods' directorial debut The Accompanist, starring Aubrey Plaza and Susan Sarandon. Levesque’s entertainment career started at CAA where he helped package and finance films such as Thelma and the upcoming Neon release, Hell of a Summer. Prior to coming to Gersh, he produced Psycho Therapy, which stars Steve Buscemi, John Magaro, and Britt Lower.

Maggie Pisacane

Maggie Pisacane is a Senior Partner at WME in the agency’s Non-Scripted department and runs its Documentary Group. In her role, she represents renowned filmmakers as well as prolific production companies in the nonfiction space. Her roster includes Roger Ross Williams (One Story Up), R.J. Cutler (This Machine Filmworks), Fisher Stevens (Highly Flammable), Davis Guggenheim (Concordia), Brett Morgen, Lana Wilson, Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady (Loki Films), Ryan White (Tripod Media), Nadia Hallgren, Conde Nast Entertainment, and Dorothy Street, among others.

Shrihari Sathe

Moderator

Shrihari Sathe is a New York-based director and producer. Sathe won the 2019 Independent Spirit Award - Producers Award and the 2016 Cinereach Producer Award. His credits as producer/co-producer include Jamie Sisley’s Stay Awake (2022), Francisca Alegria’s The Cow Who Sang a Song Into The Future (2022), Bassam Jarbawi's Screwdriver (2018), Eliza Hittman’s It Felt Like Love (2013) and Beach Rats (2017), Afia Nathaniel’s Dukhtar (2014), Paul Felten & Joe DeNardo's Slow Machine (2020) amongst others. Sathe’s feature directorial debut – 1000 Rupee Note (2014) has received over 30 awards. Sathe has received fellowships from Trans Atlantic Partners (2013), Cannes Producers Network (2014, 2015, 2016), Film Independent Producing Lab (2011) and Sundance Institute Creative Producing Lab (2013). He is a Visiting Associate Arts Professor and the Head of Producing in the Graduate Film Department at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Sathe is a member of the PGA, Producers United, IMPPA and AMPAS.

Julio Torres

Julio Torres is an award-winning Brooklyn-based comedian from El Salvador. His work on “Saturday Night Live” garnered four Emmy® nominations and received wide acclaim. In 2017, Julio headlined his first solo tour, My Favorite Shapes: by Julio Torres, to rave reviews. Julio also starred in the HBO series “Los Espookys,” which he co-created with Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega, and “Fantasmas,” which he created, directed and wrote. Julio made his feature directorial debut with A24’s Problemista, which he wrote and stars in alongside Tilda Swinton. Julio's first book, I Want to Be a Vase, was released in 2019.

Kyle Turner

Moderator

Kyle Turner is a queer writer based in Brooklyn, NY. His writing has been featured in W Magazine, The Village Voice, Slate, GQ and the New York Times, and he is the author of The Queer Film Guide: 100 Films That Tell LGBTQIA+ Stories from Smith Street Books and Rizzoli. He is relieved to know that he is not a golem.

Christine Vachon

Christine Vachon is an Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award winner who co-founded powerhouse Killer Films with Pamela Koffler in 1995. Together, they have produced more than 100 films, including celebrated and important American independent features: Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, Happiness, Boys Don’t Cry, Far From Heaven, Still Alice, Carol, Beatriz at Dinner, and Dark Waters. Vachon executive-produced the Emmy® and Golden Globe-awarded miniseries “Mildred Pierce” as well as the Emmy® Award-winning limited series “Halston.”. Recent releases include Todd Haynes' May December and Celine Song's Past Lives, which marks her first Oscar® nomination in the Best Picture category.

Mollye Asher

Moderator

Mollye Asher is an Oscar-winning producer based in NYC, best known for Nomadland, which won three Academy Awards including Best Picture. It was her third collaboration with director Chloé Zhao. Her other credits include Catch the Fair One (Tribeca Audience Award), Swallow (Gotham nominee), The Rider (Cannes, Gotham winner), Fort Tilden (SXSW Grand Jury Prize), She’s Lost Control (Berlinale), and Zhao’s debut Songs My Brothers Taught Me (Sundance, Cannes). Recently, she executive produced Andrea Arnold’s Bird (Cannes) and produced On Swift Horses. Mollye won the 2020 Spirit Producers Award and is an NYU grad and Academy member.

Emily Best

Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark. Seed&Spark’s platform and national education program have helped thousands of bold storytellers raise millions to bring to life entirely new stories, and Seed&Spark delivers a selection of those stories as experiential learning for workplaces through Film Forward. In 2023, CNBC named Seed&Spark one of the top 200 fintech companies in the world. In 2024, alongside Christie Marchese at Kinema, Emily spearheaded an effort to launch The Distribution Playbook, a free and open- sourced field guide for independent filmmakers to succeed in distribution.

Christie Marchese

Christie Marchese is the founder and CEO of Kinema and EVP of Entertainment Partnerships at Publicis Media. 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 entertainment agency Picture Motion, which was acquired by Publicis Media in 2024.Prior to Picture Motion, she ran impact for Righteous Pictures, led digital strategy for the social action group at Participant Media, and handled program coordination and social media management at Norman Lear's nonprofit, Declare Yourself.

Marielle Membreño

Marielle Membreño is responsible for helping build a diverse slate that aligns with the company’s track record of distinctive filmmaking and audience driven, crowd pleasing titles such as Theater Camp and Oscar®-winning A Real Pain. Previously, Marielle was an Acquisitions and Development Executive at Protagonist Pictures, sourcing projects at every stage for international finance, production and sales including Brady Corbet's The Brutalist, Darius Marder's Sound of Metal and Ben Wheatley's In the Earth. Prior to Protagonist Pictures, Marielle worked on the production side of indie features, shorts and music videos in Los Angeles.

Joe Toto

Joe Toto is the Vice President of Production & Acquisitions at Focus Features. In his role, he develops and acquires a wide range of films, helping shape the studio’s critically acclaimed slate. His recent credits include the Sundance breakout The Ballad of Wallis Island, as well as upcoming projects such as Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao. Toto also collaborates closely with Universal Pictures International, securing international rights for films including Sean Baker’s Anora, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, and Oliver Hermanus’ upcoming The History of Sound.

Tony Piantedosi

Tony Piantedosi is the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions at Vertical. With over a decade of experience in acquisitions, he is responsible for hundreds of independent films securing distribution. Recent acquisitions and releases include The Order with Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, Lee with Kate Winslet, Fight or Flight with Josh Hartnett, and Elevation with Anthony Mackie. He graduated cum laude from Northeastern University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies and Communications.

