Funding/Artist Support Mentor Session: Randi Kleiner (SeriesFest)

Randi Kleiner

CEO & Co-Founder

Randi Kleiner is the co-Founder and CEO of SeriesFest, a non-profit entertainment organization dedicated to championing artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling. With year-round educational programs, initiatives supporting underserved voices, and professional development opportunities, SeriesFest inspires, educates, and connects a worldwide community of creators. SeriesFest culminates in a highly-curated and celebrated Denver-based festival and marketplace. Dedicated to showcasing innovative episodic content from around the world, the festival features network premieres, panels, special events, and bold new independent pilots. For more information visit www.seriesfest.com.

Liberty

Agents & Managers Mentor Session: Olivia Mascheroni (Verve Talent & Literary Agency)

Legal Mentor Session: Fabio de Sa Cesnik (CQS FV Law Firm)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: RJ Millard (Obscured Pictures)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Traci Hanlon (Cinergy Entertainment)

Programming Mentor Session: CC Hutten (TED Conferences)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Funding/Artist Support, Programming.

FUNDING/ARTIST SUPPORT MENTOR SESSION: RANDI KLEINER (SERIESFEST)


Mentor Session: Keith Weisberg (3C Ventures)

Keith Weisberg

Partner

Keith Weisberg is a Partner at 3C Ventures, where he leads the firm’s Product and Technology practice. 3C Ventures accelerates clients' growth through consulting, convening, and co-investing—helping leaders in media, marketing, and technology achieve transformative results through actionable execution and strategic investment. Before joining 3C Ventures, Keith founded his own advisory practice following his tenure as a Product Manager at Apple, where he built privacy-first advertising products. An accredited angel investor, he advises entrepreneurs, small businesses, and NGOs on developing data-driven growth strategies. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Amazon Advertising and spent nearly a decade at Google across Search, YouTube, and DoubleClick. A graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, Keith is passionate about leveraging technology and marketing to create positive change. Outside of work, he’s balancing alpine skiing, kiteboarding, and other health-focused activities.

Room 400-402

Mentor Session: Ali Tager (National Cryptocurrency Association)

Mentor Session: Aniesia Williams (dreambloc)

Mentor Session: Avantika Bagri (Centana Growth Partners)

Mentor Session: Brittan Heller (Stanford Law School)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Marketing/Advertising/PR, Product Management/Development.

MENTOR SESSION: KEITH WEISBERG (3C VENTURES)

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


Winning at Work: Why it Pays to be a Status Seeker

Alison Fragale

Professor, Organizational Psychologist, And Author Of Likeable Badass: How Women Get The Success They Deserve

Alison Fragale is an organizational psychologist, professor at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, and bestselling author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve. Her academic research on status, power, negotiation, and influence have been published in her field’s top academic journals as well as national media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. She is a sought-after keynote speaker who uses behavioral science to help individuals, especially women, excel. Prior to her academic career, Alison worked as a consultant for McKinsey and Company, Inc.

She holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Alison resides in Chicago with her husband and her three children, who are all named after professional athletes. She also loves, in no particular order: cheap coffee, not-so-cheap wine, fabulous shoes, sushi, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Peloton workouts, Hallmark movies, and The Golden Girls.

Salon B

Innovating in Science & Tech When Budgets are Tight

How To Meaningfully Connect in a World That Has Gone to Sh*t

It's a Whole Thing: Gen Z Work Relationships in the Age of AI

Better Leadership Starts with Understanding the Stressed Brain

Status - one of the biggest determinants of our quality of life and career success - is poorly understood and rarely discussed. Professor Alison Fragale, organizational psychologist and bestselling author of Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve, sheds light on the science of status and its relationship to power in the workplace: what it is, why it matters, and how we leverage it for individual and collective success.

WINNING AT WORK: WHY IT PAYS TO BE A STATUS SEEKER

Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati


Mentor Session: Marni Wandner (Future Present)

Marni Wandner

Founder

Marni Wandner is a performance coach, board-certified wellness coach, and creative strategist. She brings 25 years of experience in the music and entertainment industry to her work helping passion-driven professionals build sustainable careers and businesses. Drawing on her background as an artist manager and marketing executive, Marni brings a unique expertise to her coaching and consulting, having worked closely with hundreds of artists and brands to develop innovative campaigns for long-term growth and visibility. In 2006, Marni founded the marketing agency Sneak Attack Media, which was acquired by The Syndicate in 2018. As the founder of consultancy Future Present, Marni focuses on the intersection between creative work and whole-human well-being, combining practical strategy with certifications in behavioral neuroscience, integrative health and the Five Archetypes framework to help clients break through patterns that keep them stuck.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Mentor Session: Lauren Apolito (The Harry Fox Agency/Rumblefish )

Mentor Session: Max Christensen (Crunchy Frog/Crunchy Tunes)

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Marketing/PR, Health & Wellness, Women in Music.

MENTOR SESSION: MARNI WANDNER (FUTURE PRESENT)


Mentor Session: Shannon Jones (Verb)

Shannon Jones

Co-founder

Shannon Simpson Jones is co-founder of Verb, an award-winning brand experience agency that is redefining how consumers experience and interact with brands. At Verb, Shannon leads a diverse bi-coastal team, working with clients including Airbnb, Cook Unity and Amazon to produce headline-grabbing work. Shannon co-founded Verb nearly 7 years ago, and she has been on some of the industry’s largest stages including SXSW, Fast Co Innovation Festival and CultureCon. Additionally, Shannon was named to the Ad Age 40 Under 40, She Runs It: Working Mother of the Year 2023, Adweek Creative 100, and Inc. Female Founders 250 alongside co-founder Yadira Harrison. Verb was also named Ad Age Experiential Agency of the Year in 2024.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Marketing/Advertising/PR, Entrepreneurship.


Mentor Session: Brandon Biggs (XR Navigation)

Brandon Biggs

CEO

Brandon Biggs is the CEO of XR Navigation, an Engineer at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, Co-Founder at Sonja Biggs Educational Services Inc., and a PhD student at the Georgia institute of Technology. In 2016, he received his bachelors in music from California State University East Bay, in 2019 he received his masters in Inclusive Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design University, and in 2021, began his PhD in Human Centered Computing from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His projects and ventures center around building tools to solve some of the most difficult problems in the blindness field. He leverages his lived experience coupled with human centered inclusive design principles to create solutions that create lasting and sustainable impact.

Room 400-402

Mentor Session: Ali Tager (National Cryptocurrency Association)

Mentor Session: Aniesia Williams (dreambloc)

Mentor Session: Avantika Bagri (Centana Growth Partners)

Mentor Session: Brittan Heller (Stanford Law School)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Accessibility, XR, Entrepreneurship.

MENTOR SESSION: BRANDON BIGGS (XR NAVIGATION)


Mentor Session: Damaryan Benton (The PR Habitat)

Damaryan Benton

Founder

Damaryan Benton is a powerhouse in public relations and community building. As the founder of The PR Habitat, he has built a growing digital-first community that empowers Gen Z PR and communications professionals to reshape the industry. In 2025, he was named to PRWeek’s Pride in PR list as part of its first-ever Gen Z class. Damaryan’s transparency about his early career experiences has helped him foster a community of over 30,000 followers, cementing his place as one of the leading young voices advancing the future of PR.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Marketing/Advertising/PR, Future of Work, Storytelling.

MENTOR SESSION: DAMARYAN BENTON (THE PR HABITAT)


Mentor Session: Scott Fetters (2112/Center for Creative Entrepreneurship)

Scott Fetters

Founder/Director

Scott Fetters is a Chicago-based entrepreneur, investor, and community builder best known as the founder of 2112, a pioneering innovation hub for music, media, and creative technology companies. With a career spanning music, startups, and venture development, Fetters has focused on helping artists and founders turn creative ideas into sustainable businesses. Through 2112, he has supported hundreds of startups, fostering collaboration between creatives, technologists, brands, and investors. Fetters is recognized for bridging the gap between art and entrepreneurship, advocating for new models that empower creators in a rapidly evolving digital economy. His work has helped position Chicago as a leading center for creative innovation and next-generation media.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Business Development, Entrepreneurship.

MENTOR SESSION: SCOTT FETTERS (2112/CENTER FOR CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP)


Mentor Session: Dan Chuparkoff

Dan Chuparkoff

AI Educator & Innovation Expert - ex-Google Leader

Dan Chuparkoff is a globally recognized keynote speaker, AI educator, and innovation strategist with 30+ years leading transformative teams at Google, McKinsey, Atlassian, and more. Known for translating complex technologies into actionable insights, Dan empowers organizations to thrive in an AI-powered future. His engaging talks blend humor, interactivity, and practical tactics for reinventing work, sparking creativity, and driving sustainable growth. Billions use the software he helped build—now they’re discovering his keynote.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Product Management/Development, Future of Work, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning.


Mentor Session: Joey Mihelich (A to Z Media
Absurd Audio)

Joey Mihelich

Sales Representative/Founder

Joey is a physical media and merchandise expert currently working at A to Z Media as a Sales Representative. He brings deep, hands-on knowledge of the landscape of physical media, vinyl production, and artist merchandise, making him a trusted resource for artists, record labels, management teams, and distribution partners alike. Working alongside some of the largest labels and record pressing plants in the world, A to Z Media sits at the forefront of the global music supply chain, and Joey plays a key role in connecting artists and rights-holders with best-in-class manufacturing, packaging, and fulfillment solutions that bring releases to life at scale.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Merchandise, Music Tech, Sales & Sponsorships.

MENTOR SESSION: JOEY MIHELICH (A TO Z MEDIA
ABSURD AUDIO)


Featured Session: Albuquerque Aftermath: From Breaking Bad to Pluribus with Rhea Seehorn, Vince Gilligan, and Key Creatives

Rhea Seehorn

Actor

Rhea Seehorn currently stars as the lead of the Vince Gilligan and Apple TV series “Pluribus” in which she has received a Critics Choice and Golden Globe award for her performance. “Pluribus” is the most watched show ever on the Apple TV platform and currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Seehorn previously starred as ‘Kim Wexler’ in AMC’s Emmy nominated series “Better Call Saul.”  Seehorn’s portrayal of Kim earned her two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and three Critics' Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Seehorn also earned herself an Emmy nomination for her role in AMC’s Short Form Comedy “Cooper’s Bar,” in which she is also a producer.

