Black to the Future: Five Day Event!

A frank and probing discussion for and about the number of Black Men in Screenwriting Hosted by Roadmap's Directory of Diversity Initiatives, James Moorer. This webinar will also provide guidance and inspiration for those seeking a writing career.

Panelists:

• Derege Harding (writer/director)
• Alain Legend Raymond (writer/director/producer)
• Shawn Landrum (writer)
• Robert A. (writer)

Panelist Bios:
 

Derege Harding
Derege Harding is an award-winning writer/director from the Philly suburbs. Growing up, Derege’s two favorite questions were “why?” and “why not?”, forcing his mom to label him as exhaustingly curious and inquisitive. His fascination with unconventional ideas led him to make his feature directorial debut on the independent drama, SAME DIFFERENCE, which was picked up by Viacom. Previously, Derege directed and produced FIRST DATE, LAST DATE, a romantic horror short picked up by HBO, and his pilot script FULFILLMENT won the Turner/ABFF Screenwriting Competition. Additionally, Derege was a Producing Fellow in Film Independent's Project Involve and he’s a graduate of the University of Washington.

Alain Raymond

Alain L. Raymond, the OBSERVER of life, erupted onto the entertainment industry at the young
age of sixteen as a Hip Hop artist on the stages of Montreal, Canada. As his artistic vision matured, in his late teens, he discovered his talent and growing love for filmmaking. Now a seasoned independent film writer/director/producer, Mr. Raymond has combines all his experiences from Universal Studios, MGM Studios, and many other major studios with his training from UCLA, the Orlando International School for Film and Design, Trebas Institute, Valencia Community College various workshops world wide to continuously improve his craft.

Shawn Landrum

Shawn L. Landrum is a multiple award-winning screenplay writer in over a dozen countries, spending the past five years homing his creative talents as a ghostwriter / consultant for T.V. and film. Shawn is a student of all genres, mastering in Comedy, Thriller, Drama, and all Super Powered worlds! Shawn has scripts in different stages of development including a thriller short shooting this summer! Shawn’s a devoted father, husband, son, and is considered to be the best daddy in the whole wide world! (Referred by Willow Landrum age 9).

Robert A. Douglas

Robert A. Douglas is a Baltimorean dedicated to uplifting the voices of marginalized children through various expressions of art. As an author, filmmaker, educator, and producer of podcasts, Robert uses writing to motivate others despite their current circumstances. To date, Robert has published four books (Fertile Concrete, Fertile Concrete II, The New Souls of Black Folk, and On the Border) that gives wheels to his own voice as well as others in underserved communities. Robert also adapted his own book The New Souls of Black Folk into an indie documentary he produced called NEW SOULS; chronically topics from single-parent homes, school to prison pipelines, the homeless epidemic and more. He has also expanded his latest work, On the Border, into a podcast called REACHING THE BORDER where he gives voice to some of his students targeted by various mediums, their own communities, etc.

A deep and engaging discussion on the role of Black Women in entertainment and the growing need for projects written and produced by women of color.

Panelists:

• Maddie Breeland - Director of Development @ Anvil Pictures
• Mika Frank - Staff Writer
• Erica Land - Genre Feature Writer (recently sold a film to Lifetime)

Panelist Bios:

Maddie Breeland - Director of Development @ Anvil Pictures

Maddie is originally from Northern Virginia and went to Emerson College in Boston to study Producing for Film & TV before venturing out to LA to begin her career. She started as a Development Assistant at Fox 2000 before working for as Sean Bailey (President, Walt Disney Live Action Features) and eventually being promoted to Development Coordinator at Disney. She recently joined Dean DeBlois' company, Anvil Pictures as Director of Development. There she will be produce and develop live action and hybrid content as part of their deal with Universal. They are working on projects such as Treasure Island and Micronauts. She's a fan of all genres but personally loves action, adventure, sci-fi/fantasy, thrillers, and true crime documentaries. She is also a huge advocate for Diversity and Inclusion and would love to make content that promotes underrepresented groups.
 

