ALL PANELS AND WORKSHOPS ARE INCLUDED WITH YOUR REGULAR FESTIVAL ADMISSION TICKET

2026 Panels and Workshops

Saturday, August 8

1:00 - Sound Mixing and Design – What Does a Production Sound Mixer Really Do – And Why Should Every Filmmaker Care? – Join veteran production sound mixer Aron Siegel for an insider’s look at the craft of location sound. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience collaborating with Emmy and Academy Award-winning directors, actors and filmmakers, Aron shares behind-the-scenes stories, on-set experiences, and examples from feature films, television and commercials that reveal how great sound supports every performance, every scene and every story – long before post-production begins.  Discover how exceptional should can elevate performances, strengthen storytelling and often determine whether an audience truly believes what they see – and hear – on screen. (Aron Seigel) [Main Theater]

3:00 - Stunts - What’s Involved in Getting into the Industry - Every fight, fall, and car chase on screen is built by professionals most audiences never see. In this breakout session, veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator Scott Dale pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to work in stunts — from breaking into the industry and building the right training and contacts, to what a coordinator looks for when hiring, and what a day on set really demands. Whether you're an aspiring stunt performer, a filmmaker who wants to understand how to plan action safely, or simply curious how the impossible gets made to look real, this session offers a rare, first-hand look at one of filmmaking's most physically demanding and misunderstood crafts. (Scott Dale) [2nd Floor]

4:30 - Scriptwriting - Bad. Good. Great. The Anatomy of a Script That Works - What separates a script that's merely competent from one that's unforgettable? In this craft session, Dr. Richard Tavernaro breaks down the three tiers every script falls into — bad, good, and great — through real side-by-side examples. Writers will explore how to build multilayered dialogue, construct scenes that carry both plot and theme, and avoid the most common mistakes that keep promising drafts from landing. At the heart of the session: why the best writing trusts its audience to infer rather than explaining everything outright. Participants leave with a practical self-edit checklist and the chance to workshop a scene from their own work. Essential viewing for writers ready to find the scene underneath the scene. [4th Floor]

Sunday, August 9

12:00 - The Other Sound Stage: A Look Inside the Audiobook Industry - Millions of people fall in love with performances they'll never see. Award winning audiobook narrator Casey Holloway takes you behind the mic to show how the industry actually works, from booking jobs to what really happens in the booth. Then a few brave volunteers step up for a live cold read, so you can hear the craft in action. If you act, you're already halfway there. Come find out what the other soundstage looks like. (Casey Holloway) [2nd Floor]

1:00 - Producing Quality Films on a Limited Budget - From Idea to Audience for Independent and Low-Budget Productions - From Clerks to Paranormal Activity to Moonlight, some of the most successful films in history were made for a fraction of a studio budget — and the math still works today. In this 50-minute session, retired Army Special Forces officer turned producer, director, and author Dr. Richard Tavernaro walks filmmakers at every budget level through the full life of a production: mindset, development, pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution. Drawing on his companion book of the same name, he'll cover the pitfalls that sink low-budget films, the paperwork that protects them, and the five things every producer needs to carry out of the room. Practical, candid, and built for filmmakers ready to move from idea to audience. (Dr Richard Tavernaro) [Main Stage]

3:00 - Camera and Cinematography from the Perspective of a Veteran Director of Photography - Every film lives or dies by what's on screen — and how it got there. In this breakout session, veteran Director of Photography Roman Weaver shares a working DP's view of the craft: how camera and lighting choices shape story and emotion, what separates a shot that merely captures the scene from one that tells you something about it, and how to collaborate effectively with directors and producers at every budget level. Whether you're a filmmaker looking to sharpen your visual storytelling or simply curious how the image on screen gets made, this session offers a hands-on, experience-driven look inside the camera department. [2nd Floor]