Seehorn can be seen in HBO’s series “Veep,” Hulu’s miniseries “The Act,” and the CBS All Access series “The Twilight Zone.” Other television credits include; ABC’s “I’m With Her,” FOX’s “Head Cases,” NBC’s “Whitney,” TNT’s “Franklin & Bash,” “Trust Me,” “Dollhouse,” “Burn Notice,” “The Closer,” “Starter Wife,” and “House of Lies.”

Seehorn’s film credits include Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Linoleum, Inside Man: Most Wanted, I Hate Kids, and The Shaggy Dog and Netflix’s Things Heard and Seen.

Vince Gilligan

Showrunner

Vince Gilligan is the creator of the television drama Breaking Bad and co-creator of its prequel series, Better Call Saul.  The intertwined shows were included as “TV Programs of the Year” ten times by the American Film Institute and garnered four Peabody Awards and sixteen Emmy® Awards.  Both series were filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as was Pluribus, his new science fiction series starring Rhea Seehorn on Apple TV.

Gilligan was born in Richmond, Virginia and raised in Farmville (the real place, not the video game) and Chesterfield County.  He received the Virginia Governor’s Screenwriting Award in 1989 — which he remembers very fondly, as it gave him his start in the business.

As a writer and producer on The X-Files, Gilligan shared Golden Globe® Awards in 1997 and 1998 for Best Drama Series.

He lives in New Mexico with his longtime partner, Holly Rice.

Vince Gilligan Credits - TV:  Pluribus, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen; Features: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Hancock, Wilder Napalm,
Home Fries

Dave Porter

Composer

Dave Porter is a Los Angeles based composer for film and television. He began his classical musical training at the piano at age five, but it was his interest in electronic music as a teen that led him to start composing his own music. He studied both classical and electronic music composition at Sarah Lawrence College under John Yannelli and started his professional career as an assistant in Philip Glass’ recording studio in New York City.

Dave is perhaps best known for his enduring creative relationship with one of Hollywood’s most respected figures – Vince Gilligan. Since the remarkable pilot episode of Breaking Bad in 2007, Dave has written the original music for all of Gilligan’s projects. He scored all 62 episodes of that groundbreaking series and created its iconic opening theme. Actor/ Producer Bryan Cranston stated: “With his music, Dave Porter has created another character for Breaking Bad. Evocative and meaningful, Dave’s work is an essential part of the storytelling.” Since then, Dave has also been behind all of the original music for Breaking Bad’s equally acclaimed spin-off Better Call Saul, helped bring the Breaking Bad universe to the big screen with his original score to Gilligan’s feature film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and has recently completed work on the blockbuster new series Pluribus which premiered at the end of 2025.

2024 saw Dave’s first collaboration with Marvel Studios on the limited series Echo. The first project to be released under the new Marvel Spotlight banner, it was the first Marvel series with a TV-MA rating. “The Marvel team made me feel at home right away and have created a series full of all of the hallmarks that inspire me in a series — real stakes, emotions, consequences, and a world in which all of the characters are always learning and evolving.”

Other credits in recent years include working with James Franco on his masterful film The Disaster Artist and collaborating with documentary visionary RJ Cutler on Murf The Surf, a 4 part series produced by Brian Glazer and Ron Howard. He also worked with creator/showrunner Rebecca Cutter on her groundbreaking Starz series Hightown, as well as AMC’s boundary-defying series Preacher – produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Sam Catlin. Dave also recently wrapped up a decade long run as composer for the James Spader crime thriller series The Blacklist, one of the most successful television dramas of all time spanning more than 200 episodes.

Dave has twice been awarded ASCAP’s Composer’s Choice Award for Best Television Composer — at the inaugural event for the award in 2013, and once again in 2017. He was also bestowed the 2019 Citation Award by his alma mater Sarah Lawrence College for his creative achievements.

Jennifer Bryan

Costume Designer

Katherine Pope

President

Katherine Pope was named President of Sony Pictures Television in August 2022.

Pope oversees the studio’s scripted production business, which currently produces over 30 series across all platforms. Under her leadership, the studio has delivered numerous critically acclaimed hits, including Pluribus, Vince Gilligan’s latest series for Apple TV, which set the record for Apple TV's biggest drama series debut ever and received numerous award nominations, as well as Golden Globe® and Critics Choice® Award wins for Rhea Seehorn; the fourth season of Prime Video’s The Boys from Eric Kripke, with its fifth and final season premiering in April of 2026; HBO’s The Last of Us and Peacock’s Twisted Metal, both based on PlayStation video games and both renewed for a third season; Outlander and its prequel Outlander: Blood of my Blood on Starz; Doc on FOX, starring Emmy® Award-nominated actress Molly Parker; and Netflix’s The Night Agent, returning for its third season in February 2026.

The studio’s robust portfolio also includes new projects for Prime Video such as The Boys spin-off Vought Rising starring Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash, God of War from executive producer Ronald D. Moore, and Spider-Noir, starring Academy Award-winner Nicolas Cage. Other anticipated titles in the upcoming slate include American Hostage on MGM+ starring Jon Hamm; Channel 4’s Up To No Good starring Glenn Close; and Apple TV+’s For All Mankind season five with the spin-off Star City, both premiering this Spring.

Most recently, Pope received Emmy® and Golden Globes® nominations for serving as executive producer on the FX limited series Dying For Sex, starring Michelle Williams and reuniting with writer Liz Meriwether. The duo previously executive produced the Critics’ Choice-winning Hulu limited series The Dropout and also the Emmy®-nominated series New Girl, shortly after Pope launched the television division at Peter Chernin’s Chernin Entertainment.

Prior to joining Sony Pictures Television, Pope was Head of Original Content at Charter Communications, where she created and launched the Spectrum Originals platform. There, she curated, developed and produced their slate of premium series including Beacon 23, George & Tammy, L.A.’s Finest, and Joe Pickett.

Earlier in her career, Pope spent 10 years at NBC/NBC Universal Television Studios where she held several leadership roles including Executive Vice President of the Network and President of the Studio. During her time, Pope developed hit shows like Heroes, Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock, and The Office. Before NBC, she produced documentaries and specials at CBS and ABC News.

Trina Siopy

Executive Producer

Greek-American producer TRINA SIOPY has always been a performer.  Growing up in Williamsport, Siopy trained for many years as a competitive gymnast and dancer before pursuing an acting career in New Mexico, where the film industry was just beginning to heat up.

After joining Breaking Bad as Assistant Propmaster in Season 2, Siopy continued to work with creator Vince Gilligan on El Camino and Better Call Saul.  Her perspective on all aspects of production and her no-job-too-small attitude led to her moving up to the role of Co-Producer in Better Call Saul’s fifth season, and Supervising Producer in its final season.

Once Better Call Saul wrapped, Siopy traveled to the United Kingdom to serve as a Co-Executive Producer on the second season of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of The Dragon, before returning to the Land of Enchantment to oversee production as a Co-Executive Producer on Gilligan’s new science-fiction series for AppleTV+, Pluribus.

Salon 6-8

Featured Session: A Conversation With Spotify's New Co-CEO About The Past, Present And Future Of Delivering Creativity To The World

Featured Session: Shaping Brand Relevance for a New Generation

Featured Session: A Waste of Time with Larry David and Jeff Schaffer

Featured Session: Why Saying Yes to the Unthinkable Works

Featured Session: The Culture Layer of Financial Markets

Welcome to Albuquerque, home of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and now Pluribus!  Creator Vince Gilligan will be joined by Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus' Carol and Better Call Saul's Kim) as well as composer Dave Porter, costume designer Jennifer Bryan, and producer Trina Siopy. The conversation will explore the collaborative process behind some of television's most acclaimed series, Albuquerque’s role as a creative anchor, and the close partnerships that have been cultivated over more than a decade working together. The group will also reflect on the longevity of a franchise that remains a juggernaut in the cultural zeitgeist, as well as the challenges of inventing a new universe in a familiar city.

American Sign Language
Open captioned
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FEATURED SESSION: ALBUQUERQUE AFTERMATH: FROM BREAKING BAD TO PLURIBUS WITH RHEA SEEHORN, VINCE GILLIGAN, AND KEY CREATIVES

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll


Mentor Session: Sarah Nagourney (She Creates Noise Podcast)

Sarah Nagourney

Platinum-Selling Songwriter/Producer and Host of She Creates Noise Podcast

Platinum-selling songwriter and producer Sarah Nagourney is a singular creative voice whose work bridges emotional depth with commercial impact. Known for helping artists shape songs that feel both intimate and timeless, Nagourney has become a trusted collaborator across pop, alternative, and beyond, bringing originality, instinct, and lived experience to every project she touches.
Oxford-educated and fiercely authentic, Nagourney’s songwriting is informed by a life lived well outside the studio. Her path has included singing with jazz legend Chet Baker, appearing in Woody Allen films, working as a private investigator, and living in Andy Warhol’s former Factory. These unconventional experiences fuel a lyrical perspective that is observant, cinematic, and grounded in truth—qualities that consistently set her work apart in a trend-driven industry.

Nagourney has written with a veritable who’s who of the music world, including Steve Booker (Duffy, Nick Jonas), Larzz Principato (Halsey), Liam O’Donnell (The Chainsmokers, Fall Out Boy), Chris Rodriguez (Wynonna Judd), Brian Kierulf (Lady Gaga), Polina Goudieva (Felix Jaehn, Eminem), Steve Diamond (Eric Clapton, Britney Spears), Steve Daly (Pink, JLS), Jasper Leak (Sia), Phil Thornalley (The Cure, Bryan Adams), Southside Johnny, and Chris Difford of Squeeze. Her ability to meet artists where they are—while pushing them creatively—has made her a sought-after collaborator across continents.

In recent years, Nagourney has remained creatively prolific, writing regularly in London, Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York, and collaborating with both established and emerging artists including Emma Rae, Isabella Dussias, Charlie Brennan, Isabella Kensington, and Charlie Mindich. Her work also includes writing with managing and developing young talent, notably Meg Smith—whose breakout releases have amassed tens of millions of streams—and Alec Chambers, reflecting a long-term commitment to artist development alongside commercial success. Her work has amassed tens of millions of streams, with placements across major streaming platforms, television, and high-profile editorial playlists, while also contributing to long-term artist development and award-winning outcomes.

