The NashFilm Creators Conference is Nashville Film Festival’s annual summit for creators to engage with other industry professionals while honing their craft through panels, Q+As and events, taking place Fri. Sept. 20 – Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
This year, the conference hosts professionals from all across the country in all different film and music career paths. Creators Conference events will take place at Hilton Green Hills (3801 Cleghorn Avenue, Nashville, TN). Access to Creators Conference events can be gained with a Creators Conference Badge or Icon Festival Badge. Individual tickets to all Creators Conference events at Hilton Green Hills are also available for purchase within the online schedule.
** The “In Conversation with Este Haim: Composing Music for Film and Television at Soho House” and Reception at Soho House will both take place at Soho House Nashville (500 Houston Street, Nashville, TN). Soho House events are exclusive to VIP Badges and have limited capacity. Tickets must be reserved by badge holders in advance and entry is not guaranteed.
Visit the official 55th Schedule to purchase or reserve (badge holders) individual tickets
Learn more about each panel and panelist by clicking on each title below:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
The Growth of Tennessee’s Entertainment Industry: Updates & Opportunities in the Film, Music & Creative Tech Sectors
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Join us for an in-depth look at the flourishing entertainment industry in Tennessee. This panel covers recent advancements and future opportunities in film, music, and creative tech. Gain insights from industry leaders, explore new trends, and discover how Tennessee is becoming a vibrant hub for creative talent and innovation.
MODERATOR
Dave DeBorde
Filmmaker and educator Dave DeBorde was a producer on the romantic feature, Old Fashioned, which enjoyed a theatrical release for Valentine’s Day 2015’ and won multiple awards after its initial festival run. In June of 2012’, DeBorde directed the feature film romantic comedy, Marriage Material. Dave completed a full season as the showrunner for the reality TV show, Soccer Moms of Tampa Bay(2015), which has received critical praise in the industry. DeBorde wrote the script for the family film, Camp Hideout, which enjoyed a wide theatrical domestic release in the Fall of 2023 through Roadside, and a worldwide release through Sony. Dave was also hired to write and direct, Merry Christmas…Oy Vey! DeBorde, is a popular lecturer and moderator on the Film/TV industry and regularly speaks at the biggest festivals in the world: Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, and Sunscreen FF.
PANELIST
Kelly Frey
Kelly Frey is President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for Worldwide Stages, Inc. – the premier production campus for the world’s entertainment industry®. Located on 38 acres of rolling middle Tennessee landscape just south of Nashville, this 320,000 square foot facility offers multiple soundstages and integrated services designed for top entertainment professionals involved in the production of music touring concerts and film/TV/new media content creation (and vendors to those creative communities). Worldwide Stages has hosted productions from Nicole Kidman’s feature film “Holland, Michigan” to multiple episodes of CMT TV’s StoryTellers and CrossRoads series and rehearsals for Studio Tenn, as well as production rehearsals/music videos for music legends ranging from Bob Weir (the Grateful Dead), the Killers, and TLC (bestselling “girl band” of all time) to this year’s ACM New Female Artist of the Year (Megan Moroney) and New Male Artist of the Year (Nate Smith). Kelly has served as Executive Producer for the documentaries “Eating You Alive” and “Chasing Whiskey: The Untold Story of Jack Daniels”, as well the feature films Rose All Day, Clowning, White Elephant, The Dead Center, Fogg, All Light Will End, and The Odds. Kelly was also previously President of the Nashville Film Festival.
PANELIST
Bob Raines
Bob Raines has been with the TEC since 2002, and has developed extensive relationships with members of the entertainment industry and local communities and organizations throughout the state.In his current role as Executive Director of the TEC, Raines administers the state’s film and TV incentive program; negotiates film, television and music projects; and markets the unique aspects of doing business in Tennessee to companies throughout the country and around the world. Active in several entertainment and community organizations, Raines serves on the boards of Film Nashville and the Nashville Film Festival. He also has close partnerships with Regional Film Commissions in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga, and collaborates with well-known industry organizations like The Nashville Screenwriters Conference, Film-Com, Knoxville Films, Indie Memphis and Southern Appalachian International Film Festival. Raines holds a degree in Business Administration from East Tennessee State University and an accreditation with the International Association for Management Education.
