On April 17 and 18, The Oxford Community Center and the Chesapeake Film Festival will host The Journey of a Hollywood Idea. This weekend-long event follows the “idea” from development, to pre-production, to production and postproduction, and ends with an examination of the diverse marketplace for films and videos.
In addition to presentations by a robust lineup of Hollywood insiders, The Journey of a Hollywood Idea will include workshops led by talented producers and educators from the Chesapeake Film Festival roster of friends and collaborators. The workshops will dig deeper into the subjects to provide specific information and tips for participants.
The combination of Hollywood sprinkled across a solid foundation of knowledge is the magical one-two punch this conference produces.
Workshop leaders include:
- Kimberly Skyrme – Director, Producer, Writer, Casting Director-CSA
Kimberly is a 30-year veteran in the film and television Industry. She defines herself, first and foremost, as a “storyteller”. A multi-tasker extraordinaire, Kimberly recently completed several projects while she was in preproduction for several new films, and is in development on multiple series. Her insider knowledge and experience at every phase of filmmaking is remarkable.
Kimberly’s casting collaborations include: NETFLIX series House of Cards, STARZ series The Girlfriend Experience, and Unsolved Mysteries, Deep Impact, Beloved, The Pelican Brief, and True Lies, as well as numerous independent features and short films and commercials.
Kimberly is currently producing and casting several feature films; Metronome, What We Leave Behind, The Hive and One Lucky Moon, a Musical Comedy by Director/Writer Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, What’s Up Doc, and Paper Moon) with the music of Willie Nelson.
Kimberly's professional memberships include the Casting Society of America (CSA), New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), Women in Film & Video (WIFV-DC), as well as Past Chair of Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI).
- Greg White – Producer, Unit Production Manager, 1st Assistant Director
Starting as a production assistant more than 30 years ago, Greg worked his way up to become an award-winning producer and assistant director. His credits include the Emmy-winning TV series Law and Order and Cobblestone Corridor on PBS.
In addition to the Law and Order episodes, his credits include: People I Know, Don’t Say a Word, How to Make It in America, New York Minute, Burn Notice and Sneaky Pete.
Greg joined the Director’s Guild of America in 1996.
- Cid Collins Walker – Writer, Director, Producer, Artist
Cid Collins Walker, festival director of the Chesapeake Film Festival, released her first feature-length film, ARC OF LIGHT: A Portrait of Anna Campbell Bliss, a documentary about the life and work of the legendary American artist Anna Campbell Bliss in 2012. The film was screened at numerous festivals and museum, aired on PBS and now is international distribution with Films Media Group.
Cid’s versatility in the arts is unmatched. In addition to her documentary work, her film credits include storyboards for the major motion picture In the Line of Fire, directed by Wolfgang Peterson. Cid also has extensive experience in television (including CBS and NBC in Washington and Black Entertainment Television), creative direction, animation, print design and brand management. Her awards include four Telly Awards for her work in production design.
Cid has served on the Board of Directors of Women in Film & Video, Washington DC and as vice president of membership, and vice president of development. She earned a B.A. degree in painting from Scripps College in Claremont, California and received a fellowship with the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
Her painting and printmaking have been widely exhibited and collected.
- Claudia Myers – Writer, Director, Producer
Claudia Myers was named one of "10 Filmmakers to Watch" by Independent Magazine in 2015. Most recently Claudia wrote and directed Above the Shadows, a fantasy action drama starring Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson, Jim Gaffigan and Megan Fox. The film opened the 2019 Brooklyn Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. It subsequently was acquired by Hulu.
Claudia also wrote, directed, and produced the drama Fort Bliss starring Michelle Monaghan, Ron Livingston and Pablo Schreiber. The film won several festival awards, and top critics for The Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer both cited Fort Bliss among the best films of 2014.
As a screenwriter, Claudia has won numerous awards, was twice a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and is an alumna of the Hamptons Screenwriters Lab. Claudia is currently in development on her next feature, the true crime drama Out of Darkness.
- Monda Raquel Webb – Writer, Director, Producer, Performance Artist
With a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Rhode Island in 1990, Monda began her production career as a traffic coordinator for City Cable 16 in Washington, DC and quickly climbed the ranks in all aspects of production. As a producer, she won awards from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) for Production in several different categories.
Currently Monda combines her diverse talents for the written word, spoken word, social media and film under the umbrella of her consulting company, Monda Media, LLC. The publishing arm of Monda Media has published four books and manages author brand, public relations, and marketing/sales of product and ancillary items.
Little Known Stories Production Company, LLC is the production arm of Monda Media. In 2015, she wrote, directed and produced her first short film, Zoo (Volkerschau), which has won over a dozen U.S. and International Film Festival Awards, including awards from Spain and Indonesia, for Best Short (film), Best Script, Excellence Award, and Best International Short.
Monda's second film, Pooch Sitter, a short film about a quirky pet-sitter who seeks love and affection from other people’s dogs in an untraditional way, is currently on the film festival circuit. This modern-day Goldilocks-ish tale is giving “paws” to audiences worldwide. Team Pooch has given $1,600 to non-profit organizations focused on homelessness and women and children.
- Irene Magafan – Writer, Producer, Editor, Actor
Irene Magafan is a video specialist and editor at World Wildlife Fund. She is also a freelance voiceover artist, actor and an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker.
Her documentary, The Bonobo Connection, narrated by Hollywood actor and activist Ashley Judd, has received awards at numerous film festivals, along with several Television, Internet and Video Association Peer Awards, and is currently being reviewed for potential broadcast and distribution. The Bonobo Connection is currently on the independent streaming platform, Laurel Channel. The film continues to be used as a vehicle for bonobo conservation and will be translated into French and Lingala for the local communities of the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Irene is a regional Emmy Award recipient for a show she helped shoot and produce which aired on Maryland Public Television called EcoViews: The Chesapeake Bay. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA, Women in Film and Video and on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Film Festival and on the Alumni Board at American University, where she serves as Chair for the Career Committee. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree and Bachelor of Arts degree from American University.
Register Now!
The Journey of a Hollywood Idea appeals to anyone who has ever been curious about how an idea travels through the many hands to eventually arrive on the screen. This seminar uniquely shares current Hollywood trends and best practices. Aspiring filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike will all leave with knowledge and insights that only insiders and experts in their fields can deliver.
Dates: Saturday, April 17 (10:00 AM – 4:30 PM) & Sunday, April 18 (10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Tickets are $75 for the two-day series. For members of Women in Film, the discounted cost is $65; for students, $60. Education Sponsorships are available for $600, which allow ten students to attend this two-day event.
To purchase tickets or for more information about The Journey of a Hollywood Idea, visit chesapeakefilmfestival.com or oxfordcc.org/speaker-series/.
The Chesapeake Film Festival and The Oxford Community Center are both 501(c) 3 nonprofit organizations.