Beyond songwriting, Nagourney is the creator and host of She Creates Noise, a bi-monthly podcast centered on women working across the music industry. Launched in 2025 and now entering Season 2, the podcast offers listeners an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how the music business truly works. Through intimate, one-on-one conversations with women on both sides of the desk—from artists and producers to managers and label executives—Nagourney shifts the narrative away from obstacles and toward excellence, leadership, and impact. Featured guests include Kate Hyman (former VP at BMG, Warner, and Chrysalis), Rachael Yamagata, and other influential voices shaping the industry today. With She Creates Noise, Nagourney continues to amplify stories that deserve to be heard, using her platform to celebrate the women who are actively moving music forward.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Mentor Session: Lauren Apolito (The Harry Fox Agency/Rumblefish )

Mentor Session: Max Christensen (Crunchy Frog/Crunchy Tunes)

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Management, Songwriting, Women in Music.

MENTOR SESSION: SARAH NAGOURNEY (SHE CREATES NOISE PODCAST)


Funding/Artist Support Mentor Session: Emily Best (Seed&Spark)

Emily Best

Founder & Ceo

Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, a platform that makes entertainment more diverse, inclusive, connected and essential. Seed&Spark’s platform and national education program have helped thousands of bold storytellers raise over $80M and counting. 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. She has produced films, VR, shorts and series that have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, Tribeca and more. She produced RATIFIED, a feature documentary about the 100+ year struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment, which premiered on Independent Lens October 20, 2025.

Executive Room

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Jenny Bloom (Bloomerang PR)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Lisa Trifone (Bright Iris Film Co.)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Maddy Bilder (26 Keys Productions)

Programming Mentor Session: Boram Park (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival)

Programming Mentor Session: Haojie Huang (Kaohsiung Film Festival)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Producers/Production, Publicity & Marketing, "Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution".

FUNDING/ARTIST SUPPORT MENTOR SESSION: EMILY BEST (SEED&SPARK)


Ethical & Unethical AI in Music

KXVI

GRAMMY-nominated producer, Entrepreneur, and Content Creator

KXVI is a 3× GRAMMY-nominated producer, entrepreneur, and content creator who’s worked on major projects with DJ Khaled, Future, SZA, 21 Savage, Lil Tjay, Chris Brown, Glorilla, Summer Walker, Key Glock, Tory Lanez, $uicideBoy$, and more. He built a thriving online business, sells top-selling beats and sample packs, and teaches creators how to succeed in music and digital media.

Michael "MJ" Jacob

Chief Technology Officer

MJ is Chief Technology Officer at BeatStars and Co-Founder of Lemonaide AI, a pioneering company focused on ethical AI tools for music creators. With a background in both music production and technology, MJ has been at the forefront of developing AI solutions that empower artists while respecting their creative ownership. As BeatStars’ CTO, he brings technical leadership to build creator-first AI and product experiences; his vision is to democratize music creation without compromising artistic integrity.

Virginie Berger

Chief Industry and Rights Officer

Virginie Berger is a globally recognized expert and advisor in music rights, AI policy, and licensing innovation strategy, with over 25 years of experience across the music and tech industries. Chief Industry and Rights Officer at Neutune an AI Infrastructure system that develops attribution, human detection and copyright infringement, she previously held senior roles including SVP at Downtown, CEO of Armonia (a joint venture of eight European rights organizations), and leadership positions at MySpace and Microsoft. Through her consultancy Don’t Believe the Hype, she helps creators, companies, and institutions navigate disruption and build forward-thinking frameworks around licensing, creator rights, and ethical AI. A frequent speaker at SXSW, MusicBiz, and Indie Week, and a writer to Forbes and Music Ally, she is known for bridging the gap between creative ecosystems and emerging technologies.
Virginie also has a rich background as a curator, professor, and artist advocate, with a deep commitment to shaping the future of music and technology integration.

Kato On The Track

Music Producer

Kato is a #1 Billboard-Charting Producer, content creator, and Forbes-featured entrepreneur with over 1.8M followers. Unlike most Musicians, Kato is uniquely positioned at the intersection of music, education, culture, and the creator economy.

Kato's music has garnered over 5B+ views across socials through viral campaigns, millions of UGC videos, and over 770M streams worldwide. He’s worked with Grammy-Winning, Multi-Platinum Artists like Snoop Dogg, Jack Harlow, Lecrae, E-40, Tyga, Joyner Lucas and more.

Tour Support 2.0: How Mental Health is Reshaping Live Music

From Streams to Strategy: The Label Services Evolution

Rock’s Biggest Promoter on the Future of Festivals

Music Nostalgia: The Secret Weapon in Modern Advertising

The Playbook: Viral Hits to Loyal Fandoms

Capitol Ballroom E

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Join Virginie Berger (Forbes) as she moderates a hard-hitting session with Kato On The Track, Michael MJ Jacob (CTO of BeatStars), and a leading industry voice to separate hype from harm. We’ll unpack real cases training data, rights and licensing and give creators the practical rules and tools they need to protect their work and profit from AI, not be erased by it.


How to Raise $$$ From Angel Groups: What We Really Look For

Katie Russel

Executive Director

Katie Russel is the Executive Director of Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN), one of the most active angel investing groups in the country. She brings a dynamic blend of operator, investor, and accelerator experience to the table, having supported hundreds of early-stage founders throughout her career.

John Lilly

Managing Member

John Lilly has an extensive background in business management, having built more than 50 branded businesses in 25 countries over 27 years; as an executive at Procter & Gamble and then as the CEO of The Pillsbury Company. John began his career at P&G in 1976 and was responsible at one time or another for almost all of Procter’s laundry, paper, food and beverage brands. This culminated in a six-year assignment as Regional Vice President in Frankfurt, Germany, where John had managerial scope for the paper and beverage businesses in P&G’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Division. His experience base includes responsibility for Pampers®, Pringles®, Punica®, Cheer®, Always®, Folgers®, Gain®, Duncan Hines®, Sunny Delight® and Dawn®.

Salon C

Launch with 0 Investors: A Playbook for Crowdfunding in 2026

Missionary Misfits: Why Not Belonging Makes You Build Better

The Next Five Years of Private Markets: What Founders Can’t Afford to Miss

Reinvention Not Repetition: Shifting the Innovation Mindset

The objective of this session is to get more Early-Stage companies to apply for funding through the 200+ Angel Groups and Funds across the US. The strategy is to explain how the "Industry" actually works, from the perspective of people on the inside of one of the most active Angel groups in the US (Central Texas Angels) and a highly experienced Angel investor (investments in 110 companies through Angel Groups). This is a chance to demystify a process which a lot of entrepreneurs see as too difficult to be worth doing---and to help get the broad-based US innovation economy back in gear again.

HOW TO RAISE $$$ FROM ANGEL GROUPS: WHAT WE REALLY LOOK FOR


Where Climate Science Meets Industry Innovation

Chuck Cornell

Senior Air Lead

Chuck Cornell is the Senior Air Lead for Jonah Energy LLC with 28 years of comprehensive air quality experience, including 18 years of air quality project expertise in the oil and gas industry with Jonah Energy, Encana Oil & Gas (USA), Inc., Shell Oil Company, and AECOM.
Chuck is a subject matter expert in federal and state regulatory compliance, air quality permitting, and emission inventory reporting programs. He is adept in upstream oil and gas operations with respect to air quality issues and has been instrumental in the coordination and participation of several methane emission reduction projects and field studies in the Upper Green River Basin in Wyoming and Lea County, New Mexico.

Tracey Holloway

Professor and Director of the Nelson Enterprise

Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she is the Founding Director of the Nelson Enterprise, the business engagement effort of UW’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Dr. Holloway also advances outreach and engagement for NASA, leading the NASA Commercial Impact Hub and serving as three-time competitively selected leader of the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (2016-2029). She is an elected member to the UCAR Board of Trustees. Dr. Holloway has been honored as an elected Member of the National Academic of Medicine, and the awardee of the American Geophysical Union Ascent Award in the atmospheric sciences, as well as numerous awards for excellence in research, teaching and mentoring.

Greg Rieker

LongPath Technologies, Inc.; University of Colorado-Boulder

CTO & Co-Founder; Professor

Greg Rieker is Professor and Provost’s Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, and co-founder and CTO of LongPath Technologies. His work aims to improve energy and atmospheric systems through laser-based sensing. In particular, Greg leads teams to translate the power of frequency comb lasers into practical sensors for a variety of challenging measurements.  Over the past decade, Greg led a team from the University of Colorado and NIST to transition Nobel-prize-winning frequency comb laser technology from a complex laboratory device to an automated, regional-scale methane leak detection system.  The team formed LongPath Technologies, Inc. in 2018 to commercialize the system into the first broadly scalable continuous monitoring system for oil and gas infrastructure.  In the time since, LongPath and its industry partners established Basin-SCAN, a 600+ square mile continuous monitoring network in the active oil and gas production regions of the western US.   LongPath was recently awarded a $163M loan from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to establish a 25,000 square mile expansion of the network.

Christine Wiedinmyer

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)

Director, UCAR Community Programs

A chemical engineer by training who has spent thirty years leading research on air pollution emissions and their impacts around the world. With previous roles as a scientist in the atmospheric chemistry lab of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) and Associate Director for Science at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Environmental Research Institute, Dr. Wiedinmeyer recently joined UCAR as the Director of UCAR Community Programs.

Room 201-202

Rewriting the Rules of Business: A Guide to Purpose & Profit

The Geography of Prosperity: A New Map for Resilient Cities

Saving Monarchs With Machine Learning and Computer Vision

How the Ocean Twilight Zone Regulates Our Climate

Can industry partnerships lead to scientific breakthroughs? Can climate science support business interests? Partnerships lead to win-win outcomes: business needs sparking scientific “Eureka!” moments and science innovation supporting business decisions. Join the non-profit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research for a talk at the nexus of science and industry: a research institution connecting climate science to real-world users, a startup using quantum sensors to detect oil and gas leaks, and an exploration company realizing efficiencies and reducing emissions with new technologies.

WHERE CLIMATE SCIENCE MEETS INDUSTRY INNOVATION


Ambitious Things: How Big Ideas Become Real

Hal Kirkland

Director, Creative Director, Speaker

Hal Kirkland is a writer, director, and creative leader working across film, experience, and emerging forms of storytelling. His work focuses on shaping ambitious ideas into visually precise, emotionally grounded stories.
He began his career in design before moving into writing and directing, creating global campaigns for leading agencies and brands including 180 Amsterdam, BBH New York, W+K, R/GA, Coca-Cola, Adidas, MTV, and Google.

Hal’s work spans commercial film, music videos, interactive projects, and cultural experiences, with work exhibited internationally and presented at institutions including the Guggenheim and MoMA.

