2011 Roundtables!

For the uninitiated, here's how Roundtables work: Roundtable sessions offer you exclusive access to production company executives, filmmakers, screenwriters, and producers. We offer Roundtables: The Business Side (mostly producers, executives, agents, attorneys, etc.) and Roundtables: The Creative Side (mostly screenwriters) - see below for the lists of participants and read their bios on our website.

Roundtables are not pitch sessions, but rather casual table meetings where you are encouraged to ask specific questions about the business of screenwriting and filmmaking. How can I get a writing job without a produced script? What sort of projects is your company looking for? Is it easier to get my foot in the door through television? Do I hurt my scripts chances if I insist upon directing it myself?

All Roundtables take place in the Crail Hall of St. David's Episcopal Church, located at 301 East 8th Street, just one block north of both the Driskill Hotel and the InterContinental Hotel. They run Thursday, 10/20 through Saturday, 10/22, on the same time schedule as the panels.

There are approximately 15 tables in the room with 8 chairs at each table. In one of the chairs is a panelist and in the other seats are you and your fellow AFF registrants. You all meet and talk for 25 minutes and then the panelist will be notified to move to another table. This happens twice, so you will get to meet with three panelists during each session.

How to sign up: These sessions fill up quickly! After you check in at Driskill Hotel registration and get your Badge, go up to the Mezzanine, where the Roundtable Registration table is located, to reserve your spot with Robbin Kohn or Krista Keosheyan. Roundtable Registration opens on Wednesday, 10/19!

You can sign up for only one Roundtable session during the Conference. Screenplay Competition Second Rounders and Semifinalists may sign up for one of their special sessions in addition to one of the general sessions. If you are a Second Rounder or Semifinalist who has pre-registered for a Roundtable session, be sure to go to the Roundtable Registration table on the Driskill Mezzanine to check in and get your dot.


THURSDAY 10/20/11
1:00pm-2:15pm
Roundtable: The Creative Side
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft and business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on what to keep in mind while writing your script, how to break into the business, deal with writers’ block, work in a writing team, work with a director, and more.
Max Adams, Ernest Cline, Michael Druxman, Jonah Lisa Dyer, Stephen Dyer, Mike Fry, Leon Ichaso, Tim McCanlies, Turk Pipkin, Bryan Poyser, Anne Rapp, Alvaro Rodriguez, Dan Rosen, Beau Thorne

2:45pm-4:00pm
Roundtable: The Creative Side
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft and business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on what to keep in mind while writing your script, how to break into the business, deal with writers’ block, work in a writing team, work with a director, and more.
Shane Black, Greg Carter, Jason Eaton, Dan French, David Garrett, Pat Hazell, Craig Mazin, Cindy McCreery, Brian McGreevy, Tom O’Connor, Bonnie Orr, Lee Shipman, Jenny Wingfield


FRIDAY 10/21/11
9:00am-10:15am
Roundtable: The Business Side
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask those burning questions like how do I get an agent? Do I also need an attorney or manager? What’s the dynamic/relationship I can expect? Are studios buying spec scripts? Am I hurting my chances of selling my script if I ask to direct it? This is your opportunity to ask all this and more, without being charged by the hour or giving up a percentage of your script sale.
Katherine Brown, Mary Coleman, Cort Lane, Barry Josephson, Leif Lillehaugen, Maggie Malone, Justin Manask, Reeva Mandelbaum, Gayla Nethercott, Bonnie Orr, Mark Vahradian, Eric Weissman

10:45am-12:00pm
Roundtable: The Creative Side
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft and business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on what to keep in mind while writing your script, how to break into the business, deal with writers’ block, work in a writing team, work with a director, and more.
Greg Carter, Pen Densham, Michael Druxman, Harris Goldberg, James V. Hart, Jim Herzfeld, Leon Ichaso, Steve Nicolaides, Turk Pipkin, Juliet Snowden, Bob Soderstrom, Jim Uhls, Oren Uziel, Stiles White

1:45pm-3:00pm
Roundtable: The Creative Side
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft and business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on what to keep in mind while writing your script, how to break into the business, deal with writers’ block, work in a writing team, work with a director, and more.
Max Adams, Anthony Bagarozzi, Jonah Lisa Dyer, Stephen Dyer, Pamela Gray, Rick Jaffa, Tim McCanlies, Dan Rosen, Scott Rosenberg, Terry Rossio, Amanda Silver, Herschel Weingrod

3:15pm-4:30pm
Roundtable: The Business Side
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask about current trends in the marketplace. Are studios buying spec scripts? Are you hurting your chances of selling your script if you ask to direct it? This is your opportunity to ask all of these questions and more, without being charged by the hour or having to give a percentage of your script sale.
Richard Bever, Katherine Brown, Bryan Brucks, Curtis Burch, Jon Cohen, Allison Doyle, Tai Duncan, Lisa Fragner, Deena Kalai, Maggie Malone, Noreen O’Toole, Stu Pollard, Ed Radtke, Mark Vahradian, Meta Valentic

SATURDAY 10/22
9:00am–10:15am
Roundtable: The Creative Side
(Second Rounders Only)
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft and business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on what to keep in mind while writing your script, how to break into the business, deal with writers’ block, work in a writing team, work with a director, and more.
Jonathan Aibel, Anthony Bagarozzi, Glenn Berger, David Garrett, Harris Goldberg, Nick Kazan, Kiel Murray, Howard A. Rodman, Scott Silver, Amy Talkington, John Turman, Ric Roman Waugh, Herschel Weingrod

10:45am–12:00pm
Roundtable: Television
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of writing for television. This session offers registrants exclusive access to TV writers, producers, showrunners and directors in an informal setting.
Sterling Anderson, Alec Berg, Jay Edwards, Dan French, Kyle Killen, Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Noreen O’Toole, Daniel Petrie, Jr., Nancy Pimental, Pamela Ribon, Malcolm Spellman, Tim Talbott, Donald Todd, Meta Valentic

2:15pm-3:30pm
Roundtable: The Business Side
(Semifinalists and Above Only)
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask those burning questions like how do I get an agent? Do I also need an attorney or manager? What’s the dynamic/relationship I can expect? Are studios buying spec scripts? Am I hurting my chances of selling my script if I ask to direct it? This is your opportunity to ask all this and more, without being charged by the hour or giving up a percentage of your script sale.
Richard Bever, Bryan Brucks, Curtis Burch, Jon Cohen, Lindsay Doran, Tai Duncan, Rebecca Ewing, Franklin Leonard, Leif Lillehaugen, Joyce San Pedro

3:45pm–5:00pm
Roundtable: Young Filmmakers Program
(AEO High School Students Only)
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft and business of screenwriting and filmmaking. This session offers high school students exclusive access to industry professionals in an informal setting.
Sterling Anderson, Melissa Breaux, Pen Densham, Jay Edwards, James V. Hart, Rita Hsiao, Elizabeth Hunter, Chuck Mondry, Tom O’Connor, Terry Rossio, Bob Soderstrom, Chris Trew, Oren Uziel



All panelists are confirmed, schedules permitting, and subject to change and/or cancellation without notice.