F*ck Bauhaus: A Global Meetup to Recode Creative Work Meet Up

Martin Rabaglia

CEO

Martín  Rabaglia  is a transdisciplinary creative technologist and strategist, crafting award-winning cultural-tech experiences for over 15 years in Buenos Aires. As CEO & Co‑founder of Genosha since 2016, he has led projects for global brands like Intel, Nissan, Disney, Pepsi, and Tulipán—merging narrative design with AI, VR/AR, and immersive storytelling. His leadership helped Genosha win Argentina’s first-ever Gold Lion for Innovation at Cannes Lions 2025, reinforcing his reputation as a leading force in Latin American creative tech.

Franco Luca

CEO

20 years of experience in the Advertising Industry. Specialized in the Digital Communication Business.

Now leading RAPP Argentina, the Omnicom Group agency with a team deliberately diversified with creative, data, strategy, and tech experts working together across capabilities to understand clients' needs, delivering creative solutions for their business problems.
He's also leading Team × LATAM, the Omnicom Group agency for Mercedes-Benz.

Franco is currently a Board Member of Interact Argentina, the Association that brings together agencies, consultants, and production houses of the digital ecosystem.

He led and founded Digitas Argentina, the digital agency of Publicis Groupe in 2018. He also had the role of Chief Content Officer for Publicis Groupe Argentina, supporting all the agency brands in the country. For 2 years he led LiquidThread, the creative SBU of Publicis Media.

For 5 years he was the Digital Director in Human agency. He promoted local, regional, and global projects of social media, digital platforms, apps, and sites for brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, Moët Hennessy, Mondelēz, AB InBev, AXION energy, Puma, Nivea, Honda, Molinos Río de la Plata, Procter & Gamble, Motorola, and Danone.

Franco also has a highly active role as a Jury Member in Creative Festivals, with a notable highlight at Cannes Lions 2023, where he served as an awarding jury member in the Creative Data category. He has also been a jury member at international, regional, and local festivals such as Effie, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, ECHO LATAM, The Caples Awards, +Digital, Obrar, and Lápiz de Oro.

Along with his career, he worked on projects awarded at several festivals: Cannes Lions, Effie, Diente, Lápiz de Oro, Ojo de Iberoamérica, El Sol, +Digital, ECHO, and Wave.

Previously in different positions, he went through Vulgaria agency, where he worked for L'Oreal, Renault, Havanna, ICBC, and started his career at Wunderman in 2006.

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

This is for designers, strategists, technologists, and creative misfits from around the world who refuse to let automation flatten our craft. We’ve designed a dynamic format: a built to spark real connection, fast idea exchange, and collective learning from every person in the room. Whether you want to reshape your creative code, challenge the algorithm, or just find your global crew this is your table.

F*CK BAUHAUS: A GLOBAL MEETUP TO RECODE CREATIVE WORK MEET UP


Smarter Together: The Cognitive Toolkit for Better AI

Michael Joffe

Adjunct Professor / Global Marketing

Michael Joffe is a technology marketer and researcher focused on how AI is
reshaping creativity, work, and everyday life. At Google, he has led product
marketing and go-to-market strategy for emerging AI solutions across YouTube ads
and the Android ecosystem. He teaches psychology and AI at New York University,
USA, bridging academic research with industry practice.

Manuel Garcia Garcia

Global Lead of Science Activation, Research and Strategy

Dr. Manuel Garcia-Garcia is the Global Lead of Science Activation at Ipsos, where he integrates AI and psychology to augment human intelligence and deliver transformative insights. With a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, he is an expert in consumer behavior, emotion, and decision-making, and has led pioneering work in advertising and multicultural research. A published author, speaker at global events like SxSW and ESOMAR, and creator of an MBA course on consumer neuroscience, he bridges science and strategy to drive innovation in research.

Rio Grande Ballroom 1

You Are STILL the Brand: What AI Can’t Do for You

Sprints for Social Impact: Turn Time Pressure into Purpose

Vibe Coding: From Idea to MVP at Warp Speed

Look What You Made Me Do: Revenge as Creative Catalyst

Artistic Disruption for Business Innovation

As AI reshapes how we think, feel, and decide, this workshop explores how marketers, researchers, and creators can design more human-centered AI systems. Blending neuroscience, behavioral science, and real-world case studies, we’ll unpack the psychology behind trust, emotion, and collaboration in AI. Participants will leave with a framework for building AI that enhances—not replaces—human insight, helping teams navigate this new era with curiosity, empathy, and practical wisdom.

SMARTER TOGETHER: THE COGNITIVE TOOLKIT FOR BETTER AI


Brian Tetsuro Ivie

Brian Tetsuro Ivie is a Japanese-American filmmaker, film producer, and the co-founder of Kebrado, a celluloid-only media company based in New York City. His most recent producing work includes the Oscilloscope-released, "Wildcat," starring Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, and Cooper Hoffman, which debuted at both the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals before premiering on the Criterion Channel, “Even in the Wind,” starring Sonoya Mizuno, which premiered at Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, and the upcoming 16mm workplace comedy, "Concessions," starring Michael Madsen, Steven Ogg, and Josh Hamilton. Brian is currently writing an original science-fiction series with Cary Joji Fukunaga for David Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon Productions based on his family's own experience with Japanese incarceration. As a director, he is in post on "Serenity," an intimate 16mm documentary about a multi-generational family in the Pacific Northwest. "Anima," starring Sydney Chandler and Takehiro Hira, is Brian's narrative feature film debut.

Alamo Lamar 1

I Got Bombed at Harvey's

Biography
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Thriller

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

After being let go from her robotic companion start-up, Beck, an anti-social engineer, finds herself in the offices of a new company claiming to preserve a person's consciousness inside a cloud system. Her first assignment: drive the company's most valuable client, Paul, a lonely button manufacturer, to his final appointment.

Anima

A young woman and an old man embark on a road trip to preserve his consciousness at an experimental facility.

Kimberly Atwood
Atty Cleworth
Gregory Daniel King

Harrison Allen
Brian Tetsuro Ivie
Chloe Rahal
Alexander Lycette
Jason Pamer
Brev Moss

Sydney Chandler, Takehiro Hira, Marin Ireland, Lili Taylor, Maria Dizzia, Tom McCarthy, Emil Wakim, Maximilian Lee Piazza


Nick Sweeney

Nick Sweeney’s films have brought social issues to wide audiences. Santa Camp (HBO Max) was praised as “challenging and frequently moving” (LA Times), while AKA Jane Roe (FX) told the story of the woman behind Roe v. Wade. His Channel 4 series on trans kids drew 4 million viewers. He is Bangladeshi-Australian and lives in New York with his husband

Alamo Lamar 8

Dead Deer High

Education
Social Issues
The Arts/Theater
Youth/Teen

As a career-defining chapter propels him into global stardom, musician Noah Kahan stands at a crossroads. In the wake of the breakout success of Stick Season—an album born from the quiet of rural Vermont and embraced around the world—Noah begins work on his follow-up album while facing the mounting pressure of what comes next. Over a whirlwind year of sold-out tours and unprecedented acclaim, he returns to his Vermont roots and family. Buoyed by his uncanny wit, he searches for a sense of home and creative inspiration as he confronts the deeply personal struggles that have left him out of sync with himself.

Noah Kahan: Out of Body

As Stick Season propels Noah Kahan into global stardom, he faces the pressure of what comes next. Buoyed by his uncanny wit, he returns to his Vermont roots and family and confronts the personal struggles that have left him out of sync with himself.

Drew Simmons
Ryan Langlois
Michael Rapino
Jessica James Batista
Michael Yerke
Alex Maxwell
Monte Lipman
Jeffrey Remedios
Ben Adelson
Alex Coslov
Jon Kamen
Karla Zambrano

Samantha Mustari
Dave Sirulnick
Stacey Reiss
Ryan Kroft
Vaughn Trudeau
Anna Keegan
David Blackman
Jeff Ludwig
Devon Libran

Co-Producer: Henry Allison, Co-Producer: Asher Brown, Co-Producer: Daniel Inkeles


Sidney Fussell

Sidney Fussell is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and journalist, Co-Director of #WhileBlack. A former senior reporter at WIRED and technology reporter for The Atlantic, his work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and EBONY. He’s been featured on NPR, BBC, and Al Jazeera, and spoken at Mozilla and NYU’s Journalism & AI panel.

Jennifer Holness

Jennifer Holness is an award-winning writer, producer, and director, and Co-Director of #WhileBlack. The first Black woman in Canada to win a CSA for writing, she was named 2021 Indiescreen Producer of the Year and received the 2022 WIFT Award of Creative Excellence. She’s also a founding member of the Black Screen Office.

Rollins Theatre at the Long Center

Cornbread Mafia

Addiction/Recovery
Legal
Senior/Aging
Social Issue

Action
Biography
Comedy
Crime
Documentary

African American
Books/Literary
Celebrity

Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero

#WhileBlack is an urgent documentary that centers on one of the most viral videos of our time: George Floyd’s murder, seen 1.4 billion times in 12 days, sparking protests in over 2,000 cities worldwide. With exclusive access to Darnella Frazier and others like  Diamond Reynolds, who livestreamed Philando Castile’s killing, the film reveals how social platforms and corporations profit from viral Black trauma, while survivors endure lasting psychological and physical danger. #WhileBlack is a powerful meditation on modern witnessing, exposing the human cost of viral footage while asking urgent questions about race, technology, and accountability.

#WhileBlack

Darnella Frazier, who filmed George Floyd’s death, steps forward in this powerful documentary on viral videos that ignited global movements revealing the cost of going viral while Black: trolls, surveillance, and platforms that profit from pain.

Ann Shin
Jeff Orlowski-Yang
Larissa Rhodes
Stacey Piculell
Geeta Gandbhir

Ann Shin
Jennifer Holness
Sidney Fussell

Darnella Frazier, Diamond Reynolds, Matthew Cagle, Matthew Mitchell, Safiya Noble, Allissa Richardson

Animation: Aaron Goldberg, Additional camera: Christian Bielz, Mike Rilstone, Amber Fares, Megan McCarthy Johnson


Graham Parkes

Graham Parkes is a writer and director from Los Angeles, working in both film and independent games. He currently works at GoodbyeWorld Games, an indie video game studio he co-founded with childhood friends. They released their first title in 2021, Before Your Eyes, a cinematic narrative game Graham both wrote and directed.