He is represented by UNIT9 and is currently developing longer-form narrative work through Studio Farland, a director-led creative studio exploring film, experience, and emerging storytelling forms.

Salon E

Turning Up the Heat: Climate Content That Clicks

Growing Intelligence: Youth, AI, and the Future of Ag

Mall Rats Reborn: How Hot Topic is Using Entertainment to Revitalise Retail

Culture Under Fire: Storytelling for Public Power

How to Win Friends and Overthrow Systems

Everyone has that one idea. The big, unruly, “what if?” thing. The idea that feels exciting... and terrifying. Ambitious Things is a creative-philosophical talk about how to turn ambitious ideas into ambitious realities. Drawing on decades of experience leaping into the unknown, writer, director, and Studio Farland founder Hal Kirkland shares the small steps that help us start, keep going, and stay inspired enough to finish, without waiting for permission, certainty, or perfect conditions. A talk for anyone cradling the weight of a wild idea and who need a boost to finally make it real.

AMBITIOUS THINGS: HOW BIG IDEAS BECOME REAL


Lessons Learned: How We Made Our First Feature

Emily Robinson

Writer/Director

EMILY ROBINSON is a writer, director, and SAG Award-nominated, Special Drama Desk Award-winning actor known for her work in EIGHTH GRADE, THE YEAR BETWEEN, PRIVATE LIFE, THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING, and TRANSPARENT.

She is thrilled that her directorial debut feature film, UGLY CRY, is making its premiere here at SXSW. Her short films have screened at numerous festivals, such as LA Film Festival, Outfest, and Frameline.

Her debut novel, CONSUMED, was published in 2023.

Robinson holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia University.

Michael Lukk Litwak

Film Director

Michael Lukk Litwak is a filmmaker and 'New Yorker' cartoonist who was born and raised in Los Angeles. His first feature was 'Molli and Max in the Future' which premiered at SXSW 2023 and went on to be 'Certified Fresh' at 98% in addition to receiviing a NYT Critic's Pick. It stars Zosia Mamet and Aristotle Athari and was voted by Letterboxd users as one of the Top 10 Sci Fi Movies of 2024.

Hannah Pearl Utt

Film Director

Her latest feature film, Cora Bora, starring Meg Stalter premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, was theatrically released by Brainstorm Media and is now streaming on Netflix. Her first feature film, Before You Know It, which she also co-wrote and starred in, premiered in competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival where she was listed as one of IndieWire’s 25 Female Filmmakers to Watch. In addition to her feature work, Hannah directed, co-wrote and starred in the Superdeluxe digital series, Disengaged, alongside Jen Tullock following the success of their Sundance short film, Partners. Hannah has been selected to participate in numerous programs through the Sundance Institute, including their inaugural Catalyst Women’s Initiative, Screenwriter and Directors Lab, and Film Two.

Ross Shenker

Associate Casting Director / Producer

Casting Director / Creative Producer based in NYC.

Mansfield AB

From Vault to Vision: Reviving Film History with AI

Producing Without Borders: Navigating Global Film

Going Off Script: Filmmaking Through an Indigenous Lens

Annual Legal Update for Indie Film and TV

So you've written or gotten your hands on a great screenplay...now what? Emily Robinson (UGLY CRY), Michael Lukk Litwak (MOLLI & MAX IN THE FUTURE), and Hannah Pearl Utt (BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, CORA BORA) are here to tell you how they did it. Making your first narrative feature is a daunting process. Come take a fascinating peak behind the lens to hear how these three extraordinary filmmakers did it. We'll look at how they collaborated with their producers and dozens of other craftspeople and artisans to create masterpieces with small budgets but great vision.

LESSONS LEARNED: HOW WE MADE OUR FIRST FEATURE


WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want & Get It

Jenny Wood

Keynote Speaker, NYT Bestselling Author, Former Google Executive

Jenny Wood is the author of the New York Times bestseller, WILD COURAGE: Go After What You Want and Get It. In her 18 years at Google, she grew from entry-level to executive, and most recently led a large operations team that helped drive billions of revenue annually. She founded Google’s Own Your Career, the company’s largest career programs in history with 56K people benefitting in 100 countries worldwide.

Wood’s writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Forbes. She is an FAA-licensed private pilot, a daily hiker, an improv student, a tap dancer, and a zucchini bread connoisseur. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her two young children and her husband, Jon. She met Jon by chasing him off the NYC Subway, and the New York Times featured their story.

Salon A

The Creative Power of Letting Go: Why Quitting Can Be Your Biggest Breakthrough

Charmageddon: Robots That Steal Hearts and Jobs

Shortchanged: Gen Z, the Economy, and Brands

SWIFTYNOMICS: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy

What if the traits you need to succeed are the exact opposite of what you’ve been told?

To get ahead, you need to be Weird, Selfish, Shameless, Obsessed, Nosy, Manipulative, Brutal, Reckless, and Bossy. And that takes courage.

NYT bestselling author and former Google exec Jenny Wood offers a bold, tactical playbook to ditch fear—of failure, uncertainty, and judgment by others—and apply these nine eyebrow-raising traits in a sane and savvy way to go after what you want and get it, whether you’re trying to snag a stretch promotion, impress your new boss, or land a life-changing deal.

WILD COURAGE: GO AFTER WHAT YOU WANT & GET IT


Unscripted Gold: Turning Real Life into Global Hits

Jillian Levin

Senior Vice President

Jilly Pearce is senior vice president, Unscripted Programming, ABC Entertainment & Hulu Originals. In her role, she is responsible for cross-platform unscripted development and current series programming for ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals. Her purview spans across hit and legacy series including “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” “The Bachelor” franchise, “The Kardashians,” “Love Thy Nader,” “Dancing with the Stars” and more.

Pearce previously served as president, Objective Media Group America, where she built up their domestic programming portfolio and oversaw projects from development through delivery. There, she served as executive producer on “12 Dates of Christmas” for Max, “The Cube with Dwyane Wade” for TBS, “Lingo with RuPaul” for CBS, “The Great American Recipe” for PBS, and “Flirty Dancing” for FOX, among others. Prior, Pearce was a buyer at Channel 4 in London and also worked across reality, music, entertainment and live events at MTV. She has held senior roles in the UK’s leading production companies, creating and producing entertainment, formats, documentaries and reality programs.

Emily Longeretta

Director of Features

Emily Longeretta is an award-winning journalist based in Los Angeles. She currently serves as the Senior TV Features Editor at Variety, overseeing television-related content with a focus on awards season coverage. She co-hosts Variety's "Awards Circuit" podcast and has a weekly segment on CBS LA. Her cover stories include a powerful sit-down with Carol Burnett, an intimate career reflection with Mariska Hargitay and an exclusive discussion with Jennifer Aniston, her first following the death of Matthew Perry. Emily has co-hosted Variety's live "Power of Women" event and can be seen regularly on “Good Morning America,” "Today," “Access Hollywood,” “Entertainment Tonight" and "Extra."

Sharon Vuong

Sharon Vuong currently serves as Executive Vice President, Unscripted Programming, NBC. In this capacity, she oversees development and current production across NBC’s unscripted slate, spanning reality and talent competition, game shows, documentary series, and innovative hybrid formats that cross a variety of genres.

Her purview includes content development and oversight of current programming for NBC’s beloved unscripted series including “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Destination X” “American Ninja Warrior,” “The Americas,” “The Wall,” and “Password.” She will also oversee the highly anticipated forthcoming civilian version of “The Traitors” on NBC.

Vuong played a key role in orchestrating the ongoing development partnership between NBCUniversal and BBC to find the next global unscripted hit format. Thus far, the partnership has produced several successful series including “The Traitors,” “The Americas” and “Destination X.”

She is responsible for commissioning and launching Peacock’s Emmy Award-winning breakout series “The Traitors” in the US, "Love Island USA,” and “Love Island Games.” She first joined NBCU in 2020 as Senior Vice President, Unscripted Development and was promoted to Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming and Development in 2022.

Prior to her arrival at NBCU, Vuong served as Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming at CBS Entertainment where she oversaw the unscripted division and ran the development and current programming slate for all alternative prime time series including major franchises “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Big Brother,” “Undercover Boss,” and “The Price is Right at Night.”

Ryan O’Dowd

President, Unscripted

Ryan O’Dowd serves as President of Unscripted at BBC Studios Los Angeles, where he has played a pivotal role in accelerating the studio’s U.S. unscripted business and expanding its presence across broadcast, streaming, and premium documentary formats. He oversees development and production for a slate spanning competition, game, lifestyle, and true-crime series, securing high-profile commissions with ABC, NBC, FOX, Netflix, Amazon and Peacock, and collaborating closely with top talent including Helen Mirren, Jane Lynch, Andy Cohen, Patton Oswalt and Joel McHale.
O’Dowd is the Executive Producer of the iconic, multi-Emmy-winning Dancing with the Stars, which delivered a record-breaking Season 34. Under his creative leadership, the series reached new season highs, reignited its cultural momentum, and became the first fall series in measurement history to grow its audience for five consecutive weeks following its premiere, reinforcing its position as one of television’s most enduring and beloved live entertainment brands. The show also achieved franchise-best viewer engagement and social interaction, reflecting powerful fan connection across broadcast and streaming platforms.
His slate also includes the U.S. launch of global hit The 1% Club on FOX; the returning survival series Outlast on Netflix, produced with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films; Celebrity Weakest Link for FOX; the upcoming Ladies of London for Bravo; and NBC’s Emmy-nominated reboot of Weakest Link, which earned a Writers Guild Award and helped re-ignite international demand for the format. Additional producing credits include the breakout Netflix true-crime documentary Murder Among the Mormons, the acclaimed Netflix docuseries Wrestlers, and Breaking Bobby Bones for National Geographic.
Prior to BBC Studios, O’Dowd was Vice President of Development at Ryan Seacrest Productions, overseeing new series development across broadcast and cable. He began his career on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno before going on to write and produce major live television events including The Emmys, CMA Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. In addition to his entertainment work, O’Dowd has served as a political writer and consultant, crafting communications for a United States President, multiple Vice Presidents- and Vice-Presidential candidates, and senior Congressional leaders.

Pennybacker

Busting Myths: Why Virtual Production Isn’t What You Think

Audible Dimensions: Expanding Story Through Spatial Audio

From Niche to Noticed: New Paths for Indie Films

From Headline to Streamer: How Publishers Adapt Stories for TV

What does it take to turn raw, real-life moments into a binge-worthy, culture-shifting unscripted hit? From the rise of reality competition shows to docuseries that dominate streaming charts, the unscripted genre is having a serious moment. But while the content may be “real,” the strategy behind it is anything but improvised.