Liz Nord

Moderator

Liz Nord is an Emmy-winning producer and filmmaker who has created and shown work across the globe. She is Head of Programs and Creative Development at the NYU Production Lab, where she runs the Feature Film Development Studio. She previously served as Director of Content at Sundance and as the Editor-in-Chief and Lead Producer at No Film School. Liz is also an advisor for several artist development programs including Latino Public Broadcasting’s Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship and the Jewish Writers’ Initiative. She has spoken and written extensively on independent film, notably at TEDx and SXSW.

Wren Arthur

Wren Arthur is a two-time Emmy®-winning producer, filmmaker, and actress. She began her producing career working alongside Robert Altman, producing Tanner on Tanner and A Prairie Home Companion. Wren then formed Olive Productions with Steve Buscemi with the mission to uplift, entertain and engage, with storytelling led by amazing characters. Some Olive Productions include the Emmy®-winning web series “Park Bench with Steve Buscemi;” Emmy®-winning documentary Medora; HBO documentary, A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY. Most recent projects include The Listener, Psycho Therapy, and upcoming “Shallow Tale Of A Writer Who Decided To Write About A Serial Killer.”

Steve Buscemi

Steve Buscemi is an award-winning actor, writer, director and producer. His credits include Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. His television credits include starring in HBO's “Boardwalk Empire,” “Miracle Workers,” “The Sopranos,” and appearances on “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” His directing work includes Trees Lounge and Interview, as well as TV credits including “The Sopranos,” “30 Rock,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “Portlandia.” Buscemi directed The Listener, starring Tessa Thompson, which premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and its North American premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival. He most recently joined the cast of the Netflix series “Wednesday.”

David Fear

Moderator

David Fear is the chief film critic at Rolling Stone and was a critic/editor at Time Out New York from 2004 to 2013. His work has been published in the New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Village Voice, Film Comment, Spin, NY Daily News, Nashville Scene and The San Francisco Bay Guardian, among others. He's a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. He lives in Brooklyn, as all writers must.

Jane Rosenthal

Jane Rosenthal is an Oscar-and Emmy-nominated producer and the co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, the global media and entertainment company that includes the Tribeca Festival, Tribeca Studios, Tribeca Films, and award-winning production company m ss ng p eces. As a producer, Rosenthal has brought culturally resonant stories to the screen, including The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese), “When They See Us” (dir. Ava DuVernay), the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, and the Grammy Award-winning documentary Quincy. She also produced the blockbuster Meet the Parents franchise, including the upcoming fourth installment with the original cast. A pioneer in emerging storytelling formats, Rosenthal is at the forefront of developing original experiential content for Sphere in Las Vegas, including executive producing Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth.”

Sophia Nahli Allison

Sophia Nahli Allison is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, self-portrait photographer, and artist. A Black lesbian myth, her work transcends time and space, activating memory as cinematic portals. She was the director, cinematographer, editor, and co-producer of the experimental documentary short “A Love Song for Latasha” (Netflix, 2020), nominated for an Oscar® in 2021. She directed and co-wrote Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground (HBO Max) and directed commercials for Pandora and Lululemon. A 2020 USA Fellow and the recipient of a 2025 Creative Capital Award, she has participated in artist residencies at MacDowell, Black Rock Senegal, and the Camargo Foundation.

Marshall Curry

Marshall Curry is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker who writes, directs, and edits. Prior to winning the Oscar® for his narrative short, “The Neighbors’ Window,” he was nominated three times for his documentary films Street Fight, If a Tree Falls: a Story of the Earth Liberation Front, and “A Night at The Garden.” His work has won top awards at Tribeca and Sundance, played in theaters and on television around the world, and earned two WGA nominations and two Emmy® nominations.

Carol Dysinger

Carol Dysinger is a filmmaker, writer, artist and educator, whose contemporary work offers a counter-narrative to traditional stories of conflict. She made “Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (IF YOU'RE A GIRL),” which won Best Documentary Short at Tribeca Festival and went on to win an Oscar®. A longtime consultant for Sundance Doc Lab, she is a much sought after story-and-editing advisor for documentaries and hybrid work around the world. Some involve continuing support filmmakers who were her students, Karyn Kusama, Chloé Zhao, Josh Marston, Darius Clark Monroe, Debra Granik to name a few.

Sami Khan

Sami Khan (“STARTING 5,” “WE THE NORTH,” THE LAST OUT, “ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN”) is an Emmy®-winning and Oscar®-nominated filmmaker whose work in fiction and documentary has screened at leading film festivals including Tribeca, Toronto, Hot Docs, and Mumbai. He’s currently working on a film that chronicles a youth basketball team fighting gentrification in Philadelphia’s Chinatown.

Natalia Keogan

Moderator

Natalia Keogan is a freelance critic and journalist. A graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, Keogan is a contributing editor at Filmmaker Magazine, where she regularly conducts interviews and provides administrative support for the publication's online and quarterly print verticals. Since 2019, she has aided in the curation of the Magazine's annual 25 New Faces of Film list, penning multiple profiles each year for the long-running series. Other bylines include Documentary Magazine, The A.V. Club, Reverse Shot and MUBI Notebook, among others. She has robustly covered the New York Film Festival, Sundance, TIFF, New Directors/New Films, and True/False.

Emma Griffiths

Emma Griffiths PR is a strategic and innovative PR firm headed by Emma Griffiths, a publicity maven with over 20 years experience in theatrical, unit, festival, VOD, DVD, TV, special event and industry publicity. She has managed hundreds of film campaigns in their entirety during unit, theatrical, festival and award season stages.

David Magdael

With over two decades in PR/marketing, David Magdael and his company DAVID MAGDAEL & ASSOCIATES have become an important leader in the field. A recent Peabody Award Winner as well, he leads awards campaigns, theatrical releases, and streaming and broadcast premieres. Magdael is a longtime member of AMPAS and the former co-director of the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. He continues to serve as a mentor at the Sundance Institute Producers Lab, Global Media Makers, Film Independent, Berlinale EFM, European Film Market, IDFA, Women Make Movies. He is one of the founders of Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) creating events for AAPI filmmakers at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, LA Asian, SXSW and CAAM. Magdael is also on the Board of Advisors for SXSW Film & TV Festival.