Alamo Lamar 5

Seahorse

African American
Health/Disability/Illness
Social Issues
Women

Julia and Charlie, a volatile couple in Portland, Oregon, are at a loss for how to repair their broken relationship. Julia, an ambitious game designer, and Charlie, a struggling musician working in sound design to pay the bills, are pushed by Julia's friend into attending a couples-therapy seminar run by twin healers, the Tillies, who claim to fix relationships through energy work. The session triggers a karmic universal system that makes the state of their relationship affect the world around them. With earthquakes, the stock market, and entire nations at risk, Charlie and Julia must confront whether their love can survive amidst so much destruction.

Wishful Thinking

When a volatile couple discovers their emotional state has supernatural consequences on the world around them, they must decide whether to fight for their relationship or accept that their powerful connection might be doing more harm than good.

Sarah Mather
Graham Patrick Martin
Cameron Fuller

Matt Smith
Dan Gedman
Kara Durrett
Lewis Pullman

Lewis Pullman, Maya Hawke, Randall Park, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant, Amita Rao, Eric Rahill


Featured Session: From Pilot to Payoff: 7 Pattern-Matched Traits of AI Systems That Actually Work

Sandy Carter

Chief Business Officer, Founder, and Best Selling Author, Forbes Contributor

As one of the country’s foremost authorities on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, Sandy Carter has been a notable expert working with AI since 2013 and with Blockchain since 2019. She has had a distinguished career holding leadership positions as a Chief Operations Officer, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Sales Officer working for Amazon Web Services and IBM. She is a pioneer and at the forefront of AI and other leading-edge technology driving innovation, product development, and capturing new sales markets. Sandy has led the business development efforts at Fortune 100 companies that changed the business landscape and resulted in adding billions of dollars to her employers’ bottom line.

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

Most companies are stuck in “pilot purgatory” with AI. What separates the experiments that stall from the projects that scale? Drawing on research across 450+ companies, Sandy Carter reveals the five common traits that turn AI pilots into ROI-driven successes. Walk away with a roadmap you can apply immediately—whether you’re a startup founder or a Fortune 100 executive.

FEATURED SESSION: FROM PILOT TO PAYOFF: 7 PATTERN-MATCHED TRAITS OF AI SYSTEMS THAT ACTUALLY WORK


Beyond Checkpoints: Immunotherapy’s Next Act

Dr. Padmanee Sharma, PhD, MD

Professor, Department Of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division Of Cancer Medicine

Dr. James Allison, PhD

Regental Chair Of Immunology And Director Of The Allison Institute

James P. Allison, Ph.D., the 2018 Nobel Laureate for Physiology or Medicine, has spent a distinguished career studying the regulation of T cell responses and pioneering new strategies for cancer immunotherapy. He is Regental Professor and Chair of Immunology, Executive Director of the Immunotherapy Platform and Director of the James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Work in his lab led to the development of ipilimumab, the first immune checkpoint blockade therapy approved by the FDA, which launched the field of cancer immunotherapy and has since been approved to treat multiple cancer types. Through the Allison Institute, he seeks to improve the use of immunotherapies and identify new targets to unleash the immune system to eradicate cancer.

Sharon Belvin

Board Certified Health And Wellness Coach

Sharon Belvin is a stage 4 melanoma survivor, health and wellness educator, and motivational speaker. At the age of 22, after taking all available cancer treatments, she enrolled in a clinical trial of ipilimumab (Yervoy), a CTLA-4 checkpoint inhibitor. After treatment one year later, she was declared cancer free. Continuing to pursue her career in health and wellness, Belvin’s previous experience includes serving as a Health Educator/Wellness Coach at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where she guided education on wellness for six hospitals. She holds a Master of Education from West Virginia University.

Alice Park

Senior Health Correspondent

Alice Park is the senior health correspondent with TIME and author of The Stem Cell Hope, How Stem Cell Medicine Can Change Our Lives. In 2019, she co-chaired the inaugural Time 100 Health Summit. She has written cover stories on stem cells, childhood vaccinations, the health care system, heart disease, HIV, cancer immunotherapy and the gene editing technology CRISPR. Park contributed to TIME’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the race to develop effective vaccines. She has appeared on numerous broadcasts including CNN, BBC America, NPR and Good Morning America, and has moderated panels at major industry conferences and events. Key topics include global health threats, aging, GLP-1 medications, women’s health, the role of technology and AI in health, among others.

Salon FGH

SXSW Pitch-Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech

SXSW Pitch-Sustainability, AgTech & Food

SXSW Pitch-Smart Cities, Transportation, Manufacturing & Logistics

SXSW Pitch-Smart Data, Security, and FinTech

Checkpoint inhibitors opened the door; now a new wave of immunotherapy discoveries is poised to turn more cancers into curable diseases. MD Anderson’s Nobel Laureate James Allison – inventor of the first immune checkpoint inhibitor – and immunotherapy pioneer Padmanee Sharma sit down with 21-year, stage-IV cancer survivor Sharon Belvin and veteran TIME journalist Alice Park to chart where the science goes next and what still blocks its path. Attendees will learn how immunotherapy advances are changing the cancer landscape, including technologies to watch and a candid look at obstacles ahead.

BEYOND CHECKPOINTS: IMMUNOTHERAPY?S NEXT ACT


Mentor Session: Marisa Sechrest (Nova Sky Stories)

Marisa Sechrest

Executive Producer

Marisa Sechrest is an Executive Producer with Nova Sky Stories, the premiere drone entertainment company (Olympics, Super Bowl, FIFA, United Nations etc.). With over 20 years of senior executive level experience at prominent media and entertainment companies including Paramount Pictures, she has a proven track record in global development, exploitation, and financing of intellectual property across multiple mediums. A Harvard-trained entertainment attorney, she has co-produced projects garnering 3 Tony Awards and 42 Tony Nominations. She led growth initiatives at Paramount Pictures' live stage division and oversaw global brand exploitation for clients like Beyoncé and NBCUniversal at The Araca Group. Her career began as an entertainment attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, working on high-profile acquisitions and innovative entertainment transactions. A former professional ballerina, Sechrest has been a member of the Broadway League since 2006 and lectures on producing at the Commercial Theater Institute and The University of Texas, Austin.

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 Storytelling, Immersive Technology, Content Strategy/Production.

MENTOR SESSION: MARISA SECHREST (NOVA SKY STORIES)


Mentor Session: Gueriel Mendes (NTSS LAW PLLC)

Gueriel Mendes

Entertainment Attorney

Gueriel is a bilingual attorney specializing in long-term business strategy for artists and creatives across the U.S. and Latin America. His practice at NTSS Law focuses on complex music transactions, including recording, publishing, touring, and catalog deals for top-tier talent.
Before joining NTSS, Gueriel worked at RIMAS Music, where he handled matters for major Latin artists such as Bad Bunny, Eladio Carrión, and Arcángel. At NTSS, he continues to advise prominent talent including Nicky Jam, Alleh, The Rude Boyz, Súbelo Neo, and Joaquina, among others.
In collaboration with partners Nicolás Tevez and Sophia Sofferman, he leads key negotiations and ensures that artists are creatively and strategically protected. Grounded in the values of the firm, Gueriel brings a human-centered approach to his advocacy, committed to empowering clients and shaping the future of the music industry.

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 Contracts & Agreements, IP & Copyright, A&R.

MENTOR SESSION: GUERIEL MENDES (NTSS LAW PLLC)


Mentor Session: Lucy Freeman (Messina Touring Group)

Lucy Freeman

Digital Marketing Manager

Lucy Freeman is a Digital Marketing Manager at Messina Touring Group, where she drives innovative digital strategies for record-breaking arena and stadium tours, including Ed Sheeran, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney. Since joining MTG in 2022, she has contributed to marketing over 30 tours, leading paid and organic media campaigns, data-driven insights, and creative project management to deliver exceptional results. Lucy tailors strategies to the unique identity of each artist and fan base, ensuring that no two tours are approached the same way. Her passion for creating cohesive, engaging tour branding ensures a consistent and compelling fan experience that reflects each artist’s story.

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

MENTOR SESSION: LUCY FREEMAN (MESSINA TOURING GROUP)


Mentor Session: Sean Dishman (Kobalt Music )

Sean Dishman

Senior Director, Creative

Sean Dishman is Senior Director, Creative at Kobalt Music. Since joining Kobalt in 2013 as an intern while studying Songwriting at Berklee College of Music, he has risen through the ranks by signing and developing artists like Madison Cunningham, Magdalena Bay, Cuco, and Mac DeMarco. Known for his impeccable taste and passion for music, Sean has also supported projects with Lil Yachty, Claud, and Genesis Owusu. He continues to champion innovative talent and build lasting creative partnerships.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in A&R, Publishing, Sync/Licensing.

MENTOR SESSION: SEAN DISHMAN (KOBALT MUSIC )


Mentor Session: Alberto Chapa (Ableton)

Alberto Chapa

Business Development

Alberto Chapa is a music producer, educator, and business development strategist specializing in artist growth and music technology.

At Ableton, Alberto collaborates with artists, educators, and industry partners to grow creative communities and expand access to music technology. As an Ableton Certified Trainer, he also provides hands-on coaching to musicians, educators and producers, helping them refine their workflow and creative process.

Beyond his role at Ableton, Alberto is the founder of Musical Guest, a company specializing in artist development and performance engineering. He has collaborated with artists across genres including Andre 3000, Imagine Dragons, LP Giobbi, Caroline Rose, Papa Roach, Polyphia, and DIIV; helping them translate their creative vision into compelling performances.

In addition to his work with artists, Alberto works with educational organizations and nonprofits, helping them integrate music technology into their programs. His experience spans from designing music curricula to equipping schools and community spaces with the tools and knowledge needed to foster creative expression.

Whether working with individuals, institutions, or brands, Alberto bridges creativity and technology, equipping artists, brands and educators with the tools and strategies to innovate and thrive.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Audio/Production (Recording/Mixing/Mastering), Music Tech, Touring.


Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Lee Meltzer (Lee Meltzer Consulting)

Lee Meltzer

Founder

Lee Meltzer is an award-winning publicity and marketing executive known for high-impact campaigns across film, television, live events, sports, and consumer brands. As founder of Lee Meltzer Consulting, he leads strategic, boutique-style initiatives with the creative reach of a top-tier agency. With over a decade of experience, he drives breakthrough coverage across premier outlets and major festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF, SDCC, and NYCC.

A trusted advisor to filmmakers, studios, distributors, executives, and talent, Lee is known for identifying bold opportunities and elevating both projects and careers. His work spans actors, directors, producers, athletes, authors, and podcasters.

He serves on advisory boards for the Annapolis Film Festival, E2AC, SXSW, and the San Quentin Film Festival, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Mystic Film Institute. He has spoken at SCAD, NYU, UGA, Syracuse, FIT, Florida, and festivals including The Gotham and Ebertfest.

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 "Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution", Publicity & Marketing, Producers/Production.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: LEE MELTZER (LEE MELTZER CONSULTING)

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll


Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: David Magdael (DAVID MAGDAEL & ASSOCIATES)

David Magdael

President/Ceo

With over two decades in PR/marketing for award winning documentaries, films and media content, David Magdael and his company DAVID MAGDAEL & ASSOCIATES have become an important leader in the field. A recent Peabody Award Winner, he leads Oscar/awards campaigns, theatrical releases, festival launches, and streaming/broadcast premieres. Magdael is one of the top media strategists and is a longtime AMPAS member and a mentor at the Sundance Institute Producers Lab, Global Media Makers, Film Independent, Berlinale EFM, SF FILM, IDFA, Tribeca and more. He is a member of the Board of Advisors for SXSW Film & TV Festival.

He is one of the founders of Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) since 2002 creating events for AAPI filmmakers at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, LA Asian, SXSW and CAAM Film Festivals.

Films include: 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA; COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT; PUR YOUR SOUL ON YOUR HAND AND WALK; THE LAST REPAIR SHOP; THE EYES OF GHANA; 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL; FOR SAMA; and more.

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 Doc Filmmakers, Publicity & Marketing, Producers/Production.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: DAVID MAGDAEL (DAVID MAGDAEL & ASSOCIATES)


Round Table: Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution: Bethiael Alemayoh, Bill Vergos, and Carylanna Taylor

Bethiael Alemayoh

Director of Content and Distribution

Bethiael Alemayoh is an independent filmmaker who guides independent filmmakers through the public media distribution pipeline. In her role as the Director of Content & Distribution at Austin PBS, she oversees the “Austin PBS Presents” slate, facilitating the national distribution of local films & television projects.

Her mission is to demystify the distribution process for filmmakers by educating them on the public media model and empowering them to make the best choices for their projects, with strong consideration to career sustainability. Since joining Austin PBS, she's distributed over 30 projects including: City of Songs, How Are We Today, Price of Paradise, and more.

Bethiael also oversaw the launch of Austin PBS's inaugural filmmaker grant programs in 2025: the Finishing Funds grant for existing documentaries and the Digital Originals Grant for new and fresh local web series.

As a narrative filmmaker her own work has screened nationally and internationally with festivals and organizations, such as: SXSW, BlackStar Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, The Bullock Texas State History Museum, and more. Her work has received support from Indie Memphis and the Sundance Institute.

Carylanna Taylor

Director of Sales and Acquisitions

Carylanna Taylor is a filmmaker, anthropologist, and Director of Sales and Acquisitions at The Film Sales Company, where she helps independent films reach global audiences. She holds an M.F.A. in Producing from the American Film Institute Conservatory and a Ph.D. in Applied Cultural Anthropology from the University of South Florida. Carylanna has worked in development with Oscar-winning production companies and produced both documentary and narrative shorts and features. As co-founder of First Encounter Productions, she produced the features Anya (2019) and Painting the Way to the Moon (2015), blending storytelling with social and scientific inquiry. Before filmmaking, she conducted research and taught in Latin America on migration, environment, and sustainable development, earning awards from Fulbright and the National Science Foundation. She continues to merge her anthropological lens with film, developing new projects on mental health and migration.

Bill Vergos

Head of Digital Film Distribution

Bill Vergos is the Head of Digital Film Distribution at Magenta Light Studios, overseeing digital release strategy and platform partnerships as the company expands its presence in the global streaming and independent film space. Prior to Magenta Light, he spent 15 years at Freestyle Digital Media, helping build the division into one of North America’s leading independent distribution labels and releasing more than 700 titles across TVOD, SVOD, AVOD, FAST, and theatrical platforms.

Vergos has a strong track record with SXSW alumni, acquiring and releasing several festival titles, including A Bad Idea Gone Wrong, Aberrance, Best Summer Ever, KRZYK: Losing Control, KTown Cowboys, and Served Like a Girl. Recognized by Media Play News as one of the Top Indie Film Distribution Power Players of 2024 and 2025, he is committed to supporting and empowering the next generation of independent filmmakers. Originally from Chicago, Vergos is a graduate of Emerson College’s film program.

Representative

Round Table: Programming: Landon Zakheim, Monica Garcia Massague, and R.J. LaForce

Round Table: Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution: Amy Beecroft, Joe Yanick, and Shaked Berenson

Round Table: Producing: Ashleigh Snead, Kelly Williams, and Liz Cardenas

Round Table: Acting: Alexandra Barreto, Alyssa Rodriguez, and Rider Strong

Round Table: Development: Carolina Tamez and Henry Kittredge

An extension of our popular Mentor Sessions, our Round Table Sessions not only allow attendees to learn from the industry experts that sit at each of the three tables in this session but they also allow attendees to learn from the questions and experiences of their peers as well. This Round Table Session will bring together industry experts and SXSW attendees for an enlightening discussion on Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution.

ROUND TABLE: SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION: BETHIAEL ALEMAYOH, BILL VERGOS, AND CARYLANNA TAYLOR


Sober Space Meet Up - 3/18

Conrádo Markel

Director of Operations

Conrádo is a dedicated and passionate supporter of mental heath initiatives and the recovery community of Central Texas. His work in the non-profit communities of Austin, has empowered him to embrace a mission of service and serve as a change maker and advocate for the wellbeing of those in need. He currently works in the mental health and recovery space, connecting and helping musicians and music industry professionals pay for therapy and recovery resources through the work of The SIMS Foundation.

Brazos

More Analog, Less Noise Please: City Builders Meet Up

Understanding Crypto: Conversations for the Curious Meet Up

Sober Space is a welcoming gathering place for people in all forms of recovery during SXSW 2026. This space hosts all-format recovery meetings for Friends of Bill and all SXSW attendees who are seeking a supportive meeting environment during the festival. Participants are invited to sit together and share experience, strength, and hope in a confidential, judgment-free setting. Meetings are facilitated by The SIMS Foundation alongside trusted leaders from the recovery community.


Featured Session: David Pogue on Apple’s First 50 Years

David Pogue

Author

David Pogue is a seven-time Emmy Award winner for his stories on “CBS Sunday Morning,” a five-time TED speaker, host of 20 “NOVA” specials on PBS, and a New York Times bestselling author. He’s written about Apple for his entire career, including 13 years as a Macworld columnist, 13 more as the New York Times tech columnist, and 20 years as the #1 bestselling author of books about Macs and iPhones. He lives with his family in New York.

As Apple enters its second half-century, author David Pogue (“Apple: The First 50 Years”) explores the throughlines of Apple’s astonishing success: simplicity, beauty, elegant design, making the whole widget, focus on very few products, and a deep commitment to the customer experience. He’ll be joined by a special guest to share stories and insights from their decades of launching iconic products.

FEATURED SESSION: DAVID POGUE ON APPLE?S FIRST 50 YEARS


Mentor Session: Heather Wagner Reed (Juice Consulting/
Space Workforce Incubator for Texas)

Heather Wagner-Reed

Juice Consulting/Space Workforce Incubator for Texas
at Austin Community College

Founder/Ceo & Co-Founder/Director/Adjunct Professor

Heather Wagner Reed is the Founder and CEO of Juice Consulting - and a prominent voice and passionate advocate for the creative sector in Austin, Texas. Hailed by SPIN magazine as “Austin’s premier marketing & PR firm,” the agency works with some of the most innovative tech accelerators in the region to international government and local nonprofits - to entertainment sector greats like Gloria Gaynor and Erykah Badu. Juice also handles PR and marketing for the Space Workforce Incubator for Texas (SWIFT), where Heather is a Cofounder and Director. Named the 2025 Local Agency of the Year by the Alliance for Woman in Media, Juice’s motto is they “add vitality to your campaign” - and act as a conduit for both legacy brands and what’s next in the ATX including everything from rock stars to rocket fuel. Before starting Juice in 2007, Heather served as Senior Product Manager for 35 GRAMMY®-winning artist Beyoncé, handling her day-to-day management. Prior to moving to Texas in 2002, she lived in The Netherlands for five years and worked in international marketing. Heather is in her sixth year with Austin Community College as an Adjunct Professor teaching “Marketing and PR for Creatives.”

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 Entrepreneurship, Marketing/Advertising/PR, Space Exploration.

MENTOR SESSION: HEATHER WAGNER REED (JUICE CONSULTING/
SPACE WORKFORCE INCUBATOR FOR TEXAS)

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


Mentor Session: Dr. Fadia Nordtveit (Springfield College/New York University)

Dr. Fadia Nordtveit

Springfield College / New York University

Assistant Professor of Communications / Faculty, Researcher and Consultant

Dr. Fadia Nordtveit combines academic, entrepreneurial, and creative expertise to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Sustainability (DEIBS) in various sectors and contexts. She is an Assistant Professor of Communications at Springfield College and holds a part-time Faculty, Research, and Consultant position at New York University. Dr. Fadia is a published author and has served on numerous DEIBS committees in a variety of universities and organizations. Her research areas are DEIBS, and she has created a system of organizational inclusion called the Inclusive Business Model Canvas (IBMC) that aids in building an inclusive foundational structure.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Sustainability, Storytelling, Ethics, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion", Journalism.