PANELIST
Brock Starnes
Brock Starnes began his career at Big Idea VeggieTales. He holds a Masters degree from Victoria University in Wellington New Zealand. With an eye toward building brands, he has developed and produced episodic TV, campaigns, and branded products and experiences. For a decade, he served as Partner at Brentwood Studios where he developed and managed media properties in animation, publishing, and new media. In 2021 he joined Shining Isle Productions to serve as COO and Executive Producer of The Wingfeather Saga which is the largest crowd-funded animated family series of all time. He lives Nashville TN with his wife and three kids.
PANELIST
Steve Barnett
As a film producer and creative executive for 30 years, Steve Barnett has built an impressive track record of creatively and financially successful films that have generated global box office revenues in excess of $1 billion. Throughout his distinguished career, Barnett has created and maintained a highly productive network of relationships at every distributor, streamer, agency, and talent level within the entertainment industry. Barnett is currently partner/CEO of Monarch Media, where he manages the development, production, and financing of a robust slate of feature film and television projects. On the film side, Barnett has developed, produced and/or supervised over 20 feature films covering all genres and budget ranges. Barnett most recently produced the Netflix hit, Hit Man, and Sony/Affirm’s theatrical release, Journey to Bethlehem. Barnett is currently in production on the animated feature Tangles, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, and Seth Rogen, and in post-production on the country musical, Something Here, as well as his directorial debut, Valiant One, a military thriller which will be released in theaters across America on Jan 24th, 2024.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Crafting Compelling Narratives: The Intersection of Screenwriting and Agent Representation
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Join us for an insightful discussion on the art of screenwriting and agent representation, featuring insights from writers, producers and the agents that represent them. Discover the key elements agents seek: originality, compelling characters, and engaging plots that resonate with diverse audiences. Learn how agents navigate the balance between creativity and market appeal to champion scripts that captivate in the competitive landscape of film and television
MODERATOR
Nick Barnes
Nick Barnes is an agent at leading global talent, entertainment, sports and advisory company UTA, where he leads the company’s Heartland initiative. Launched in 2020, Heartland is based on storytelling rooted in the shared values of community, faith and family, and amplifying the voices of creators from Nashville and beyond. The initiative marks the first time a major global talent agency has founded a dedicated practice to identify, develop, and showcase the unique voices of Heartland creators and
storytellers. Barnes represents many of today’s most prominent Heartland-based storytellers including The Erwin Brothers, Dallas Jenkins, Think Factory Media, Jonathan Roumie, Kathie Lee Gifford, Leanne Morgan, John Crist, among many others. He is also a member of the teams that signed Bobby Bones and Chip and Joanna Gaines.
PANELIST
Amanda Burnett
Amanda Burnett is a literary and packaging agent in the television group at United Talent Agency where she began her career in 2009 after graduating from UCLA. She represents writers, directors, production companies, actors and multi-hyphenates. She brings a deep expertise in developing and managing talent, sustaining client-centric partnerships, guiding artists through the television sales process as well as connecting them with work-for-hire positions throughout the entertainment industry.
Amanda was born and raised in San Francisco. She relocated to Nashville in 2021 to try something new. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, dancing, watching too much BRAVO and costume dramas, and breathing in the fresh air of the great outdoors.
PANELIST
Brian Loschiavo
Brian Loschiavo is a Co-Founder and Executive Producer at Riverside Entertainment, a Nashville and Los Angeles-based production company specializing in film, television and branded content. He has written, produced and directed numerous feature films and television specials, is an Executive Producer on a variety of film and TV projects including Nashville-based Making Modern with Brooke & Brice for Magnolia Network and the Jesse Eisenberg, Adrien Brody thriller Manodrome. Prior to founding Riverside, Brian lived in Los Angeles working as a freelance screenwriter and producer, having sold or optioned several scripts – many of which are still in development.
PANELIST
Ryan Whitaker
Ryan Whitaker is the writer/director of the romantic drama SURPRISED BY OXFORD, the indie thriller AFTER, and a writer, executive producer, and director of the upcoming fantasy series THE PENDRAGON CYCLE. Whitaker has a slate of projects in development across multiple genres, including Louis L’Amour adaptation FLINT
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
“The Magic of Music in Cinema” with Music Supervisors Anastasia Brown, Julianne Jordan, Julia Michels and Sam Tinnesz.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Exploring the profound impact of music on film and television and examining how songs, soundtracks and scores shape storytelling, evoke emotions and elevate the cinematic experience. The discussion will be led by veteran music supervisor Anastasia Brown, who has long been a key figure in connecting Nashville with Hollywood and directing content across platforms for music, TV, film and scoring projects. The panel will feature GRAMMY winning music supervisors Julianne Jordan and Julia Michels and RIAA Platinum selling artist Sam Tinnesz in an engaging discussion that further highlights how music transcends the visual medium, becoming an integral character in its own right.