Alece Oxendine

Moderator

Alece Oxendine is committed to creating a better ecosystem in the film industry through film festival, marketing, and distribution strategy, while inspiring the next generation of media makers through mentorship and consultation. She has supported hundreds of filmmakers in the areas of marketing and distribution at Film at Lincoln Center, Rooftop Films, Fandor, Good Deed Entertainment, and Columbia University's film school. Currently, Alece is the Executive Director of Film Durham, a new film society in her hometown in North Carolina. Alece is an alumna of Columbia University and a proud HBCU graduate from Winston-Salem State University. She enjoys writing in her free time and is learning to speak French.

David Leitch

David Leitch made his directorial debut co-directing John Wick. He served as executive producer on the thriller’s sequels: John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, and John Wick: Chapter 4. Leitch has continued his directorial success with critically acclaimed box office hits such as The Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde. Previously, Leitch spent a decade in the stunt business, working on such films as The Wolverine, Logan, and Jurassic World. As a stunt performer, he doubled Matt Damon on Bourne Ultimatum and Brad Pitt on Fight Club, among others.

Kelly McCormick

Kelly McCormick is one of the most prolific female producers in the action space and has delivered high-octane favorites such as The Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Atomic Blonde, Nobody, Violent Night, Kate, Shadow in the Cloud, and How It Ends. As Executive Producer, McCormick was heavily involved in the making of Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Prior to founding 87North Productions, McCormick served as the Executive Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Sierra Affinity, where she packaged Academy Award® -winning and nominated films such as Hell or High Water, Whiplash, Nightcrawler, and Manchester By The Sea.

Eric Lin

It was while majoring in sociology and film studies at UC Berkeley that director Eric Lin decided to dive into the world of filmmaking. Now, he’s best known for his cinematography work on The Exploding Girl, The Sound of Silence, House of Spoils, I Smile Back, and Hearts Beat Loud, which premiered at prestigious film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, and Toronto. Early in his filmmaking days, Lin’s own New York University MFA short documentary, “Music Palace,” gained notice and played at festivals such as Telluride and New Directors/New Films. Rosemead marks Lin’s feature directorial debut.

Lucy Liu

Critically acclaimed actress/filmmaker Lucy Liu is globally renowned for starring in films which have earned a combined total of $3.7 billion in worldwide box office including Kill Bill, Charlie’s Angels, Chicago, Set It Up, Presence, and Red One. Early in her career, she earned a 1999 Emmy nomination for Ally McBeal. As a producer, she championed impactful documentaries such as Freedom’s Fury and Redlight. A celebrated visual artist and 20-year UNICEF Ambassador, Liu pushes creative and cultural boundaries, and in 2019 was honored—only the second Asian American woman in nearly 60 years—with the Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Lawrence Shou

Lawrence Shou is a young Asian American actor from Fremont, California, making his feature film debut in Rosemead starring alongside Lucy Liu. He was cast to play the lead role from hundreds of submissions. Lawrence was drawn to the project through its focus on mental health—an issue he has been deeply rooted in since childhood, particularly within the Asian American community. In addition to growing up with a mother who works in a youth mental health facility, Lawrence has also experienced and overcome his own challenges with mental health. As such he hopes Rosemead spreads awareness and erases stigma towards youth mental health and Schizophrenia.

Deborah Roberts

Moderator

Deborah Roberts is an award-winning ABC News correspondent and co-anchor of the prestigious news magazine, “20/20”. Roberts has served as a substitute anchor for “Good Morning America”, “World News Tonight”, and as a guest host on “The View.” Her in-depth coverage of current events has earned her a Peabody Award for the “20/20” special “Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor.” She has been awarded multiple Emmy® Awards for international and national coverage of world events, including the AIDS crisis in Africa and maternal mortality in Bangladesh. Roberts is the author of “Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life”, a New York Times Bestseller. She’s also authored a book with her husband, Al Roker, called “Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom For Modern Times.”

Ellie Foumbi

Ellie Foumbi is an award-winning Cameroonian American filmmaker whose debut film, Our Father, the Devil, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. It went on to win many prizes, including the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. It received universal critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award Nominations. She's an alumna of Berlinale Talents and a BAFTA Breakthrough USA Fellow. Ellie was also named one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine.

Gary Hustwit

Gary Hustwit is a filmmaker and visual artist based in New York and CEO of Anamorph, a generative film studio. He has produced or directed over 20 documentaries, including the pioneering design films Helvetica, Objectified, Urbanized, and Rams. The films have been broadcast on HBO, Netflix, PBS, BBC and outlets in 20 countries, and have been screened in over 300 cities worldwide. His latest project, Eno, is the world’s first generative feature film that changes every time it’s shown. Eno premiered at Sundance in 2024 and was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Kris Lefcoe

Kris Lefcoe's films have screened at TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, Art Basel Miami, British Film Institute, IFC and the Sundance Channel. Her unique voice runs through an eclectic body of work that spans network comedies, satirical art films, stop motion animation, and original music. Kris is also a professor in the MFA Film and Television Program at Stony Brook University SUNY, where she created and leads the SBU post-MFA Pilot Incubator Lab, launched in 2024.

Paul Trillo

Paul Trillo is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and director who challenges both his own curiosity and illusion with his experimental, conceptual, and highly technical films. His diverse body of work spans various genres and formats, and he is constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in filmmaking. Whether he’s creating practical effects with his hands, building the first mobile bullet time rig with phones, choreographing aerial smoke shows using drones, or creating fully AI-animated commercials, Paul’s work is always original, innovative, and highly technical.

Adnaan Wasey

Moderator

Adnaan Wasey is the Executive Director of Rooftop Films, the NYC-based film institution renowned for pioneering eventized cinema and audience engagement. Adnaan's work has spanned documentary, fiction, animation, interactive media, and emerging technologies at organizations including POV, The New York Times, and WGBH. His innovative approaches to media have earned him an Emmy Award and multiple Emmy and Webby nominations, and he is a frequent speaker at festivals including SXSW, New York Film Festival, and IDFA. Adnaan currently co-leads the Producers Guild of America's AAPI Working Group and serves as an advisor to the MacArthur Foundation's Journalism & Media program.

