‘WHO IN THE HELL IS REGINA JONES?’ A film on the life of a Los Angeles Black News Icon Opens in Los Angeles on June 13th at Laemmle Monica Film Center

Weigel Productions Corp. presents written work by Regina Jones
Directors: Sélène and Billy Miossi
Producer: Alissa Shapiro
Co-Producer: Nancy Novack
Executive Producer: Sam Pollard
Consulting Producer: Bruce Talamon
Director of Photography: Soraya Sélène
Archival Producer: Matt Jones
Editor: Nancy Novack
Co-Editor: Alisa Selman
Original Music: Gil Talmi

LOS ANGELES (Tuesday, April 24, 2023) – The critically-acclaimed new documentary feature film Who in the Hell is Regina Jones? will have its awards-qualifying theatrical release starting on Friday, June 13 at Laemmle Monica Film Center. A press screener (for review and coverage consideration) and interviews are available now with the filmmakers and film participant.

The film premiered at the 2024 American Black Film Festival in Miami and then went on to show at film festivals including Heartland Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Micheaux Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Athena Film Festival, and the Cleveland International Film Festival. The film was also shown at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC as part of its series highlighting art and history as told on screen by Black artists.

The extraordinary life of Regina Jones is one not only shaped by history, but also one that made history. From being pregnant and married at 15, through the middle of the Watts Rebellion of 1965, to emerging as a groundbreaking newspaper publisher, Regina is a testament to the American experience. That lived experience, as a Black American woman raising a family of 5 children, stepping in places where she was not wanted, and navigating a world that offered her no favors, is one that is still too often overlooked.

PBS Tonight’s Premiere ‘CRITICAL CONDITION: HEALTH IN BLACK AMERICA

Premiering Today, April 30, at 9 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. PST on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app: NOVA's Critical Condition: Health in Black America.

Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease than White Americans, and their life expectancy is about five years shorter. Black women also face some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the U.S. and are three times more likely than White women to die during pregnancy and childbirth.

Critical Condition, directed by Firelight Media Co-Founder and Lead Mentor Stanley Nelson, investigates the causes of these dramatic health disparities in the U.S., even as scientists confirm that there are no meaningful genetic differences between races. From the deep history of pseudoscientific beliefs about race that still permeate modern medicine, to the latest research on how experiencing discrimination can directly damage the body’s DNA and biology, Critical Condition reveals the factors behind the health crises facing Black Americans.

LEARN MORE

Tribeca Festival 2025 Shorts and Music Videos Including World Premiere ‘Kiss My Grass’ Executive Produced by Rosario Dawson and Colin Kaepernick

This just in: Tribeca Festival Official Shorts and Music Videos!

Now announcing the Official Short Film and Music Video Selections at this year’s Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX! From June 4-15, screens across New York City will show some of the year’s most exciting short-form projects. From inventive short narratives to boundary-pushing documentaries, animated films to music videos, our Shorts program delivers big stories in small packages.

With 93 projects from filmmakers across over 30 countries, it’s a packed slate of comedy, drama, music, mystery, horror, heartbreak, love, and… the list goes on. Check out the full lineup here.

To catch all the shorts and secure your seat at the Festival, buy a Hudson pass.

Choose from seven themed programs—there’s something for everyone.

- Floating Roots: Films focused on Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander heritage in their storytelling.
- Hopes and Dreams: Short films with big dreams.
- Midnight Mash-up: Hell is other people for these late-night shorts.
- Mind & Body: Narrative shorts that explore the connection between the mental and the physical. This program will have open captions and audio descriptions.
- NY Off Peak: In the city that never sleeps, neither do these World Premiere shorts!
- Pick N Mix: A fun and colorful selection of short flavors throughout the festival.
- Showtime!: Get ready for these shorts to take center stage.

World premieres include How I Learned to Die, directed by Manya Glassman and executive produced by Oscar winner Spike Lee, an inspiring story of a 16-year-old girl confronting a life-threatening operation, and Jean Jacket, directed by Maxim Nebeker and Lucy Nebeker, produced by and starring AnnaSophia Robb, a hopeful tale of a woman chasing her dreams through a high-stakes lottery ticket.

Check out the full lineup here.

