PANAFEST 2019 INDUSTRY PANELS
OCTOBER 18, 2019
1:30 PM – Industry Panel: “Colorism, Racism and Other Isms in Television & Film: A Panamanian Perspective”
Free Industry Panel – RSVP here
Presented by H Code.
Moderator: Maylin De Leon
Panelists: Carlos Carrasco, Angela Ortiz, and Deborah Castillero.
To be Latino/a/x is to be diverse by definition yet Hollywood and the media refuse to reflect the richness of our intersectional communities. In this panel, 5 Panamanians with backgrounds in film, television, music, and media will shine a light on topics like identity, image, inclusion and exclusion. While all Panamanian, their distinctive voices and life experiences provide a fascinating lens through which to see the world.
Maylin De Leon – Director of Brand Development at H Code, Maylin was born in Panama and raised in LA’s Inglewood area. She has specialized in US Latinx marketing for over a decade, helping brands and agencies be successful and culturally relevant.
Deborah Castillero – Gringa/Latina whose family is from Guararé, Panama. Founder and CEO of Bilingual Children’s Enterprises, Deborah created the Tipitom family of characters to help preschoolers learn both English and Spanish through animation and apps. She is a veteran of US Latinx marketing with an emphasis on music and film. Currently, she is CEO of Goldleaf Limited, a cannabis CBD brand.
Angela Ortiz – Born in Colón, Panama and raised in Los Angeles, Angela is an accomplished graphic artist, designer, consultant in publishing and a dedicated art and photography curator and leader in the non-profit arts arena. Angela was part of the leadership of Reel Rasquache Art and Film Festival for over five years. She is the publisher of Sefijaonline.com, a popular website on films and pop culture.
Carlos Carrasco – Born in Panama City, Panama, Carlos’ US journey includes the Midwest, New York, and Los Angeles where he currently resides. Among hundreds of roles in film, television and on stage, he is best known for Popeye in Taylor Hackford’s Blood In Blood Out and Ortiz (Gigantor) in Speed. Carlos founded PIFF/LA as a way of celebrating the growing film industry in Panama and creating a connection with Latinx and other filmmakers and influencers in the US.
OCTOBER 19, 2019
12:15 PM – Industry Panel: “Demystifying the workflow of a Line Producer and a UPM”
Free Industry Panel – RSVP here
Presented by Film Gals.
Moderator: DMA
Panelists: Gabriela Revilla Lugo, Connie Dolph, Christa Boarini, Lea Walker.
Let’s explore where the similarities lie and where the roles differ in the production ecosystem.
Ever wondered if your production will require a Line Producer or a UPM or both? Not sure which one makes the most sense for your project and your budget? In this panel we discuss the shared workflow and complexities within these two roles. Our moderator DMA talks with Gabriela Revilla Lugo, Connie Dolph and Christa Boarinito shed light on their experiences, lessons learned and the value they add to the efficiency of a production.
DMA: A veteran entertainment industry showrunner and executive and twice-patented tech entrepreneur, DMA (Donna Michelle Anderson) designs and executes transformative gameplans for companies in media, tech, government, education and more. Over the past 20 years, she has helmed top-rated programming for CBS, Bravo, BET, A&E, TLC and more, authored two entertainment books that are taught in media programs nationwide, and championed inclusion across multiple industries. She is a graduate, with distinction, of Stanford University and is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Producers Guild of America and American Mensa. You can connect with DMA online on all platforms as @planetdma.
Gabriela Revilla Lugo: Gabriela Revilla Lugo is a Writer, Producer, Director and the founder of Revek Entertainment, a production company specializing in the creation of high quality, low budget, film, and television content. As a Producer, Gabby has found much success in very special niche projects. In 2013, she produced Damien Chazelle’s, Whiplash, which won the Sundance Jury Selection Short Film Award. In 2014 she produced Warner Bros and Blumhouse’s, The Gallows, which was made for $250K and grossed over $40M domestic. In 2016, She was the Executive Producer of the highly anticipated film, The Tribes of Palos Verdes, starring Jennifer Garner as well as Forest Whitaker and Garret Hedlund’s, Burden, both produced by Robbie Brenner of The Dallas Buyers Club. This year she also served as Executive Producer on Khalid’s short film project Free Spirit in conjunction with Sony Music and the feature film Palm Springs starring Andy Samberg and JK Simmons.
Connie Dolph: A long-time production professional, Connie Dolph sites her first credit, the Academy award winning THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, as the film igniting her passion for indie filmmaking. She went on to serve as the Line Producer on THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB and CLUELESS, among others, working for the likes of Sony, Columbia-Tristar, and Screen Gems. THE GATEKEEPER, a film she produced as well as Line Produced, was a multiple festival award winner. 2008 Marked a turn toward TV, both scripted and unscripted. She notes ABC, CBS, NBC, Showtime, A&E, Lifetime, Oxygen, MTV, VH1, E!, WE, OWN, Food Network, and Machinama, as the networks distributing shows where she worked as a Producer, Production Executive, EIC or Line Producer. She wrote and directed the festival award nominated short film, TAYLOR WARREN, and produced and directed THE CLINIC, another short hotly debated on the 2017 festival circuit. She lists directing a feature film as the next hill to conquer, and in the meantime is happy to work on programming that inspires, encourages, makes us feel, laugh, or otherwise gives insight into worlds unseen or underrepresented.
Christa Boarini: Christa Boarini was born and raised in Guatemala City. She left her home country after high school to get her BFA in Film & Television Production from New York University and graduated in 2010. After a few years working in branded and documentary content, Christa moved to Los Angeles in 2014, seeking to transition into the world of feature narratives Since then Christa has worked on over 10 features, most recently working closely with Divide / Conquer on projects such as High & Mighty (Sundance ’18), the VR series Door No. 1 (Hulu) and CAM (Blumhouse). Christa’s most recent directing credit is the Guatemalan short film MARADENTRO, which she also co-wrote and produced. It was shot on location in Guatemala with local talent and embodies the same combination of grit and magic realism that characterizes much of Christa’s work.
Lea Walker: Lea Walker is an award-winning filmmaker, producer and creative executive with an extensive background in network and cable television, independent film and commercial production. An established producer, Lea spent more than 13 years with Viacom in various positions, lastly as Director of Production at BET Networks, where she oversaw 70-plus pilots, series and specials. She has also served as a producer on numerous highly rated programs for FOX, FOX Sports, WB, ABC Family, A&E and MTV Networks among others. Lea is currently the Creative Director/Co-Owner of Aeriform Arts Media, a commercial production company that creates client integrations and supports the arts, as well as co-owner of Aeriform Arts, a Hollywood-based boutique Aerial studio. In July of 2018 she was the recipient of the Encore Producers Award for her production of the Aerial play, “Dorothy & Alice”.