Mika Frank - Staff Writer
Mika began her storytelling career as a singer/songwriter. Mika soon realized that a career as a teen R&B singer was not what she wanted for herself. Mika then went on to become a trauma pharmacist. Mika rekindled her love for writing after starting a dating blog. When Mika discovered the world of film and television writing, she refocused her talents and moved to Los Angeles. Mika has since placed as a semi-finalist in the 2018 AFI Directing Workshop for Women and a finalist in the 2019 WeScreenplay Contest. Mika has written and directed the web series, My Girlfriend is Black, and several short films. Mika pens complex female-driven stories that explore the intricacies of strong women in unique worlds. Mika currently works as a staff writer on a network series.
 

Erica Land - Genre Feature Writer (recently sold a film to Lifetime)
Erica Land is a drama writer with a background in journalism, music, and sketch comedy. Erica specializes in horror and sci-fi with levity, a brand born from her experiences growing up in Texas with eight diverse siblings who often used levity to survive difficult times. Currently based in Los Angeles, she has won Roadmap Writer's Diversity Initiative, written for two NBC Sketch Showcase productions, and has been a Finalist for NBC's WOTV, Final Draft's Big Break Competition, and a Semi-Finalist for ABC's and WB's writing programs. Erica is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she studied cello and earned a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She has also studied with Jen Grisanti, Script Anatomy, Roadmap Writers, and Second City Hollywood.

Join Tristan J and a panel of fabulous Black & queer working screenwriters & showrunners for a candid conversation on screenwriting, representation, and the power of identity. This panel discussion will highlight and celebrate Black creatives that are proudly a part of the LGBTQIA community. 

Panelists:

• Beau DeMayo (Showrunner of X-MEN '97, THE ORIGINALS, MOON KNIGHT, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, THE WITCHER: NIGHTMARE OF THE  WOLF)
• Hilliard Guess (Director of Development at Showrunner Ben Watkins' Blue Monday Productions; Host of Screenwriters' Rant Room Podcast)
• Allie Morgan (Writer/Director in the Short Film Space)
• Rasheed Newson (Showrunner of BEL-AIR. THE CHI, SHOOTER, NARCOS, THE FIX, THE 100, ARMY WIVES, ANIMAL KINGDOM, SWITCHED AT BIRTH, LIE TO ME)

Panelist Bios:

Beau DeMayo
Beau DeMayo is an American screenwriter hailing from Central Florida, the last of six children adopted from around the world. He started his career as a creative executive at Disney-ABC and Focus Features, helping oversee projects such as GRAVITY FALLS and ATOMIC BLONDE. He later transitioned into writing, working with Julie Plec on several seasons of CW’s THE ORIGINALS. DeMayo has served as a supervising producer and writer on hit shows like Marvel’s MOON KNIGHT and Paramount+’s STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS and as a writing-producer on Netflix’s THE WITCHER. He also produced and wrote Netflix’s hit anime THE WITCHER: NIGHTMARE OF THE WOLF. DeMayo currently spearheads the long-awaited, upcoming animated series revival of Marvel’s X-MEN ’97 as both executive producer and head writer.

Hilliard Guess
Hilliard Guess (Director of Development at Showrunner Ben Watkins' Blue Monday Productions; Host of Screenwriters' Rant Room Podcast) is a writer/producer who has written on shows such as The Russo Bros SYFY series DEADLY CLASS and was recently the EP/Showrunner of the indie digital series TICKER (Best Series at 2021 World Internat'l Film Festival). He has made a name for himself in the indie world and has built a strong career that's made him invaluable, managing sets, in numerous writers/development rooms, and producing TV/Film from script-to-screen. Hilliard is a powerful voice in the writing community, promoting diversity and inclusion and dedicates his time to the WGAW (Co-Chair - Committee of Black Writers [he co-penned the viral article DEAR HOLLYWOOD in 2020], Co-Chair of The Education Committee, member of the LGBTQ+, Latinx and Genre Committees). He is building a name for himself across social media as the longtime host/moderator of the popular Screenwriters Rant Room, as well as the WGAW 3rd & Fairfax podcasts where he interviews A-list writers/producers from our favorite film and TV shows.