MENTOR SESSION: DR. FADIA NORDTVEIT (SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE/NEW YORK UNIVERSITY)


Mentor Session: Tammy Lynn Gilmore (Texas Women Songwriters Festival)

Tammy Lynn Gilmore

Executive Producer

Tammy Lynn Gilmore is a community builder, live events producer, creator of the SXSW community grant program and Executive Producer of the first-ever Texas Women Songwriters Festival in Lockhart, Texas. She has programmed innovation Summits with Singularity University partners in countries from Greece to Sweden to South Africa.

She is currently the Program Lead for Canva’s annual design event called Create. She produced immersive, experiential event activations for gaming companies at DICE and GDC. She was the community lead at the location-based social app Gowalla. She executive produced a campaign launch for the UN-endorsed Digital Public Goods Alliance. She oversaw the first-ever exhibition for the 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) led by the Africa CDC.

She sings and performs in a musical duo with her husband, Colin Gilmore. She assistant teaches a songwriting workshop at the Omega Institute of Holistic Studies. She is a voting member of the Recording Academy and has managed bands like the West Texas Exiles. She loves working on all things where art, creativity, technology, science and human rights meet.

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 Live Events, Songwriting, Women in Music.

MENTOR SESSION: TAMMY LYNN GILMORE (TEXAS WOMEN SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL)


Mentor Session: Paul Bird (Avery Dennison)

Paul Bird

Sr 3D Designer

Paul Bird has extensive experience building material scanning and product visualization pipelines for diverse industries including Industrial, Interior, and Apparel design. At Avery Dennison, he develops 3D tools that enable clients to visualize branding concepts and integrate them into 3D design workflows. As a member of the 3D Retail Coalition (3DRC), he is committed to advancing 3D technology and standards in the apparel, accessories, and footwear fields.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Fashion/Retail, Sustainability.

MENTOR SESSION: PAUL BIRD (AVERY DENNISON)


Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Emma Griffiths (Emma Griffiths PR)

Emma Griffiths

President

Emma Griffiths PR is a strategic and innovative PR firm headed by Emma Griffiths, a publicity maven with over 25 years experience in theatrical, unit, festival, VOD, DVD, TV, special event and industry publicity. She has managed hundreds of film campaigns in their entirety during unit, theatrical, festival and award season stages. Previous film festival client work includes: Cannes Film Festival, DOC NYC, Fantastic Fest, London Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, TCM Classic Film Festival, Television Critic's Association (TCA), Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and many more. She has a specific passion for Documentary, Horror/ Genre and World Cinema.

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 Publicity & Marketing, "Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution", Doc Filmmakers, Narrative Filmmakers.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: EMMA GRIFFITHS (EMMA GRIFFITHS PR)


Artist Demo Listening Session (Music for Sync) Presented by Discovr Radio

Scott Coleman

Creative Producer

Scott has been described as a musical Swiss Army Knife. An experienced creative, producer, composer, songwriter, audio engineer, and DJ, his breadth of skill sets makes him a highly valued collaborator for all types of projects.
He’s creative directed global campaigns for some of the world’s leading brands including American Airlines, Citi Bank, Squarespace, and composed tracks that have landed on spots with Don Julio, Abercrombie, and Dr Pepper. His music has made its way onto an Oikos superbowl spot and a rockstar-studded campaign for Workday. He was also an early pioneer of custom music for brand campaigns on TikTok, with his sounds racking up billions of views and impressions on the platform.
Currently residing in San Diego. When he isn’t cooking up some heat for The Elements, you can find him surfing, snowboarding, or hanging with his cat.

Malayna Ellis

Head of Sync + A&R

Malayna Ellis is Head of Sync and A&R at Butter Music and Sound, specializing in music supervision for advertising and creative sync licensing across all media. She leads Butter’s A&R-driven sync strategy, aligning music with narrative and brand objectives. Previously, Ellis worked in creative sync at Glassnote Records, supporting pitching and licensing for a roster of internationally recognized artists. She is also a freelance film music supervisor, most recently on Pretty Thing (2025), and brings a curator-led perspective informed by her background as an active DJ.

Artist Demo Listening Sessions, Presented by Discovr Radio, at SXSW are an interactive format where attendees have the opportunity to play demos for music experts, sparking real-time feedback and meaningful industry connections. You must be present to have your music in the running to be heard! SXSW attendees not having demos played are encouraged to attend and listen in on the fun! Each session will be followed up a social hour. Physical submissions will not be accepted at the door. Demo’s will be played on a first-come, first-served basis and attendees must submit their demo’s prior to the day of the session  by 11:59pm.  Please carefully read and fill out the form below to officially submit your demo: https://airtable.com/appYFNh7bkKd8nmwh/pagfBEWaVPizme5jr/form

ARTIST DEMO LISTENING SESSION (MUSIC FOR SYNC) PRESENTED BY DISCOVR RADIO

Discovr Radio

Discovr is an artist-focused service that lets musicians and songwriters have their music played on radio station streams, alongside broadcast programming. Artists, labels, managers, and distributors can use Discovr to upload tracks and have them inserted into radio streams – in place of ad interruptions – through faidr, a radio streaming app. Once a track has been approved, Discovr customers can monitor listener engagement and behavior through a robust analytics dashboard.

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

Artist Demo Listening Session (Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B) Part 2 Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Pop) Part 2 Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B) Part 1 Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Indie/Rock/Alt) Presented by Discovr Radio


Mentor Session: Ryan Cano (The Loyalty Firm)

Ryan Cano

Founder & Artist Manager

Ryan Cano is a music industry lifer with two decades of experience in Artist Management, Strategy and Events. Ryan's mutidisciplinary journey started as a touring musician with stops as a music festival Director & Talent Buyer, former live music venue owner, Marketing and more. He retains a MBA and BBA in Marketing from Texas State University. Ryan currently is the Founder & Artist Manager at The Loyalty Firm with offices in Austin,TX & Los Angeles,CA.

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, Live Events, Streaming & Programming.

MENTOR SESSION: RYAN CANO (THE LOYALTY FIRM)


Mentor Session: Jack Gallagher (Open Management)

Jack Gallagher

Founder/Manager

Jack Gallagher is the founder and CEO of Open Management in Austin, Texas, where he oversees the careers of breakthrough indie artists including Mt. Joy, Sun Room, Chaparelle, Susannah Joffe, and more; focusing on innovative fan engagement and data-driven strategies to build sustainable artist careers. Before founding Open Management in 2021, he spent five years as an artist manager at C3 Presents.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in A&R, Marketing/PR, Data, Merchandise.

MENTOR SESSION: JACK GALLAGHER (OPEN MANAGEMENT)


Designing AI for the Worst Day of Your Life

Thiyagu Ramasamy

Head of Global Public Sector

Thiyagu Ramasamy is head of Global Public Sector at Anthropic, an AI safety and research company working to build reliable, interpretable and steerable AI systems. Ramasamy’s experience comprises more than a decade of deep federal AI/ML expertise with proven AI safety leadership. He's deployed AI/ML in highly sensitive environments, previously spearheading the Amazon Web Services Emerging Technologies Team and architecting data analytics at Accenture Federal Services for defense, civilian and state/local agencies. He holds a MS/BE in Computer Science.

Mahesh Saptharishi

Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

Mahesh Saptharishi is executive vice president and chief technology officer of Motorola Solutions. He is responsible for the company’s global product organization, overseeing product development for critical communications, video security and command center.

Saptharishi joined Motorola Solutions in 2018 through the acquisition of Avigilon, a video security solutions company, where he served as senior vice president and chief technology officer. Prior to Avigilon, he founded VideoIQ, a video analytics company that was acquired by Avigilon, as well as Broad Reach Security, which was later acquired by GE.

Saptharishi earned a doctoral degree in artificial intelligence from Carnegie Mellon University.

Salon AB

Two Futurists and an AI: Seeing Trouble Ahead

How We Could Lose Control: Avoiding the Paths to Runaway AI

U.S. vs. The World: the Future We’re (Currently) Losing

The Clock Is Ticking for Space – Replacing the ISS

Can Media Survive AI? The Fight for Public Trust

Would you trust AI to save your life? Join Motorola Solutions and Anthropic to explore designing AI for your worst day. Discover how rigorously boundary testing AI in life-or-death situations—where seconds save lives—reveals critical truths for AI safety. Unpack "good friction" and essential controls to prevent harmful AI, including automation bias. Learn frameworks for responsible human-AI collaboration applicable across any industry, building AI you can stake your life on.

DESIGNING AI FOR THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE


The Next AI Revolution: From Cloud to Local

Harriet Torry

Reporter

Harriet Torry is The Wall Street Journal’s economics correspondent for the Western U.S.

Previously she covered the U.S. economy and Federal Reserve from the Journal's Washington, D.C., bureau. Harriet joined the Journal in Frankfurt in 2010 as a financial reporter, before moving to Berlin to cover the German government and economy during the eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

David Stout

Co-founder and CEO

David Stout is the co-founder and CEO of webAI, a startup pioneering private, on-device AI infrastructure for custom model creation and distributed compute. Under his leadership, webAI is valued at $2.5B and has secured key customers including ŌURA.

David is an accomplished researcher and a UPenn AI Awardee, recognized for innovations in Attention Steering, Guided Attention, and Adaptive Large Infrastructure Models (LIM). He has over a decade of experience in enterprise technology, with deep expertise in building and scaling advanced AI systems.

Tom Hale

CEO

Tom Hale is the CEO of ŌURA, the company behind the smart ring that has changed the way people understand and optimize their health through personalized insights and continuous biometric monitoring. While Tom has been CEO, ŌURA has reached a valuation of $5.2B and closed a $200M Series D round. Prior to joining ŌURA, Tom held executive roles at companies including Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey), Linden Lab (creator of Second Life), and Adobe. He has 20+ years of leadership experience across product, operations, and growth. He also serves as an advisor/investor at NoiseAware and Volara and is a member of the board at Cars.com. Tom holds a B.A. from Harvard University.