Join Ryan O’Dowd, President of Unscripted at BBC Studios, Sharon Vuong, EVP of Unscripted Programming at NBC, Jilly Pearce, SVP of Unscripted for ABC & Hulu and Emily Longeretta, Sr. TV Features Editor at Variety,  as they dive into the magic of making unscripted content that travels globally. We’ll explore how formats are born, why authenticity matters more than ever, and how producers are adapting to shorter attention spans, TikTok culture, and the binge-all-in-one-weekend model.

Whether it’s turning everyday people into breakout stars or local stories into international sensations, this panel pulls back the curtain on what works, what flops, and what’s next in unscripted.

UNSCRIPTED GOLD: TURNING REAL LIFE INTO GLOBAL HITS


Legal 101 for Startups & Creative Entrepreneurs

Morgan Ipanema

Founder

Morgan Ipanema is the founder of a modern, woman-led law firm that supports visionary entrepreneurs with practical, empowering legal counsel. A trusted advisor to startups, creatives, and wellness brands, she blends deep legal expertise with real-world business strategy. Her mission is to make the legal side of entrepreneurship accessible, aligned, and unintimidating—so founders can grow with clarity and protection from day one. With a background in both law and innovation, Morgan is passionate about reshaping the legal world to be more inclusive, approachable, and entrepreneur-friendly.

Room 410

Technology Convergence: Winning the Exponential Upswing

Leading the AI Future: How to Think Exponentially in a Chaotic Decade

CTRL + ALT + CREATE: How AI Is Reshaping the Creative Process

How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change: A Conversation with the authors of Somebody Should Do Something

Starting a business is exciting, but skipping legal basics can lead to expensive mistakes. In this session, attorney and founder Morgan Ipanema breaks down the essential steps to legally protect and scale your business. From choosing the right structure to safeguarding your brand and client relationships, this session gives women-led startups, creatives, and freelancers the tools to grow confidently—without the legal overwhelm.

LEGAL 101 FOR STARTUPS & CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS


South Asian Meet Up

Mohini Todkari

Co-Founder

Mohini Todkari is a geospatial technologist and community leader passionate about advancing South Asian representation in tech and business. As co-founder of the American South Asian Network (ASAN), she has built a national platform connecting students, founders, and professionals through events, partnerships, and storytelling. At HERE Technologies, she serves as a Senior Developer Evangelist, helping engineers and companies build next-generation mobility and autonomous systems using mapping and AI. Mohini’s work bridges technology and community, empowering collaboration and cultural visibility across industries.

Nitin Bajaj

President

Over 25 years, I’ve built companies and products generating $400M+ in revenue and reaching millions globally. I’ve led $1B in acquisitions and worked with IBM, Esri, Bloomreach, and more across sectors like e-commerce, education, and healthcare. I founded The INDUStry Show, now the longest-running platform spotlighting South Asian changemakers, reaching 15M+ people. Today, I’m building ASAN – the American South Asian Network – to unite, empower, and elevate the next generation of South Asians across the U.S. In one year, ASAN has hosted 85+ events and engaged 10K+ people nationwide.

Room 408

Convene, Collaborate, & Cultivate Connection: Moms Meet Up

A vibrant meetup for South Asians across entertainment, media, startups, and beyond. Whether you're an artist, creative, filmmaker, standup comedian, or a founder, join this space to build meaningful connections, share ideas, and find your crew. From diaspora storytelling to cross-industry collabs, this session is where South Asian excellence meets SXSW energy. Open to all who want to grow community and amplify our voice.


Weird FTW: What Happens When Brands Zig While Others Zag

Andy Pearson

VP of Creative

Andy is the VP of Creative at Liquid Death, one of the fastest growing non-alc beverage brands of all time. As part of Liquid Death's evil mission to make the world healthier and more sustainable, Andy helps oversee all the hilarious creative output from the brand, from its viral video content to social content to merch to experiential events to CRM and more. Prior, Andy spent 12+ years as an award-winning creative at agencies like CP+B, Deutsch LA, and Humanaut. He thinks marketing sucks and we should make entertainment instead.

Andrew Benin

Co-Founder and CEO

Andrew Benin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Graza, the cult-favorite olive oil brand behind the OG squeeze bottles. After two years living in Spain, Benin was enamored with Spanish culture and developed a nurturing relationship with food, determining that olive oil was the glue to every meal and noticing a gap in the industry. Thus, Graza was founded in 2021. Since launch, Benin has rapidly scaled the business to a $240M valuation, with nationwide distribution to 13k retail doors (Whole Foods, Kroger, Target & others). From supply chain management to consulting and design, Benin has worn many hats in his career and continues to do so with his company. Prior to Graza, Benin gained valuable experience in different roles at reputable companies like Magic Spoon, Casper, Warby Parker, and more.

Noah Simon-Waddell

Co-Founder & Chief Visionary Officer

Noah Simon-Waddell is the Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of The Coconut Cult, the super-live probiotic coconut yogurt taking over social media. The Coconut Cult was born out of Noah’s personal health struggles. After battling chronic inflammatory gut issues and a collapsed lung, he took matters into his own hands and removed processed foods from his diet, and began homemade yogurt fermentation as a natural remedy. His unconventional approach to branding and direct-to-consumer sales cultivated a fervent, cult-like following, proving that authenticity and quality can outmaneuver industry giants without playing by traditional rules.

Jen Zeszut

CEO and Co-Founder

Jen Zeszut is the CEO and co-founder of GOODLES, the wildly popular mac & cheese and pasta brand that has invigorated a previously stagnant category. As CEO, she drives disruptive innovation that has revitalized the mac & cheese and pasta categories, builds and manages an operating plan that drives legendary business growth, develops meaningful strategic retail partnerships, and is a founding force behind the beloved GOODLES brand. Jen is proving that it IS possible to create a high-growth company while caring about and prioritizing the people that work for it.

Jen is an active alumnae at The University of Michigan Ross School of Business and at University of California at Berkeley. She is a guest lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and teaches Startup Marketing.

Waterloo Ballroom 4-6

The B Word: How to Get Creative with Marketing Budget

Meet Gen Alpha: Defying Predictions & Rewiring Marketing

Launching the Ultimate, Research-Driven Creative Power Playbook

Pride Preview '26: Marketers, LGBTQ+ & Where We Go From Here

Big brands have big budgets, but scrappy brands win by embracing "weird"—something their larger counterparts can’t replicate. This session unites "CPG Avengers": founders, creative leaders, and brand stewards who've built fanatic communities from scratch. They're forging businesses with great scale and impact in record time. Hear how they're redefining the GTM playbook by inventing their own. We'll cover everything from cults to clubhouses to coffins. These experts shaped modern brand-building and will reveal unconventional strategies that continue to outmaneuver giants.

WEIRD FTW: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BRANDS ZIG WHILE OTHERS ZAG


Beyond Trends: Building Influence on AI-Saturated Algorithms

Fana Yohannes

Algorithm & trends expert, Creator advisor, ex-, ex-Instagram

*Fana is an algorithm expert with over a decade of experience helping companies like Apple and Meta connect with next-gen audiences at scale.* She is a vision builder who has helped shape social media strategies for the most renowned consumer products and experiences like the launch of Reels, iPhone, Watch, and AirPods.

*Now, through her consultancy Flora by Fana, she brings her strategies and insights directly to brands and creators to navigate the evolving algorithm landscape to find their content stride and break through the digital noise.*

Fana has been featured in Fast Company, Business Insider, CNBC, and in global media for her work as a global Ai educator, creator expert, and community builder.

Waller Ballroom A

Texas High School Shorts Screening & Q&A

From Who to What to You: The Weird AI-Infused Future of the Creator Economy

From Viral to Viable: Building IP as a Creator

It’s estimated that 90% of content will be AI generated by 2026. But what does that actually mean for creators? The impending boom of AI generated content will create an algorithm shift. In a world where AI tools can create content that can instantly copy any aesthetic, sound, or format, trends will no longer be the path to relevance, but a path to fatigue. This presentation shares actionable insights to embrace radical individuality and make sure that content creators of today are not the ones that get left behind tomorrow.

BEYOND TRENDS: BUILDING INFLUENCE ON AI-SATURATED ALGORITHMS

Creator Economy track sponsored by Yamaha


How B2B Creators Are Driving the Next $100M Wave

Fiona Turko

Creator Partnerships Lead

Fiona is Creator Partnerships Lead at Gamma, the AI presentation startup valued at $2.1B, where she leads the company’s creator strategy and partnerships. With 5+ years in influencer and creator marketing, she previously led influencer marketing at Zapier and held brand and partnerships roles at Jobber and Blume, building scalable creator programs across both B2B SaaS and consumer brands.

Dedrick Boyington

Influencer Marketing Lead

Dedrick is a seasoned leader in influencer marketing and brand partnerships with more than six years of experience. He previously led influencer marketing at Fiverr, one of the largest creator ecosystems in the world, and now oversees influencer marketing at Gusto, the leading SMB platform for payroll, HR, benefits, and more.

Will McTighe

Co-Founder

Will McTighe is the co-founder of Saywhat, a software platform helping people build personal brands and businesses faster on LinkedIn. He also writes the Level Up newsletter, where he shares practical content and career advice with over 140,000 readers. Will has 390,000+ followers on LinkedIn and has personally helped more than 500 professionals grow their presence through platform-native tools, content strategy, and storytelling. A former Goldman Sachs analyst and Stanford MBA, he brings a rare blend of finance, tech, and creator economy experience to every stage.

AJ Eckstein

Founder/CEO

AJ Eckstein is the Founder & CEO of Creator Match, the leading B2B Creator Marketing Platform. He is an expert in B2B influencer marketing, helping thousands of LinkedIn Creators monetize their content, and consulting world-class brands (ie Anthropic, Notion, HubSpot) on how to build and scale their "professional" influencer programs.

Outside of Creator Match, AJ is a Journalist for Fast Company, focusing on articles in the Work/Life section. And he is one of the youngest LinkedIn Learning Instructors totaling 100,000+ Learners. He is also a TEDx and keynote speaker.

