REEL CONNECT: Presented by In the Cut

REEL CONNECT: Presented by

The entertainment industry is undergoing a major shift. Studio consolidation and declining traditional media spend have led to shrinking opportunities, disproportionately affecting Black and POC creators. At the same time, platforms like YouTube are booming, with creators leveraging independent success into studio deals. This moment favors writers who can also develop, produce, and distribute their own work to navigate both indie and studio systems at the same time.

Reel Connect is our annual live event, designed to equip creatives with the tools, knowledge, and connections to leverage studio success for independent content creation and vice versa.

This is not a day of panels. Participants sit in small group conversations with speakers to learn and connect in real time.

OUR SPEAKERS

• Tasha & Joel Armstead: Husband and wife writing partners, producers and comedians who recently wrote for A DIFFERENT WORLD (NETFLIX). They've independently produced multiple podcasts and webseries, and Tasha has apparead on Issa Rae's new Youtube series, TELL YOUR FREINDS.
• Rae Benjamin: Television and film writer who's worked on hit shows like THE WITCHER & BRIDGERTON (NETFLIX). She co-created and indepently produced Prestige, a scripted audio drama which became an editor's Pick on Apple Podcast and amassed 200,000+ listens.
• Caroline Renard: Award-winning writer/director who won Best Comedic Short at the 2024 Micheaux Film Festival. She is also an Amazon MGM Studios Directors Elevation Apprentice and the Co-Chair of the Committee of Black Writers for the WGA West. She is currently developing her first feature.
• Kryzz Gautier: Kryzz has written for a THE GORDITA CHRONICLES (HBO) series, served as a writer and creative consultant on 2K Games’ BIOSHOCK 4. A number of her projects have been distributed by HBO Max, Hulu, and her feature scripts have landed on The Blacklist. She’s been named one of Netflix’s Directors On The Rise and participated in programs like NBC’s “Female Forward,” Starz’s #TakeTheLead, Ryan Murphy’s “Half Initiative,” The Sundance Institute and more.

For our full speaker bios, visit inthecutla.org/reelconnect

Info: Event check-in and introduction to our lineup of speakers.

Info: Not your typical panel. This is an interactive workshop where audience members sit in conversation with our speakers to enure you get questions answered.

Info: View short films & webseries created by our panelists.

Info: Join us for no-pressure networking and connections with light snacks provided.

Event venue & nearby stays

Emerson College Los Angeles Center, 5960 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

Get the app →

Discover more events by tag