Approaching Hollywood's Gatekeepers

Miranda Gontz is an LA native who grew up on sound stages and in editing bays. An alumna of a women's college with a film studies and philosophy degree, she loves pursuing projects that touch on greater conversations about humanity and "the human element." She currently works for Insurrection Media, developing series for digital and streaming platforms in a variety of genres, including Snapchat's first successful scripted series, DEAD GIRL'S DETECTIVE AGENCY, which garnered 14 million unique viewers in its first season. She previously worked for Covert Media and for ABC Studios for the president and the SVP of drama development.

Maddie Breeland is currently Founder/Executive at her own banner, MB Method. Here she combines her passion fitness and film by building powerful bodies and powerful stories. She’ll continue to support her slate and partnerships from her time at Anvil Pictures and expand from there. After graduating from Emerson College in 2012 with a major in Producing for Film & TV, Maddie began her career as an assistant in film development at Fox 2000. In 2014, she got an executive assistant position in Sean Bailey’s office, the President of production for Live Action Features at Walt Disney Studios and worked her way up to Development Coordinator. She was able to take part in the development of many successful live action reimaginings of legacy animated titles as well as generate feature content for the launch of the Disney+ platform. She enjoyed 6 years at Disney before transitioning to her most recent post at Anvil Pictures, where she handled development for writer/director Dean DeBlois (LILO & STITCH, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy). She produces and develops live action and animated projects with studios like Universal and Netflix as well as other creative partners. After over 5 years at Anvil Pictures she’s endeavoring to forge a unique path of her own that encompasses the pursuits and relationships that are meaningful to her. Films like THE MATRIX inspired her to pursue a career as a creative producer. She loves content that resonates and exposes audiences to thrilling new experiences and worlds while allowing them to build new connections with those around them. She is driven to generate opportunities for new, talented voices and to bring unity through storytelling. She’s also a passionate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion advocate and group fitness instructor/trainer in strength building, yoga and pilates.

Chris Sarfin showed an interest in filmmaking at a very young age, using a toy projector to illustrate images of his talking animal characters against the living room wall. Growing up on Long Island, Chris wanted to be an illustrator or animator, but as a teenager, Chris took a liking to live action, using his dad's old tape recorder to create shorts and a feature film with his friends and family.

Chris went to Hofstra University where he earned his BA in Film Studies & Production. During this time, he continued making shorts, many of which often had an “uplifting" tone to them.

Two weeks after graduating, Chris moved to Los Angeles and began working for Paramount Pictures. During those few years, Chris got a crash course into all things Hollywood, learning the various aspects of filmmaking from development, production, marketing, publicity, and everything in between. He also had the opportunity to work and meet various reputable filmmakers and talent within the industry.

He then went on to work six years working in development at Zadan/Meron Productions under producers Neil Meron and the late Craig Zadan. Zadan/Meron is famous for producing numerous projects including CHICAGO, HAIRSPRAY, FOOTLOOSE, and all the recent live shows for NBC such as “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and “Annie Live!” While working there, Chris got the chance to help develop and work on various features, tv shows, live shows, Broadway shows, limited series, tv movies, and more.

At the moment, Chris is focusing his energy on his own independent projects. He is looking for talented writers that can not only write, but also bring positive energy. He is a firm believer in unique storytelling, stunning visual aesthetics, and strong, positive themes in his work.

Kyle Castellanet is the VP of Development and Production at Echo Lake Entertainment. Kyle manages Echo Lake’s film and television slate which includes both domestic and international co-productions. A Colorado native, Kyle began his career at Paradigm Talent Agency after receiving his BFA in Film Production from Chapman University. In 2022, Kyle was honored on Coverfly’s Industry Next List for his work to support emerging filmmakers.