Waller Ballroom C

From TikTok to Toolbelt: Preparing Gen Z for Work

Higher Ed's Losing Global Talent & the Bill Is Coming Due

It Takes a Region: Cybersecurity Pathways in Rural Alabama

Rethinking Discovery Algorithms for the Creator Economy

While everyone is focused on channels like TikTok and Instagram, B2B creators are quietly building the next $100M wave in the creator economy. These "professional creators" aren’t chasing trends, they’re trusted experts turning LinkedIn, newsletters, and podcasts into engines for influence and revenue. This panel brings together leading voices from both sides of the ecosystem (Brand and Creator) to explore how creators are transforming B2B go-to-market strategies, reshaping brand trust, and unlocking new ways to drive growth in high-consideration industries.

HOW B2B CREATORS ARE DRIVING THE NEXT $100M WAVE


Building Brands That Back Creators

Lia Haberman

Creator Economy And Influencer Marketing Expert And Author Of The Icymi Newsletter

Lia Haberman is a distinguished Creator Economy and Influencer Marketing expert and author of the ICYMI newsletter that goes out to close to 45K subscribers — sharing weekly social media trends and platform updates with marketers and creators.

Mike McGarry

SVP of Marketing

Mike McGarry serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing, where he oversees our creator marketing, marketing operations, social, video, and brand strategy. Previously, Mike was VP of Brand Marketing at Shake Shack where he oversaw Brand Strategy, Communications, Social, Design, Media, ESG Strategy and Culinary Strategy. Prior to Shake Shack, he was the Group Director, Content and Creative at Coca-Cola where he oversaw brands like smartwater, vitaminwater, Powerade and Simply juices. Mike was named a rising star of Brand Marketing by Business Insider in 2023 and was a member of AdAge’s 2017 40 Under 40.

Waterloo Ballroom 3

Hsu Untied: Beyond Numbers: Decision-Making in the Math Classroom

The Learning Geeks: How to Think When Machines Think Faster

Chalk & Gavel: Navigating the Tides of an Education Law Sea Change

Beyond Voting: Defending Truth in Education: AI, Equity, & Power

Forget Moments Marketing: Welcome to Worldbuilding

As creators become the cultural vanguard, brand marketing must evolve. Author of the ICYMI newsletter Lia Haberman joins Mike McGarry, SVP of Marketing at Patreon, in a conversation on how to build campaigns that don’t just feature creators — they center them. Learn actionable insights from Patreon's marketing strategy which amplifies authenticity, drives relevance, and builds loyalty across both creator and fan communities. Through viral case studies and creator-led activations, this session will arm marketers, CMOs, and creatives with the tools to thrive in a world where creators are the brand.


The Agency Owners Meet Up

Simon Erich

Founder / CEO

Simon Erich is an Austin-native serial entrepreneur and creative veteran with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of design and technology. A pioneer in digital media, he began his career at Valiant Comics, where he was the industry's first computer letterers and digital painters for Marvel and DC Comics . After a decade in New York City co-founding Ember Media and launching the "DigiCard" to the U.S. market, Simon returned to Austin to found several successful ventures, including the digital agency SiteGoals and the proposal software Quotingly.

Currently, Simon is the Founder and CEO of Trooper, a specialized startup revolutionizing WordPress maintenance and support for agencies and businesses. Throughout his career, he has delivered complex digital solutions for hundreds of global clients, including HBO, Citi, Polycom, Logitech, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, and the United Nations. A self-described "total geek," Simon was formerly named the Nintendo Ambassador for Austin and remains an avid climber, archer, kayak angler, and game designer.

Jacqueline Sinex

Managing Partner

Jackie Sinex was born an art nerd and studied fine arts for 10 years. In 1996, Jackie was unexpectedly bitten by the emerging Internet and began eagerly exploring web design and development. From her experience as an artist and web developer, she cherishes her ability to speak both creative and tech. As the WWW evolved, her journey included work with a variety of businesses, non-profits, and state and county-funded organizations. Today, she manages WEBii, an Austin-based digital agency that specializes in web design, web application development, SEO and e-learning development. WEBii has grown from its origin in web hosting to its now budding portfolio of digital marketing services. Jackie founded and co-led many respected events and community groups.

The Agency Owners Meet Up is a place for founders, owners, managers, and directors of creative and digital agencies to come together in the midst of the whirlwind that is SXSW. You are not alone, whether you are one person in a home office or a team of hundreds, we all share similar challenges in the daily struggles of running a successful agency. When agencies talk with each other and collaborate, it benefits everyone! Join your speakers and agency professionals from around the world as we take a moment to network, connect, share, collaborate, and spark ideas.


Capturing Chaos: A Q&A with the DP & CLT of The Pitt

Tony Nall

Partnerships, Film & TV

Tony Nall is a Los Angeles based Gaffer, Technician, and Data Networking specialist who has been working professionally in Set Lighting in the US, England, and New Zealand since 2012. He is a proud member of IATSE Local 728 (since 2020), working on narrative projects such as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Goodrich and reality TV shows Floribama Shore and Love Island. Tony has been with Aputure as a Resident Pro since October 2023 and currently oversees North American Partnership Marketing.

Keelan Carothers

Chief Lighting Technician

Keelan Carothers is a Chief Lighting Technician and Director of Photography based in Los Angeles, CA. With experience on Stars Wars projects such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Bobe Fett, and Ahsoka, Keelan expertise in lighting and shaping frames for long-form narrative projects has placed him as an expert in applying advanced technical tools to constructing compelling storytelling. His work on both seasons of The Pitt enforces his understanding and knowledge of professional workflows in modern studio lighting, and as the technology in film lighting continues to expand, Keelan's expertise and unparalleled creative contributions to projects will do so as well.

Johanna Coelho

Cinematographer

Featured in 2018 in Variety as one of the Up Next generation of filmmakers, Johanna has worked as a cinematographer on a number of diverse projects, including award-winning narrative films, music videos, and TV Shows. Her last feature film And Then There Was Eve won the Jury Award at the L.A Film Festival. Her recent work includes the TV Shows The Pitt S1 and S2 on HBO, Rookie S2 and S4 on ABC. Her early determination and drive for cinematography has led her to be one of the youngest cinematographer to ever shoot network television. She loves to say she is a visual psychologist: her role is to understand and interpret the emotions of the characters, to create for them the best visual atmosphere to act in.

Topaz Ballroom 1-3

AI Safety & Trust: Building Responsible Media Tech

AI in Entertainment: Navigating IP, Ethics & Opportunity

Is Brand Dead? The Brand Leader’s Playbook for the AI Era

The De-brief: Rethinking the Brand–Creator Relationship

Future of Loyalty: Gen Z and Gen Alpha will shape a new era

For this panel our moderator will chat with the Cinematographer and CLT of hit HBO Series, The Pitt. Our conversation will focus on lighting the ER of The Pitt and capturing the chaos of such a high stress environment of Season 1 & 2. We will dive into camera and lighting workflows, unique challenges of the shoot, and fun never-before-heard stories from life on set of The Pitt.

CAPTURING CHAOS: A Q&A WITH THE DP & CLT OF THE PITT


Mark Becker

Documentary director and editor Mark Becker won the Humanitas Prize for "Vow of Silence" on Hulu. He co-directed Emmy-nominated "Art and Craft," which was shortlisted for the 2015 Academy Awards. He directed the  Emmy-nominated "Pressure Cooker." His first feature, "Romantico," premiered at Sundance and received two Independent Spirit Award nominations.

Aaron Schock

Emmy-nominated director Aaron Schock’s award-winning feature documentary "Circo" premiered at the the BFI London FF, was distributed theatrically in the US, UK, and Canada and shown nationally on PBS’s Independent Lens and internationally on HBO.  His "La Laguna" received a 2017 Cinema Eye Honors Award (among other awards) and released by Cinema Guild.

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Ugly Cry

Health/Disability/Illness
The Arts/Theater
Women

Your Attention Please

Health/Disability/Illness
Politics
Technology
Social Issue

From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut is engaged in a David-and-Goliath battle to wrest control of her late husband Harold’s iconic toy Amazing Live Sea Monkeys! back from the corporate men who stole them from her. Harold von Braunhut and Yolanda Signorelli worked together for forty years before Harold - a genius magician, scientist and inventor – passed away and left his iconic novelty toy in Yolanda’s care. Yolanda alone possesses the true Sea-Monkeys secret formula and she alone must free them, not only from their captors, but also from the stain of her husband’s dark legacy.

Amazing Live Sea Monkeys

From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli battles to wrest control of her late husband Harold’s iconic toy Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys from the corporate men who stole them from her and from the stain of her husband’s dark legacy.

Ben Cotner
Emily Osborne
Joe Caterini
Logan Snyder


Lucy Forbes

Lucy Forbes has directed acclaimed series including In My Skin, The End of the F**ing World*, This Is Going to Hurt, and ERIC. She is currently directing Harry Potter for HBO and has been recognized with a BAFTA Cymru and an RTS Award for Best Drama Director.

State Theatre

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist

Courtesy of Focus Features © 2025 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Closed captioned
High sensory experience

Set inside the bubble of Silicon Valley, The Audacity takes on the warped dreams, outsized egos, and ethical lapses of the self-styled inventors of the future. In a world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus, bio-hacked tech bros, AI labs and disillusioned teens being optimized in elite private schools, an audacious data-mining CEO (Billy Magnussen) strives to turn insight and influence into profit and power. The darkly comedic drama confronts reality, privacy, and the delusions fueling our ever-changing world.

The Audacity

A would-be tech titan and his therapist play dangerous games with privacy while trying to find happiness.

Co-Executive Producers Arthur Phillips and Craig Forrest

Co-Producers: Marie Nguyen and Charlotte Ahlin

Billy Magnussen, Sarah Goldberg, Zach Galifianakis, Lucy Punch, Simon Helberg, Rob Corddry, Meaghan Rath, Paul Adelstein


Daisy Rosato

Daisy Rosato (she/her) is a queer, neurodivergent filmmaker who hails from New Orleans. Her “darkly funny and deeply unsettling” (RueMorgue) short film POSSUM (2024, director/co-writer) played at 12+ festivals, including Slamdance, Final Girls Berlin (Audience Award), and streamed on Shudder in partnership with Access:Horror (Best Short). Screenwriting honors: Austin Film Festival, Stowe Story Labs, Studiofest VR. Bafta Scholar at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, 2026 MFA in Screenwriting. daisyrosato.com

Nora Kaye

Nora Kaye (she/her) is a queer MA-born, NYC-based filmmaker. Her work has played at Cannes, Seriesfest, and Bentonville, and includes "The Cosmos Sisters" (Gravitas Ventures, Amazon, feature film) and "Hysterical Women" (pilot). She has worked as a development intern with FilmNation (Anora, Promising Young Woman) and is pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting from Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema (FGSC). Her comedy feature-length script," The Head Cases," about warring women in neuroscience just won the Sloan Discovery Student Prize. norakaye.com

Violet Crown 4

Agridulce (Bittersweet)

Education
Indigenous Culture
International
Latino
Social Issues
Children
Developing World
Social Issue
Youth/Teen

Nora is late. Alice unceremoniously brought her partner, whose name no one can remember. Jayae doesn't want to be around "these" people...but came anyway? And Genevieve, the host, has put an unhealthy amount of pressure on this eviction funeral (kinda cringe, right?) to solve all of their problems.

