A Celebration of Storytelling on Screen: Join THE CONVERSATION

4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Campus Center West Auditorium

Co-founder of Merchant Ivory Productions, James Ivory is one of the most influential filmmakers of the last 50 years. Together with his partner, producer Ismail Merchant,and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, he received worldwide acclaim for nuanced adaptations of literary classics, including A ROOM WITH A VIEW (1986), HOWARD’S END (1992), and THE REMAINS OF THE DAY (1993). At age 89, he became the oldest-ever Oscar winner for his screenplay adaptation of CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017).

3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room

William Kennedy wrote the screenplay for Francis Ford Coppola’s THE COTTON CLUB (1984), starring Richard Gere and Gregory Hines, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that served as the basis of the 1988 film IRONWEED, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. Kennedy founded the NYS Writers Institute in 1983, the same year he was named a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow.

2:30 – 3:30 p.m., Lecture Center 5
Micah Khan is a filmmaker who was featured on Robert Rodriguez's (Director of SIN CITY and SPY KIDS) El Rey Network. Most recently, he's directed MEETCUTE ON DANCEWORLD, co-written with Victoria Diana and is currently adapting a two-time World Fantasy Award-winning author's short story for the screen. 

1:15 – 2:15 p.m., Lecture Center Room 5

Although Valerie Landsburg has a very large body of work, with 42 years in production as a an actor, writer and director and producer, most of the world knows her as Doris Schwartz -- beating out Madonna for the role -- from the television series "Fame,"her most treasured artistic achievement.  She recently directed LOVE & DEBT starred Tom Cavanagh, Bellamy Young, and Bailee Madison. 

Also participating in the Morning Workshop: "Why Invest in the Arts" 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, with Mike Camoin, Chet Opalka and Joe Ventura

3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Campus Center West Auditorium
Kasi Lemmons is the director and screenwriter of HARRIET, the 2020 Oscar-nominated biography of Underground Railroad hero Harriet Tubman. Her previous credits as director include EVE’S BAYOU (1997), THE CAVEMAN’S VALENTINE (2001); TALK TO ME (2007); and BLACK NATIVITY (2013).

Lemmons began her career as an actress, with roles in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991), CANDYMAN (1992) and FEAR OF A BLACK HAT (1993). She also designed and hosted the tribute to actor Sidney Poitier at the 2002 Academy Awards. As an educator, she mentors the next generation of filmmakers at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

1:15 – 2:15 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom

Major American novelist Jonathan Lethem is the author of MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (1999), the basis of the 2019 film adapted and directed by Edward Norton. The film stars Norton along with Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Alec Baldwin. Both book and film feature a detective with Tourette’s Syndrome, and pay homage to the film noir genre. For his novel, Lethem received the National Book Critics Circle Award. He was named a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow in 2005.

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10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Lecture Center 5
As the president and co-founder of MagicWig Productions, Inc., Justin Maine has produced and directed hundreds of productions that have aired around the globe, including the Emmy Award-winning television series "Brewed in New York" and the documentary film SO RIGHT SO SMART.

12 – 1:15 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
Samuel Margolius is the executive producer of Branch VFX, which is a STARTUP NY designated company focused on high-level TV and film projects for Netflix, Paramount, Disney/Marvel, Nickelodeon, etc. and is a sister company to Emmy-Award winning Shade VFX.

5:00 – 6:00 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom

A landmark figure of U.S. cinema history, Darnell Martin was the first African American woman to direct a film for a major Hollywood Studio—I LIKE IT LIKE THAT (1994), about a Puerto Rican couple facing the challenges of life in the South Bronx. The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. She went on to direct Oprah Winfrey’s production of Zora Neale Hurston’s THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD (2005), and wrote and directed PRISON SONG (2001),and CADILLAC RECORDS (2008), starring Beyoncé.

Noon - 1 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom

One of Broadway’s leading directors, Michael Mayer's 2018 film adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic play, THE SEAGULL, features an all-star cast, including Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth Moss, Brian Dennehy and Corey Stoll. In 2007, Mayer received the “Best Director” Tony Award for his 2007 Broadway hit, the rock musical "Spring Awakening," which also won “Best Musical.” His many Broadway directing credits include the first Broadway production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in 2014.

3:45 - 4:45 p.m., Lecture Center Room 5, with Mike Camoin

Producer Tom Mercer grew up steeped in Revolutionary War history. As a youth, he enjoyed riding his bicycle around the Saratoga Battlefield. He studied film at Ithaca College where he graduated with a dual major in History and Politics. A 20-year career in government gave way to a second career as an independent filmmaker. He wrote and directed the feature film UNCIVIL LIBERTIES, a highly acclaimed political thriller, and several short films shown at festivals in the US and Europe. More recently, Mercer wrote and directed BENEDICT ARNOLD, HERO BETRAYED.

