How does diversity & inclusion make storytelling better?
Join us as we discuss how diversity and inclusion in storytelling and film leads to a more collaborative and equitable film industry. Panelists include comedy and animation writer at Dreamworks Roxy Simmons; Indie Screenwriter Tiffany Albright; Senior Writer/Producer at HBO Mike Skanes; and Development Assistant at GenreArts Rika Bhakta.
Panelists:
Roxy Simmons
Comedy and Animation Writer, Helpsters
Roxy Simons is a comedy and animation writer based in Los Angeles, and originally from South Africa. She recently completed two years as a staff writer for Madagascar: A Little Wild at DreamWorks, and is developing an original series based around a new Disney Princess for Disney Jr. She received a development deal with Sesame Studios for the original pilot she wrote during the 2018 Sesame Writers Workshop. She also studied sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade. She enjoys writing stories that center around complex girls and women, multi-generational families, absurd humor, immigrant experiences, and musical numbers.
Tiffany Albright
Indie Screenwriter
Tiffany Albright (UNCW ‘11) is a queer writer, director and producer based in Greensboro, NC. Her film work centers female and queer stories, and often explores identity, sexuality, and class in genre spaces. Her work has screened at festivals across the country, she has been a recipient of the Filmed in NC grant, and she was invited to attend the inaugural Female Filmmakers Retreat at Oxford Film Festival. Her first feature screenplay “Shroud” was a quarterfinalist in the 2020 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. She is currently in post-production on her first feature “Rat”, a virtual horror film about friendship and lies, written and shot during the pandemic.
Rika Dharmesh Bhakta
Development Assistant, GenreArts
Rika Dharmesh Bhakta graduated from UNCW with a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies with a concentration in documentary producing. She then went to Florida State University where she earned an MFA in narrative production with a concentration in creative producing and screenwriting. After graduating and moving to Los Angeles, she interned with a small studio in television development and then completed a year and a half of talent agency experience. Currently, she works in television development at Genre Arts under the Vice President of Carlton Cuse’s company (Lost, Bates Motel, Locke & Key). Since the company has a production overall deal with ABC Studios, you can find her hanging out on the Disney lot (when we aren’t in quarantine). She’s passionate about mentorship because she has had to overcome many obstacles to get to where she is, especially as a woman of color, and having mentors was key in her growth. Because of that, she also participates as a mentor to aspiring students and helps them get their footing out and guide them towards their careers in entertainment.
Michael Skanes
Senior Writer/Producer, HBO, Watchmen, Insecure, His Dark Materials
Michael is a producer, director, and award-winning editor who specializes in film and television marketing. Currently a Senior Writer/Producer at HBO, Michael cuts trailers and produces content in-house as well as in collaboration with vendors to create high-end marketing campaigns for HBO's hit shows, some of which include Watchmen, Insecure, Los Espookys, and The Righteous Gemstones. He won a Promax award for his work on Vice Weekly on HBO.