Dive into one of four eye-opening programs:

- Common Ground: Explore our connection to land and where we call home.
- Embrace the Music: Get into the groove with these music documentaries.
- Reflections: Powerful portraits that hold up a mirror to the individuals and issues they reflect.
- For the Cause: Short docs that take a stand.

World Premieres include Kiss My Grass, directed by Mary Pryor and Mara Whitehead and executive produced by Rosario Dawson, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Nancy Whiteman and Hilary Yu, a story that uncovers the relentless struggles of Black women in the cannabis business; A Drastic Tale directed by Chantel Simpson, which explores the brotherhood between members of Drastic Auto Club, one of the oldest lowrider clubs in NYC; If I Can Dream directed by Luis Cross, following Korean-Swedish Elvis impersonator Andreas Waldem at a tribute competition in South Wales.

Check out the full lineup here.

Curated by Whoopi Goldberg, this year’s selection boasts the largest number of animated short films ever in competition at Tribeca.

The program features powerful stories including: Snow Bear directed by Aaron Blaise, focusing on the yearning for friendship; Avery Kroll’s The Piano, about a lifelong bond that resonates far beyond their final note; and the haunting, hallucinatory solitude of The Quinta’s Ghost, directed by James A. Castillo.

Check out the full lineup here.

Tune in to Playlist, our program block featuring eight music videos (including one World Premiere) from artists such as Jack White, Bonnie McKee, Kid Cudi, and LL Cool J. Or check out NY Off Peak, a narrative shorts program featuring two music videos from independent artists ZEBEDEE and Dola.

Check out the full lineup here.

Will you join us?

Award-winning author Mariana Enriquez-‘FIRST WORD ON HORROR’ (ETCH): View New Clip

FWOH-Episode Poster- Adela's House by Santiago Caruso (ETCH)

Director: Philip Gelatt
Producers: Will Battersby
Director of Photography: Sean Kirby, Composer Peter Scartabello
Editor: April Merl
Sound Designer: Ben Cheah

Documentary series FIRST WORD ON HORROR is now available on Substack and currently featuring episodes from Stephen Graham Jones (The Only Good Indians, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter), Paul Tremblay (The Cabin At The End Of The World), Elizabeth Hand (A Haunting On the Hill, Hokuloa Road, The Cass Neary Crime Novels), Laird Barron (The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All; The Wind Began to Howl; and Not a Speck of Light (Stories)) and Mariana Enriquez (Our Share Of Night, A Sunny Place For Shady People) premiering NEXT WEEK on APRIL 24. Four of the authors featured in the series (Including Enriquez) have recently been shortlisted for this year's prestigious Bram Stoker Awards.

ABOURT MARIANA ENRIQUEZ
Mariana Enriquez is a writer based in Buenos Aires. In English, she has published the novel Our Share of Night and three story collections, A Sunny Place For Shady People, Things We Lost in the Fire and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, which was a finalist for the International Booker Prize, the Kirkus Prize, the Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Fiction. She has also recently been shortlisted for this year's prestigious Bram Stoker Awards.

ABOUT SANTIAGO CARUSO is an Argentine artist. His work cultivates a language of novel and personal rhetoric, although grounded in the symbolist aesthetics. Among his many works are illustrated versions of Jane Eyre (Folio Society); The Chants of Maldoror (Valdemar); The Dunwich Horror, The Bloody Countess, The Monk and the Hangman´s Daughter, The King of Yellow (Libros del Zorro Rojo); Materia Oscura, El Eco de mis Muertes (Aguijón de la Noche); The Walls of the Castle, The Booking (Black Labyrinth).He has made book covers for Tartarus Press, Actes Sud, Planeta, Sudamericana and Páginas de Espuma. Also he develops album covers for various bands in America and Europe. You can find his artwork in galleries and museums of Argentina, United States, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Brazil, Mexico and Spain.

ABOUT ETCH

Etch is an independent animation and production company run by the award-winning trio of Philip Gelatt, Will Battersby and Morgan Galen King. Specializing in the provocative, intelligent and innovative, as well as fantastical and horrific, Etch seeks to put the dark magic back into moving images.

Etch has expertise in animation, documentary and feature production and a core philosophy of maintaining ownership and creative control through novel approaches to production and distribution.

‘ONE to ONE: JOHN & YOKO’ in IMAX Today!

