Writer, actor, and poet Alex Sarrigeorgiou talks about her creative journey and her debut feature film, "In Transit," a tender, intimate queer drama about connection, identity, and the courage to change direction in life.
In this inspiring conversation, Alli Kiko Masloske shares her creative journey from working with animals to writing screenplays that connect deeply with audiences. From navigating chronic illness to finding her voice in a competitive industry, Alli opens up about how humor, honesty, and community have shaped her work and outlook on life.
Writer, director, and creative powerhouse Dani Hanks joins Shaya Weber for an in-depth conversation about her journey from actor to award-winning writer, how chronic illness shaped their perspective, and their process for writing powerful, character-driven stories. Learn how Dani approaches outlining, keeps momentum through rejection, and balances a thriving creative life with a demanding day job. Perfect for emerging screenwriters, showrunners-in-training, and anyone seeking inspiration and practical tips for breaking into TV writing.
Biography
Dani Hanks (they/she) is a disabled writer/director who subverts the status quo with a bit of comedic flair.
After receiving their BFA in drama at NYU Tisch, they directed the Banff-nominated political comedy web series “Fake News Writer,” which was optioned after winning the Webby Award for Video Entertainment in 2019.
They are a 2024 Austin Film Festival Winner for the Josephson Entertainment Fellowship, as well as a fellow of the WGA East Support Staff Basic Training program (Script Coordinating Track), Stowe Story Labs, and Disability Belongs (formerly RespectAbility) Entertainment Lab. Dani has worked on projects in development at FilmRise, RKO, and TikTok.
They are a full-time meme connoisseur, sometime AD, former member of Mensa, anxious bisexual, and have 10 years of experience cutting animal tissue (much to the dismay of their pet rats).
Devin Jane Febbroriello is a North American screenwriter/director + producer that specializes in the creation of thought-provoking stories centered on lovable dysfunctional families, surreal multi-genre plots, women, and dark humor. Evocative characters blaze bold paths through thematically rich circumstances to cultivate her emotive works. Devin’s practice is informed by a fierce love of cinematic storytelling mixed with her deep-seated interest in films unique capacity to poetically investigate the human condition and connect us in both the beauty and the challenges of life.
Devin was named one of the Top 25 screenwriters to watch in 2025 by the International Screenwriters Association and invited onto their 2025 Development Slate. She has written/directed + produced award-winning music videos and short films that have screened at SXSW, Dances With Films, Pitchfork, Cinequest, Filmfort, BUFF Malmo, Nashville Film Festival, Venice VR Expanded, Portland Film Festival, Bend Film Festival, Stereogum, Rolling Stone, and more. Her pilot script for the episodic series "Blood is Thicker" was a finalist in the Screencraft TV Pilot Script Competition, and her feature script "Kathleen's Sound Bath" was an Austin Film Festival 2024 Second Rounder, a Script Lab Semi-Finalist, and is ranked in the top 5% of scripts on Coverfly in the drama category.
She received her Bachelor of Art in film from Emerson College, attended specialized cinema studies at FAMU (Czech Republic), and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting through the David Lynch School of Cinematic Arts at Maharishi University.
Devin is currently a co-owner and Head of Production at Desert Island Studios where she leads commercial client productions.
Conor spent most of his youth in Ireland gigging in rock bands, working in a video store and reading too many Stephen King novels. Eventually, he knew he had to course correct and follow his dreams.
Conor is a writer, filmmaker and award winning podcaster from Dublin with a masters in film production from Staffordshire University. Conor writes about misfits, monsters and broken hearts, and his writing is infused with folklore, horror and comedy.
After writing episodes of the popular animation series STORIES FROM BACKWOODS, Conor was hired to develop an adult animated series with Irish animation production company Ink and Light and recently optioned an original live action feature screenplay.
Conor's screenplay DARA MCCOOL received screenplay development funding from Screen Ireland in 2022 and received a bursary for Stowe Story Labs in Vermont. This animated script went on to be awarded second round development funding in 2024. Conor was a screenwriting mentee of BAFTA winning writer Will Collins (Wolfwalkers) for a yearlong mentorship in 2022.
Conor’s numerous independent short films and spec scripts have placed in competitions and festivals worldwide (Save The Cat, Big Break, Stage 32 Animation, Straight 8).
Author of two Irish Arts Council funded novel manuscripts MONUMENTAL and THE OUTER CIRCLE, the second of which was shortlisted in the Irish Writer's Centre Novel Fair 2020.
Conor has directed factual entertainment and documentary and kids TV for RTE & RTE Jnr and is a skilled camera operator, stills photographer and editor for film and TV and online video productions. His directorial feature film debut mockumentary THE LIGHT OF DAY screened at the Galway Film Fleadh and the IFI Horrorthon.
Creator and host of horror podcast The Hidden Station, and Fad Camp on the Headstuff Podcast Network which was nominated for Irish Podcast awards in 2022 & won best entertainment in 2023.