4:30 - 6:30 p.m., Lecture Center Room 21, with Rachel Wortell and Theodore Bouloukos

Lily Meyer is an actress and producer, known for A SIBLING MYSTERY (2017), TREASURE TROUBLE (2019) and ROMANCE ANALYST (2019).

10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, with Mike Camoin, Valerie Landsburg, and Joe Ventura

Chet Opalka is a co-founder of Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (AMRI), a full service chemistry services provider focused on applications for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences industries. Opalka and his wife Karen established the Opalka Gallery, co-founded The Global Child in Siem Reap, Cambodia and locally, are longtime supporters of Capital Repertory Theatre, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Proctors Theater, Albany Pro Musica, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and the NYS Writers Institute.  An active member of the Eastern New York Angels, Mr. Opalks provided support in director Mike Camoin’s short film RELAX.  

12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Lecture Center 5

Filmmaker Owen Pataki is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. The son of former NYS Governor George Pataki, he is coauthor (with his sister, bestselling novelist Allison Pataki) of the historical novel of the French Revolution, Where The Light Falls (2017).

Pataki is the director of THE PIGEON (2020), a tale of a homeless mute who gets a second chance to sing when his love and compassion repair the lives of an affluent couple.

3:45 – 4:45 p.m., Campus Center Ballroom

Rosie Perez received her first major role in Spike Lee’s DO THE RIGHT THING (1989). She went on to perform in NIGHT ON EARTH (1991), WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP (1992), and FEARLESS (1993), for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also received three Primetime Emmy Awards for her work as a choreographer on the hit show, "In Living Color," and co-hosted the ABC talk show, "The View," during its 18th season.

Most recently, Perez portrayed the character of Renee Montoya in the DC Comics movie, BIRDS OF PREY (2020).

5:45 - 6:45 p.m., Campus Center West Auditorium

Samuel Pollard, director of THE HARVEST, is one of America’s greatest living film editors, and a key figure in the recent history of African American filmmaking. His credits include the landmark PBS series, EYES ON THE PRIZE (1987), and several of Spike Lee’s films— MO’ BETTER BLUES (1990), JUNGLE FEVER (1991), CLOCKERS (1995), 4 LITTLE GIRLS (1997), BAMBOOZLED (2000)— as well as countless award-winning documentaries.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Campus Center West Boardroom

Deepak Rauniyar, Nepal’s leading filmmaker, was named one of “9 New Directors You Need to Watch” by the New York Times in 2017. His films, HIGHWAY (2012) and WHITE SUN (2016), have received top awards and nominations at international festivals in Berlin, Venice, Singapore, Palm Springs and Toronto. Hollywood Reporter called WHITE SUN, “a breath of fresh air from the top of the world.”

12:00 – 2:15 p.m., Lecture Center 21

Don Rittner is the writer, producer and director of the autobiographical feature film KAREN OR BUST, which will be screened at the Albany Film Festival. He also has been producer of THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DISAPPEARED, ECHOES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DISAPPEARED, and HISTORY OF THE DEWITT CLINTON HOTEL. Rittner has published more than 45 books on history, natural history, computers, and other subjects.

Feature Films page > Watch the KAREN OR BUST trailer

5:00 – 6:30 p.m., Lecture Center 5

Actor, mural artist, textile designer and first-time filmmaker, Susan Robbins met Lee Shaw at an Albany arts and education program in 1998. She became a friend and a loyal fan, and began filming this documentary 15 years later in 2013.

Feature Films page > Watch the LEE'S 88 KEYS trailer

4:45 - 5:45 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room 

Julie Casper Roth is an award-winning filmmaker, artist, and writer interested in hidden histories, the unseen, and the ignored. She's presently working on a documentary about how discrimination extends to the grave (UNEVEN GROUND) and is in post-production on a documentary (ROOTED OUT) about two men who were denied a marriage license in rural New York.  She currently teaches production in the documentary studies programs at Skidmore College and the University at Albany.

Julie Casper Roth will also hold a morning workshop, Better Than Fiction: How to Make a Compelling Documentary, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Campus Center West Boardroom

1:30 – 2:30 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
Producer, writer, director, entertainment attorney and longtime columnist for Script magazine, Christopher Schiller is well versed in the ins and outs of the entertainment world. He happily shares his extensive knowledge and experience towards assisting those who are pursuing their own forays into the industry so that they can have the best chance of success.
Also participating in the Morning Workshop: A Writer’s Guide to Screenwriting for Hollywood, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., in the Campus Center West Auditorium

4:15 – 6:15 p.m., Campus Center Boardroom

Director of ASK THE SEXPERT, Vaishali Sinha is also co-director of MADE IN INDIA (2012), about the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate motherhood to India. The award-winning film is currently a case study at Harvard Business School for their class on ethics.