Zeshawn Ali

Zeshawn Ali is a filmmaker originally from Ohio and currently based in New York City. His feature film debut, Two Gods, was supported by ITVS, Ford Foundation and Sundance Institute and was selected in festivals across North America. It was also screened as a part of “Independent Lens” on PBS and was nominated for a Cinema Eye Spotlight Award. He was recently named a Pillars Artist Fellow as well as a recipient of the HBO/ Gotham Documentary Development Fund and the winner of the 2024 BlackStar Pitch. He is currently the Artist Programs Manager at Points North Institute.

Daniel Cardone

Daniel Cardone oversees the development and implementation of all nonfiction programs and initiatives for Film Independent, in addition to managing Film Independent's robust fiscal sponsorship program. Born in Australia, Daniel worked on critically acclaimed productions such as the Oscar-nominated feature Animal Kingdom and the Emmy Award-winning The Pacific. Daniel was a contributing director to the documentary Still Around (2011). In 2015 he completed his first feature film, the documentary Desert Migration, which premiered at San Francisco’s Frameline film festival. Daniel is also a 2019 Film Independent Directing Lab Fellow. He is currently in production on his second feature documentary.

Michelle Hamada

Michelle Hamada has dedicated nearly a decade to filmmaker development initiatives. Currently, she serves as the Director of Artist Development at Tribeca Studios. She works on the company’s filmmaker programs such as Through Her Lens, AT&T Untold Stories, Kickstart with Canva, and more. Previously, Michelle held the role of Director of Industry & Filmmaker Relations at Syrn Media Ventures, where she represented the company to artist support institutions and filmmakers. Before her time at Syrn, Michelle was the Manager of Documentary and Scripted programs at Tribeca Film Institute. Prior to joining TFI, Michelle contributed to SnagFilms by programming and marketing the company's platforms and played a key role in developing Indiewire's video presence.

Geeta Gandbhir

Geeta Gandbhir is an award-winning filmmaker. She started her career in narrative film working with Spike Lee and Sam Pollard. After collaborating with the Coen Brothers and Robert Altman, she transitioned into documentary filmmaking. She is currently directing a series for Netflix with Spike Lee and Samantha Knowles. She recently directed The Perfect Neighbor, which premiered at Sundance in 2025 and won the Directing Award. Shorts include "Reclaimed" for Sesame Workshop, "The Devil is Busy" for HBO, and the Oscar®-shortlisted film “How We Get Free” for HBO.

Farihah Zaman

Moderator

Farihah Zaman is a queer Bangladeshi-American filmmaker, critic, educator, and curator whose award-winning work has screened at Sundance, TIFF, NYFF, Tribeca, and SXSW. Her work includes Remote Area Medical, This Time Next Year, Feast of the Epiphany, and shorts including “To Be Queen.” Her most recent film Jericho Walk premiered at MoMA's Doc Fortnight 2025. Zaman has written for Reverse Shot, Film Comment, Elle, and Huffington Post, and she contributes to the documentary community through equity collectives like Brown Girls Doc Mafia, where she served as the Director of Grants and Fellowships. A former Documentarian-in-Residence at Bard College, Zaman is a member of the documentary branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Brad Becker-Parton

Brad Becker-Parton is a producer at Seaview, a New York-based film and theater production company. Producer credits include: Stress Positions; Reality; Master; The Year of the Everlasting Storm; Italian Studies; Beach Rats. He was the recipient of the 2024 Sundance Institute Amazon MGM Producers Award, a 2024 Peabody Award winner, a 2023 Gotham Award nominee for Best Feature, a nominee for the 2022 Independent Spirit Awards Producers Award, and a 2023 Film Independent Fast Track Fellow.

Jessamine Burgum

Jessamine Burgum is Founder & CEO of Pinky Promise, an independent production/financing company created during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s produced and/or financed 12+ films, including being an executive producer on the Pamela Anderson-led The Last Showgirl, which earned Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nominations and a producer on Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut Eleanor the Great. Leading an all-woman team dedicated to high-quality films by creatives from underrepresented backgrounds, Jessamine’s raised $26.3m+ in private equity funds. Jessamine’s been recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30, Variety New Leaders, and Inc. Female Founders 500.

Kara Durrett

Kara Durrett is the President and Head of Film at Pinky Promise, overseeing all film development. As a leader in the female-founded indie production/financing company, she’s been an ardent champion of underrepresented filmmakers and with unique perspectives. Her recent credits include Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor The Great, dark comedy I Don’t Understand You, and the Pamela Anderson-led The Last Showgirl. Kara’s earned accolades including an Independent Spirit Award nomination, Variety’s “New Leaders” list, Sundance’s Producers Award, and SXSW’s Janet Pierson Award.

Lizzie Shapiro

Lizzie Shapiro is a producer at The Space Program, a New York-based independent film production company operating as a collective of producers with a filmmaker-first approach. Recent credits include The Plague, Charlie Polinger’s debut feature that recently premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Shapiro was also an executive producer on Sasquatch Sunset, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale in 2024. Her credits include Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby, for which she won the 2022 Independent Spirit Cassavetes Award; Brittany Snow’s Parachute; and Annabelle Attanassio’s Mickey and the Bear. Shapiro was the recipient of the 2022 Independent Spirit Producers Award and the 2023 SXSW Janet Pierson Champion Award, honoring innovation and excellence in the art of storytelling.

Robyn Kopp

Robyn Kopp is a documentary producer based in San Francisco. Most recently she produced Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and will be released theatrically in summer 2025 followed by a national broadcast on PBS. Recent productions: Any Problem is No Problem (DC/DOX '25) and The Kids Are Not Alright ('24 Dances With Films Festival). Robyn previously produced Make A Splash (2022 Tribeca Festival), which aired nationally on ESPN. Robyn served as Associate Producer on the BAFTA nominated film, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. She is a proud member of Actual Films, founded by Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk

Darcy McKinnon

Darcy McKinnon is a documentary filmmaker based in New Orleans, whose work focuses on the American South and the Caribbean. Recently released projects include Suzannah Herbert’s Natchez, (Tribeca, 2025), A King Like Me and Roleplay, (SXSW, 2024), Commuted (PBS, 2024), Algiers, America (Hulu, 2023), Under G-d (Sundance 2023), Look at Me! XXXTENTACION (SXSW, Hulu, 2022) and The Neutral Ground (Tribeca, POV, 2021). Her work has been on World Channel, AfroPop, POV, Reel South, LPB and Hulu, and has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, CPH:DOX and more. She is the recipient of American Documentary’s 2023 inaugural Creative Visionary Award.