In his spare time you can find Conor traveling Europe & America, learning a new musical instrument, taking selfies with other people's dogs and cats, or tinkering with dusty old analogue cameras.
Join us for a captivating evening with D.J. MacHale, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pendragon series and creator of the cult-favorite TV show "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"
From bestselling books to iconic screen moments, D.J. has spent his career crafting stories that resonate across generations. In this exclusive event, he’ll share how he bridges the worlds of publishing and television — revealing the creative decisions, challenges, and unexpected turns that come with telling stories across different mediums. Whether you’re a writer hoping to sharpen your skills or a fan eager for a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite stories, you’ll leave inspired and informed.
D.J. will be joined in conversation by the ISA’s Director of Education, Max Timm, and Scott Markus, who collaborated with DJ for three years on the hit series "Flight 29 Down."
They’ll dive into:
The most recent Table Read My Screenplay contest brought the grand prize winner to the South of France during the Cannes Film Festival. Hear from screenwriter Allegra Oxborough & director Paul Lindsay.
Jen Butler is a comedian and storyteller who specializes in writing feature-length, multi-layered dark comedy screenplays focusing on the complex nature of humans as they navigate spiritual and emotional awakenings.
When not writing screenplays, Jen tells comedic real-talk stories to her 275,000 online followers (@jenbutlersays IG, TikTok, & Threads), performs improv and stand-up comedy, practices martial arts and ballroom dance, and rewatches The Matrix for the 900th time.
Find more about Jen here: https://www.networkisa.org/profile/jenbutler
A. J. BERMUDEZ is an award-winning author and filmmaker based in Los Angeles and New York. Her first book, Stories No One Hopes Are About Them, won the 2022 Iowa Short Fiction Award and was a 2023 Lambda Award Finalist. Her most recent feature film project, My Dead Friend Zoe (co-written with director Kyle-Hausmann Stokes, starring Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman), premiered at SXSW and won the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award in 2024. Her work has been honored at Sundance, the LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival, the Yale Center for British Art, and elsewhere. She is a recipient of the Diverse Voices Award, the PAGE Award, and the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. In addition to writing and filmmaking, Bermudez is also a former boxer and EMT, and her work gravitates toward contemporary explorations of power, privilege, and place.
Find more about AJ here: https://www.networkisa.org/profile/ajbermudez
Stephanie Bast was abandoned in Korea, adopted by Italians and raised in a town so small and white, someone asked: “How are you gonna understand her when she starts speaking?” Fiercely loved and protected, she was taught to fear “the other” while knowing “the other” was herself. She started to write comedy to heal a wound. Now she writes to heal others, creating characters who think they’re not enough, desperate to prove they’re worthy of being saved.
Stephanie lives in Los Angeles and is currently ISA’s Story Farm fellow, Roadmap’s Diversity Fellow, studied at UCLA extension and placed as a Finalist for Austin Film Festival, Final Draft’s Big Break, CineStory, PAGE and The Writers Lab winner. A Broadway and TV/Film actress in the time when presenting as Asian was a detriment, she has turned the pain of her race into a super power.
Stephanie writes for everyone who’s adopted. She writes for everyone who hates looking in the mirror. She writes for her children, so they may always love their eyes. In a pinch, Stephanie can perform a reverse vasectomy.
See more about Stephanie here: https://www.networkisa.org/profile/stephanie-bast
There's a lot to unpack here as Linda Seger is full of interesting stories and lessons learned along the way. As a pioneering female entrepreneur, she was on the cutting edge of a new type of business - being a screenplay consultant. Her passion, drive, and wiliness to dive into every opportunity took her from small town Wisconsin to lecturing around the world and collaborating with massive Hollywood stars, all while her midwest roots kept her grounded and working hard. Find her book on Amazon, available now.
A native New Yorker, Adam received a BFA from Ithaca College and completed one year of his MFA at UCLA before deciding to quit because those hard wooden classroom chairs were really chafing his ass. Writing began for him when his first play was produced at the West Coast Ensemble Theater in Hollywood. A creative executive who happened to be in the audience one night called Adam the next day and asked him to write a movie for him. Spoiler alert: it never got made. Shocking, I know! Nevertheless, he persisted.
Adam’s day job as an Executive Producer of unscripted television shows such as “The Real Housewives of Orange County”, “The Real Housewives of Dallas”, “Southern Charm” and “The Bradshaw Bunch” pays his bills while he writes. To date, his sojourn in the scripted world includes selling a treatment to Disney Feature Animation, being a staff writer on comedy pilots for AMC and Discovery Kids, acceptance into the Warner Bros Comedy Writers Program, being a finalist for the Disney Fellowship in Screenwriting, developing a romantic comedy with Bryan Cranston for him to direct, and writing several features and pilots that have all received accolades from each contest in which they’ve been entered.
