Here’s a partial list of our 2021 Speakers…Check back often for updates!

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SATURDAY’S KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

ASHLEY EAKIN

Born in California and raised in Nebraska, Ashley Eakin is a writer-director based out of Los Angeles. She was most recently selected for the Powderkeg Fuse Incubator, curated by Paul Feig, in addition to the 2021 Commercial Directors Diversity Program. Last year she was 1 of 8 women selected for the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and her project SINGLE was selected for the 2020 SXSW Film Festival and received the Special Jury Recognition Award. The film has played in over 30 festivals winning 7 awards and 2 nominations. Eakin was also the recipient of the New York Women in Film Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant.

In 2020 Eakin was hired as a Staff Writer on an Animated Netflix series, featuring a character with a disability. Prior to working on her own projects, in 2019 Eakin worked for and shadowed Mark Pellington on the Quibi series SURVIVE filmed in the Italian Alps starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins. Prior to this, Eakin was the assistant to film director Jon M. Chu. In 2017 she spent 5 months in Malaysia and Singapore working on his critically-acclaimed box-office hit CRAZY RICH ASIANS. She also shadowed Chu during the production of the Freeform pilot GOOD TROUBLE. Prior to working for Chu, Eakin worked for Beacon Pictures, in the writer’s office of the NBC scripted drama THE NIGHT SHIFT and for 10×10 Entertainment, which produces AMERICAS NEXT TOP MODEL.

Eakin’s short documentary THE DETAILS, featuring Henry Golding and Awkwafina was selected for the 2018 Hamilton Film Festival. She also directed a short film celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Cancer for College, which features CFC spokesman Will Ferrell and was screened at a sold-out event at The Greek Theatre. Her short film BLUE premiered at the 2019 LA Shorts Fest last summer.

In 2017 Eakin was featured in a SoulPancake video talking about her rare bone condition, Olliers disease and Maffucci Syndrome. The video went viral reaching over 50 million views. Her medical journey has immensely influenced her passion to pursue stories that advocate more diverse representation for people with disabilities.

IMDB

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FRIDAY NIGHT OPENING SPEAKER

G ANTHONY JOSEPH

G Anthony Joseph guest stars on top TV network series and has produced several movies. The rest of the time he does what’s really important: raise his kids, love his wife of 27 years and talk philosophy, religion and politics with his 3 closest friends. Even though originally from Trinidad, he loves America dearly and will defend it’s founding principles till his last breath. IMDB Website Instagram

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