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!
Deputy Director, Feature Film Program | Sundance Institute
Director, Producing & Artist Support, Feature Film Program | Sundance Institute
Topic: Inside Sundance Institute: Programs, Labs, & the Path for Independent Filmmakers
llyse McKimmie has served as a key staff member of Sundance Institute's Feature Film Program since 1999. As Deputy Director, she oversees the Directors and Screenwriters Labs and the Screenwriters Intensive, provides year-round creative and strategic support to alumni filmmakers, and plays a key role in the Producers and Episodic Programs. Films developed at the Labs during her tenure include Josephine, Dìdi (弟弟), A Thousand and One, Aftersun, Nanny, The 40-Year-Old Version, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, The Farewell, Sorry to Bother You, We the Animals, Beach Rats, Swiss Army Man, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Fruitvale Station, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Pariah, Sin Nombre, Red Road, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Paradise Now, and Maria Full of Grace, among many others. Before joining Sundance, she held positions at ICM and Red Wagon Entertainment.
Shira Rockowitz, as Director of Producing and Artist Support in the Feature Film Program, leads strategy for supporting emerging independent fiction producers, screenwriters, and directors. She oversees programs spanning creative and professional development, granting, mentorship, and industry engagement to help artists advance their projects and build enduring careers, including the Feature Film Producers Program and its annual Lab & Fellowship, as well as select Sundance Film Festival activities. Shira also leads ELEVATE, a year-round professional development track supporting 250+ Sundance artists, and co-heads Future Models, a cross-departmental initiative developing filmmaker education, practical tools, and interventions to build a healthier, more sustainable independent film ecosystem.
Topic: Championing Voices: Ana Souza on Programming and Latino Cinema
Born in Brazil, Ana Souza was partially raised in the Netherlands and now resides in Los Angeles. She is the Manager of the Programming department at the Sundance Film Festival and a programmer on the features team, focusing on US and International fiction films across sections. She helped launch Sundance Film Festival's newest international edition in CDMX in partnership with Cinépolis and regularly contributed to Sundance Film Festival: London. In addition to her work at the Sundance Film Festival, she is the Director of Programming at the Sun Valley Film Festival and the Forum Producer for the Palm Springs International ShortFest. She has also programmed for AFI FEST, Outfest, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and the LA Film Festival in the past, and she has worked in various capacities for LALIFF, Ambulante California, and NALIP’s Latino Media Fest, and has consulted with Washington FilmWorks, among others. In 2024 she was named one of Screen International's Future Leaders in Programming and Curation.
Topic: Producing with Purpose: Insights from Ben DeJesus
Ben DeJesus is an Emmy and Tony-nominated director, producer, writer, and four-time Imagen Award winner with over 15 years of experience in the U.S. multicultural, Latinx, and youth markets. Alongside his longtime partner, award-winning actor, writer, and social activist John Leguizamo, Ben co-founded their production company Casa NoHo Studios, carving out a unique niche with a diverse slate of television, documentary, non-fiction, film, and digital content.
With over 200 hours of programming to his credit including docs, non-fiction, episodic series, music videos, and branded content— Ben’s vision and creativity shine brightly. His most recent project, he co-created, directed and executive produced 12 episodes of the hit series Leguizamo Does America for MSNBC/Peacock. Prior to that he exec produced and directed American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos (PBS), a 3-part limited series hosted by Leguizamo, that takes viewers on a captivating journey through the rich and often overlooked contributions of Latinos in America.
Ben's journey began as a stage actor before he transitioned to MTV Networks, becoming one of the original producer/writers for several seasons of MTV Cribs. He further honed his talents producing and writing for MTV News, VH1, mun2, Nick @ Nite, and various on-air VJs. As a music video veteran, DeJesus has directed landmark videos for pioneering artists such as Don Omar, N.O.R.E., Fat Joe, Aventura and more, amassing over 1 billion views on YouTube.
Fueled by a passion for pop culture, music, and theater, Ben DeJesus continues to push boundaries in the industry. He is represented by Kaplan-Stahler Agency and Espada PR & Entertainment.