Allie Morgan
Allie is a Black lesbian filmmaker from the Midwest. She studied entertainment business at Los Angeles Film School and screenwriting at New York Film Academy. Writing and directing credits include her short films SISTERS, CUPID'S CHOKEHOLD, and SHATTER, which have been nominated for multiple awards and showcased at film festivals internationally. She is passionate about telling stories for women of color and the LGBTQ+ community, and her goal is to reflect these communities in fresh new ways in her films and television shows.

Rasheed Newson
Rasheed Newson (Showrunner of BEL-AIR) is a television drama writer, an executive producer, a showrunner, and a novelist. Rasheed – along with his television writing partner, T.J. Brady – is a co-creator and executive producer of the drama series Bel-Air.  Rasheed and T.J. have also worked on The Chi, Animal Kingdom, Shooter, The 100, and Narcos, among other drama series. Rasheed’s debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, was named one of The 100 Notable Books of 2022 by The New York Times.  He lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena, California.

Moderator Bio:

Tristan J Shuler, Director of Access Programs @ Roadmap Writers
Recently a management assistant at Bohemia Group Entertainment reporting directly to the head of talent &  literary management, Tristan J is a repped TV writer and former Off-Broadway theatre playwright, actor, & director. Before becoming Roadmap Success Story #229, Tristan J was highlighted in YesBroadway's 40Under40 alongside Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, Adrienne Warren, & Alex Newell. Back in New York, Tristan J created A Night of Play NYC, a board-game-infused playwriting incubator of new works from emerging playwrights in Brooklyn, NY, where Tristan J was raised on a military base in a blended multi-racial family. There's nothing Tristan J loves more than new voices & board games! An advocate for queer creators of color, Tristan J works to elevate & honor the creative process alongside our collective journey towards enlightenment! Follow Tristan J on Twitter and Instagram for rumblings on musical theatre, spilling tea, and being a magical witch.

This webinar will focus on screenwriters who have blazed their own trail in the industry by successfully creating their own content and establishing their brand.

Panelists:

• Hank Byrd (actor, writer, producer, director, educator)
• Shakesha Williams (writer, producer, director, podcaster, mentor)
• Keena Ferguson (actor, writer, director, producer, mentor, instructor)

Panelist Bios:

Hank Byrd
Hank Byrd has spent the last fourteen years working as an actor, screenwriter, producer and director. In each incarnation, his mission has been to create and share deeply personal and entertaining stories. His background as producer, director and writer gives him a unique understanding of how one's story, and the performance of it, are a marriage of talents and collaboration. As a writer, Hank has been a part of the writers room for he upcoming film, Blackdom, about the first all Black township built in New Mexico. He’s also written for the horror anthology film Tenth Moon, the indie action heist film, Vetted, and the popular web series, bLERDS, where he also serves as the shows creator, director head writer and executive producer. As a producer, Hank has lent his talents to productions such as the documentary, In The Thick: Conversations From The PLUS Side Of Life, the anti domestic violence short, No More Running and the award-winning short film, As We Lay.  In addition to his creative work, he’s an educator, working as an 8th grade English Language Arts teacher, as well as a committed advocate for the arts and social change. Hank has always stayed committed to creating unique works in film and television, as well as building relationships in the arts and diverse communities.

Shakesha Williams
Shakesha Williams is an award-winning writer, producer and director, and podcaster. She is the Founder of Harlem Fusion Studios. Her work includes My Story (Tubi TV) and Curvy Girls Rock (series). She is the co-host of Shakesha and the White Boy podcast. She is a native New Yorker, a mentor, an entrepreneur, wife, and mother. 

Keena Ferguson

Keena has been a storyteller in many forms for years.  An NAACP award-winning actor and nominated writer and producer, Keena seamlessly transitioned to being a film and TV director. Using her diverse body of work as an actor on hit shows like Atlanta, SWAT, and MAD TV.Her film directorial debut was Lindon Passing that earned her a nomination from HBO for best short film. This film, also written by Keena, was praised for dealing with the issue of abortion. During the pandemic, Keena was awarded a grant to tell a 1 min story. The film Stopped was written and created by Keena and received many accolades and buzz.
“This beautiful 1min film has been banging around my head for days.” Chelsey Crisp (Fresh off The Boat, Ten Percent) This year, Keena stepped into directing for television and just wrapped directing 7
of 8 episodes for an AMC drama. 
 

