Television Academy Foundation Announces Media Educators Conference

The Television Academy Foundation today announced that its annual Media Educators Conference will be held Oct. 27-29 at the Television Academy's North Hollywood campus. Returning in-person after three years as a virtual event, the program brings college and university media arts educators from across the country together with top Hollywood professionals for an immersive three-day educational event.

Sponsored by Kia America as part of the automaker's ongoing commitment to higher education, the event is co-chaired by Tina Perry, president, OWN Network & OTT Streaming, and Jamila Hunter, executive vice president of programming and development at Freeform, the event offers a wide variety of curriculum-enhancing seminars with industry heavyweights. The conference presents the latest insights and news on the art, science and business of television and provides invaluable information on how professors can connect the classroom with the television industry.

The conference will kick off with opening remarks from Foundation Chair Cris Abrego, chairman of Banijay America Group and president and CEO of Endemol Shine Holdings, followed by a slate of industry panels and sessions that include:

"In Conversation with Tony Vinciquerra" the chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment moderated by Jeff Conway, senior contributor, Forbes Hollywood and Entertainment.

"Showrunner Superpanel" currently featuring writer, actor and showrunner Diallo Riddle (Sherman's Showcase; South Side); writer, producer Shaz Bennet (Queen Sugar; Billions; Bosch); writer, producer, actor Krister Johnson (A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Murderville); writer, producer Jason Rothenberg (The 100); and is moderated by Jamila Hunter, executive vice president, original programming and development, Freeform.

"Production: The New Normal" with Frank Scherma, president and co-founder of RadicalMedia, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, and producer Ann Leslie Uzdavinis (Voicemail) will focus on television innovations born from necessity that will outlast the pandemic and are changing the way content is produced.

"Directing for TV" with director/producer Dr. Rachel Raimist (Queen Sugar; The Sex Lives of College Girls). Raimist will discuss her experience directing for television and share tips to help educators advise students on episodic direction.

"Industry Insights" is a networking session that connects professors with top writers, producers, directors, showrunners, creatives and industry executives in a small-group setting. It includes Harry Friedman, executive producer, Capital One College Bowl on NBC; Emmy-winning production designer James Pearse Connelly (The Masked Singer); executive producer/development executive Daniel Barnes of Cloudco Entertainment; supervising casting director at McNulty Casting Inc. Michelle McNulty; director of voiceover talent at Coast to Coast Talent Group Portia Scott; Allegory Creative Management agent Tyler Kahl; and Jo DiSante, vice president of current programming, ABC.

"Pathways From College to Career" with panelists including Val Cheung, vice president, production, Shondaland; Phillip Kobylanski, president, Valhalla Motion Pictures; and artist/director Neil Truglio, education director, SeriesFest; moderated by Dan Birman, president, Daniel H. Birman Productions, Inc. Panelists will discuss what hiring managers are looking for in emerging new talent and how educators can effectively set up students to transition into industry careers.

"Alumni Spotlight: Journeys to Success" featuring Television Academy Foundation program alumni CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen; Sev Ohanian, co-founder of Proximity Media and executive producer (Ironheart; Foursome); executive producer/director Jason Ensler (Monarch; Love Victor; The Passage; The Exorcist); and Pamela Soper, senior vice president, current programming, CBS, moderated by The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation correspondent and Foundation alumnus Albert Lawrence.

"We're thrilled to bring this important conference back from virtual to an in-person event to allow educators from across the country to learn the very latest trends and convene with some of the industry's top professionals," said Abrego. "This year's lineup presents the most varied slate of instruction ever for the conference with insights on how things have evolved with the pandemic to championing representation, diversity and inclusion behind and in front of the camera."

Kia America is the presenting sponsor for the 2022 Media Educators Conference. Additional sponsors include Freeform and the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television. The Alex Trebek Legacy Fund, which provides financial aid for eligible attendees and supports conference programming, is sponsored by The Harry & Judy Friedman Family Foundation, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Village Roadshow Entertainment Group.

Price is $350 per person, to register visit: TelevisionAcademy.com/media-educators/registration.
Registration closes Friday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. PDT

This Television Academy Foundation "Media Educators Conference" was formerly known as "Faculty Seminar: The Conference."

About the Television Academy Foundation

Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Television Academy Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of television while educating and inspiring those who will shape its future. Through renowned educational and outreach programs, such as The Interviews: An Oral History of Television Project, College Television Awards and Summit, Student Internship and Fellowship Programs and Faculty Conference, the Foundation seeks to widen the circle of voices our industry represents and to create more opportunity for television to reflect all of society. For more information on the Foundation, please visit TelevisionAcademy.com/Foundation.

###

Media Contact:
Jane Sparango
jane@breakwhitelight.com
310.339.1214

Rick Rhoades
rick@breakwhitelight.com
818.468.5585

breakwhitelight for the Television Academy

For the complete press release, click here.