Welcome to Open Office Hours
Open Office Hours is a new initiative designed to expand access to knowledge and mentorship within the entertainment industry.
Twice a month, we invite influential professionals across film, television, and media to speak directly with our community, sharing their personal journeys, career insights, and advice on navigating the industry as a diverse creative or executive.
Stay tuned for the next guest speaker!
Join UTA agent, Gina Reyes, for an insider’s look at the business of representation. this session will demystify what agents are really looking for, how talent can stand out, and what it takes to build a lasting, mutually beneficial relationship with a rep. from pitching yourself to positioning your career for long-term growth, gina will share strategies to help creatives find the right advocates—and make the most of the opportunity once they do.
Gina Reyes is a TV literary agent at United Talent Agency (UTA) where she represents writers and directors including showrunners Ben Watkins (Alex Cross, Truth Be Told), Meredith Stiehm (Cold Case, Homeland), and Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso, Wandavision) among others . Prior to UTA she was a TV literary agent at Verve Talent and Literary agency where she spent 3 ½ years building her roster of clients. Gina started her Hollywood career at International Creative Management talent agency in Motion Picture Production and transitioned to Film Development in her post with Ms. Salma Hayek’s production company, Ventanazul, which had an overall deal with MGM. Following her time at Ventanazul, Gina landed at 20th Century Fox Film as a Creative Executive in feature film development and then made the move to 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company where she developed and oversaw the first all-female director initiative, the Fox TV Directors Lab, where she transitioned feature directors into the episodic space. Furthermore, she oversaw the Fox Writers Lab where she staffed female and diverse voices on 20th/Fox scripted series.
Fabric of a Film: Creating Ensembles & Finding Your Players
Carmen Cuba’s feature film casting career began in 1999 with filmmaker Larry Clark (Bully and Ken Park) and led to a long-standing collaboration with Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh starting with his experimental film Bubble all the way through to his most recent features Presence and Black Bag. Her collaboration with Ridley Scott included The Martian, Alien Covenant, All the Money in the World. Other highlights: Leos Carax’s Annette, The Matrix Resurrection by Lana Wachowski, The Power of the Dog by Jane Campion and NOPE by Jordan Peele. 2024 included Blink Twice, Emmanuelle, Heretic and The Apprentice (for which she was nominated a Best Casting BAFTA award) Upcoming films include works by Egor Abramenko, Albert Serra, Leos Carax, Andrew Haigh and Shawn Levy. She also works as a consultant for Lucasfilm as they develop their next features.
In television she has worked with filmmakers Soderbergh, Luca Guadagnino, Alex Garland, Patty Jenkins,The Wachowskis, Andrew Haigh and on highly acclaimed series by Tarrell McCraney, Tanya Saracho, Amy Seimetz, as well as on all seasons of Stranger Things with the Duffer Brothers. Recent highlights: Swarm and Mr. and Mrs Smith from Donald Glover, The Acolyte for Leslye Headland and the Marvel limited series Wonder Man for Destin Cretton (to be released in 2026). Currently working on the Amanda Knox limited series as well as the Man on Fire series and a few projects being produced by the Duffer Brothers.
The New Studio System: Original Filmmaking in a Streaming World
Alexander Zahn is a Director on the Netflix Original Film team. At Netflix he has worked on projects such as EMILIA PÉREZ, REZ BALL, NYAD, FAIR PLAY, PURPLE HEARTS, and PASSING amongst many others. Prior to joining Netflix, Zahn served as VP of Acquisitions & Productions at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA). At SPWA, Zahn was involved in the acquisition and production of countless films, including HER, ARRIVAL, DON'T BREATHE, DOPE, MARSHALL, I CARRY YOU WITH ME, BLAST BEAT, and the SEARCHING / MISSING franchise.
From Indie to Impact: How “You, Me and Her” Hit 250 Screens
Selina Ringel is an award-winning Mexican-American filmmaker who has carved a niche in the independent film scene with her compelling narratives and unique voice. As a writer, producer, and actress, her recent feature film, You, Me & Her, has won 15 awards, including Best Picture at the Mexican-American Film & Television Awards. The film was released in 250 theaters nationwide on Valentine’s Day as the Alpha test for Fithian Group’s innovative new platform, Attend, which is revolutionizing theatrical distribution.
Selina's groundbreaking film Single Mother by Choice captured her real-time pregnancy journey during COVID-19 and premiered on HBO Max. She is also known for her engaging comedy special on Amazon Prime, 2 Moms 1 Mic, and her internationally recognized film The Best People, distributed domestically by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Beyond filmmaking, Selina is the author of Be the Train: The Mindset & Tools You Need to Make Your First Feature Film, a #1 Best Seller in its category on Amazon. Featured in IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety, she empowers creators to stop waiting for permission and take control of their projects now. Through her work, Selina continues to push boundaries, spark conversation, and inspire a new generation of filmmakers to get into motion and make their films a reality.
The Value of IP: Thinking Like an Entrepreneur with Nely Galán
Nely Galán is a self-made media entrepreneur. Dubbed the Tropical Tycoon by the New York Times Magazine, she was the first Latina President of a U.S. television network (Telemundo). She is an Emmy Award-winning producer of over 700 episodes of television in Spanish and English, including the hit reality series she created, THE SWAN. Galan is also the author of The New York Times bestselling book SELF MADE, Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way (2016) Random House, about the revolution in women’s entrepreneurship led by multi-cultural women in the US and emerging women around the world. Galán holds a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis on the psychology of money in multicultural communities. Her Podcast is called MONEYMAKER with Nely Galan, and her next transformative book is with Top Tax Engineer Julio Gonzalez. Why Billionaires Love Taxes: How to follow the IRS’ Lead to Build Wealth, drops in 2025. In addition, she is in partnership with pioneer business leader Gary Acosta in ProXimo, a transformative Event Platform for Latino Entrepreneurs, Investors, Intrapreneurs and Visionaries launching in September 2025.
Unlocking TV Representation: A Conversation with Daniela Federman
Daniela Federman is a TV Scripted Agent at WME. In her role, she works primarily with writers, directors, and producers with a focus on underrepresented, diverse, and international voices. Federman’s extensive roster includes Leo Messi, Jason Momoa, Lena Waithe, Amblin, Corriente De Golfo, Eat the Cat, Media Res as well as filmmakers including Eva Longoria, Gaz Alazraki, Alonso Ruizpalacios, and Michelle Garza and writers including Alex Russell, Amber Noizumi, Erica Lipez, Byron Wu, Brian Otano, etc.
Federman began her career in the WME mailroom before becoming an agent. Internally at WME, Daniela plays a key role in running the Latin Crossover group, which is an inter-departmental initiative to create a cohesive group within the agency for clients who are focused on the Latin business. Originally from Mexico City, Federman’s experience growing up in a multicultural household fostered her love of television series and films. Federman is a graduate of Boston University, and she currently resides in Los Angeles.