Our most celebrated panel from last year brings back some wise and insightful Black genre TV writers working in the genre space.  It'll be a frank discussion about nearly everything under the sun, including career advice, breaking in, writing craft, reps, favorite genre tv/films, and of course, what it's like being Black and a genre tv writer. to share their insights and wisdom​

​​​​​​Panelists:
Bianca Sams (Charmed, Don't Look Deeper, Titans, The Originals, Training Day)
 Brandon Schultz (Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks)
Christina M. Walker (Flash, October Faction, Salvation, Still-Star Crossed)
 Lamont Magee (Green Lantern, Black Lightning, The Quad)
 Natasha M. Hall (Saint X, Virgin River, AfterShock Comics)

Co-Moderators: Aadip Desai and James Moorer

Panelist Bios:

Bianca Sams
Bianca Sams is a Writer/Actor hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area. Her work spans different genres and mediums (plays, television and feature films). Her original pieces are often described as lyrical investigations of found stories out of today's headlines or the pages of history, that ask audiences to face their own complex love affair with misery. She’s drawn to stories that question the roles of women, ethnicity, and family in modern society. Her work often deals with the search for “self” in the collective identity and also explore the underlying connective threads of mankind. She recently finished her MFA in Playwriting at Ohio University. She received her BFA from New York University's Tisch School, where she earned the distinction of being Tisch's first ever Triple Major (Acting, Dramatic Writing, Africana Studies). Awards and honors include Ingram New Works Fellow (Nashville Rep), Warner Brothers TV Writing Workshop, KCACTF Lorraine Hansberry (2nd place), Rosa Parks Award (2nd place), Kennedy Center/Eugene O’Neill New Play Conference fellow, Jane Chambers Student Playwright Award/Athe (2nd place 2013 & 2014), Scott McPherson Playwright Award, The Playwright Center Core Apprentice (2014), Playwright Foundation BAPF (finalist), Eugene O’Neill NPC (semi- finalist), TRI Research Fellowship at Ohio State University, and T. S. Eliot Acting Fellowship, Tracking Board 2016 Young & Hungry List, WriteHerList 2017 and Tracking Board HIT LIST 2018. She previously worked as a writer on Training Day on WB/CBS TV starring Bill Paxton, The Originals on the CW with Julie Plec & Jeffrey Lieber and Titans for DC.com/WB/Berlanti. She’s currently a Supervising-producer on Charmed for CW. Bianca is represented by Echo Lake Management and Verve.

Brandon Schultz
Brandon Schultz is a writer for Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Short Treks. Before writing on ST: Disco, Brandon was the writers’ assistant! He wrote and produced "Blood Thirsty," an animated short featured on New Line Cinema's "Blade Trinity" DVD release, wrote a 1-shot comic book for Marvel Comics and Atlantic Records, and co-wrote and developed the breakthrough award-winning comic book "Blokhedz.” Brandon is also the President, Co-Founder, and Producer for Street Legends Ink, a busy animation and design studio with clients including brands like Disney, Paramount, New Line Cinema, Image comics, Simon & Schuster, Adidas, Carhartt, Gatorade, Nestle, Nike, BWA/Chiat-Day, Cartoon Network, Jive Records, Def Jam, and more. He has also created programs for high school youth, acted as a jurist for Pan African Film-Fest, and has spoken on writing for animation, hip hop and comics, and Black masculinity in fiction at USC School Of Cinema/TV, Georgia State University, and Brown University. Brandon is co-producing the reboot of the classic Hip Hop film Krush Groove in collaboration with Warner Bros. He’s a proud graduate of Morehouse College.
 

Christina M. Walker
Born on a Naval base in Japan and raised in the military town of Virginia Beach, Christina always knew her life would take her to incredible places. After living abroad for three years in Naples, Italy, she returned seeing the world through a different set of eyes. She obtained a degree in Mass Media from Henderson State University, and told stories by working in television news for each of the major affiliates across the U.S.. However, yearning to return to her true passion, writing, she studied Screenwriting in Chicago, then moved to Los Angeles.