Feature Films page > Watch the ASK THE SEXPERT trailer

4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Campus Center West Auditorium
Stephen Soucy is a producer and film director. Current theatrical projects include the off-Broadway-bound (Fall 2020) "Romy and Michele The Musical"; MERCHANT IVORY, a documentary feature film in collaboration with Oscar-winning director James Ivory; and THE DRESS, a short film adapted from a story by David Ebershoff.
Soucy’s short film RICH ATMOSPHERE: THE MUSIC OF MERCHANT-IVORY FILM will also be screened during the Documentary Short Film Screening at 12 - 1:15 p.m. in Lecture Center 20. 

1:15 – 2:15 p.m., Campus Center West Boardroom

Bhawin Suchak is an educator and filmmaker born in Tanzania and now based in Albany. In 2008 he co-founded Youth FX focused on empowering young people of color in Albany and around the world by teaching them creative and technical skills in film and digital media. Suchak is the co-founder and co-director of NeXt Doc, a year-round fellowship program that exists to amplify the voices of young doc filmmakers of color. 

Suchak will also moderate the Youth FX "Keeping It Reel" morning workshop at 10:30 a.m. in the Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room.

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2:30 – 4:15 p.m., Lecture Center Room 21

Daniel Swinton is a multiple Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who has produced numerous documentaries, television series and multi-platform productions, most notably on PBS. He combines his passions for filmmaking, travel, history and storytelling to create engaging experiences for viewers from all walks of life.

Feature Films page > Watch THE HARD PLACES trailer

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Also participating in the Magic Wig Productions Workshop, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Lecture Center 5

12:00 – 12:45 p.m., Campus Center West Auditorium

A PLACE TO DANCE is a documentary on the extraordinary life of Lewis A. Swyer — arts patron, visionary, a founding member of the New York State Council of the Arts, and a driving force behind both the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and National Museum of Dance.

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Carol Swyer was associate producer for the film GRAZING MISS ALBANY and is executive producer of the A PLACE TO DANCE documentary about her father. She earned a BFA in Visual Art from Syracuse University and served on the board of directors of The Albany Academies and the National Museum of Dance.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room

Stephan Talty co-authored A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea (2010), which provided the basis of the hit movie, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film received six Oscar nominations including “Best Picture.” Talty is also the author of The Black Hand (2017), the basis of a forthcoming motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio. His newest book is The Good Assassin: How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia (April 2020).

1:30 – 2:30 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
Screenwriter and playwright Anastasia Traina wrote the original screenplay HORTON BLISS, AWAY for Open City Films, SPARTICLES AND STRING. She also wrote for the SHO original series "Street Time." Her newest play, "Seagulls on Sullivan Street" is being developed by The Director’s Company NYC for a 2020 production, and is currently finishing her newest screenplay, THE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE LIFE OF TOM BOTTOMS, along with a children’s book, The Curious Tales of Thymble Tarn. She sits on the advisory boards of FCFF and the New York International Children’s Film Festival. 

2:30 - 3:15 p.m., Campus Center West Multi-Purpose Room

Glen Trotiner, film producer, writer, and director, holds bachelor's and master's degrees from UAlbany.

His film career began as a Directors Guild of America trainee on Sidney Lumet’s POWER and shortly thereafter as second assistant director on Brian De Palma’s THE UNTOUCHABLES. Trotiner serves on the board of trustees of the Directors Guild of America Training Program, the very apprenticeship program which launched his career in the motion picture industry. He has helped produce dozens of movies, including THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN, BELLA, BERNARD AND DORIS,  FAM-I-LY (which premiered at South by Southwest); and BIG TIME ADOLESENCE (which premiered in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival).

Trotiner will also hold a morning workshop at 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. in Lecture Center 20 and be a featured panelist on the Disruptive Innovation in the Arts and Humanities Panel from 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. in the Campus Center Assembly Hall.

1 – 3 p.m., Campus Center West Auditorium

Director and first-time filmmaker, Rudy Valdez is the younger brother of Cindy Shank of THE SENTENCE.

Feature Films page > Watch the THE SENTENCE trailer

10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, with Mike Camoin, Valerie Landsburg, and Chet Opalka

Joe Ventura, owner of Eden Advisory Services and Cafe in Loudonville, Ventura holds a bachelor's degree in theater, serves on the board of the Capital Cinema Cultural Exchange, Inc,  and is active in the film, theater, and live entertainment industries. 

4:15 – 5:30 p.m., Campus Center Assembly Hall
Alissa Wilkinson is a staff writer and critic for Vox.com where she covers film and culture. Her work has appeared at Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Vulture, RogerEbert.com, The Atlantic, Books & Culture, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and Paste, among others. She is also an associate professor of English and humanities at King's College in New York City, teaching courses on criticism and cultural theory.

4:30 - 6:30 p.m., Lecture Center Room 21, with Thedore Bouloukos and Lily Meyer

Rachel Wortell is a filmmaker based in New York. She is a member of Film Fatales, Alliance of Women Directors, New York Women in Film & Television, Women in Media, and Film Powered. Her films include A SIBLING MYSTERY, TREASURE TROUBLE, and her latest production ROMANCE ANALYST.