PANELIST
Anastasia Brown
Anastasia Brown is a music supervisor, talent scout, music publisher, talent booker, entertainment consultant, columnist and author. As a music supervisor, Anastasia Brown has worked on major motion pictures, TV series, major motion soundtracks and original songs which have received Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Dove wins and nominations. Some of her credits include the Footloose remake (Julianne Hough), August Rush (Robin Williams), It’s Complicated (Meryl Streep), Taken (Steven Speilberg), The Darkest Hour, Billy [Graham]; the Early Years, (Armie Hammer), ABC series, G.C.B. (Kristin Chenoweth), and the hit series The Americans on FX (Keri Russell). Wearing her publishing hat and representing artists/composers for film and TV, she has secured placements in current films such as Dream House (Daniel Craig), In Time (Justin Timberlake), Cold Light of Day (Bruce Willis), Diary of a Wimpy Kids 3 (Rachel Harris), American Girl (Jade Pettyjohn), The Lying Game, (Andy Buckley, Adrian Pasdar), The Americans (Keri Russell, Mathew Rhys), ABC series Nashville and Lucky 7, American Girl 2 (Jay Ashley), and Magic Mike (Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum), to name a few.
PANELIST
Sam Tinnesz
Sam Tinnesz is a RIAA Platinum selling artist with songs that have reached over 8 billion TikTok views including viral hits like “Legends Are Made,” which was a #1 song on TikTok’s and “Play With Fire,” amassing over 1 billion streams alone. His songs have been heard in TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Riverdale, American Ninja Warrior, ads for Target, Jeep, Toyota, XBOX, PlayStation, Pepsi, and currently a T-mobile campaign. His music has also been featured in movie and video game trailers as well as sporting events including the Olympics, MLB, UFC, NCAA, NHL, and more. Additionally, his feature with Kygo titled “Don’t Give Up On Love” became a top 40 hit on Billboard’s dance charts. As a writer, Tinnesz has recently worked with artists such as Dashboard Confessional, Masked Wolf, Sum 41, Knox, Filter, Hinder, Rob Thomas, Aloe Blacc, and more. He co-wrote Sum 41’s latest radio single, “Dopamine,” which is the lead single off of their final album and currently #9 at alt radio. Sam has releases and upcoming cuts with BANNERS, Kygo, Sum 41, Armin Van Buran, Timmy Trumpet, Masked Wolf, Our Last Night, Tommee Profitt, Ryan Oakes, UNSECRET and others.
Pictured L to R: Julianne Jordan and Julia Michels
Julianne Jordan is a Grammy Award-winning Music Supervisor at Format Entertainment. Julianne is unquestionably one of the most prominent and respected supervisors in the industry. An accomplished violinist who studied her craft at Skidmore College, Julianne’s career as a music supervisor began to take flight when director Doug Liman brought her in to work on a small independent picture called Swingers. The film ignited the “swing craze” in the ‘90s, spawned a new type of vernacular, and pushed the public’s interest in retro swing music into hyperdrive. The soundtrack quickly went Gold and Julianne has not stopped working since. Julianne is the co-founder of Format Entertainment, the largest collective of music supervisors in the world. She has served two terms on the Board of Governors for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy and has won numerous awards and accolades for her innovative approach to supervision. She has taken home one Grammy for A Star Is Born, a Grammy nomination for Pitch Perfect 2, six Music Supervisor of the Year awards from the Guild of Music Supervisors, a 2015 American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award for Best Soundtrack for her exemplary work on Pitch Perfect 2, and an Academy of Country Music Award in 2019 for her work on A Star Is Born. She currently serves on the board of Directors for Education Through Music Los Angeles. Julianne is also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Select credits include Cocaine Bear, A Star Is Born, Pitch Perfect 1, 2 and 3, Trolls, Edge of Tomorrow, Alvin and The Chipmunks 1 and 2, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Italian Job, and The Bourne Identity.