In 2016, this passion assisted in earning her a slot with the Disney/ABC Program staffing on the Shondaland show Still Star-Crossed. This break gave her the unique opportunity of writing in NYC for the show, and traveling to Spain to produce two episodes of the series. Since the program Christina staffed on CBS’s Salvation, Netflix’s October Faction, and freelanced on BET’s Tales. Most recently her talents have put her in the high-concept and action space working on Seasons 8 of CW'S The Flash.
 
Lamont Magee
Lamont Magee is a consulting producer on the just-announced Green Lantern series set to air on HBO Max. Prior to Green Lantern, Magee served as a writer/producer on the CW’s Black Lightning for the duration of the series’ four season run and is currently developing a live-action streaming series for DC Comics. Magee has written for Dreamworks, Marvel, Disney, and LucasFilm Animation in the animation space and is currently developing a trio of comic books for the Mad Ghost banner. Magee has penned several theatrical projects which are in varying stages of development including BUFFALO FLATS, a film directed by Emma Westenberg, co-written by Magee, and produced by MGM, which is set to ramp up production later in the 2022 calendar year. Magee is also an executive producer on the Array/Netflix release DEFINITION PLEASE starring Sujata Day and Ritesh Rajan and executive produced by Datari Turner, Mindy Kaling, and Ava DuVernay. Magee is repped by manager Adam Robinson at The Rookery, Adam Levine, Kyle Jensen, Rich Rogers and Melissa Darman at Verve and attorney Matt Rosen at Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Natasha M. Hall 
A bicultural, first-generation American, Natasha’s family immigrated from Barbados to New York City where she grew up straddling two worlds. One was a strict, traditional Caribbean household, and the other was Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn during the crack epidemic. The two were so different, they often seemed like surreal fantasies. As a result, Natasha now writes 1hr. dramas and fantasies about characters struggling to define themselves, about belonging and love. Currently co-developing a graphic novel for AfterShock Comics and writing a drama podcast for iHeartRadio, Natasha recently finished a Story Editor position on HULU’s upcoming drama, SAINT X. She wrote for season four of NETFLIX's VIRGIN RIVER. She is AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL’s 2020 AMC ONE-HOUR PILOT WINNER, is an alum of the 2020-2021 ViacomCBS WRITERS MENTORING PROGRAM, and her work has been recommended by Showrunners Jenny Klein, Declan de Barra, and M. Raven Metzner, as well as Liz Benjamin, and Writer/Director, Sofia Alvarez. Repped by Industry Entertainment and UTA, and once part of HBO’s original series team, Natasha is a graduate of Syracuse University and Teachers College at Columbia. During the latter, she also taught English through Teach For America in the South Bronx.

Moderator Bios:


James Moorer, Director of Writer Outreach & Diversity Initiatives @ Roadmap Writers
James is a best-selling author, working screenwriter, producer, director, and motivational speaker who loves to find a way to succeed. James has also worked as an actor and voice talent on numerous projects. His company, Hammerjaxx Films, sponsors one of the prizes in Roadmap's Diversity Initiative. He's passionate about finding the story within the story and helping writers find both their voice and their own given greatness. His other passion is being the San Fernando valley's expert on PANCAKES. James is also the host of the popular Name of the Game webinar at Roadmap.

Aadip Desai, Director of Marketing & Brand Management @ Roadmap Writers
Aadip is an Indian American screenwriter, professional chatterbox, and Air Force Brat who has written for THE GOLDBERGS, MIRA ROYAL DETECTIVE, SHARKDOG, and DEW DROP DIARIES. He’s an alum of BAFTA Breakthrough US, Disney TV Writing Program/Fellowship, UCBTLA Diversity Scholarship Program, and AFI dropout. When he’s not writing, working at Roadmap, and parenting two kids and a chug, Aadip is an Advisor/Instructor at the Sundance Institute, runs the LA TV Writers Facebook Group (17.5K members), and serves on several BAFTA juries. He honed his moderating chops as a former co-host/producer of the On the Page screenwriting podcast, President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild, and by speaking at AFI, NYU, UCLA, USC, BAFTA, WGF/WGAw, CAPE, Humanitas, Final Draft, AFF, podcasts, and more. According to Chef Bobby Flay, Aadip is considered The Worst Cook to appear on Worst Cooks in America.