Magnolia Pictures, HBO Documentary Films & Mercury Studios Present A Plan B/KM

Exclusively in IMAX today April 11

TICKETS NOW ON SALE:
https://www.imax.com/johnandyoko

Director: Kevin MacDonald
Producer: Peter Worsley
Editor and Co-directed: Sam Rice-Edwards
Producers: Kevin MacDonald, Alice Webb
Executive Producers: Sean Ono Lennon, Marc Robinson, David Joseph, Steve Condie, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Music: Sean Ono Lennon

Director Kevin Macdonald’s ‘ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO’ provides the ultimate behinds the scenes of his monumental One to One Benefit Concert that took place on August 30, 1972t, his one and only full-length concert after the leaving Th e Beatles, to raise money for disabled and abused children, after watching a Geraldo Rivera special on television. A television habit that went to the extreme
It provides an in dept look at their lives, after giving up their 70 acres estate in England to live in a tiny apartment in Greenwich Village, New York

The use of actual audio recording of their telephone conversation, video footage brings them both to life.

Hearing Yoko talk about the verbal abuse she suffered in England, after meeting John, reminds me of what Prince Harry and Dutchess Megahn have suffered after her relationship and marriage. She talked about how she developed a stutter because of the bullying and abuse

Listening to their performances, you think it could not get any better and then, they have these wonderful musical guests that takes things over the top.

One to One: John & Yoko is a great documentary , whose story gives a inside look at the Man and his Lady.

Los Angeles Premiere Monkey Wrench Films’ Theatrical Release of “Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day” Follow-Up to Iconic Indie “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters”

Director: Ed Cunningham
Producers: Jonathan Perkins, Seth Gordon, and Mike J. Nichols
Writers: iEd Cunningham, Mike J. Nichols, and Paul Leach
Executive producers: Ed Cunningham, Byron Ashley, Scott Jackson, Harrison Kordestani Kerry, Cathy Loveland and Paul Campoamor
Editor: Mike J. Nichols

Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is the feature film directorial debut of award-winning filmmaker Ed Cunningham that tells the story of 74-year-old Walter Day - the father of esports and star of The King of Kong - as he battles a lawsuit threatening his legacy while fulfilling his dream of recording and performing the rock-opera style love songs he has been hearing in his head since having his heart broken at the height of the arcade era.

Director’s Statement: The King of Kong premiered at Slamdance 2007 to a packed house of just the right type of audience. As the filmmakers, we could not have selected a better group of people to be the first to see something we had lived with for three years. The gamers, tech-types and doc lovers were all into it from frame one. “Is this real?” “Get a load of that guy.” The whispers, laughs and touching moments were all hitting. Then the projector overheated and shutdown. As the director sprinted up the aisle to help, I just listened. The break in tension allowed everyone to check in with each other. We knew the film could be seen as mocking people we had grown to love, doubt and admire and had worked tirelessly to present them truthfully and empathetically. And this audience got it. From that night forward, the original documentary has changed many people’s lives – for better and worse – so when Billy Mitchell called to tell me Walter Day was being sued based on things that happened in our movie, I began helping make sure he was properly defended. In a lawsuit strategy meeting I learned that some King of Kong fans were funding Walter to produce and perform the songs he had been hearing in his head since having his heart broken in the ‘80s, a story he shared in the original film. I felt a responsibility to document the conclusion to Walter’s journey and it was also a great opportunity because I love his music and want to help get out in the world.

About Monkey Wrench Films:
Denver & LA-based, with distribution partners in more than a dozen countries, Monkey Wrench Films is making literal and metaphorical waves in the indie film world with multiple award-winning acquisitions and a plethora of feature films in recent distribution. As self-proclaimed “industry disruptors”, Monkey Wrench Films specializes in bringing well-deserved indie films (narrative and documentary) to the big screen and creating post-show buzz in the entertainment industry. Their current and recent feature film slate includes, “Who Is Stan Smith”, from Lebron James’s Uninterrupted studio, the BAFTA Award-winning feature, “The Hermit of Treig”, the much-anticipated followup to “The King of Kong” the 2007 box office wunderkind, “Arcades and Love Songs”, “Geoff Marslett’s “Quantum Cowboys”, starring Lily Gladstone and David Arquette, Tom Putnam’s “The Dark Divide”, starring david Cross and Debra Messing. See their full release lineup at monkeywrenchfilms.com

