Diversity & Inclusion in Entertainment

Five accomplished women and one Latino male, representing multiple areas in the entertainment industry, will present a panel examining “Diversity and Inclusion in Entertainment” They will discuss the challenges and opportunities in entertainment for women, minorities and others outside the mainstream of Hollywood.

Cybill Shepherd’s credits include actress, model, writer, producer, and author during her career of over 4 decades. Aside from the film industry, Shepherd has been an outspoken activist for issues such as gay rights and abortion rights. In 2009, she was honored by the Human Rights Campaign in Atlanta to accept one of two National Ally for Equality awards. A fervent civil rights supporter, including gay rights, she not only appeared in  “The L Word” (2004) but was once on the cover of The Advocate (in 1993). She has actively fought against racism and received a plaque from the National Civil Rights Museum in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee in 1992. The plaque was inscribed with the motto, “equal opportunity and human dignity,” followed by “Thank you Cybill Shepherd for helping break the chain of oppression.”

Pam Grier, nominated for a Golden Globe and an NAACP Image Award for her performance in Jackie Brown, was the first black woman to appear on the cover of MS. Magazine and was named as one of Ebony Magazine’s “100 Most Fascinating Women of the 20th Century”. Grier is profiled in “Women of Blaxploitation: How the Black Action Film Heroine Changed American Popular Culture” by Yvonne D. Sims (McFarland, 2006).
Anne Cofell Saunders began her career in television on the ground-breaking series “24,” where she earned her first writing credit.  She then staffed on the critically acclaimed re-imagining of “BATTLESTAR GALACTICA” for which she received a Peabody Award. She was also nominated for a Hugo award for the fan-favorite episode “Pegasus.”  Additional credits include “CHUCK,” “SMALLVILLE,” and two Saturn awards for her work as Co-Executive Producer on NBC’s “REVOLUTION.” In 2016, she served as Co-Executive Producer on NBC’s “TIMELESS,” and will be a Co-Executive producer on “THE BOYS,” airing on Amazon in 2019. Saunders has a BA from Northwestern University and an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.  She has taught TV writing at the USC School of Film and Television, and has been a guest speaker at various schools and events.

Brian Espinosa is the CEO of Optimism Entertainment and oversees the growth and development of the company’s talent, music, & sports divisions. He has worked on the management teams of many A-list stars, Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award winners and nominees. Prior to co-founding Optimism Entertainment, he worked at John Crosby Management in their motion picture and TV talent department.  Brian is originally from Santa Fe, NM, is an alumni of The University of New Mexico. Last year at LCIFF Brian, along with others, represented “The Tiger Hunter,” the Festival’s opening night romantic film dealing with class divisions.

Jamie Marchi, voice actress, ADR scriptwriter and director, has provided voices for a number of English-language versions of Japanese animae and video games. She has voiced over 300 characters! Marchi’s imdb bio quotes her as follows: “I believe any time you can thoroughly immerse yourself into any thing, you will have a greater understanding of the product as well as a greater confidence supported by that knowledge. I count myself lucky that I’ve had the opportunities I’ve had in this industry.”

Monica Rial, actress and director, is best known for her trademark shrill voices and has been heard often on the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim and is affiliated with Funimation and Seraphim Digital/ Sentai Filmworks. A Texas native, she spent a lot of time in Spain while she was growing up as her father is from there. Rial said that out of the 300 or so characters she had voiced, only two of them were Hispanic, and she liked that her character wasn’t a stereotype
Each of these individuals brings a unique perspective regarding the issues of gender, diversity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry. The discussion will be meaningful, relevant, and fascinating!