Adam's most recent success includes being one of ISA’s TOP 25 SCREENWRITERS TO WATCH IN 2025. His Horror / Comedy "HELL HOLES was one of five ISA Staff Picks for December 2024 and one of ISA's 25 Top Reads for Winter 2024. "HELL HOLES" is also in the TOP 8% of all scripts on COVERFLY.
Adam’s bread and butter is comedy, and his peanut butter and jelly is infusing other genres like horror, action and sci-fi with that comedy. Except for his one drama feature. That one is strictly a BLT on toasted wheat, light mayo.
"Offbeat," pilot episode, 2020 Table Read My Screenplay Grand Prize Winner, written by Marshall “gripp” Gillson.
Please enjoy a performance of the Table Read My Screenplay Award-Winning short script, "The Icebox" by Brian P. Glass. Cast: Elijah Terrell Haney, Hye Bin Lee, Carson Grant, Damon Evans & narrated by Felicity Wren.
Solid pitches sell screenplays. Join us to watch pitches delivered to Creative Executives at prominent companies and hear live feedback. Learn the DOs and DON'Ts of great pitching, so you'll be prepared when you're in the room!
Caroline Dillingham is the Chief Executive Officer of Morning View Entertainment LLC, where she leads the company in its mission to discover and develop compelling stories from across the United States, with a focus on creating content for the North American audience. Under her leadership, Morning View Entertainment is dedicated to producing impactful, culturally relevant stories that resonate with diverse viewers.
A writer at heart, Caroline has written and co-written three feature films, bringing her creative vision to life both in front of and behind the camera. Prior to founding Morning View Entertainment, she served as President of Power On Digital for eight years, where she led the development of digital strategies and content initiatives. She also held the position of Lead Content Developer at Lions Road Productions for four years, working on a variety of innovative media projects. Caroline is a proud graduate of the University of Boulder at Colorado and has been a regular speaker at UCLA, sharing her expertise on marketing, business operations, and entrepreneurship.
Neal Ludevig is a producer, director, and entrepreneur credited across fiction and nonfiction. He is most known for producing the 50th Year Anniversary of Black Woodstock (connected to the “Summer of Soul” documentary), the Winter Jazz Fest concert w/Maurice Brown and Anderson, Paak (on Quincy Jones’ Network), the acclaimed mini-series “Insomnia”, among others. He was awarded the Rainin Grant by SFFilm, was a finalist for the 2022 Sundance Producers Fellowship, won the 2023 LES Film Festival's "Stay Indie" Project, and was a top 10 Finalist for the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival Untold Stories Competition.
He leads Snarky Elephant Productions as its Chief Creative Officer, hosts the podcast "Leave Looking Up", founded the media agency Moon31, and is the Executive Producer for the Revive Big Band’s 1st album, a 20+ piece big band with a combined 27 Grammy wins and nominations by its group members, led by the current MD for Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Neal is a Grammy member, was named an Emerging Leader by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, awarded a Congressional Proclamation for his work via Harlem Arts Festival, was a 2024 Protect. Blue Wavemaker, and helped launch the national CPG company Enlightened. He is most passionate about projects connected with climate, music, and mental health.
Sarah Paek is the Coordinator for Film at Atomic Monster. Before joining Atomic Monster in 2022, Paek worked for three years at Daniel Dae Kim’s production company 3AD, rising from Development Assistant to Coordinator. Previously, she worked in Post Production at Warner Bros. TV, where she first served as a PA on iZombie, and then became a Post Coordinator. Paek started her career in the aerospace industry, working as a Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman. She holds a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.
Moderator:
Felicity Wren is the VP of Development at the ISA and Co-VP of Development for Creative Screenwriter Productions.
An award-winning actor, originally from London, she studied all areas of Performance for her Honors and then Master’s Degrees. She then formed her own Production Company, Unrestricted View, which runs a theatre in London and curates three film festivals annually.
Since moving to Los Angeles over a decade ago, Felicity has continued acting and producing, winning five performance awards and producing sixteen film projects to date. She splits her time between Creative Screenwriter Productions and the management of the ISA Development Team, working directly with the Development Slate Writers, ISA Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch, and the ISA community. The Development Team has fostered enduring relationships with many of the industry’s finest, ensuring their writers projects get in front of eminent producers, managers and agents in Hollywood. Through Felicity and her team’s efforts, they have successfully paired several writer/director partnerships with productions underway, introduced writers to their managers, and have been instrumental in facilitating screenplay options with their contacts at C2 Motion Pictures, Fear Not Productions, Ethea Entertainment, Endless Media and Adam Krentzman Films. Felicity has been pitching CSP’s slate of projects to Hulu, Doozer Productions, DreamWorks, Groundswell and Fuzzy Door, to name a few. Felicity regularly appears on panels for the ISA and others, most recently for Vancouver Women in Film.