Julia Michels is a Grammy Winning Music Supervisor whose films have garnered both critical acclaim and over $2 Billion Dollars in worldwide ticket sales. Michels began her career as a music executive for Twentieth Century Fox, where she supervised all music for projects across Twentieth’s myriad divisions. She left FOX to run the soundtrack department across all labels in the EMI Records’ family and then went on to oversee music for MGM Pictures before venturing out on her own. Michels won a Grammy for her work on A Star Is Born, and is the winner of the 2010, 2012 and 2019 awards for Outstanding Music Supervision in film by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. She is also the winner of the 2011, 2012, 2017 and 2019 awards for Best Supervision in Film by the Guild of Music Supervisors. Furthermore, in 2015, she received a Billboard Music Award, an American Music Award, and Grammy nomination for her work on Pitch Perfect 2. Michels is the current President of the LA Chapter of the Recording Academy, for which she has been a board member for 12 years. Select credits include: Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Unfrosted, Cocaine Bear, Luck, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, A Star Is Born, The Greatest Showman, Pitch Perfect 1, 2 & 3, Trolls, Bad Moms, Diary of a Wimpy Kid (franchise), A Single Man, The Blind Side, Sex and the City 1 & 2, The Devil Wears Prada and many more.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Crowd Funding to Build Independence with Seed&Spark
2:30 PM-3:30 PM
Most people think about crowdfunding simply as a fundraising tool, but we’re going to show you how it’s so much more than that. Discover how to have a successful crowdfunding campaign… and career! You’ll lear how to find your audience, structure your crowdfunding campaign, pick the right goal and incentives, and more.
PANELIST
Emily Best
Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, a platform built to make entertainment more diverse, inclusive, connected and essential. She has raised millions in investment and crowdfunding, secured large brand partnerships, and built a world-class team for Seed&Spark. She has also produced films, series and VR projects that have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and more. Her most recent series, “Fck Yes” Refinery 29 called, “The sex education you wish you had in high school.”
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Navigating the Indie Film Journey: Festivals, Releases, and Visibility
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Explore what it means to be an independent filmmaker and the role film festivals play in the process. Learn essential do’s and don’ts from filmmakers and program curators on submitting to festivals and strategies for visibility. Gain firsthand insights on effectively getting your work seen and heard in today’s competitive film landscape. Join us for a discussion with emerging filmmakers, programming Directors and film academics.
MODERATOR
Mariah Kramer
Mariah Dunn Kramer is a multi-modal filmmaker with a focus on documentary filmmaking. Kramer is a Senior Lecturer in the Cinema and Media Arts at Vanderbilt University. She has received multiple awards for her work, which has been screened in festivals such as the Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival, Cucalorus Film Festival, and the Bend Film Festival. Mariah’s short documentary, This is My Home Now, was broadcast on PBS and the World Channel. Mariah is a co-founder of the UpTilt Film Fest, North Carolina’s only female & gender nonconforming film festival, where she now serves on the board of directors.
PANELIST
Rebecca Fons
Rebecca Fons is Director of Programming at the Gene Siskel Film Center, a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and serves as the Development and Programming Director for the historic Iowa Theater in her hometown of Winterset, IA. Rebecca previously served as Programming Director for FilmScene in Iowa City, IA; Director of Film at the John and Nancy Hughes Theater in Lake Forest, IL; and as Education Director for The Chicago International Film Festival for nearly a decade. Rebecca received her MA from Columbia College Chicago and BA from the University of Iowa. She is co-founder of the Chicago event series Destroy Your Art, and has proudly served on screening committees and juries for festivals across the country, including True/False, SXSW, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Hawaii International Film Festival. In 2022, Fons was named Chicagoan of the Year in Film by the Chicago Tribune.
PANELIST
Rachel Wolther
Featured as one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Rachel Wolther is a writer, director, and producer, who co-directed the mid-length absurdist dance comedy SNOWY BING BONGS with Alex Fischer, produced by DANIELS. Her BlackList screenplay, NOBODY NOTHING NOWHERE, earned her a spot at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab in 2018. Her work has screened at the Berlinale, Rotterdam and New York Film Festivals, among others.
