Panels

‘Connecting…’ with the Lead Actor & Producers of NBC’s New Timely Comedy

Presented by NBC

Lead actor Otmara Marrero, producer-director Linda Mendoza and writer Eddie Mujica speak about their new timely comedy “Connecting…” In a conversation moderated by E! host Lilliana Vazquez, they share the show’s unique production approach, the social issues that the show tackles with humor and heart and how they are personally connecting with loved ones during the pandemic. After the panel, be the first to watch the “Connecting…” season premiere on Sunday, September 20 at 7pm ET only at NYLFF. “Connecting…” premieres on NBC on October 1 at 8:30pm, and is about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times.

Lilliana Vazquez, E! News (Moderator)
Otmara Marrero, Lead Actor
Linda Mendoza, Producer-Director
Eddie Mujica, Writer

Breaking into the Film Studio & TV Network System at NBCUniversal
Sponsored by NBCUniversal

Executives from Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and NBC Entertainment, will highlight their groundbreaking and highly competitive talent pipeline programs. This panel is for emerging directors, writers, composers, and other creative talent ready to take their work and careers to the next level. Meet recent alumni who will share personal program experiences, helpful application tips and how they used these programs as launchpads for their careers.

Grace Moss, Sr. Director, NBC Talent Development & Inclusion
Jandiz Cardoso, Sr. Director, NBC Talent Development & Inclusion
SJ Main-Munoz, Filmmaker/Female Forward Directors Program Alum
Michael Pogarian, Manager, Global Talent Development & Inclusion
Rosemary Palacios, Manager, Global Talent Development & Inclusion
Andrew Ruiz, Writer, Writers Program Alum

Diversifying the Hollywood Creative Pipeline
Sponsored by the Motion Picture Association

In recognition of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ annual legislative conferences, the Motion Picture Association is proud to present the next phase of our “Diversifying the Hollywood Creative Pipeline” series, that launched in 2019 in partnership with the Multicultural Media Caucus. This two-part panel discussion, moderated by MPA’s Vice President for Multicultural and External Affairs, John Gibson, will feature inclusion and content programming executives from the MPA member companies– Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, ViacomCBS/Paramount, Sony Pictures, WarnerMedia/Warner Bros.. Join us for a timely discussion on talent development and pipeline recruitment initiatives for Black and Latinx communities.

Opening Remarks:

Ambassador Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association
Rep. Yvette Clarke
Rep. Tony Cárdenas
Calixto Chinchilla, New York Latino Film Festival

Moderator:

John Gibson, Vice President, External and Multicultural Affairs, Motion Picture
Association

Member Studio Representatives Panel 1

Sushil Dayal, Executive Producer, Viacom Digital Studios, Comedy Central
Carolina Garcia, Director, Original Series, Netflix
Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director, Current Programming, ABC Television
Member Studio Representatives Panel 2
Karen Horne, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Inclusion, Warner Media
Fabian Castro, Senior Vice President, Multicultural Marketing, Universal Pictures,
NBCUniversal
Brittany A. Little, Vice President, Drama Development, Universal Television,
NBCUniversal
Paul Martin, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Sony Pictures
Entertainment

Beyond Linear: Spanish-Language Entertainment 2.0

Presented by Telemundo

Join executives from Telemundo and talent from its upcoming series, Falsa Identidad 2, for a conversation about the current state of Spanish-language entertainment and how it fits into second-generation Latino media. Panelists will walk through the evolution of Telemundo programming and describe how the network is creating a more diverse and inclusive television for all audiences and across all screens.