SERIESFEST ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR UPCOMING FESTIVAL

‘The Four Seasons’ Series Star Marco Calvani To Be Presented
With ‘Breakthrough Actor’ Award

Highlights Include International Spotlight to Showcase Global Series, Timely Industry Conversations on Topics Like AI and Inclusion, and a Live Podcast Recording

Marco Calvani Photo Credit: Gerson Lopes

April 9, 2025 (Denver, CO) - SeriesFest has added new panels, screenings and special events in the lineup for the festival’s 11th season, taking place in Denver April 29 - May 4. Actor Marco Calvani from the upcoming Netflix comedy series “The Four Seasons” from Universal Television will be honored with the “Breakthrough Actor” award at an advance screening and panel featuring Calvani and series co-showrunner and co-writer, Tracey Wigfield.

The ACLU’s podcast At Liberty will turn the mic on its host, W. Kamau Bell (comedian, TV host and longtime ACLU Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice), for a live podcast taping in conversation with Mo Fry Pasic (comedian, actor, writer and host of the Worse Than You podcast) discussing political comedy and making sense of this moment in America. There will also be a panel with SeriesFest alum, actor and filmmaker Kit Williamson (“Unconventional”) and Revry co-founders Damian Pelliccione and Chris Rodriguez to address breaking barriers in traditional media and fostering an inclusive environment for both established and emerging LGBTQ+ talent.

The future of storytelling will be the main topic as Brian Bird (Executive Producer, Co-Creator, “When Calls the Heart”), Chris King (SVP, Drama Development, Sony Pictures Television), and Lindsay Rovegno (Vice President of Production, ESPN Originals) gather to discuss the latest trends shaping the TV landscape, what distributors are actively seeking, and bold predictions for the next wave of hits. In addition, Julie Ann Crommett (Founder and CEO of Collective Moxie), Lawon Exum (Entertainment and Media Director of Disability Belongs) and Elijah McKinnon (Co-Founder and Executive Director of Emmy-nominated non-profit Open Television) will participate in a discussion on the power of media and identity. For SeriesFest’s Vanguard Workshop series, actor and filmmaker Kit Williamson will share his experience crafting compelling pitches in a workshop and design demonstration featuring Canva, the all-in-one visual communication platform.

SeriesFest will host SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Flawless Co-CEO & Founder Scott Mann and Wonder Dynamics (an Autodesk company) Co-Founder Nikola Todorovic in a conversation exploring how SAG-AFTRA is navigating the rapidly evolving relationship between the entertainment industry and AI technology.

The only U.S. television festival to feature an International Spotlight, SeriesFest will include the U.S. Premiere Screening of series from France, Egypt, Norway, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. Series included are:

A Better Man (Ølhunden Berit) - Norway, Lithuania - Maipo Film in collaboration with ARTBOX for NRK in co-production with ZDFneo

Ça C'est Paris - France - Mon Voisin Productions, Federation Studios France

Enjoy! - France - produced by LE COLLECTIF 64, broadcast by France.tv Slash

The Island (An t-Eilean) - United Kingdom - Black Camel Pictures for the BBC, UK, in association with All3Media International

Lam shamseya (لام شمسية) - Egypt - Mediahub

"This year’s SeriesFest lineup continues to expand upon what is happening in the industry, not just in the United States, but around the world. The impact of AI, streaming and other technologies bring new challenges and opportunities for the industry,” said SeriesFest Co-Founder & CEO Randi Kleiner. “We aim to highlight the creators and innovators by bringing the people who are leading the industry to SeriesFest to share their perspectives.”

Now in its 11th season, SeriesFest was created to champion and discover innovative projects in the television industry. Please visit seriesfest.com for a full schedule of events. Festival badges granting access to SeriesFest on April 29 - May 4 can be purchased at seriesfest.com. Tickets for the festival’s opening night event with Amy Schumer & Friends can also be purchased separately through AXS.com. Please find programming details at https://seriesfest.com/festival/.

SeriesFest: Season 11 is presented with generous support from the following sponsors: Canva, Liberty Global, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Denver Film, Caz Matthews, Xfinity and United Airlines, along with generous support from the SCFD.

