AFM Sessions Day 4

The AFM Sessions on Day 4 brought together executives, thought leaders, and producers/writers from ABC/Disney, Arclight Films, Black-ish, Bridgerton, Deadline, Fortitude International, Imagine Entertainment, Participant, The Springhill Company, and more at the Hilton Santa Monica Hotel to discuss sustainability, inclusivity, sales, television, the horror genre, and more.

Photo credit: Dan Steinberg

Getting Your Film Made, Seen & Profitable in The Streaming Era, Pacific Stage (9:30am-11:00am)

Panelists:

Juliet Berman, Producer, Spiral Stairs Entertainment

Paul Scanlan, Co-Founder & CEO, Legion M

Sophia Dilley, SVP, Concord Originals

Moderator:

Brian Beckmann, CFO/COO, Arclight Films

Green Filmmaking: Tools for More Sustainable Production at Every Budget, Malibu Stage (10:00am-11:30am), Green Production Guide and Hollywood Climate Summit

              Panelists:

Allison Begalman, CEO, YEA! Impact

Heidi Kindberg, Vice President, Sustainability at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)

Samata Pattinson, CEO, Black Pearl

Stephanie Dawson, Producer

Steve Vitolo, Founder and CEO, Scriptation

Moderator:

Jill Goldsmith, Co-Business Editor, Deadline

Evolving Roles & Relationships: Sales Agents and Producers, Pacific Stage (11:30am - 1:00pm)

Panelists:

Nadine de Barros, Co-Founder, Fortitude International

Christine Haebler, Producer, Screen Siren Pictures

Mark Padilla, President of Worldwide Sales & Acquisitions, Jack Rabbit Media LLC

Moderator:

Clay Epstein, President, Film Mode Entertainment

Developing, Pitching & Making Television, Malibu Stage (12:00pm - 1:30pm), Stage 32

Panelists:

Richard Botto, CEO, Stage 32, writer & producer

Kate Gill, SVP of Development for Paramount Television Studios

Leila Cohan, Emmy Award-nominated writer & producer (Bridgerton)

Vijal Patel, Emmy Award-nominated writer & producer (Black-ish)

Moderator:

Nathan Varni, Executive Director of Current Programming ABC/Disney

Modern Horror: The Genre and What Scares Us Evolve, Pacific Stage (2:30pm - 4:00pm)

Panelists:

Cecilia Brush, Sales Manager, Raven Banner Entertainment

Steven C. Miller, Writer/Director & CEO, Through The Heart

Bishal Dutta, Writer/Director/Producer, Independent

Paul Neinstein, Co-CEO, Project X Entertainment

Moderator:

Patrick Ewald, CEO, Epic Pictures

ReFraming Gender-Inclusive Hiring: How Producers are Shifting the Narrative, Malibu Stage (3:00pm - 4:30pm), ReFrame

Panelists:

Alexander Stegmaier, Producer/Manager, previously at Walt Disney Animation Studios

Andrew Hevia, Head of TV & Film in North America, Fabula

April Shih, Writer/Producer, Diversity Hire Ltd.

Ebony Elaine Hardin, Producer, Pretty Little Liars (ABC), Sense8 (Netflix)

Moderator:

Andria Wilson Mirza, Director, ReFrame

Changing Minds & Bettering Lives Through Storytelling, Pacific Stage (4:30-6:00pm)

Panelists:

Jamal Henderson, Chief Content Officer, The Springhill Company

Anikah McLaren, EVP of Narrative Film, Participant

Karen Lunder, President of Features, Imagine Entertainment

Moderator:

Robert Rippberger, Founder & Co-Executive Director, SIE Society / SIE Films