As they barrel through the evening, this disintegrating friend group, delirious from the heat and lack of food, desperately throws Hail Marys, caution to the wind, and lamb against the wall, trying to harness some semblance of what they used to have.

...and then their dead friend shows up.

Sinner Supper Club

An NYC friend group reunites to throw an "eviction funeral" for Genevieve; as the night progresses and a heat wave traps them together, their long-ignored problems boil over. An improvised gay mumblecore ghost story shot on an iPhone in six days.

Ashil Lee, Elise Kibler, Genevieve Simon, Jayae Riley Jr., Nora Kaye, Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, Daisy Rosato

Colorist: Vanessa Castro, Assistant Director: Ari Feldman, Script Supervisor: Katy Early, Production Assistant: Jackie Kosmacki, Julia Freitas-Gordon, Assistant Editor: Gaurav Gawnkar, Closed Captions: StormMiguel Florez


SXSW Innovation Clubhouse

Innovation Clubhouse

Vibrating Music Hammocks

Parker Hertzberger - Multisensory sound installations

The historic Brazos Hall is the official Innovation Clubhouse for 2026. It's the perfect place to connect with attendees looking to gain insights and inspiration from like-minded conference-goers. Each day the Innovation Clubhouse will host meetups and networking events as well as activations


SXSW Film & TV Clubhouse

The Film & TV Clubhouse is located at 800 Congress Ave, just steps away from the Paramount Theatre, where some of the most exciting screenings of the Festival are set to premiere. It will serve as the home base for the film community to gather, discuss, and network. Each day the Film & TV Clubhouse will host meetups and networking events as well as activations.


SXSW Music Clubhouse

Music Clubhouse

Artist Demo Listening Session (Pop) Part 1 Presented by Discovr Radio

The Music Clubhouse is located at The Downright Austin. Perfect for networking and industry connections, the Clubhouse will also feature live performances at Radio Day Stage and mentor sessions. It’s also the perfect spot to access most of our music venues by foot or a quick rideshare. Each day the Music Clubhouse will host meetups and networking events as well as activations.


Invincible VS Arcade Pop Up

Invincible VS, a new 3x3 tag fighter launching on April 30, 2026, is appearing at SXSW with an exclusive arcade pop up featuring a roster of 10 playable characters including a new unannounced fan favorite fighter. Free swag and giveaways will be available for all who come to play the most epic and bloody fight in the universe, with a special gift for fans who pre-order the game onsite or show proof of preorder.

Invincible

Invincible VS is a brutal superhero 3v3 tag fighting game set in the Invincible universe, where you can battle to the death as a team of fan-favorite characters in iconic locations.
Invincible VS is rated M for Mature. Must 17 or older to play.


High Score Game Arcade presents the Worldwide Tic-Tac-Toe Championship

The Worldwide Tic Tac Toe Championship comes to its final, high-stakes moment at SXSW. After months of play across cities and communities around the world, this activation marks the culmination of a global tournament—bringing finalists, fans, and curious passersby together for live competition, spectacle, and celebration. Simple rules, universal appeal, and unexpected intensity converge in one last showdown where strategy, speed, and bragging rights are decided in real time.

More information here: highscoregamearcade.com

HIGH SCORE GAME ARCADE PRESENTS THE WORLDWIDE TIC-TAC-TOE CHAMPIONSHIP


Paramount+ The Lodge

The Paramount+ Lodge returns with the ultimate fan experience, offering an unforgettable and immersive journey that lets guests engage with hit content, iconic franchises and live championship sports. Back for its fourth consecutive year, the Lodge takes over Clive Bar on Austin’s Rainey Street, transporting fans and new audiences into the worlds of their favorite series and sports on Paramount+.


Vibrating Music Hammocks

The Music Hammock transforms its fabric into a speaker, resonating your body with the frequencies of the music so you feel as if you’re lying inside a sound system.
In our fast-paced society, we often disconnect from our bodies. This installation offers a full-body listening experience, shifting your attention from mental chatter into physical awareness. Experience sound not only through your ears, but through your entire body.
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Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles

Otilia Portillo Padua

Mexican director. She studied architecture at Cambridge University and the Architectural Association, London. Her works include Three Voices, which premiered at SXSW and the Netflix short documentary Birders. She is a grant recipient of the FONCA, IMCINE, the Sundance Institute, the Redford Center, Artist Accelerator and the Doc Society.

Daughters of the Forest is a story of entanglements: between humans and mushrooms; the visible and the invisible; generational knowledge and modern science. This sci-fi documentary invites us to reconsider the experiences of both human and non-human inhabitants of our world.

We follow Lis and Juli, two young scientists from indigenous communities that have long lived in symbiosis with the many mushrooms in their regions. The world they know is changing, and their pursuits are threatened by deforestation, lack of opportunity, and loss. Still, they share how mushrooms show us different possibilities of coexistence, helping them overcome obstacles to reshape their lives and futures.

DAUGHTERS OF THE FOREST: MYCELIUM CHRONICLES

Deep in Mexico’s forests, this immersive sci-fi doc follows the unusual, fungi-driven paths of two indigenous mycologists as they seek to reconcile the past and present while reimagining the future for themselves and the changing world they inhabit.

Jessica Harrop
Caitlin Mae Burke
Maxyne Franklin

Paula Arroio
Elena Fortes
Otilia Portillo Padua

Eliseete Ramirez Carbajal, Julieta Serafina Amaya, Julia Dolores Raimundo, Zenaida Perez, Magdalena Martínez, Olivia Ayala

Post Producer: Fernando Maganda, Second Unit Camara: Miguel Labastida


XOT Energy House

Downright Hotel - Creekside Room & Outdoor Patio

XOT Energy House lands at the SXSW Artist Lounge as a dynamic space built to fuel creativity. This experience invites artists and attendees to recharge with XOT Energy while connecting through music, culture, and movement. Blending vibrant fruits and high-energy moments, the XOT Energy House becomes a hub for discovery, expression, and inspiration throughout SXSW.


Redbreast Unhidden Box Office

The Redbreast Unhidden Box Office lands in Austin this SXSW, from March 12–14 on Congress Avenue, across from the iconic Paramount Theatre, celebrating exceptional Irish whiskey and cinema. Collect your ticket from our Redbreast concierges for an exclusive Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey tasting and enjoy the chance to win prizes.

Attendees must be over 21. On-site registration required.

Redbreast

Redbreast Unhidden: Unearthing films worth talking about.

Discovering Redbreast is a revelation. That thrill of unearthing a hidden gem isn’t limited to whiskey bars – it lives wherever curious minds search for their next great find. That spirit brings us to the SXSW Film & TV Festival 2026 and year two of Redbreast Unhidden, our platform championing bold, original storytelling in film.

We’ve partnered with Irish actor Andrew Scott to spotlight exceptional talent in the Narrative Short competition and share it with the world. The must-see films of the category will be highlighted as our Redbreast Unhidden Selects, with one filmmaker receiving the prestigious Redbreast Unhidden Award at the SXSW Film & TV Awards on March 18th.

Join us March 15th at the Redbreast Unhidden Showcase for screenings of our selected films. You’re also invited to discover the Redbreast Unhidden Bar, tucked away in a secret Austin location from March 13th–14th, and attend an exclusive on-stage conversation between Andrew Scott and Deadline at the Omni Hotel on March 13th. And if that wasn’t enough, visit our surprise pop-up on Congress Avenue from March 12th–14th and experience our acclaimed Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey firsthand. For full details, scroll down or visit our website.


Keynote: TOM SACHS: SHOW THE WORK, TELL THE STORY

Tom Sachs

Internationally Acclaimed Sculptor And Interdisciplinary Artist

Tom Sachs (b. 1966, New York City) is an internationally acclaimed sculptor and interdisciplinary artist known for transforming everyday materials into meticulously crafted objects and immersive experiences. Raised in Westport, Connecticut, Sachs studied at Bennington College and London’s Architectural Association before working in Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles furniture shop, shaping his obsession with process, craftsmanship, and the discipline of “Knolling.” In 1991, he founded his studio in Manhattan, creating early exhibitions like Cultural Prosthetics (1995) and Creativity Is the Enemy (1998) that combine luxury branding, pop culture, and everyday objects. His large-scale installations include Nutsy’s (2001–03), a dynamic remote-control car race around icons of modernist art and architecture fashioned from foam core, and Space Program (2007–2025), a series of missions throughout the solar system, each comprised of dozens of multimedia works with materials ranging from plywood to steel to porcelain and beyond. In 2025, Sachs published the Tom Sachs Guide (Phaidon), the most comprehensive explanation of his work, featuring 23 new essays, and launched the I.S.R.U app, a global initiative through NikeCraft challenging individuals to break their bad digital habits by connecting with a series of impactful daily rituals for the mind and body. For four decades, Sachs’s work has been featured in exhibitions around the world and is in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo; National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven; and The Art Institute of Chicago.

Hilton Grand Ballroom (Salon HJK)

Featured Session: Moonshots that Move the Needle

SXSW Community Service Awards Recognition: The Bell

Featured Session: Strategy in the Times of Chaos: Imagining Futures of Education

Featured Session: How to Support Resilient Youth in an AI World

Internationally acclaimed artist Tom Sachs transforms everyday materials into visionary works and inimitable worlds. From his New York studio, Sachs leads his team in a multidisciplinary art practice across sculpture, painting, ceramics, industrial and graphic design, and movie making. His body of work notably includes his bricolage Space Program, NikeCraft, and the recently published Tom Sachs Guide (Phaidon). He has exhibited at institutions such as The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, The Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, and the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. In this session, Sachs discusses the path from idea to execution to exhibition, shares the rituals and obsessions that perpetuate curiosity and creativity, and explains his latest and biggest conceptual work, I.S.R.U–and how you can be part of it.