Topic: Expressing Cinematic Voices: How to maintain your voice in an ever-evolving Indie & Studio Landscape
Jairo Alvarado is a literary manager and co-founder of Redefine Entertainment, where he has built an exceptional roster of filmmakers and storytellers over the past decade. His clients include Lulu Wang, writer and director of the acclaimed feature The Farewell and creator/director of the Nicole Kidman–starring Prime Video limited series Expats; Angel Manuel Soto, director of DC Films/Warner Bros.’ Blue Beetle and the upcoming The Wrecking Crew starring Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista; and Adamma and Adanne Ebo, the twin writer/director duo behind Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul who currently hold an overall deal with Sony Television.
His slate also includes Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, writer of Blue Beetle and Amazon’s The Boys: Mexico spinoff, as well as Justin and Chris Copeland, multi-hyphenate creatives in an overall deal with Laika Studios for both animation and live action.
Before co-founding Redefine, Alvarado began his career as a creative executive at Warner Bros., transitioning into management in 2011. He has been recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as one of “Hollywood’s 50 Forces for Change” and was named to THR’s “35 Rising Executives 35 and Under” list.
Beyond his client work, Alvarado serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Latino Producers (NALIP) and is a graduate of UCLA. He is committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering a new generation of globally minded storytellers.
Topic: Strategic Storytelling: Development that Leads to Success
As the Head of Scripted Content for The Mediapro Studio, US and Canada, Erika Kennair oversees the procurement, development and production of features and television series for the US and Canadian arm of The Mediapro Studio (The Young Pope/The New Pope, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Official Competition, The Good Boss).
Erika was most recently President of Extracurricular Productions - Malala Yousafzai's overall with Apple - developing and producing Features and Television, Scripted, Unscripted and Animation. While running Extracurricular, she produced the film, Joyland, which won the Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film, and the short documentary, Stranger at the Gate, which was nominated for an Oscar. She was also Producer on The Last of the Sea Women, an award-winning feature documentary with A24 for AppleTV+.
Before that she was Senior Vice President, Development, at Berlanti Productions, overseeing the procurement and development of new scripted and unscripted series for both network and cable/streaming including You (Netflix) and The Flight Attendant (HBO Max).
Prior to that, Erika was VP of Comedy and International Development at ABC, VP of Development at The Syfy Channel, Manger of Diversity at NBC where she created Writers on the Verge, and a Post Production Coordinator at Fox Searchlight.
A Cuban-American, Ms. Kennair was voted one of the Most Influential and Powerful Latinos in Media by the Imagen Foundation four times. In 2013 she was named one of Hollywood Reporter’s Top Young Latino Decision Makers. In 2012 she was named to Multichannel News’s 40 under Forty, Variety’s New Leaders, CableFAX’s Most Influential Minorities in Cable, and was honored as a NAMIC Luminary.
Topic: Running the Show: Lessons from Independent film to True Detective
Issa López is an award-winning Mexican filmmaker whose bold storytelling has redefined contemporary genre cinema. López started out writing telenovelas and went on to build a multi-award-winning career writing and directing feature films.
In 2017, Issa achieved international acclaim with Tigers Are Not Afraid, a haunting blend of fantasy and horror, showcasing her trajectory into darker, more genre-driven storytelling. AMC's Shudder released the film to rave reviews that labeled Issa “the next voice in genre” from the likes of esteemed genre legends such as Stephen King and Guillermo Del Toro.
In 2024, López took the helm of HBO’s True Detective: Night Country as writer, director, and executive producer. Starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, the season premiered to 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, record-breaking viewership of 12.7 million, and 19 Emmy nominations—making it the most critically and commercially successful season in the franchise.
The Guardian: “[López] has created a brooding, melancholy world of terrible possibilities and made True Detective not just worth watching again but more so than ever.” López has been tapped to return for Season 5, set in New York, with production slated to begin in 2025 and a projected release in 2027, continuing her trajectory as one of the most vital and visionary voices in contemporary cinema.
Topic: Repped & Booked: Inside the Agent - Talent Relationship
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.
Topic: 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.
Topic: 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.
Topic: 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.
Topic: 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.
Topic: 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.