Sarah Rachael Wainio

Moderator

Sarah Rachael Wainio is a distinguished film and television producer who has produced more than 15 seasons of television for leading networks including Netflix, MTV, and more. Sarah came to documentary first as a participant in “The Flight That Fought Back” and “9/11: Four Flights” after her sister was murdered on United Flight 93. Because of her life experience, she brings a sensibility and care to her practice that she continues to cultivate through her work as the co-chair of the DPA’s Ethics Subcommittee. Sarah’s filmography includes contributions to 32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide and Busy Inside. In 2023, she was honored as one of DOC NYC's Documentary New Leaders, recognizing individuals working towards a more inclusive documentary industry.

Alexandra Garcia

Alexandra Garcia leads Op-Docs, The New York Times's Oscar-winning series of short documentaries. 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 work at The Times has earned three Emmy awards, over a dozen Emmy nominations and has 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.

Arno Mokros

Arno Mokros is co-founder and co-director of UFO (Untitled Filmmaker Org), a nonprofit that gives time, space, and money to filmmakers at under-resourced career stages. Based in Brooklyn, UFO's programs include an 18-month Short Film Lab for early-career directors hosted at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), feature filmmaker residencies in The Catskills, and other partnership-driven initiatives to cultivate a more robust filmmaker support ecosystem. He also coordinates NewFest's New Voices Filmmaker Grant for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and regularly serves on selection committees for grants and artist opportunities. He also works as an independent producer, primarily of queer and trans stories.

Ina Pira

Ina Pira is the Head of Curation at Vimeo, where she spearheads the acclaimed Staff Picks program, showcasing exceptional short films. She also leads Vimeo's film community initiatives including the Vimeo Short Film Grant, the Live Director’s Commentary series, and the annual Best of the Year awards. Her work has garnered three Webby Awards. Previously, Ina served as Senior Programmer for the Hamptons International Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, and Sarasota Film Festival. An active voice in the industry, she advises emerging filmmakers and has participated in panels, juries, and workshops at events including Sundance, SXSW, and Berlinale.

Janet Grillo

Moderator

Janet Grillo is an Emmy Award-winning producer of the HBO documentary Autism: The Musical, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival. She is an award-winning filmmaker, former Studio Executive at New Line Cinema and full time Arts Professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Film & TV program.

Gabriela Cavanagh

Gabriela Cavanagh is an award-winning director, producer, editor and DP with a focus on documentaries blending performance and vérité. Rebbeca, her feature directorial debut featuring global pop superstar Becky G, is premiering at Tribeca 2025. The film was produced by Live Nation and directed alongside Jennifer Tiexiera. Other credits include producing the Emmy-nominated season of “Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi,” directing award-winning short documentary “Sustained Outrage,” editing feature documentary “Wicket,” directing short performance-doc film “OtroLado”; and producing performance-doc series “NightGowns with Sasha Velour.” The latter was called “among the most life-affirming shows you could find on any platform” by the New York Times.

Jennifer Tiexiera

Jennifer Tiexiera is an award-winning filmmaker and one of the co-founders of Lady & Bird, a female led documentary production company focused on telling stories from underrepresented voices. She most recently completed SPEAK., an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and Rebbeca, premiering at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. Previously, she directed the Emmy-nominated series, Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo. Her feature length documentary, Subject premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival. In 2017, she both produced and edited Waiting for Hassana, official selection of the Sundance, SXSW, and Toronto Film Festivals.

Eugene Yi

Eugene Yi is a filmmaker whose work includes The Rose: Come Back to Me, an intimate documentary chronicling the remarkable journey of The Rose—from their humble beginnings as a South Korean indie band to their emergence as a global sensation. Through heartfelt moments and honest reflection, the documentary captures how each member fell in love with music, as well as the challenges of navigating the K-pop system. The film premiered at the 2025 TriBeCa Festival. Eugene's past work has been honored with numerous awards, including a News & Documentary Emmy. He works out of Palisades Park, NJ, and Los Angeles.

Ryan Kroft

Moderator

Ryan Kroft is a seasoned media executive with over two decades of experience in entertainment, currently serving as Head of Film & TV at Live Nation Productions. As part of Live Nation Entertainment, the industry leader in live music experiences, the division extends that influence beyond the stage with Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy-nominated projects. Recent releases include “Billy Idol Should Be Dead," Becky G’s "Rebbeca," Ty Dolla $ign’s "Still Free TC," and the scripted feature "K-Pops" from Anderson .Paak. Past projects include "A Star is Born," "Love, Lizzo," "Gaga: Five Foot Two," "Moonage Daydream (David Bowie)," and more. Previously, Ryan spent 20 years at Viacom, holding senior roles at MTV, VH1, Logo, and MTV News. As Senior Vice President of Specials & Events, he produced marquee live events and a slate of music and news specials. His work earned him an Emmy Award for executive producing The T Word, an acclaimed documentary on transgender youth.

Cecilia Aldarondo

Cecilia Aldarondo is a director-producer from the Puerto Rican diaspora who works at the intersection of poetics and politics. Her films Memories of a Penitent Heart (2016) and Landfall (2020) premiered at the Tribeca Festival and were co-produced by POV. Her third feature You Were My First Boyfriend World Premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and is now streaming on HBO. Aldarondo is a Guggenheim Fellow, a three-time MacDowell Fellow, and winner of the IDA Emerging Filmmaker Award. She’s previously been named to DOC NYC's 40 Under 40 list and is a former 25 New Faces of Independent Film.

Erika Dilday

Erika Dilday, producer, journalist and media executive, is the Executive Director of American Documentary and the Executive Producer of its award-winning documentary series POV on PBS and America ReFramed on WORLD. Previously, she was the CEO of Futuro Media Group, a multimedia organization that gives a voice to the diversity of the American experience through content for and about BIPOC. Previously, she was Executive Director of Maysles Documentary Center, overseeing community cinema, filmmaking programs and produced the acclaimed documentary, In Transit. Erika also held strategic planning and financial management roles at The New York Times, National Geographic Television and CBS.

Jon-Sesrie Goff

Jon-Sesrie Goff is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, curator, and arts advocate committed to transforming culture by amplifying truth, legacy, and justice through art and collective vision. He serves as a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation’s JustFilms initiative, supporting global storytelling in documentary film, new media, and visual arts.