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ABOUT SERIESFEST

SeriesFest, a non-profit organization, champions and empowers artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling by providing year-round opportunities for creators and industry professionals to connect, collaborate, and share stories, which inspire and impact global audiences. Each spring, SeriesFest culminates in a highly-curated and celebrated Denver-based festival and marketplace. Dedicated to showcasing innovative episodic content, the annual festival includes in-competition independent pilot screenings, panels, workshops, live reads, parties and network television premieres. Follow @SeriesFest on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Publicity Contact: Ginsberg / Libby, GLSF@ginsberglibby.com

For General Inquiries: info@seriesfest.com

E-Newsletter Sign-up: HERE

Tribeca’s inaugural Storytelling Summit

Where Vision Meets Possibility

Where Vision Meets Possibility

We’re excited to announce a new addition to this year’s program: the Tribeca Storytelling Summit — a festival-within-the-festival for the entire filmmaking community.

Buy Tickets Here!

The multi-day summit will take place June 5-15 alongside the Festival, bringing together visionary filmmakers, storytellers, and industry leaders for thoughtfully curated panels, intimate workshops, and networking opportunities. Designed specifically to help foster collaboration and supercharge careers, this year’s inaugural Storytelling Summit will be the start of the next wave of storytelling success in TV, film, digital media, and beyond.

To kick things off, we announced our first featured speakers, including Christine Vachon, Julio Torres, Steve Buscemi and Wren Arthur, Jeremy O. Harris, and our own Jane Rosenthal. When you attend our Storytelling Summit, you’ll gain insights from industry veterans like these, while also connecting with a diverse group of fellow creatives (and maybe even see a film or two).

The Tribeca Storytelling Summit is open to anyone with a story to tell. Badges are $250 and provide full access to the Summit’s programming June 5-15.

Find more details about the event at tribecafilm.com/storytellingsummit.

‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Hacks’ and ‘Yellowjackets’ Cast and Creatives Announced as Part of SeriesFest Lineup!

April 3, 2025 (Denver, CO) - SeriesFest announced the programming lineup for the festival’s 11th season, taking place in Denver April 29 - May 4. SeriesFest attendees will get an inside look at the development process, producing, showrunning, and acting from executives and talent from Warner Bros. Television Group, Sony Pictures Television, Universal Studio Group, and more. Panelists include Tawny Cypress (“Yellowjackets”), Mayan Lopez (“Lopez vs Lopez”), Stephen Moyer (“Art Detectives”), Rhea Seehorn (“Cooper’s Bar”), Jocko Sims (“Gross Pointe Garden Society”), and Lisa Ann Walter (“Abbott Elementary”), and industry leaders behind hit series such as “Doc”, “The Jennifer Hudson Show”, “The Real Housewives of New York”, “St. Denis Medical” and “The Voice”. Special screenings, with select panels, include Bad Bangs LLC and Small Ideas’ “Hal & Harper” starring Mark Ruffalo, Lili Reinhart and Cooper Raif; Acorn TV’s “Art Detectives” starring Stephen Moyer; UCP and Peacock’s upcoming “Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” starring Michael Chernus and Gabriel Luna; Emmy® Award-nominated “It’s Bruno!” starring Slick Naim; and “Cooper’s Bar” starring Rhea Seehorn.

SeriesFest will honor Carnival Films, one of the UK's leading television drama companies, with the 2025 “Impact in Television Award” at the festival’s annual Soirée on May 2, 2025. Carnival Films’ Chief Executive Officer Gareth Neame and Managing Director Nigel Marchant, both award-winning producers, will accept the award. Past honorees include Shondaland & Betsy Beers, SAG-AFTRA and Minnie Driver. There will be a special panel with Neame, Marchant and actor Michael Peña during the festival to discuss their celebrated work on “Downton Abbey”, “The Day of The Jackal”, “Belgravia: The Next Chapter”, and the forthcoming “All Her Fault”.

SeriesFest will also host television icon Maury Povich, the longest-running daytime talk show host in history, as he returns to his journalistic roots in a special live taping of his bold new podcast, On Par with Maury Povich. In a compelling, no-holds-barred conversation with award-winning political journalist Jessica Yellin, Povich dives into the power of storytelling, the evolution of media, and the cultural moments that shape our world. This must-see event brings two sharp, seasoned voices together on one stage for a conversation that’s both timely and unforgettable.