Salon E

The Creative Economy is Thriving: Why Founders Keep Building for Creators

The Lucky 10%: CPGs Flipping Off the Startup Failure Rate

The Art of Scaling Your Startup Without Venture Capital

Who Owns What: The State of Startups & Top Trends to Watch

Now is Japan's Time: Leading the Future with Deep Tech

AI adoption is growing, but cloud-based AI is hitting limits like high costs, privacy concerns, environmental damage, & latency issues. This session will explore why the next generation of AI will be specialized, expert, & local. Panelists will unpack how on-device AI can deliver improved performance, privacy, & scalability with a more sustainable infrastructure. They’ll share how local AI is changing businesses, reshaping privacy expectations, and shifting the global tech landscape - and the next steps the industry has to take to make the use of local AI widespread.


Money, Sex & Religion - How Design Turns Taboo to Touchpoint

Dominic Davis

Reporter

Dominic-Madori Davis is a senior venture capital and startup reporter at TechCrunch.

Shan Boodram

Chief Intimacy Officer

Shan Boodram is the Chief Intimacy Officer at Arya, the AI-enabled couples wellness platform. As a certified sexologist and AASECT-certified sex educator, Shan is one of the internet’s most sought-after voices on intimacy and relationships. Through Arya, she’s helping to remove the stigma, shame, and guesswork around kink, communication, and connection. She draws from over a decade of education and on-the-ground experience—including as a mother of two—to inform inclusive, empowering tools for modern love and sex.

Phylicia Koh

General Partner

Phylicia is a General Partner at Play Ventures a leading early-stage VC fund that invests globally in gaming, consumer apps and gaming-adjacent tech. Phylicia has led investments into Alter (avatar tech company acquired by Google, Arya (AI-driven couple intimacy platform), BibleChat (fastest growing AI-powered faith app, #4 US App Store). She most recently led Alinea's $10.4m Series A (personal financial investing app for Gen Z). Before joining Play as Employee #1, Phylicia spent 9 years in marketing and growth, working with the likes of Mighty Bear Games, Voice Labs, Homage, Ethnicraft Online, as well as for the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Anam Lakhani

Co-CEO

Anam Lakhani is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alinea Invest, the Gen Z investing platform built to make wealth-building simple, social, and accessible. She oversees product and design, translating complex financial systems into beautifully intuitive tools. Alinea has attracted users by reimagining investing for a new generation - prioritizing community, values-based decision making, and long-term financial health. Anam’s background includes Wall Street internships and roles at high-growth fintech startups, giving her a rare blend of institutional knowledge and startup agility. She was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for her role in redefining how young people think about money and investing.

Salon D

Designing the Future of Human Performance

The Companies Building and Automating Space's Superhighway

What AI Agents Are Doing While You're Not Watching

The New Lab Partner: AI and Future Scientific Discovery

Humanoid Robots Are Clocking In: Meet Who’s Putting Them To Work

Sex, money, and religion are no longer taboo—they’re trending. This panel explores how behavioral UX, gamification, and human-centered design can destigmatize what used to be off-limits. From intimacy apps to investing platforms, discover how intentional design is helping users navigate vulnerable moments with confidence. Hear from sex educator Shan Boodram, Alinea’s Gen Z fintech founder Anam Lakhani, Bloomberg’s Riley Griffin, and Play Ventures’ Phylicia Koh—one of few female investors in gaming VC—on how intentional UX is turning discomfort into discovery.

MONEY, SEX & RELIGION - HOW DESIGN TURNS TABOO TO TOUCHPOINT


Game On: The Future of Sports and Gaming Collide

Sadia Noor

Creative Partner

Sadia Noor is the Creative Partner at Small World, the entertainment-obsessed creative agency behind viral campaigns for brands like Duolingo, Under Armour, and Hot Topic. With a background in both agency and creator worlds, she leads with taste, speed and cultural intuition, turning creators into creative directors, brands into broadcasters, and briefs into shows. Her work spans sitcoms, sports campaigns, and celebrity-led stunts, always rooted in one belief: if it’s not entertaining, it’s not working.

James Salmon

Senior Director Partnership Marketing, EA SPORTS FC

James Salmon is Senior Director, Partnerships Marketing at EA SPORTS FC, where he leads strategic brand, broadcast, talent, and platform partnerships to grow engagement across the global football ecosystem. In his role, James focuses on activating rights, building iconic collaborations, and shaping marketing strategies that connect millions of fans with EA SPORTS FC’s culture and community initiatives. His career in football and sports media includes leadership positions at organisations such as The FA and BT Sport (now TNT Sports), reflecting a deep passion for the sport and its fans. At EA SPORTS FC, James champions initiatives that bridge digital, grassroots, and real-world football experiences, helping expand the game’s reach and relevance worldwide.

Kevin Durkin

Consumer Strategy & Sports Partnerships

Kevin Durkin is Senior Director, Head of Consumer Strategy & Sports Partnerships at Epic Games, where he leads global commercial strategy and builds key partnerships at the intersection of gaming, culture, and sports. Since joining Epic in 2020, Kevin has helped shape strategic initiatives that expand brand engagement and drive growth across consumer and sports ecosystems. Prior to Epic, he held roles in digital commerce, strategy, and partnerships, including work with The MBA Fund, HAUS Laboratories, Nike, and Deloitte. Kevin holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and degrees in business and professional accounting from the University of Washington.

Dan Salkey

Founder

Dan Salkey is Strategy Partner at Small World, the entertainment-first agency behind work for brands like Duolingo, Oatly, and Dr. Squatch. He helps brands act less like advertisers and more like entertainers, building creative teams of un-standard talent and turning marketing into culture. Dan also co-authored the Entertain or Die report, a global index ranking the most entertaining brands on Earth. His mission: help brands earn attention by being worth watching.

Waller Ballroom D

Media That Matters: Nuclear Weapons & the Next Generation

Rethinking Higher Education to Build an AI-First Workforce

The Big Blur: Rethinking the Transition from School to Work

Building AI Pathways for HBCU Talent & Community Impact

The Fandom Force: How to Create a Fan-First Social Approach

The next wave of sports fandom won’t be built in stadiums; it’ll be built in-game. From the NBA’s digital court activations to Fortnite’s immersive events and EA Sports’ evolving cultural platform, the lines between sport and play are blurring fast. This panel explores how gaming is reshaping how fans engage with sport, not just watching, but emulating, remixing, and co-creating it. The future of global sport is interactive, creator-powered, and playable.

GAME ON: THE FUTURE OF SPORTS AND GAMING COLLIDE


Designing for Fandom: Where Brand Meets Belonging

Nichole Geddes

Director, Publishing Creative, Valorant

Norman Rabinovich

Vice President, Creative Services

Norman Rabinovich is a Creative Director with over 20+ years of experience creating visual identities, digital interfaces, retail experiences and campaigns for some of the most well-known and least well-known domestic and international brands. He is currently the VP of Creative Services at Crunchyroll, the global brand that fuels fans’ love of anime.

Originally from Riga, Latvia, brought up in the US, and trained at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia, Norman has served in creative leadership roles for both agencies and in-house companies across industries.

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

Fandoms aren’t audiences; they’re communities. And communities thrive on meaning, identity, and emotion. This panel explores how brands use design to speak the language of fans and build deep cultural connections. From anime to gaming to pop culture collabs, motion mnemonics, and type systems inspired by subculture, we’ll unpack how visual identity becomes a tool for trust, transformation, and belonging. When done right, design doesn’t just sell, it unites.

DESIGNING FOR FANDOM: WHERE BRAND MEETS BELONGING


Technologies of Care: Ritual, Play, & the Future of Wellness

Simone Funi Fougnier (Funilab) & Soul Paint

Sarah Ticho

Director

Sarah is a multidisciplinary artist, creative strategist, and change maker working at the threshold of immersive storytelling, healthcare, and collective healing. Founder of Hatsumi, she created SOUL PAINT (SXSW Special Jury Prize 2024), which has been exhibited at the United Nations, London Film Festival, and 10 Downing Street.

She is the co-director of the XR Health Alliance and co-authored The Growing Value of XR in Healthcare in the United Kingdom, which helped catalyse a £20 million UKRI investment into emerging care technologies.

Described by Forbes as a “Renaissance person”, Sarah's work has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and the BBC. She has spoken at platforms including YouTube, Games for Change, Stanford University, and the United Nations.

Niki Smit

Director

Bio Niki Smit.
Niki Smit is a multi-award winning Director of interactive and experiential art.
He is co-founder / creative Director at Monobanda, where he explores and expands the boundaries of play, embodied interaction and emergent storytelling. Additionally, he is director at ExploreDEEP, where he creates meditative, breath controlled VR experiences that are employed in scientific research and clinical therapy

His work focuses heavily on researching and developing new forms of playful behaviour. His passion lies in creating projects that connect the human body, physical space and the virtual world in surprising ways, creating meaningful embodied experiences that fill the space between art, science and mental wellbeing.

He has collaborated and lectured with numerous international organizations, universities, research groups and museums.Smit’s most notable awards include the Dutch Directors Guild award for Best Digital Storytelling 2020, and Special Jury Award SXSW 2024 for Soul Paint. His projects have drawn international attention, with features in leading outlets like Forbes Washington Post, VICE, Hollywood Reporter, the Guardian Polygon, Engadget and more. His project DEEP is featured in a dedicated chapter of the book Checkpoint: How video games power up minds, kick ass and save lives , and has been the focus of nine published scientific studies.

Salon C

Launch with 0 Investors: A Playbook for Crowdfunding in 2026

Missionary Misfits: Why Not Belonging Makes You Build Better

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

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

This interactive talk will explore how artist-led, science-backed immersive experiences can foster emotional expression and wellbeing. Award-winning artists behind Explore Deep and Soul Paint, Sarah Ticho (Hatsumi, XR Health Alliance) and Niki Smit (Monobanda) share tools for co-creating rituals of care through creative health design. Participants will explore emotional mapping, embodiment, and cross-sector collaboration to imagine new pathways for impact across health, art, and education.