Jess Kwan

Jess Kwan is the NY-based SVP of the Concordia Fellowship, an artist development program at Concordia Studio. Along with driving strategy and designing programming including labs and retreats, she manages industry relations and advises Fellows on creative, financing, and distribution for their films. She was previously COO at Fork Films, where she led business development and oversaw company operations and finance. Prior to Fork Films, Jess spent five years at Archer Gray, building and managing their documentary financing arm. She started her career in the London and New York offices of Focus Features working across scripted development and acquisitions.

Keri Putnam

Keri Putnam is a producer, board member, and advisor to clients in philanthropy, media, start-ups, and the nonprofit sectors. Putnam is former CEO of Sundance Institute and held senior leadership positions at HBO and Miramax. Putnam is currently a Director at AMC Entertainment, Board Chair at the public interest tech nonprofit New_ Public, co-founder of the nonprofit Future Film Coalition, Board Member at PICTURESTART, Advisory Board Member at TOPIC, and Board Member at Doc Society. As the 2023-24 Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, she researched the challenges facing independent film in the U.S.

Angela Lynn Tucker

Angela Lynn Tucker is an Emmy® and Webby Award–winning filmmaker & artist who’s dedicated to telling stories that spotlight underrepresented communities in bold ways. Recent work includes Belly of the Beast (dir. Erika Cohn), a New York Times Critics’ Pick; The Trees Remember, a Webby-winning series in collaboration with REI Co-Op Studios; and A New Orleans Noel (Lifetime). Angela’s directorial work includes All Skinfolk, Ain’t Kinfolk (PBS); the groundbreaking web series Black Folk Don’t; All Styles (Showtime); and A(sexual) (Netflix, Hulu). Her latest film, The Inquisitor (PBS)—a portrait of political icon Barbara Jordan—will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.

Soledad O’Brien

Moderator

Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories. She anchors and produces "Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien," a national Hearst political magazine program, and in 2023, she was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. O’Brien’s work has been recognized over the years with ten Emmy awards, three George Foster Peabody Awards, and an Alfred I. DuPont Award. SO’B Productions has two projects debuting in 2025, the Netflix documentary film “The Perfect Neighbor,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and the HBO documentary short, “The Devil is Busy.”

Dan Krauss

A two-time Academy Award-nominated director, Dan Krauss premiered his A24 scripted debut The Kill Team at Tribeca in 2019. Starring Alexander Skarsgård and Nat Wolff, the film was adapted from his same-titled documentary which won the Grand Jury prize at Tribeca five years prior. Also in 2019, Krauss’ documentary 5B premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters nationwide. His Academy Award nominated Extremis premiered at Telluride in 2017 and was Netflix's first ever short documentary. Krauss’ first nomination was for “The Death of Kevin Carter,”, which won Best Short Documentary at Tribeca in 2005.

Alec Baldwin

Moderator

Since 1980, Alec Baldwin has appeared in numerous productions on stage, in films and on television. He received a Tony nomination (A Streetcar Named Desire, 1992) an Oscar nomination (The Cooler, 2004) and won three Emmy awards, three Golden Globes and seven consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on “30 Rock,” making him the actor with the most SAG Awards of all time. His films include The Hunt for Red October; Glengarry Glen Ross; Malice; It’s Complicated; Blue Jasmine; Still Alice; among many others. Baldwin has served on numerous boards related to the arts, the environment and public policy including the Hamptons International Film Festival, Bay Street Theater, The Actors Studio, and the Roundabout Theatre. He currently serves on the board of People For the American Way and the New York Philharmonic. He has authored three books: A Promise to Ourselves, his memoir entitled Nevertheless and, with Kurt Andersen, the Donald Trump parody You Can’t Spell America Without Me. He is the host of a podcast, Here’s the Thing, for iHeartRadio.

Baldwin is married to author and wellness expert Hilaria Thomas Baldwin. They have seven children: Carmen, Rafael, Leonardo, Romeo, Eduardo, Lucia, and Ilaria, as well as his eldest, Ireland Baldwin. Hilaria and Alec oversee The Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation, which focuses on funding the arts.

Kelsey Koenig

Kelsey Koenig has worked in independent documentary for over a decade, and is currently the VP of Production at Impact Partners, a New York-based fund dedicated to supporting powerful documentary films that address pressing social issues. Since joining Impact Partners in 2012, she has been involved with the financing and development of over 100 projects (recent titles include: Sugarcane, Union, The Grab, and Another Body), and has spoken on panels about funding, distribution and impact at workshops and other industry events around the world. In 2023, she was named a Documentary New Leader by DOC NYC.

Kiyoko McCrae

Kiyoko McCrae is Program Director at Chicken & Egg Films where she leads its programs and strategic partnerships. Recently, she executive produced “Hold Me Close” (Sundance), “Tessitura” (Big Sky) and “The People Could Fly” (Blackstar) in partnership with POV Shorts. Previously, she was Director of Documentary Programming and Filmmaker Labs at the New Orleans Film Society. She has served on pitch panels for IDFA, CPH:DOX, Camden, Big Sky, Athena, festival juries for Atlanta, Nashville and has reviewed for Sheffield MeetMarket, NEA, ITVS, BAVC Media. She is a 2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader and a proud member of A-Doc and BGDM.

Dominic Davis

Dominic Davis returned to the Sundance Institute in 2022 as Manager of the Documentary Fund. In 2011, Dominic worked in the Artist Relations Office of the Sundance Film Festival. He went on to program for the American Museum of Natural History, Tribeca Film Festival and Rooftop Films. He has reviewed applications for Catapult Film Fund and Creative Capital and managed the Rooftop Films Filmmakers Fund. Dominic was born in Germany and grew up on military bases but adopted Kentucky and Florida as his home states. He has a degree in mass media studies and political science from the University of Kentucky. When not watching movies, he goes for very long runs.

Elise McCave

Moderator

Elise is the Executive Director of the Points North Institute. She has 15 years of leadership and field-building at the intersection of independent film and social impact. Previously, she was at the global fundraising platform, Kickstarter, where she served as the Head of Film, leading strategy for the company’s largest category. Prior to that, she was Deputy Director of Doc Society, where she was a member of one of the UK’s most innovative social impact funders. Over eight years she worked on pioneering models for community engagement through documentary film, notably via the international Good Pitch program and the free-to-access Impact Field Guide & Toolkit. Elise is from Cambridge in the UK, and has a BSc in Anthropology from the University of London. She’s lived in the US since 2015, and divides her time between New York and Midcoast Maine.