PANELIST
Matthew Henderson
MATTHEW O. HENDERSON, a native New Yorker, has worked in the Film & Television Industry for over fifteen years. A King Like Me, is Matthew’s feature documentary directorial debut, however as a producer, he’s worked on a number of films including Fragments of Paradise, which had its World Premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, winning Best Documentary on Cinema; True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality, which won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary; The Soul of America; Gordon Parks: A Choice of Weapon; and Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. Matthew bridges the technical and creative hemispheres having worked for over ten years as a Camera Assistant and Camera Operator. Matthew’s passion for storytelling coupled with his ability to conceptualize and create compelling, and soulful visuals has allowed him to film all around the world. Whether it’s a remote aboriginal village in Eastern Australia, floating along the Venice like canals of Makoko, Nigeria in Africa, or filming at depths of five-hundred feet below the Atlantic Ocean, his approach to filmmaking is always the same – tell the story you find, not the one you expect to find.
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Breaking Through: Strategies for Indie Film Distribution Success
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Delve into the world of indie film distribution with representatives from Oscilloscope, MTV/Paramount+ and Suncatcher Films. Uncover the intricacies of getting films to audiences, from navigating distribution channels to marketing strategies. Gain insights on how distributors select films for release and the challenges and opportunities in today’s dynamic film market. Join us for a candid discussion demystifying the indie film distribution process.
MODERATOR
Rebecca Fons
Rebecca Fons is Director of Programming at the Gene Siskel Film Center, a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and serves as the Development and Programming Director for the historic Iowa Theater in her hometown of Winterset, IA. Rebecca previously served as Programming Director for FilmScene in Iowa City, IA; Director of Film at the John and Nancy Hughes Theater in Lake Forest, IL; and as Education Director for The Chicago International Film Festival for nearly a decade. Rebecca received her MA from Columbia College Chicago and BA from the University of Iowa. She is co-founder of the Chicago event series Destroy Your Art, and has proudly served on screening committees and juries for festivals across the country, including True/False, SXSW, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Hawaii International Film Festival. In 2022, Fons was named Chicagoan of the Year in Film by the Chicago Tribune.
PANELIST
Amanda Culkowski
As Vice President of Music Program Development at MTV/Paramount+, Amanda Culkowski is responsible for developing original music documentaries and talent driven series for MTV’s 170+ global channels, as well as P+ premium content. Since joining the network in 2019 she has overseen the development and production of As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial, LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza – both of which premiered at Sundance this year – Hip Hop My House and Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? just to name a few. Prior to MTV, Amanda was a part of the WE tv unscripted development team for nearly a decade. She has previously held positions at HGTV and at PBS member stations ThinkTV and WOUB. She holds a Master of Arts degree from Ohio University. She is based in Brooklyn, New York and is originally from Toledo, Ohio.
PANELIST
Alexandra Fredricks
Enthusiastic about functioning as a bridge between creators, industry, and audiences — Alexandra Fredricks handles Non-Theatrical Distribution and International Sales at Oscilloscope Laboratories, a Brooklyn-based independent film distribution company founded in 2008 by Adam Yauch. Previously, she held the positions of Programming and Operations Senior Manager at Metrograph and Film Screening Operations Manager at the Doha Film Institute (DFI). She has over 15 years of international experience in film exhibition organizations and festivals in New York, Qatar, Canada, Australia and The Netherlands, and has served over the years on a number of Jury and Screening Committees, and as a talent liaison for New York Film Festival (NYFF).
PANELIST
Annalisa Shoemaker
Annalisa Shoemaker is a creative producer, independent distributor, and founder of Suncatcher Productions. Her goal is to offer audiences intentional, representative stories that awaken – especially about women, people with disabilities, and the environment. In 2023, Annalisa produced and distributed the feature documentary GO ON, BE BRAVE and was also selected for Film Independent’s Producing Lab. Most recently, she led the theatrical strategy for TO KILL A TIGER, an Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary Feature. Prior to Suncatcher, Annalisa spent over a decade working on theatrical distribution campaigns at Amazon Studios (SOUND OF METAL, THE BIG SICK, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA) and Focus Features (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, MOONRISE KINGDOM).
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Programming Coffee Chat
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Programmer x Badge Holder Coffee Chat—a casual meetup where NashFilm Fest Programmers and badge holders come together over coffee to share ideas, insights, and experiences!
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
The Art of the Pitch with Seed&Spark
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Knowing how to convey the specifics about your project in a dynamic, succinct way can land you not only investors, but collaborators, audience members, and more. Skills learned: how to prepare for a pitch meeting, how to adapt your pitch to different audiences, and how to follow up, setting your work up for success.
