SeriesFest

A Celebration of Episodic Storytelling

SERIESFEST ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY ADVISORY BOARD

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As Featured in TheWrap — Read the coverage ↗

PRESS RELEASE – OCTOBER 26, 2026

Emmy and Golden Globe winner Rhea Seehorn, Sundance Film Festival Director Eugene Hernandez and showrunner Patrick Macmanus among 36 industry leaders

SeriesFest, a leading nonprofit organization that champions and empowers artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling through an international festival and year-round initiatives, today announced its Industry Advisory Board ahead of Season 13. The board brings together leaders from across television, film, production, representation, programming, media and entrepreneurship.

Board members include Rhea Seehorn, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning star of Pluribus and Better Call Saul; Eugene Hernandez, Director of the Sundance Film Festival and Head of Public Programming at Sundance Institute; and Patrick Macmanus, creator and showrunner of Dr. Death and The Girl from Plainville. The 36-member board also includes actor Katie Lowes (Hunting Wives, Scandal), TV exec Jeremy Gold, actor and producer Tom Verica (How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton) and Jocko Sims (Little House on the Prairie, New Amsterdam). The newest additions include Annie Laks of  Shondaland, filmmaker and actor Marco Calvani (The Four Seasons), Emily Vogel of The Wrap, and Leslie Cohen of Cinema Girl.

Members bring strategic counsel, industry insight and professional connections to SeriesFest’s annual Denver festival and year-round development and mentorship programs for emerging storytellers.

“We are incredibly proud to have this accomplished group of leaders from across the entertainment industry lending their expertise and perspective to SeriesFest,” said Randi Kleiner, co-founder and CEO of SeriesFest. “Their collective experience and commitment to championing new voices will be invaluable as we continue expanding SeriesFest’s impact as a year-round home for discovering, developing and empowering the next generation of television storytellers.”

The full SeriesFest Industry Advisory Board roster, listed alphabetically by last name, follows:

  • Roy Ashton, Partner, The Gersh Agency
  • Karen Bailey, Producer and Television Executive
  • Marco Calvani, Actor and Filmmaker
  • Kyle Castellanet, Vice President, Development and Production, Echo Lake Entertainment
  • Milan Chakraborty, Producer, Head of Film & TV, Marginal MediaWorks
  • Leslie Cohen, Principal & Founder, Cinema Girl
  • Brent Emery, Founder, Pretext Media
  • Mike Falbo, Partner, Pacific Electric Picture Co.
  • Jeremy Gold, Head of Development and Production, Last Call Productions
  • Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming
  • Alexa Junge, Writer, Showrunner
  • Heather Karpas, Creative Executive, EDEN Productions
  • Amanda Krentzman, President, Fireside Access TV
  • Annie Laks, Senior Vice President, Netflix Features and ABC Series, Shondaland
  • Katie Lowes, Actor and Theater Director
  • Patrick Macmanus, Showrunner
  • Melissa Myers, Founder, MM Media (Consultant/Producer/Representative)
  • Chiké Okonkwo, Actor and Director
  • Angela Peluso, Talent, Casting, Producer and Executive
  • Alysia Reiner, Actor, Producer, and Author
  • Michael Rucker,  Showrunner and Director
  • Rhea Seehorn, Actor, Director and Producer
  • Adam Shapiro, Actor and Writer
  • Jocko Sims, Actor and Director
  • Erich C. Smith, Senior Talent Agent, TCA MGMT
  • Josh Sommer, Founder, Front Porch Pictures & Innovity Catalyst, and Executive Producer  
  • Valerie Stadler, Producer and Founding Partner, Big Swing Productions
  • Tom Verica, Shondaland’s Head of Creative Production, Executive Producer and Director
  • Emily Vogel, Director of Programming, TheWrap, and Host of “UnWrapped”
  • Terry Washington, Owner and CEO, Zane Ryder Management
  • Geneva Wasserman, EVP, Head of Entertainment, IP Strategy & Financing, dentsu 
  • Talitha Watkins, President and Co-Founder ColorCreative Management & Productions
  • Denzel Whitaker, Actor and Filmmaker
  • Aaliyah Williams, Manager and Producer
  • Diana Williams, CEO and Co-Founder, Kinetic Energy Entertainment
  • Kendall Wright, Development Executive

Learn more about SeriesFest’s Industry Advisory Board at SeriesFest.com/team-members.

ABOUT SERIESFEST
SeriesFest is a leading nonprofit organization that champions and empowers artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling through an international festival and year-round initiatives. Each spring, SeriesFest culminates in a highly curated and celebrated Denver-based festival and marketplace. Dedicated to showcasing innovative episodic content, the annual festival includes in-competition independent pilot screenings, panels, workshops, live reads, parties and network television premieres. Follow @SeriesFest on Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jenny Bloom
Bloomerang PR
jenny@bloomerangpr.com

Katie Shapiro
Bloomerang PR
katie@bloomerangpr.com

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