TECHNOLOGIES OF CARE: RITUAL, PLAY, & THE FUTURE OF WELLNESS


Spinning Out: What It Takes to Build a University Startup

University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships

Jim Adox

Managing Partner

Jim Adox is Managing Partner of Venture Investors Health Fund in Ann Arbor, where he invests in medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. He brings deep technical and operational experience, holding two issued U.S. medical device patents. Jim serves on the board of HistoSonics, a University of Michigan spinout where he led the Series A and B financings and supported the company through a $2.25B change-of-control transaction. He also serves on the boards of ViaLase, EarliPoint Health, and Dvant Pharma, and previously co-founded and served as CEO of Tissue Regeneration Systems, acquired by Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic. Jim holds BS, MS, and MBA degrees from the University of Michigan.

Charlie Childs

Co-Founder & CEO

Charlie Childs, Ph.D. is co-founder and CEO of Intero Biosystems, a biotech company working to replace animal testing with miniature human organs grown in the lab. She earned her BS from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her PhD from the University of Michigan, where she trained as a stem cell scientist and bioinformatician. At Intero, Charlie leads development of human-relevant testing platforms that help researchers predict how drugs and chemicals will affect people before reaching patients. Her work aims to make drug development safer, faster, and more effective, while reducing reliance on animal testing.

Adam Molnar

Co-Founder & Head of Business and Partnerships

Adam Molnar is co-founder and VP of Strategic Partnerships at Neurable, a Boston-based neurotechnology company pioneering brain–computer interface technology for everyday devices. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Consumer Technology, he earned a BA from the University of Michigan’s Program in the Environment, focusing on behavior change and entrepreneurship. At Neurable, Adam leads partnerships with OEMs and global brands to commercialize AI-powered brain-sensing technology across cognitive health and human performance. He also founded NeuroTechX’s content initiative and serves as an advisor to the Institute of Neuroethics, advocating for ethical, accessible neurotechnology as the industry scales.

Michael Psarouthakis

Innovation Partnerships at the University of Michigan

As Executive Director of Impact Investments & Strategic Alliances at Innovation Partnerships, Mike leads U-M’s investment programs, including the Accelerate Blue Fund and the Michigan University Innovation Capital Fund. He also develops new initiatives to attract outside investment in U-M startups and expand regional and national venture engagement to strengthen Michigan’s startup and investment ecosystem. Mike oversees the Technology Transfer Talent Network (T3N) and the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) programs for Life Sciences and Advanced Transportation, which support research commercialization at Michigan’s public universities, as well as U-M’s participation in the Mobility Accelerator Innovation Network under the Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) initiative.

Previously, Mike served as Director of Ventures and the first Managing Director of the Accelerate Blue Fund. Before joining U-M, he was Vice President of Business Acceleration at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, managing a $250 million portfolio of investments in more than 150 early-stage technology companies. Earlier in his career, he was Assistant Vice President at Forest Health Services, where he managed a $50 million corporate venture fund and served as President of Sequoia Captive Insurance.

Mike has led several successful exits (GameZone, Online Technologies, EIP) and founded four companies. He has served on numerous boards, including eBay, PayPal, Compendia Biosciences, and the College for Creative Studies. He is Chair of the Ann Arbor Local Development Finance Authority and serves on the Ann Arbor SPARK Business Development Committee and the U-M Roundtable on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Mike holds an MBA (corporate strategy and marketing) and M.S. in natural resource management from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in history and political science from Eastern Michigan University.

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

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

The De-brief: Rethinking the Brand–Creator Relationship

Research universities sit behind many of the world’s most transformative technologies—but turning discovery into a scalable company remains one of entrepreneurship’s hardest paths. In this panel, three founders who spun their companies out of the University of Michigan share the real story of navigating IP, early capital, team building, market validation, and the “valley of death.” Moderated by a U-M innovation leader, the conversation explores what support matters most, where universities help or hinder, and lessons for founders, investors, and research institutions alike.

SPINNING OUT: WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A UNIVERSITY STARTUP


Maude Apatow

Maude Apatow is an American actor, director, and producer. "Poetic License" is her feature directorial debut.

Alamo Lamar 6

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

"Poetic License" follows Liz a former therapist and soon-to-be empty nester, who relocates to a new town for her husband’s job – a place where she doesn’t know a soul. Her quiet attempt to settle in takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the point of tension between two inseparable best friends and college seniors, Sam and Ari. As their fierce competition for her attention threatens to upend their lives, Liz is pulled into a tangle of longing, self-discovery, and the intoxicating thrill of being truly seen – forcing her to confront the life she’s built and the one she still craves.

Poetic License

Maude Apatow’s sharp and heartfelt debut feature, "Poetic License" follows a middle aged mother Liz, as she becomes the unexpected point of tension between Sam and Ari, two inseparable best friends and college seniors.

Jamal Daniel
Michelle Upton
Renee Witt
Harrison Kreiss
Jay Cassidy

Judd Apatow
Josh Church
Benjamin Hung
Thalia Daniel
Maude Apatow
Olivia Rosenbloom
Will Greenfield

Leslie Mann, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman


Russell Goldman

Russell Goldman is a writer and filmmaker from Virginia, now based in Los Angeles. His short films "Burn Out", "Closing Time" and "Return to Sender" have played at film festivals around the world. He delights in stories about obsessives (no relation).

Alamo Lamar 9

Your Attention Please

Health/Disability/Illness
Politics
Technology
Social Issue

Time and Water

Archival Materials Courtesy of Andri Snær Magnason

Julia was fired three weeks ago. She also got sober three weeks ago. She’s starting over in a suburban rental, and doing a lot of online shopping to help make the space her own, fast. When packages she didn’t order start showing up at her door — a blender, a corkscrew, her signature shade of lipstick — they feel so unnervingly tied to her past that it starts to feel like someone is watching her. The shopping site Smirk denies responsibility. But increasingly paranoid, Julia tumbles down a rabbit hole to find the identity of her anonymous sender.

Sender

After receiving a series of unwanted packages containing unnervingly targeted items, a woman tumbles down a paranoid rabbit hole to find her mysterious sender.

Akshay Shah
Thomas Grabinski
Russell Goldman
Britt Lower
Paris Jones
Andre Ray

Jamie Lee Curtis
Molly Hallam
Jake Katofsky

Britt Lower, Rhea Seehorn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anna Baryshnikov, David Dastmalchian, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Mike Mitchell, Edward Torres, Alyssa Limperis, Inger Stratton

Costume Designer: Sarah Trost, Colorist: Alastor Arnold, Visual Effects Supervisor: Tyler Shanklin, Visual Effects Producer: Federico Friciello, Makeup Department Head: Galaxy San Juan, Hair Department Head: Julie Rea, Co-Producer: Victoria Alejandro, 1st Assistant Director: Jessica Dho, Set Decorator: Jen Giron, Art Director: Greg Anderson


Aisha Evelyna

Aisha Evelyna is an actor and filmmaker focused on centring underrepresented voices. Highlights include her series 'The Drop' (now streaming on Tubi), debut feature 'Seahorse', Vimeo Staff Pick 'Alex', and short films screened at Sitges, Aspen ShortsFest, Austin, RiverRun, Cucalorus, HollyShorts, among others.

Alamo Lamar 2

Ugly Cry

Health/Disability/Illness
The Arts/Theater
Women

Nola, a sous chef searching for stability, is barely holding her life together. After a brutal Friday night shift, she crashes her bike and wakes to find her estranged father, Cyrus, now unhoused, standing over her. Taking him in forces long-buried wounds to the surface. As past and present collide, Nola is pulled into a reckoning with grief, forgiveness, and the fragile possibility of repair.

Seahorse

A sous chef’s pursuit of stability is tested by the return of her estranged father, now living on the streets of Toronto.

Ben Cowley and The Caribbean Tales Media Group

Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Brett Donahue, Joseph Marcell, Alden Adair

Associate Producer: Nancy Morski, Associate Producer: Will King, Costume Designer: Jeannette Linton


Miko Lim

Miko Lim is an award-winning director known for his authentic storytelling in extraordinary environments.

"Stormbound," Lim’s first IMAX feature film documentary, sees the director partnered with Producer Adam McKay. Filmed on IMAX cameras, the film follows a chronically ill man chasing the world’s largest hurricanes. In 2025, Lim was selected as the only shadow director for Apple TV’s "Murderbot" with showrunners Chris and Paul Weitz, which spent 10 weeks at #1 on Apple’s Most Streamed Chart. His short film "Ocean Mother" won him a Best Director Clio and his Adidas spot “What’s One More” was shortlisted at Cannes. His films have accumulated well over 1 billion views on YouTube, and he has the most-watched Adidas commercial of all time. Lim is a Paramount Global Director Fellow, and a co-chair of the DGA’s first feature film mentorship program alongside Lee Isaac Chung and Celine Song. In addition to his film work, Lim is an avid rock climber, free diver, and surfer, living in LA with his wife and three children.

Alamo Lamar 4

My NDA

African American
Legal
LGBTQ
Politics
Social Issues
Women
Social Issue

Cookie Queens

African American
Latino
Texas
Women
Children
Disability
Native American/Indigenous
Youth/Teen

Courtesy of Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films

The Life We Leave

Business/Entrepreneurial
Environment
Social Issue

Step inside the eye of the storm. "Stormbound" thrusts audiences into the heart of the world’s most powerful hurricanes with breathtaking, never-before-seen footage captured from within. As wind, water, and land collide, the film follows storm chaser Jeff Gammons, who for more than thirty years has pushed closer than anyone else to document every major hurricane to strike the United States. Now tested by a near fatal disease , Gammons continues his pursuit—revealing the personal cost of chasing nature at its most extreme and the larger environmental forces shaping our world. "Stormbound" is a high-stakes, immersive experience that places audiences face-to-face with nature at its most powerful.

Stormbound

Go inside the eye of the hurricane and the life of one of America's top stormchasers. Utilizing a 30-year archive and a new storm season set to be deadlier than ever, Jeff Gammons’ search for the ultimate shot could see him chase his final storm.

Trevor Jones
Miko Lim
Adam McKay
Todd Schulman
John Turner

Co-Executive Producer: Ethan Harari, Co-Executive Producer: Randy Kiyan, Co-Executive Producer: David Clair


Ayden Mayeri

Ayden Mayeri is an Actor and Director from Northern California. She can be seen starring in films like Paul Feig’s Jackpot opposite John Cena and Awkwafina,  Greg Mottola's Confess Fletch opposite John Hamm, and Hannah Pearl Utt's Cora Bora as well as TV shows like I Love That For You, Mr. Throwback, and New Girl. At Tribeca 2025 she starred in the AT&T Untold Stories feature, Honeyjoon.