Bryna Dabby Smith

Bryna Dabby Smith is a Co-Founder and CEO at Brass Lion Entertainment, an interactive entertainment studio focused on creating original fictional universes that center on Black, Brown and other traditionally marginalized characters, cultures and stories. They are currently working on an unannounced AAA Action-RPG title with an anime aesthetic for consoles and PC. Their fully remote team has 53 team members across both the US and Canada. With a deep background in video game production, she has worked on major video game titles over the past 25 years, including The Bourne Conspiracy, Def Jam Vendetta and Sleeping Dogs.

Rashad Redic

Rashad Redic is a Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Brass Lion Entertainment, an interactive entertainment studio creating authentic, impactful experiences that tell the stories of Black, Brown and other traditionally marginalized communities. They are currently working on an unannounced AAA Action-RPG title with an anime aesthetic for consoles and PC. Prior to BLE, Rashad was the Creative Director on the indie title Living Dark. Prior to that, he brought his artistic skills to bear on titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3 at Bethesda Game Studios. Hailing originally from Oakland CA, Rashad brings a west coast aesthetic and vibe to his work.

Nick Herman

Nick Herman began his career as an intern at Telltale Games and, over the next decade, took on key creative roles that led to a Creative Director position. During his time there, he helped shape the studio’s signature approach to interactive storytelling, directing on some of its most beloved titles, including The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Tales from the Borderlands. In 2018, he co-founded AdHoc Studio to continue pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling.

Pierre Shorette

Pierre Shorette is a writer and narrative director focused on telling interactive stories. Before co-founding AdHoc Studio in 2018, he spent several years at Telltale Games in the role of Director of Writing, where he helped define the voice and tone of acclaimed titles like The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands. His work is known for blending emotional depth with genre storytelling, often bringing unexpected humor and heart to tense, character-driven scenes.

Dmitri M. Johnson

Dmitri M. Johnson is an accomplished film and television producer, celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions to the adaptation of video game properties. As the Co-Founder of Story Kitchen, Johnson has been a driving force in transforming non-traditional intellectual properties into captivating film and television projects. Among his career highlights is the production of the global blockbuster Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), along with its sequels in 2022 and 2024. The franchise has grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, with the third installment achieving a remarkable 98% Audience Score.

Simon Pulman

Simon Pulman is a partner and co-chair of Pryor Cashman’s Media + Entertainment and Film, TV + Podcast Groups; he is also co-chair of the M+E Transactions and Financing Practice. Simon’s practice focuses on entertainment and media law, with significant experience in company-side business affairs and sophisticated rights transactions for television, film, podcasting, and interactive clients. As outside business affairs counsel for studios, networks, production companies, and rightsholders, he helps clients negotiate complex development, production, financing, and licensing deals.

Madeleine Schumacher

Madeleine Schumacher serves as the Head of Content at Giant Pictures, where she oversees acquisitions and content management of over 50 films and documentaries per year across three distribution labels: Giant Pictures, Drafthouse Films and Tribeca Films. Madeleine has also produced dozens of independent short and feature films, including the Shudder Original The Last Thing Mary Saw, starring Stefanie Scott and Isabelle Fuhrman which launched on the platform in 2022. Madeleine routinely participates as a guest speaker at Brooklyn College and her alma mater NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she leads discussions on today’s evolving distribution landscape.

Jason Tyrrell

Jason Tyrrell is Executive Vice President, Content at OverDrive, leading acquisitions and distribution of eBooks, audiobooks, film and series for libraries and schools worldwide. He joined OverDrive as General Manager of Kanopy, the video streaming service acquired in 2021. At Kanopy, he expanded content offerings and partnerships, growing the library to over 30,000 titles. With 17+ years in the global entertainment industry, Jason has held leadership roles in business development, content licensing, and go-to-market strategy across distributors, content aggregators, and streaming platforms.

Amma Okwara

Amma Okwara is the General Manager & Co-founder at Jolt.film. Jolt is an innovative platform that connects bold, unique films with the audiences that will truly appreciate them. Her team powers Jolt’s audience discovery algorithm, develops seamless product experiences, and ensures every film rolls out with its optimized strategy. Before Jolt, Amma launched the first virtual Sundance Film Festival and played a key role launching Disney+ globally and scaling Hulu.

Alece Oxendine

Moderator

Alece Oxendine is committed to creating a better ecosystem in the film industry through film festival, marketing, and distribution strategy, while inspiring the next generation of media makers through mentorship and consultation. She has supported hundreds of filmmakers in the areas of marketing and distribution at Film at Lincoln Center, Rooftop Films, Fandor, Good Deed Entertainment, and Columbia University's film school. Currently, Alece is the Executive Director of Film Durham, a new film society in her hometown in North Carolina. Alece is an alumna of Columbia University and a proud HBCU graduate from Winston-Salem State University. She enjoys writing in her free time and is learning to speak French.

Mara Brock Akil

Mara Brock Akil is a prolific writer and producer, credited with over 400 episodes of television, including the groundbreaking series Girlfriends, a cultural touchstone that redefined representation and resonated across generations. She also developed the successful spin-off The Game and the acclaimed drama Being Mary Jane, both of which solidified her reputation for telling authentic stories that resonate with diverse audiences. In addition to her numerous awards, including the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, she founded the Writers’ Colony in 2021 to support emerging Black screenwriters and launched her digital magazine, InTheLandOfMara. As a catalyst for profound emotional connection in her narratives, Mara is dedicated to intertwining her life experiences with the art of storytelling, particularly in exploring the depths of human trauma.

Aramide Tinubu

Moderator

Aramide Tinubu is a TV Critic at Variety, where she writes reviews, columns, and features for the magazine. As a journalist, her work has been published in ESSENCE, Bustle, Shadow and Act, IndieWire, and The Hollywood Reporter. She wrote her master’s thesis on Black Girlhood, Adultification and Parental Loss in Contemporary Black American Cinema.

Gabriel Mayers

Gabriel Mayers is a producer and firm believer in sharing local narratives with global audiences. She works with emerging and established filmmakers to usher original and unique stories to production. Gabriel feels by producing narratives while keeping local audiences in mind, stories can be amplified to greater communities. Her features, A Different Man and Mad Bills to Pay, premiered at the 2024 and 2025 Sundance Film Festival, respectival, and screened at Berlinale, New Directors/New Films, and the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. A Different Man won the 2024 Gotham Award for Best Feature.