"We're thrilled to unveil this year's incredible SeriesFest lineup, packed with opportunities for attendees to dive deep into the most captivating corners of episodic content!" say SeriesFest co-Founders Randi Kleiner & Kaily Smith. “Whether you’re passionate about groundbreaking new shows, the creative process behind your favorite series, or connecting with the people shaping the future of television, this year’s program is designed to inspire, engage, and celebrate the power of storytelling.”

Please find additional details for this year’s programming, including the previously announced competition lineup, at https://seriesfest.com/festival/.

PANELS

Innovation Talk with Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television

A one-on-one conversation with the President of one of the most successful television studios in the world with series including “Law & Order,” “Hacks,” “A Man on the Inside“ “St. Denis Medical,” “Loot,” “Bel-Air” and “The Four Seasons.”

Clips and Conversation with “St. Denis Medical”

Panelists: Eric Ledgin (Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Showrunner) and Justin Spitzer (Co-Creator/Executive Producer)

A Conversation with Warner Bros. Television Unscripted Executives

Panelists: Lauren Blincoe (SVP of Current Programming, Telepictures), Lisa Lettunich (SVP of Production & Operations, Warner Bros. Unscripted Television), Dan Peirson (SVP of Programming & Development, Shed Media), and moderated by Mona Kosar Abdi, Senior Correspondent at “Extra.”

The Evolving Role of Actors in Television

Panelists: Tawny Cypress (Yellowjackets), Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez), Jocko Sims (Grosse Pointe Garden Society), Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary)

Impact In Television with Carnival Films

Panelists: Gareth Neame (Chief Executive Officer, Carnival Films), Nigel Marchant (Managing Director, Carnival Films), Michael Peña (Actor, All Her Fault)

Leading The Narrative: Inside The World of Showrunners

Panelists: Carla Kettner (Showrunner/Executive Producer, Alert: Missing Persons Unit), Barbie Kligman (Showrunner/Executive Producer, Doc), Eric Ledgin (Showrunner/Executive Producer, St. Denis Medical), Audrey Morrissey (Showrunner/Executive Producer, The Voice), and Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Showrunner/Writer/Executive Producer, Boarders)

SCREENINGS“Art Detectives” - WORLD PREMIERE

Acorn TV

Panelists: Stephen Moyer (Executive Producer and Star) and Paul Powell (Executive Producer)

“Cooper’s Bar” - SeriesFest Alumni Spotlight Screening

AMC Networks

Panelists: David Conolly (Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Cast), Hannah Davis (Creator/Executive Producer/Writer), Nicholas Morton (Creator/Executive Producer/Writer), Louis Mustillo (Creator/Executive Producer/Cast), and Rhea Seehorn (Creator/Executive Producer/Cast)

“Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” - WORLD PREMIERE

Peacock

Panelist: Patrick Macmanus (Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer)

“Hal & Harper” - COLORADO PREMIERE

Bad Bangs LLC and Small Ideas

Panelist: Cooper Raiff (Creator and Star)

“It’s Bruno!” - SPECIAL SCREENING

Netflix

Panelists: Slick Naim (Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Star) and Molly Conners (Producer and Founder, Phiphen)

SPECIAL EVENTS

Live Podcast Taping of On Par with Maury Povich

Guest: Jessica Yellin (Former White House Correspondent, Founder of News Not Noise)

SeriesFest Soirée

“Impact in Television Award” presented to Carnival Films’ Chief Executive Officer Gareth Neame and Managing Director Nigel Marchant

Pitch-A-Thon

Panelists: Whitney Fuller (Development Executive, Monkeypaw Productions), Jason Hiro Kim (VP, Good Karma Productions), Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary)

Storyteller’s Live Read Directed by Denzel Whitaker

SeriesFest's Storyteller’s Live Read is a signature event bringing an unproduced television pilot script to life through a live table read. This year's pilot, Singh and Son, written by Vishnu Akella, was chosen by Pacific Electric Picture Company to receive a development deal with the company.