Violet Crown 2

Agridulce (Bittersweet)

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

In the summer of 2000, four pre-teen friends formed a band called X-Cetra and burned a homemade album onto a few CD-Rs. The following year, consumed by adolescent concerns of boys and drug store shoplifting, their labor of love was quickly forgotten.... Until 20 years later, when someone uploaded it online. At first, it garnered a small base of outsider-art fans, but soon it was discovered by record labels, sampled by mainstream artists, and eventually the subject of a Rolling Stone article. With their teen dreams of pop stardom coming true decades later, X-Cetra reunites to see if they can rekindle the unselfconscious girlhood they’d captured in the album those many years ago.

Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story

Four friends reunite when the album they made as pre-teens becomes a cult hit on the internet and scores a record deal twenty years later. Together, they revisit their friendship and early 2000s girlhood.

Ayden Mayeri & Barry Rothbart & Rachael Fung

Grief Party inc. & Handsome Boy Productions & Extra A Productions

Ayden Mayeri
Barry Rothbart
Rachael Fung

Ayden Mayeri, Jessica Hall, Janet Kariuki, Mary Washburn, Robin O'brien


State Theatre

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist

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

A film that everyone is talking about, and audiences need another chance to see it.


Jenna MacMillan

Jenna MacMillan is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and founder of Club Red Productions.  Her feature directorial debut "The Snake" is slated to premiere in 2026. She produced the hit comedy "Who's Yer Father?" (Paramount+), and the internationally sold thriller "A Small Fortune". Jenna was named one of Playback Magazine’s 10 to watch in 2025.

When Jamie, ungovernable 40 something wild child collides with her venomous mother Anne, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her evicted and single. This sends Jamie on a pig in a hurricane journey for “home”; breaking into her Nana’s house to prove it should be hers, a rejected bid to move in with her van dwelling punk rock ex, and a stint in her best friends pied a terre, which ends with Jamie hooking up with her husband.

The Snake

When an ungovernable 40 something wild child collides with her venomous mother, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her newly evicted, partially single, and in bed with her best friend’s husband.

Susan Kent, Robin Duke, Jonathan Torrens, Emma Hunter, Daniel Petronijevic, Jimbo, Kim Roberts, Kenny Robinson, Jacqueline Robbins, Joyce Robbins


Juliane Dressner

Juliane Dressner is a documentary director, producer, cinematographer and editor. Her films include "Personal Statement" (broadcast on PBS and nominated for an Emmy), "The Scars of Stop-and-Frisk," (part of an Emmy-winning season of the New York Times Op-Docs series) and "An Education" (Winner of The National Magazine Award for video for the NY Times).

Miriam Shor

Miriam Shor is a director and actor, focused on stories that challenge traditional female narratives. Her work includes "Pluribus" (Apple TV), "Younger" (Critics Choice nom.), "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"(Sundance Directing and Audience Awards, Berlinale Best Feature Film), "Maestro," "American Fiction," and spans HBO, FX, Netflix, ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Alamo Lamar 3

I Got Bombed at Harvey's

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

Three people bound by non-disclosure agreements face extreme personal risk to expose how a simple intellectual property contract is weaponized to silence, manipulate and control.

My NDA

Penny & Thomas Jackson - The Brandt Jackson Foundation

Elizabeth Woodward
Hanna Gray Organschi
Juliane Dressner
Miriam Shor


Jack Zagha

Mexican director, producer, and screenwriter. A graduate of UT Austin, his films Goodbye Cruel World, One for the Road, and Warehoused have screened internationally and received festival recognition. His work blends humor and drama, and has been released theatrically and on platforms such as HBO and Netflix.

Yossy Zagha

Yossy Zagha is a producer, writer, and director. A UT Austin graduate and award-winning advertising creative, he co-founded Avanti Pictures. His short film Yo También Te Quiero won the Coral Prize at the Havana Film Festival. As a producer, his credits include Warehoused, Containment, and Sin señas particulares. His films have earned over 15 Ariel Awards and premiered at festivals including Sundance, San Sebastián, and Morelia.

Violet Crown 3

Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles

Set in Mexico City, Fifteen reimagines the iconic quinceañera as a chaotic mix of comedy and creature horror. Through Mayte and Ligia’s unbreakable bond, the film explores class divides, the illusions of adolescence, and the fear of growing up—wrapped in kitsch aesthetics, blood-soaked humor, and biting social critique.

Fifteen

A Mexican girl’s quinceañera spirals into chaos when supernatural rumors and small-town gossip collide, forcing her to face adulthood sooner than expected.

Jack Zagha
Yossy Zagha
Elsa Reyes
Valentín Javier Diment
Vanesa Pagani

Andrzej Rattinger
Ricardo Álvarez Canales

Greta Marti, Macarena Oz, Aminta Ireta, Martha Claudia Moreno, Enrique Arreola, Mercedes Hernández, Malena Sandy, Cloe Juresa Furgan, Andre Fajardo, Silvia Villazur


Celebrity
Politics
Social Issues
The Arts/Theater

Jonah Tulis

In addition to "Serling", Jonah is also currently in post-production on "Silk Road", a covert documentary featuring exclusive access to one of the 21st century’s most notorious criminals, the recently pardoned Ross Ulbricht, founder of the infamous dark web site. The film is being produced by DLP Media, Five All in the Fifth & Submarine. Previously, Jonah directed "GameStop: Rise of the Players," which was produced alongside Submarine for NEON. The doc hit theaters nationwide on January 28th, the one-year anniversary of the now famous “GameStop Short Squeeze” that rocked Wall Street. Jonah also directed "Console Wars," the first original documentary from Legendary Pictures and Paramount+, which takes viewers back to 1990 when Sega, a fledgling arcade company, assembled a team of underdogs to take on the greatest video game company in the world, Nintendo. The film was produced alongside Legendary, CBS TV Studios, Point Grey Pictures and Scott Rudin. Jonah was also an Executive Producer on the planned scripted series adaptation of "Console Wars" at Paramount+.

"Serling" is an immersive first-person journey exploring the life and legacy of one of television’s most visionary storytellers, Rod Serling. Told almost entirely in Serling’s own words, drawn from never-before-heard recordings and personal dictations, the film captures the man behind "The Twilight Zone" in all his complexity. The film weaves archival material with atmospheric recreations that echo the eerie visual language Serling made iconic. As his unmistakable voice guides us, Serling emerges not only as a master of storytelling, but as a man grappling with the trauma of war, the moral compromises of fame, and the hope that America might one day live up to its own ideals.

Serling

An intimate portrait of Rod Serling told through never-before-heard recordings, uncovering how trauma, censorship, and conviction gave rise to "The Twilight Zone" and the man who turned television into a battleground of conscience and imagination.

Anne Serling
Jodi Serling
Taylor DiGilio
Sera C.C. Verdi
Anthony Gudas
Rick Lazes
Gareth West
Maurice Antonio
Aristotle Andrulakis
Nicholas de Graffenreid

Chad A. Verdi
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jennifer Davisson
Phillip Watson
Michelle Verdi
Chad Verdi
Jr.
Paul Luba
Jonah Tulis
Blake J. Harris


Education
Latino
LGBTQ
Politics
Social Issues
Social Issue

Isis Broken

Isis Broken is an actress and singer from Sergipe whose career bridges music, performance, and activism. She gained recognition with the award-winning music video Clã and starred in TV Globo’s soap opera "No Rancho Fundo." Co-director of the feature "Apolo," she released the album Orquestra Sinfônica das Cachorras de Rua in 2025.

Tainá Müller

Tainá Müller is a Brazilian actress, filmmaker, and journalist. She began her career as a reporter for MTV Brasil and appeared in the film "Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within" (2010). On television, she starred in the soap opera "Em Família" and Netflix’s series "Good Morning, Verônica" (2020–2024). In 2025, she made her feature directorial debut "Apolo."

"Apolo" follows the journey of a family formed by a transgender couple, revealing the nuances of love, daily life, and the constant struggle for recognition and respect. The documentary offers an intimate look into their family dynamics, inviting us to rethink our notions of affection, care, and society itself. As we accompany Apolo’s pregnancy, we are led to reflect on the challenges and dramas faced by the couple — Isis Broken and Lourenzo Gabriel. The father is the one giving birth, and society is not yet ready for that reality. The feature-length documentary marks the directorial debut of actress Tainá Müller and trans woman and musician Isis Broken.

Apolo

As we follow Apolo’s pregnancy, we reflect on the drama(s) of a transgender couple: Isis Broken and Lourenzo Gabriel. The father is giving birth — and society is not prepared for it.

Isa Colombo
Denise Fait
João Macedo
Plinio Profeta

Bianca Villar
Eduardo Rezende
Fernando Fraiha
Henrique Sauer
Karen Castanho
Tainá Muller e Thiago Mascarenhas

Tainá Müller
Tatiana Lohmann
Ísis Broken
Lourenzo Duvale

Lourenzo Duvale, Isis Broken, Apolo Duvale

Post-Production Coordination: Beto Bassi, Production Sound: Ísis Araújo, Production Sound: Clara Cavalcante, Production Sound: Gustavo Ruggeri, Production Sound: Juliana Chotte, Distribution Producer: Barbara Sturm


Jonás Cuarón

Jonás Cuarón is a director, writer, and producer known for Gravity (co-writer), Desierto (TIFF FIPRESCI winner), and Chupa (Netflix, 2023). His work spans fiction and documentary, including Año uña and The Shock Doctrine, which premiered at Venice and Thessaloniki.

Campeón Gabacho tells the story of Liborio, an endearing and mischievous young migrant whose only talent is taking punches. He crosses the Rio Grande to escape a harsh reality in Mexico, looking for a better life in the United States, and settles in a Latino barrio in New York City. Through his fists, his love, and his words, he faces cultural walls and prejudices that threaten his hopes, and becomes a hero in an unknown land.

Campeón Gabacho

English, Spanish; Castilian with English Subtitles

Campeón Gabacho tells the story of Liborio, a spirited Mexican migrant who fights, literally and figuratively, for a better life in the United States, punching through prejudice with heart, humor, and hope to become an unlikely hero.