Paula González-Nasser

Paula González-Nasser (she/her) is a Colombian director/producer based in Brooklyn. She is the co-founder of 5th Floor a production collective through which she has produced short and feature films like “Weapons and Their Names” (Sundance ’23) and Free Time, which was nominated for 3 Indie Awards. Paula also worked as a location scout for many years on projects such as “High Maintenance,” “Search Party,” Never Rarely Sometimes Always and “Broad City.” She is a two-time Gotham Film Week participant and a 2023 Sundance Producer's Intensive Fellow. Her directorial debut feature, The Scout, is world premiering at Tribeca Festival.

Shannan Ferry

Moderator

Shannan Ferry is an Emmy Award-winning anchor. She first joined NY1 as an intern in 2012 and returned in 2014. Shannan now anchors "News All Day" on weekdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. She previously co-anchored the weekend morning program "Weekends On 1," and has appeared regularly on other shows including the weekday morning broadcast "Mornings On 1." Shannan reported on the front lines of the pandemic and was one of the main correspondents covering massive demonstrations after the death of George Floyd. She has also covered high-profile events such as New Year's Eve in Times Square. Shannan graduated from Hofstra University. During her time at Hofstra, she covered national events, including the 2012 presidential debate.

Jeremy O. Harris

Jeremy O. Harris is the playwright and producer of Slave Play, which is the most Tony-nominated play ever. He is a Tony-nominated producer for The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window and Ain’t No Mo’. His play Daddy premiered Off-Broadway with Alan Cumming. Jeremy co-wrote A24’s Zola and won a Cinema Eye Honor for his documentary feature debut Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play. He's been a guest star on Emily in Paris and can be seen in The Sweet East. His production company bb² is producing The Wives for Apple and Prince F***** for Soho Rep and Playwrights Horizons.

Eliza Hittman

Moderator

Eliza Hittman is an award-winning filmmaker, born/based in Brooklyn, NY. Her latest film, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS, was released by Focus Features in 2020 after premiering at the Berlin Film Festival, winning the Silver Bear Grand Jury Award. The film’s US premiere was at Sundance and won a special jury prize. The film also won the National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Screenplay. Eliza’s second feature, BEACH RATS, was released by NEON in 2017. Hittman was awarded the Directing Award at Sundance that year. Her debut feature IT FELT LIKE LOVE premiered at Sundance in 2013 in NEXT and was a NYT Critic's Pick. Most recently, Eliza directed and executive produced the pilot and episode 103 of Peacock’s original limited series, A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, which premiered on October 6th, 2022. In January 2023, Eliza participated as a member of the jury for US Dramatic Competition for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. In February 2024, she participated as a member of the jury for the 74th Annual Berlinale Film Festival.

Saidah Russell

Saidah Russell is the head of programming at Rooftop Films, lead programmer at the Maine International Film Festival, and a member of the Short Film Programming team at Sundance Film Festival. She has experience working in both programming and operations at a number of prominent film festivals, including Tribeca, the Hamptons International Film Festival, and Indie Memphis. She's also sat on review committees for artist support programs and screenwriting labs, including AT&T Presents: Untold stories, Athena Film Festival’s Writers Lab, Creative Capital, Black Public Media’s Open Call, and the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab.

Urszula Śniegowska

Urszula Śniegowska is the Head of the annual American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland (16th edition will be held from November 6 till 11), and U.S in Progress program, matchmaking US and Polish projects; programming advisor to the New Horizons IFF. Formerly curator of film and art at the Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw. Juror at multiple US and European festivals (Cannes La Quinzaine Section, Berlinale Panorama and Forum, Sarajevo, Cluj, Krakow), Cleveland, and Denver.Member of the European Film Academy and recipient of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Lithuania.

Caryn Coleman

Caryn Coleman is a film programmer and the founder of The Future of Film is Female, a non-profit that amplifies the work of all women and non-binary filmmakers. She was the co-curator of Horror: Messaging the Monstrous (2022) at MoMA where she also guest-curates the ongoing The FOFIF series, now in its fifth season. Previously, Caryn was the Director of Programming at Nitehawk Cinema where she founded the Nitehawk Shorts Festival in 2013. She is a fighter for gender equality in the film industry, a lover of horror films, a short film advocate, and an independent film supporter.

Sarah Mather

Sarah Mather is a New York-based production executive at Pinky Promise, where she manages films from all phases of production to delivery. She served as an Associate Producer on The Starling Girl, directed by Laurel Parmet, which premiered in dramatic competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and I Don’t Understand You, written and directed by Brian Crano and David Craig, which premiered at SXSW in 2024. She also worked on Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut.

Shayna Weingast

Shayna Weingast is the Content Acquisitions Manager at Giant Pictures, where she spearheads acquisitions for the company’s three distribution labels: Giant Pictures, Drafthouse Films, and Tribeca Films. Prior to joining Giant Pictures, Shayna was part of the acquisitions team at Starz, where she worked to build a diverse and dynamic library of films and television for their linear network and streaming platform. Her journey in the industry began at the Tribeca Film Festival, where she served as an Associate Programmer and Panels & Events Producer, helping to shape the festival’s feature film slate and curating topical industry conversations.

Monica Castillo

Monica Castillo is a critic and senior film programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Her work has appeared in NPR, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Colorado Public Radio, KCRW, RogerEbert.com, The Wrap, Remezcla, Elle Magazine, Mashable, and Vulture among others. She is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, Critics Choice Association, and National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Barry Alexander Brown

Spike Lee and Barry Alexander Brown have had a working relationship that goes back to the early eighties. Barry worked on Spike’s first feature, She’s Gotta Have It, as the editor of a single scene as well as sound editing the movie. He was the editor of Spike’s next film, School Daze and then the following, Do The Right Thing. He was the editor and the 2nd Unit Director on Malcom X. Barry has been Spike’s editor on Crooklyn, He Got Game, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour, Inside Man, Bad 25, Miracle at St. Anna, Blackkklansman and now, Highest 2 Lowest. Barry has also worked with renowned Indian director, Mira Nair. For Mira, he edited Salaam Bombay, The Laughing Club of India and Queen of Katwe. As a director, he was nominated for his first documentary, The War At Home. In 2020, he wrote and directed Son of the South. As a writer, his first novel, Wind, has just been released in France to critical acclaim. It will be published this summer in America.