PANELIST
Emily Best
Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, a platform built to make entertainment more diverse, inclusive, connected and essential. She has raised millions in investment and crowdfunding, secured large brand partnerships, and built a world-class team for Seed&Spark. She has also produced films, series and VR projects that have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and more. Her most recent series, “Fck Yes” Refinery 29 called, “The sex education you wish you had in high school.”
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Pitch Competition
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
NashFilm is back with their exciting live pitch competition. Finalists chosen from the Zoom pitch round will compete for the title of best pitch and prizes by presenting their 2- minute narrative pitch to an industry panel. One winner will be chosen from feature concepts and one from episodic. Panelists will provide competitors constructive feedback at the end of the pitch. This event will be beneficial to writers & filmmakers
alike.
PANELIST
Amanda Culkowski
As Vice President of Music Program Development at MTV/Paramount+, Amanda Culkowski is responsible for developing original music documentaries and talent driven series for MTV’s 170+ global channels, as well as P+ premium content. Since joining the network in 2019 she has overseen the development and production of As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial, LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza – both of which premiered at Sundance this year – Hip Hop My House and Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too? just to name a few. Prior to MTV, Amanda was a part of the WE tv unscripted development team for nearly a decade. She has previously held positions at HGTV and at PBS member stations ThinkTV and WOUB. She holds a Master of Arts degree from Ohio University. She is based in Brooklyn, New York and is originally from Toledo, Ohio.
PANELIST
Henry Jones
Henry’s written feature and television projects for MGM, Fox, Paramount, Bad Robot, Universal, New Line Cinema, Amazon and Netflix. Some of his recent endeavors are Netflix’s JUPITER’S LEGACY, BLACK SUMMER, and the Emmy-winning ARCANE. He’s currently writing on SPARTACUS: HOUSE OF ASHUR for STARZ/Lionsgate and preparing for his directorial debut on his original feature, DRAW.
PANELIST
Annalisa Shoemaker
Annalisa Shoemaker is a creative producer, independent distributor, and founder of Suncatcher Productions. Her goal is to offer audiences intentional, representative stories that awaken – especially about women, people with disabilities, and the environment. In 2023, Annalisa produced and distributed the feature documentary GO ON, BE BRAVE and was also selected for Film Independent’s Producing Lab. Most recently, she led the theatrical strategy for TO KILL A TIGER, an Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary Feature. Prior to Suncatcher, Annalisa spent over a decade working on theatrical distribution campaigns at Amazon Studios (SOUND OF METAL, THE BIG SICK, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA) and Focus Features (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, MOONRISE KINGDOM).
PANELIST
Matthew Henderson
MATTHEW O. HENDERSON, a native New Yorker, has worked in the Film & Television Industry for over fifteen years. A King Like Me, is Matthew’s feature documentary directorial debut, however as a producer, he’s worked on a number of films including Fragments of Paradise, which had its World Premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, winning Best Documentary on Cinema; True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality, which won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary; The Soul of America; Gordon Parks: A Choice of Weapon; and Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. Matthew bridges the technical and creative hemispheres having worked for over ten years as a Camera Assistant and Camera Operator. Matthew’s passion for storytelling coupled with his ability to conceptualize and create compelling, and soulful visuals has allowed him to film all around the world. Whether it’s a remote aboriginal village in Eastern Australia, floating along the Venice like canals of Makoko, Nigeria in Africa, or filming at depths of five-hundred feet below the Atlantic Ocean, his approach to filmmaking is always the same – tell the story you find, not the one you expect to find.
PANELIST
Tracie Laymon
Named to IFC’s list of emerging “Icons” and film innovators, Tracie Laymon studied filmmaking at the University of Texas at Austin while cutting her teeth as a video journalist for Time Warner News and interning for Richard Linklater at Detour Film. Her short directorial projects have won jury awards at SXSW and countless other festivals, while her screenwriting pursuits have won her additional awards and honors at competitions such as LA Comedy Festival, Madrid International Film Festival, BlueCat, Scriptapalooza, ScreenCraft and many more. Tracie brings 15 years of production experience on movies and TV shows to Bob Trevino Likes It, her debut feature film, which she also wrote and produced. The film is inspired by Tracie’s life experiences and a friendship she found when searching for her estranged father online. It recently won both the Grand Jury award and Audience Award for Best Feature Film at SXSW 2024 and will be distributed theatrically in 2025. Tracie strives to challenge perceptions and the inspiration for her work often stems from the universal human need for a sense of belonging. Tracie is a fierce advocate for the inclusion and representation of people with disabilities in front of and behind the camera.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
In Conversation with Este Haim: Composing Music for Film and Television at Soho House
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
While Nashville boasts a rich, diverse community of exciting musical voices, film scoring is in many ways its own beast. Join Grammy-nominated musician and composer Este Haim (CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH, SUNCOAST) as she explores the singular opportunities and challenges of composing music for film.