Gabriela Rodríguez
Alfonso Cuarón
Jonás Cuarón
Nicolás Celis

Juan Daniel García Treviño, Leslie Grace, Rubén Blades, Eddie Marsan, Rosario Dawson, Cheech Marin, Marvin Jones III, Carlos Carrasco, Dolores Heredia


Evan Mascagni

Evan Mascagni is an award-winning director and producer based in Kentucky. His latest documentary feature, "Building a Bridge," premiered at the Tribeca Festival and was executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Named to DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 emerging filmmakers, Evan’s recent work has been featured on Sundance TV, AMC+, and PBS. He runs Slaughterhouse 502, a production company proudly based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Drew Morris

Drew Morris is a director focused on subjects who have a peculiar relationship with societal norms. His debut doc feature, "Exile By Choice (2015)," streamed on Hulu. Since then, he has directed documentary projects for Atlantic Records, "Croptober" (2020, a 6 part series), and Joe Budden’s Humans series (2023). Morris runs Born Ready Films, an LA based content house that produces projects for a range of brands and organizations.

The unbelievable true story of the Cornbread Mafia, a group of Kentucky farmers who built the largest domestic marijuana syndicate in U.S. history. Sons of tobacco farmers, moonshiners, and bootleggers, they turned to pot to keep their families fed.

What followed was straight out of Kentucky folklore: lion cubs on the farm, backroad police chases, and a code of silence that baffled prosecutors. Part true crime and part cartoon, the film blends community, the War on Drugs, and a whole lot of weed with the humor and heart of the folks who lived it.

Cornbread Mafia

"Cornbread Mafia" is the true story of the rise and fall of Kentucky farmers who built the largest domestic marijuana syndicate in U.S. history. Part true crime, part cartoon, a whole lot of weed.

Danny McBride
David Gordon Green
Brandon James
Michael Shanker

Narrator: Boyd Holbrook, Co-Executive Producer: G Hunt Rounsavall Jr., Co-Producer: Matt Wyatt, Co-Producer: Nick Capezzera, Additional Cinematography: Danielle Elise Bartley, Art Director: Lauren Bowers, Animation Art Director: Mike Netland, Animation Studio: Straight to Tell


Patrick Bresnan

Using precise and illustrative cinematic images, Patrick Bresnan makes intimate films that counter the mythic concepts of America. Working with Ivete Lucas his features and shorts have premiere at Berlin, Sundance, The Quinzaine, Toronto, SXSW and T/F. In addition to making films he has served on the boards of experimental theaters and affordable housing non profits.

Rollins Theatre at the Long Center

Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero

On January 6, 2023, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis enacted a right-wing takeover of a public university called New College of Florida, targeting both its culture and unique academic program for an ultra-conservative makeover. Resistance is immediate, but the campus descends into chaos as powerful political actors make sweeping changes. Caught up in the mix are a group of intellectually curious young people from all sides of the political spectrum intent on completing their studies at New College, which has suddenly become ground zero in the culture wars.

First They Came for My College

When the Governor of Florida transforms a beloved public honors college in a political coup, students and professors confront a new reality: their campus is ground zero in a growing nation-wide assault on academic freedom.

Holly Herrick
Harry W. Hanbury
Patrick Bresnan
Zackary Drucker

Patrick Bresnan
Sara Kinney
Daniel Potthast

Gaby Batista, Joshua Janniere, Libby Harrity, Lindsey Jennings, Dylan Niner, Amy Reid


Doug Blush

Doug Blush is an award-winning director, producer, editor, writer and cinematographer whose work includes over 300 feature and television projects. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) and the American Cinema Editors (ACE). Credits include, as Executive Producer, "Like A Rolling Stone: The Life And Times Of Ben Fong Torres" (2021), the Critic’s Choice and Peabody Award-winning (Mr. Soul! (2020), as well as a number of Academy Award-winning documentaries: "The Elephant Whisperers" (2023), "Period.End Of Sentence"(2019), "Icarus" (2018), and, as supervising editor "20 Feet From Stardom" (2013).

He is also a longtime film educator with classes and seminars at USC, UCLA, Syracuse University and the YoungArts Foundation, as well as exchanges and panels in Indonesia, Poland, Brazil, New Zealand, Armenia, Malaysia, Nigeria, China, Latvia, The Netherlands and more.

Doug co-owns MadPix, a Los Angeles-based production and post- production company.

Piero F. Giunti

Piero F. Giunti is an award-winning Los Angeles–based photographer, filmmaker, and curator whose work sits at the intersection of music, community, and global cultural storytelling. Over the last decade, he has devoted his life’s work to preserving the voices and images of the artists who shaped Los Angeles through A Great Day in East LA®, the largest oral history and portrait project ever created about the musicians of Los Angeles. As a photographer, his lens has captured and collaborated with a wide range of influential international artists, including Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Tom Morello, Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine), The Black-Eyed Peas, ZZTop, Becky G, Los Tigres del Norte, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Caifanes. His photographs have been published internationally in outlets including Vogue, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and SPIN.He has served as Los Lobos' official photographer and videographer for the past eight years.

"Los Lobos Native Sons" is the definitive, authorized chronicle of one of America’s most enduring, genre-defying bands. Tracing Los Lobos’ rise from East L.A. streets to global acclaim, the film offers unprecedented access to their archives and an intimate look at the brotherhood driving their journey. Through electrifying performances and candid interviews—with Linda Ronstadt, Rubén Blades, Tom Waits, Dolores Huerta, Danny Elfman, Jackson Browne, Cheech Marin, Edward James Olmos, Peter Frampton, George Lopez, Bonnie Raitt, and more, the film celebrates their legacy as cultural trailblazers blending rock, roots, and Mexican traditions into a sound uniquely their own.

Los Lobos Native Sons

"Los Lobos Native Sons" is the definitive chronicle of the global Latin rock ’n’ roll legends Los Lobos, offering an unparalleled 50-year musical journey through exclusive access to the band’s personal archives and extraordinary legacy

Castulo de la Rocha
Domingo Garcia
John Echeveste
Hanna Bolte

Robert Corsini
Doug Blush
Piero F. Giunti
Rafael Agustin
Flavio Morales
Patricia Harris DiLeva

Cesar Rosas, Louie Perez, David Hidalgo, Conrad Lozano, Steve Berlin, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, George Lopez, Cheech Marin, Danny Elfman

Associate Producer: Sarah  Suverkrup Mundy, Associate Producer: Vincent De Stefano, Co-Executive Producer: Anthony Small


Drew Kirsch

Drew Kirsch is an American filmmaker and creative director known for his vibrant, retro-inspired visuals and imaginative storytelling. A self-taught artist from Reno, he rose through music videos for Taylor Swift, John Legend, and Imagine Dragons. His “You Need to Calm Down” video won MTV’s 2019 Video of the Year.

After learning his brother’s death may be murder, Ethan returns to Las Vegas to uncover the truth, and confront the violent past he buried. Once a street kid, he’s now living the good life in L.A., engaged to his dream girl and working for her father’s real estate firm. But when he gets a text saying his brother overdosed, the promise he made to never return home shatters, pulling him back into the world he thought he’d escaped.

He Bled Neon

After discovering his brother's death by overdose may have actually been a murder, Ethan returns to a world he left behind -- the underbelly of Las Vegas -- uncovering a web of corruption and his own appetite for violence.

Nate Bolotin (XYZ FIlms), Abe Bengio, Dan Rak (WME Independent)

Timo Argillander
Andrea Scarso
Ronnie Exley
Jeremy Ross
Oli Strong
Eric Bromberg
Joe Cole
Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch
Nick Martini
Ali Jazayeri
Mila Cottray
Babak Anvari
Drew Kirsch
Jake Pokluda
Nick Spicer
Aram Tertzakian
Maxime Cottray

Joe Cole, Rita Ora, Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Paul Wesley, Josh Holloway

Casting Director: Melissa Kostenbauder, Costume Designer: Cailey Breneman


Unlocking Her Next Chapter | Food & Nutrition with Dr. Poonam Desai, DO

327 Congress St

Unlocking Her Next Chapter | Fitness with Kayla Barnes

Unlocking Her Next Chapter | Fertility with Dr. Molly Maloof, MD

Day 3 closes with Dr. Poonam Desai, who will focus on the small, high-impact nutrition and lifestyle shifts that deliver the biggest return on health and longevity. This session will cover what to do—and what to avoid—starting today, including top food priorities, hidden toxin exposures (from water bottles to cleaning products), and simple swaps that reduce toxic load without overwhelm. Dr. Desai will explore longevity through the lens of the lifespan and the decade, from pregnancy and childhood microbiome health to metabolic resilience later in life, helping you identify where your health focus needs a redirect. Grounded in clinical experience, the conversation will cut through wellness noise to offer practical, evidence-based guidance—plus exclusive custom content for attendees to reinforce key takeaways. Dr. Desai is a founder, Longevity Place; double-boarded physician specializing in precision and functional medicine.

UNLOCKING HER NEXT CHAPTER | FOOD & NUTRITION WITH DR. POONAM DESAI, DO

Vibrant Wellness

Advanced Specialty Lab Testing for Personalized Longevity

Vibrant Wellness is an advanced lab that helps people better understand what’s happening inside their bodies. Our tests explore how genetics, lifestyle, and environment work together across the most critical health domains, including heart and brain health, hormone, gut, immune, and cellular function, food and nutrients, and environmental toxins. We pair standard-of-care clinical markers with innovative and emerging ones to provide a more complete view of health.

Female Voices Shaping the Next Era of Preventive Health


Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling TEXAS STAMPEDE -March 2026

TJPW Texas Stampede is a tri-city tour across Austin, Dallas, and Houston featuring 18 star wrestlers from Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, Japan’s premier all-women promotion—the largest overseas event in women’s pro-wrestling history. Driven by the motto “Kawaii × Dream × Strong,” in no other event will you witness a pop idol singing one moment and throwing a dropkick the next.

A super-happy, family-friendly cultural event—bring your friends and kids!  In TJPW, All Women Are Heroes!

TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING TEXAS STAMPEDE -MARCH 2026