KEYNOTE: TOM SACHS: SHOW THE WORK, TELL THE STORY


When Innovation Meets Competition: The New Era of Global Sports

Accenture

Your Data Isn't Ready - Your Business Can Be with Agentic AI

Reinventing Customer Experience for What's Next

Crafting a Culture of Experimentation & Innovation

Featuring:

Beth Keating, Client Account Lead, NFL, Accenture
Kevin Lopes, VP, Sports Business Development & Innovation, ESPN
RJ Paige, Business Strategy and Innovation, NFL
Kirk Goldsberry, Director of the Business of Sports Institute, McCombs Center, UT

Description: How emerging technologies are accelerating change across every corner of the sports world—from collegiate sports to global broadcasts, major leagues, and modern media.

WHEN INNOVATION MEETS COMPETITION: THE NEW ERA OF GLOBAL SPORTS

Accenture is a leading solutions and services company that helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of technology to create value at speed. Our purpose is to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity.


John Carney

John Carney is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and former bass guitarist of the Irish band 'The Frames'. John's breakout feature 'Once' won numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and it was adapted for the stage, winning eight Tony Awards. He helmed 'Begin Again', Sing Street', and is the creator and showrunner of the anthology series 'Modern Love'. His recent feature ‘Flora and Son’ starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Eve Hewson, premiered at Sundance and is now available on AppleTV+. John’s next film, ‘Power Ballad’, starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, will be released in cinemas later this year.

When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves - even if it means risking everything he cares about. From writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once), POWER BALLAD is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.

Lionsgate presents, in association with 30WEST + Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, a Likely Story / Distressed Films production, in association with Treasure Entertainment.

Power Ballad

"Power Ballad" follows a talented but past-his-prime wedding singer and a young rockstar who uses the wedding singer’s songwriting prowess to revitalize his own career.

Micah Green
Daniel Steinman
Dan Friedkin
Cathleen Dore
Keith Potter

Anthony Bregman
John Carney
Peter Cron
Rebecca O’Flanagan
Robert Walpole

Michelle Fingleton (Sound Design & FX Editor)

Gary Clark and John Carney (original songs and score)

Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, Jack Reynor

Casting by: Jeanne McCarthy, CSA and Amy Rowan, Costume Designer: Triona Lillis, Co-Producer: Sarah Hong


Oliver Bernsen

Oliver Bernsen is a writer, director, painter, and landscape designer based in Los Angeles. His fascination with the strangeness of our world can be seen throughout his work, prominently in his short films "Connective Tissue" (2020) and "Memory Box" (2023), which premiered at Beyond Fest. His feature directorial debut, "Bagworm" (2025), premiered and won the Audience Award at Sitges Film Festival.

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I Got Bombed at Harvey's

Biography
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Thriller

I Got Bombed at Harvey's (aka 1,000 Pounds of Dynamite)

In the summer of '69, Lenny Baker and his best friend Calvin Reddick went to Woodstock. What they witnessed there changed their lives, so much so that they decided to never go home again. Armed with a vision of a new path forward, they built a life in upstate New York alongside Rebecca and Lizzy, two women they met at the festival and married soon after. Decades of willful detachment followed, but every trip has its comedown.

Now, more than half a century later and with his marriage up in smoke, Lenny is forced to face a hard truth: the better world they once envisioned never quite arrived… and if it ever does, he won't be around to see it. Calvin's sudden death makes that painfully clear.

Woodstockers

When his marriage collapses and his best friend dies, an aging hippie who went to Woodstock in 1969 and never left must finally reckon with a life shaped by peace, love, and too much weed.

Corbin Bernsen
Joshua Michael Stern
Henry Bernsen

Corbin Bernsen, Stephen Tobolowsky, Barbara Hershey, Susan Ruttan, Maggie Lawson, Willie C. Carpenter, John Glover, Lee Wilkof, Lea DeLaria, Jilian Medford

Costume Designer: Sabrina Bacon, Music Supervisor: Sara Matarazzo


Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Music Festival

Sips & Sounds festival wristband required for entry; RSVP to claim your spot.

Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Music Festival is a two-day music celebration that takes place every March at Auditorium Shores in the heart of Austin, Texas. Get ready for unforgettable performances from Christina Aguilera, Calvin Harris, Foster The People, and more among the city’s iconic skyline, plus refreshing Coca-Cola beverages and a curated selection of local food and drink to enjoy all weekend long. Visit https://www.sipssoundsfest.com/ for schedule and festival information.

Access is limited to the first 1,000 SXSW Platinum badge holders to reserve for a wristband. You will receive a confirmation email if your reservation has been awarded. Bring a photo ID to claim your wristband at will call at Auditorium Shores (800 W Riverside Dr., Austin, TX 78704). Box office hours can be found here: https://support.sipssoundsfest.com/hc/en-us/articles/23564754662548-Where-is-the-box-office-What-are-the-hours


Connecty Official SXSW Social: Ice Cream + Coffee + Community

Join Connecty for an Official SXSW Ice Cream + Coffee Social featuring Amy’s Ice Cream at Cenote. We’re turning one of East Austin’s dreamiest coffee houses into a neighborhood SXSW oasis. Whether you want a frothy latte, cool sugar and cream from the legendary Amy's, or a quick break from the hustle, come recharge with us at the indoor + outdoor patio space.

Why Stop By:

- Ice Cream + Coffee, yes please: Enjoy complimentary Amy’s Ice Cream and craft coffee from Cenote (on us!). A full service bar is also available for purchase.

- The Tech: Get an exclusive first look at Connecty, the new app designed to simplify IRL gatherings for hyper local communities. From smart event suggestions to custom contact labeling for your communities, check out how how we’re making it easier to organize everything from casual hangouts to large events. (New tech; patent pending).

- The Connection: We are seeking Connecty "Founding Members" - folks who are already organizing group events and looking for the right organization tool to do it. Tell us your hosting pain points, feature requests, and meet the team building the solution.

Access & Entry:

- SXSW Badge Holders: Priority Access. Simply scan your badge at the door.

- Local Connectors (Non-Badge): We have a limited guest list reserved for community organizers, social chairs, and event hosts to come check out the app and chat about features wanted and the pain points of scheduling. (Subject to capacity).

Want a spot? Head to Instagram @connecty_official for instructions on how to RSVP.

https://www.getconnecty.com/sxsw

CONNECTY OFFICIAL SXSW SOCIAL: ICE CREAM + COFFEE + COMMUNITY


Environment
Indigenous Culture
Politics
Religion/Spirtuality
Native American/Indigenous

Banchi Hanuse

Banchi Hanuse (Nuxalk Nation) works across film and radio as a co-founder of Nuxalk Radio. Her feature Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun (2023) won the Big Sky Award at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and screened at Hot Docs.

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Dead Eyes

Dir: Richard E. Williams. DOP: Julian Panetta

Mischa Heywood as Lilly - Dir. Richard E. Williams

#Skyking

Health/Disability/Illness
Politics
Social Issues

The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel

Black Zombie

African American
Education
Politics
Social Issue

When the ooligan vanishes from Bella Coola, its absence remains like a scar, pointing to a history that reaches far beyond the river. From ramshackled Nuxalk Radio, voices rise through crackling airwaves to trace the forces no one was meant to uncover. What begins as a local broadcast becomes an awakening as testimony, watercolour animation and rare archival weave a story of survival, return and the quiet revolution of an Indigenous Nation that refuses to disappear.

Ceremony

At ramshackled Nuxalk Radio in Bella Coola, an inquiry into the vanished ooligan run unravels a buried history of erasure and ignites the quiet revolution of a Nation that refuses to disappear.

Megan F. Moody, Qwaxw Siwallace, Snuxyaltwa Deric Snow, Nuskmata Jacinda Mack, Q’umulha Schooner, Sunhwrna Schooner, Jason E. Moody, Snxakila Clyde Tallio, Kmalsuuncw Orden Mack, Tom Swanky

Animator: Jay White, Animation Artist: Anuximana Jade Hanuse


African American
Health/Disability/Illness
Politics

Deon Taylor

Director Deon Taylor has built a reputation for fearless storytelling across genres. From the intense thriller Traffik to the suspenseful The Intruder and the socially charged Black and Blue, Taylor consistently delivers films that entertain, provoke thought, and drive strong audience engagement.

Alamo Lamar 5

Seahorse

African American
Health/Disability/Illness
Social Issues
Women

Isaac “Drift” Wright, a self-taught photographer and Army veteran haunted by trauma, finds healing through breathtaking, illegal climbs of the world’s tallest structures. But his pursuit of art sparks a high-stakes battle with law enforcement in this intimate portrait of risk, resilience, and freedom in modern America.

Drift

Isaac Wright
Andrew Bourke
Ian Orefice
Amanda Spain
Jon Adler
George Wrighster III
Omar Joseph

Roxanne Avent Taylor
Deon Taylor
Inbal B. Lessner
Kaitlin McLaughlin

Kaitlin McLaughlin
Martin Biehn
Kevin Hibbard


SXSW Community Service Awards Recognition: Vision Maker Media

Salon 1-4

Featured Session: Multiplayer Futures: Co-Creating a Vision of SXSW 2030 (live!)

Featured Session: A Conversation with The All-American Rejects

Featured Session: Enough with the Bullsh*T: BuzzFeed Founder Shares His Plan to Make the Internet Fun Again

Featured Session: Why Work Feels So Unfair and How Hard Conversations Help

Featured Session: The Internet After Search

The SXSW Community Service Awards celebrate leaders and non-profit organizations from Austin and around the world who work tirelessly to improve the standing of the specific groups and causes that they serve.

Francene Blythe-Lewis currently serves as President and CEO of Vision Maker Media (VMM), the longest-running Native American media organization, and a cornerstone of Indigenous public broadcasting. As CEO, Blythe-Lewis is an established executive producer on award-winning documentaries and series, including Almost an Island, Searching for Sequoyah, IndigiGenius, Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo, Without Arrows, The Bears on Pine Ridge, and She Cried That Day. She emphasizes expanding the thematic range and contemporary visibility of Native stories in public media. Previously, Blythe-Lewis served as Director of Programs at the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and as Director of National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project, where she redirected significant resources toward Indigenous filmmakers whereby cultivating long-term media careers for many that she supported worldwide. She has held visionary leadership roles at the Smithsonian Institution, and her professional impact is defined by building durable Indigenous media infrastructure—ensuring Native stories are created by Native people, supported by sustainable systems, and shared nationally with audiences and for posterity.

SXSW COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS RECOGNITION: VISION MAKER MEDIA