MODERATOR
Alison Abbey Hudak
Alison Abbey Hudak has been working in print and digital media for nearly two decades, covering music, TV, film and all things pop culture. Currently, Hudak is Editor-in-Chief of Modern Luxury Nashville, set to launch its first issue in October. Previously, Hudak headed up Nashville Lifestyles, where she co-hosted a weekly interview podcast and live events with Kristin Chenoweth, Chris Young, Elle King and more. Nationally, Hudak’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, Woman’s Day and Parade, for which she served as associate editor for four years.
PANELIST
Este Haim
Este Haim is a GRAMMY® nominated musician, composer, actor, and writer. In 2007, Este and her sisters, Danielle and Alana, founded HAIM, their all-female rock band in which Este sings as well as plays the bass. HAIM made history in 2021 as the first all-female rock group to be nominated for GRAMMY® Album of The Year with their third album, “Women In Music Pt. III.”Throughout her music career, Este has collaborated with many artists including Kid Cudi, Charli XCX, Thundercat, and Taylor Swift.In 2021, Este scored the critically acclaimed Netflix limited series, “MAID,” starring Margaret Qualley. She also completed the score for her first feature film, “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” starring Dakota Johnson, alongside her composing partner Christopher Stracey. The film premiered to acclaim at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival winning the US Dramatic Audience Choice Award and a Grand Jury Prize nomination. In 2023, she was the Executive Music Producer and SongProducer for the Disney+series “A Small Light” where she collaborated with artists like Sharon Van Etten, Orville Peck, King Princess, Moses Sumney, Kamasi Washington, and her sisterDanielle Haim. Recently she scored Netflix’s “You’re SO Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah!”, with co-composer Amanda Yamate, and Searchlight Pictures’ “Suncoast”, again with Christopher Stracey. Additionally, Este made her feature film debut as an actress in Paul Thomas Anderson’s,“LICORICE PIZZA”, and will next appear in “Shell” as Lydia opposite Elizabeth Moss and Kate Hudson.
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Reception at Soho House
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Join us for an exclusive reception celebrating the Creators Conference. Connect with industry leaders and fellow innovators in a vibrant, relaxed setting, and seize the opportunity to spark new ideas and build valuable connections.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Screenwriting Competition Finalists Table Read
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
After casting, a crucial step in any production project is the table read where actors with speaking parts read the script for the benefit of the creatives involved. The screenplay competition finalists attending the festival have the option of submitting a scene from their project to be read by our talented ensemble of actors. Presented in partnership with WriterFest Nashville.
HOST
Zach Hoffman
Zach Lazar Hoffman is a full time American actor and voice actor. His experience ranges from film and TV having appeared in Fear the Walking Dead, The Resident, and National Treasure, to animation and video games including voices like Steve Murphy in Narcos: Rise of the Cartel, Nightmare Fredbear in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Ultimate Custom Night, Tigreal and many other characters in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang; as well as commercial experience having voiced major brands that range from The Las Vegas Raiders, BMW, Pirate’s Booty, and ESPN. He has narrated over 25 books on Audible and many more outside of the platform ranging multiple American and UK dialects. Zach Is dedicated to the art of acting, devoted to the craft of storytelling, and committed to the process of becoming another to bring his art to life.
4:00 PM – 5:45 PM
55th Nashville Film Festival Film & Screenwriting Competition Awards
4:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Celebrate cinematic excellence at the 55th Annual Nashville Film Festival Awards Ceremony. Join us for an evening of honors and recognition as we award outstanding screenplays and films from this year’s festival. Experience the excitement as we spotlight the best in storytelling and filmmaking, and enjoy a night filled with inspiration and celebration of creative talent.
For more information visit the official festival webpage:
