Pitch Practice Makes Perfect

Dani Faith Leonard

Dani Faith Leonard is a Producer, Screenwriter, Comedian and the Co-Founder of Big Vision Empty Wallet, an inclusion-focused incubator and production company. Whether telling stories on stage as a comedian, writing movies or TV shows, or producing films at her production company, Big Vision Empty Wallet, she believes in the power of stories to entertain and impact change.

In 2010, Dani co-founded production company and incubator Big Vision Empty Wallet with Alex Cirillo to champion work from creators who are historically underrepresented. Recent projects include feature documentary RED, WHITE, AND WASTED, which had its World Premiere at Tribeca 2019 and will be released this Fall. Along with Bobby Farrelly, she Executive Produced feature film LEZ BOMB, starring Bruce Dern, Cloris Leachman, Kevin Pollack and Steve Guttenberg, which was released in Fall 2018 and is available on Netflix. She is currently in pre production on a dark comedy feature called RUSH ISLAND, originally slated to shoot in 2020.

Derek Nguyen

Derek Nguyen, a refugee of the Vietnam war, is a screenwriter, director, producer, and co-founder of The Population, a filmmaker-driven production company featuring underrepresented voices. His directorial feature debut THE HOUSEMAID (CJ Entertainment, PARASITE) was released by IFC Films in 2018 and sold to 22 different territories around the world. An American adaption is heading to production in 2021, written by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Fletcher (PRECIOUS). His producing credits include Jennifer Fox’s THE TALE, So Yong Kim’s LOVESONG, Sarah Adina Smith’s BUSTER’S MAL HEART, Jamie Babbit’s ADDICTED TO FRESNO, Hannah Fidell’s LONG DUMB ROAD, and upcoming Josef Kubota Wladyka’s CATCH THE FAIR ONE. He’s worked at Gamechanger Films, Tribeca Film Institute, The International Emmy Awards, and IFP.

Maryssa Sklaroff

Maryssa Sklaroff is a Development and Production Coordinator at Populace where she worksalongside CEO/Founder Tamir Muhammad producing their original slate of content under an overall deal with Warner Bros. for TV and film. Projects include the graphic novel THE NEW WORLD which they’re adapting as a feature with Warner Bros. Pictures and TV projects set at major networks including HBO. Prior to joining Populace, Maryssa worked at CAA in Sports Television and served as a producer on UCB’s flagship late night talk show NIGHT LATE.

Maria Zuckerman

Maria Zuckerman is Executive Vice President of Topic Studios where  she leads overall strategy including development, financing, and  production across feature films, documentaries, TV, and podcasts.  She is also responsible for leading Topic’s go-to-market strategy as  the studio partners with distributors across content for television,  streaming, theatrical and digital releases.  She joined Topic after  nearly 20 years at HBO, where she most recently served as Senior  Vice President, HBO Films, overseeing the development and  production of original movies for the network.

Zuckerman oversaw production of more than 30 titles during her tenure at HBO and brought such talent as Richard Curtis, David Yates and Peter Morgan to the network. Her films earned HBO 92 Emmy® nominations, winning 17 Emmy® Awards, including three Best Movie/Miniseries; 22 Golden Globe® nominations with five wins, including two for Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television; 23 BAFTA® nominations and numerous NAACP®, GLAAD® and SAG® Awards.