As previously announced, comedian Amy Schumer will open the festival with a one-night-only headline performance at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She will be joined by comedians and collaborators Mia Jackson (“Life & Beth”) & Jaye McBride (“Inside Amy Schumer”).

SeriesFest: Season 11 is presented with generous support from the following sponsors: Canva, Once Upon A Time Productions, Liberty Global, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Denver Film, Caz Matthews, Xfinity, and United Airlines, along with generous support from the SCFD.

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ABOUT SERIESFEST

Publicity Contact: Ginsberg / Libby, GLSF@ginsberglibby.com

For General Inquiries: info@seriesfest.com

E-Newsletter Sign-up: HERE

Lilly Wachowski, Anarchists United and ETCH wrap production of new comedic documentary series ‘CASSIE WORKMAN IS WITCHY AF’

March 31^st, 2025- (New York, NY) -Principle photography wrapped on March 29th on a new series being Executive Produced by Lilly Wachowski and Sarah Marie Flores for Anarchists United and Will Battersby and Philip Gelatt for Etch Productions, alongside Lawrence Mattis of Circle Management + Production.

Cassie Workman is Witchy AF is an adult comedic documentary series that explores the history and philosophy of occultism and magic. Using puppetry created by Direct Message and practical SFX make-up from Monster in My Closet (Smile 2, Hocus Pocus), the show is set in a fictional occult bookstore owned by the show’s creator and host Cassie Workman who leads us through a world of ritual magic, identity, demons, tarot, love, death and possible salvation. It covers such topics as Aleister Crowley, John Dee, the secret history of Hollywood, and Santa Muerte.

Cassie Workman is an Australian comedian, writer, musician and actor. Cassie entered the public eye after winning Triple J's "Raw Comedy" national open mic competition in 2009. She then debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the following year was invited to perform in the Melbourne Comedy Festival's "Comedy Zone" showcase for emerging talents. Workman is known for her heartfelt and emotive storytelling, her incisive wit, and brutal deconstructions of the status quo.

This is the second series that Etch has financed and produced since its founding in 2024. Etch principals Philip Gelatt, Will Battersby and Morgan Galen King have the documentary series about horror writers First Word on Horror currently in release on Substack. Next up for the company is the distribution of a 1990s era cable-access show which it unearthed and will remaster and release in the Fall 0f 2025. The company is financing, producing and distributing unique animation, documentary and genre pieces that it hopes make the world a less dumb place.

The show marks the first to go into production for Wachowski’s new company, which is spearheaded by Sarah Marie Flores with Lawrence Mattis. ANARCHISTS UNITED STUDIOS focuses on elevated genre projects created by artists from underrepresented communities. AU is also currently in development on HELL FOLLOWED WITH US, an animated feature with Line Mileage and Trustbridge Entertainment.

Frederic Fasano (Mother of Tears, The Helpsters) is DP and Hannah Welever is taking on directing duties. Joel Goulet is designing and directing marionette puppet sequences for Direct Message. The show was shot entirely on location in Asbury Park, NJ at the Wolfe & Kron bookstore and Asbury’s oldest gay bar Georgies.

ABOUT ETCH

Etch has expertise in animation, documentary and feature production and a core philosophy of maintaining ownership and creative control through novel approaches to production and distribution.

For more information: etchstudio.substack.com
etchfilm.com / @etchfilm

ABOUT ANARCHISTS UNITED FOUNDATION

Comprised of ANARCHISTS UNITED FOUNDATION and its wholly owned subsidiary ANARCHISTS UNITED STUDIOS, A.U. is dedicated to creating a holistically integrated and sustainable economic and artistic ecosystem to support ARTISTRY, DIVERSITY and EQUITY in media.

Premiering Today, April 30, at 9 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. PST on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app: NOVA's Critical Condition: Health in Black America.

Magnolia Pictures, HBO Documentary Films & Mercury Studios Present A Plan B/KM

‘The Four Seasons’ Series Star Marco Calvani To Be Presented With ‘Breakthrough Actor’ Award

Highlights Include International Spotlight to Showcase Global Series, Timely Industry Conversations on Topics Like AI and Inclusion, and a Live Podcast Recording

Where Vision Meets Possibility

‘The Four Seasons’ Series Star Marco Calvani To Be Presented
With ‘Breakthrough Actor’ Award