Alliance of Women Directors’ Inaugural Back to Set Symposium Draws Nearly 200 Attendees, Including Hollywood Leaders
Betsy Beers, Victoria Mahoney, Aisha Tyler
AWD’s Back to Set Symposium empowered directors with keynotes, panels, and hands-on workshops featuring industry icons
LOS ANGELES – October 1, 2025 – The Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) celebrated the success of its inaugural Back to Set Symposium, held September 26–27 at Southpark Center in Los Angeles. Nearly 200 established and emerging directors, alongside leading Hollywood executives, came together for the two-day directors' intensive designed to sharpen production skills, build confidence, and prepare directors for on-set success.
Groundbreaking producer Betsy Beers (Grey’s Anatomy, Bridgerton, Scandal) opened the symposium with an inspiring keynote, encouraging directors to embrace adaptability, collaboration, and joy in their craft. Beers said, “Find the joy in even the hardest situations. Earn the trust of your crew by listening and working collaboratively and, above all, have a great attitude.”
Trailblazing filmmaker Victoria Mahoney (The Old Guard 2, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) and award-winning director, actor, and creator Aisha Tyler (Criminal Minds Evolution, AXIS) also delivered keynote addresses, speaking candidly about resilience, leadership, and the problem-solving nature of filmmaking. Mahoney advised attendees to “communicate early and often and do not fear the unknown.” Tyler reminded attendees, “There is intense joy and power in the relentless pursuit of excellence. Constant learning, growth, curiosity, and expansion of skills make you the high tide.”
The symposium featured a wide range of panels and masterclasses led by top industry professionals, including:
“Pitching Yourself in the General” featured AWD Icon Member and director Morenike Joela Evans (Legacies, Quantum Leap), Proximity Media executive Hannah Baker, and 101 Studios executive Emily Hamilton, who provided real-time feedback on live pitches. Key takeaways included the importance of being curious about the person you’re meeting with, asking about their career journey, and thoroughly researching executives and their projects in advance.
During the “Building Your Dream Team: Navigating Representation” as a Director, entertainment attorney Hillary Bibicoff, IAG agent Halle Mariner, and Kaplan/Perrone manager Quincie Li emphasized the value of open communication and collaboration between clients and representatives to ensure directors are supported and positioned for new opportunities.
Leading AI experts, including Minta Carlson, creative AI architect at Moonvalley, AI filmmakers and educators Ellenor Argyropoulos, Maddie Hong, and Caleb Ward explored practical applications of AI in pre-production and creative collaboration during the “Emerging Technologies: Film + TV in the Age of AI” panel. Carlson said, “There is a misconception that AI knows everything. In actuality, AI learns patterns and is a generalist. Your job, as a director, is to tell it what you want it to do with that general information.”
The “Directing Performance Masterclass” was led by AWD Icon Amber Sealey (No Man of God, Out of My Mind), who emphasized the director’s responsibility to protect and empower actors.
The “Scene to Screen: Blocking for Camera” workshop with acclaimed director Rosemary Rodriguez (Elsbeth, Your Honor) offered demonstrations on how she would block a scene. Two directors were pre-selected to work with Rodriguez live on stage.
“In the Edit Together: The Director’s Guide to Post,” featured seasoned editors, Michael P. Shawver (Sinners), Lisa Zeno Churgin (The Cider House Rules), and Jeff Seibenick (Manadlorian), ACE, along with Outlander supervising producer Elicia Bessette, discussed the importance of building trust between an editor and director. They reaffirmed that filmmaking is a creative partnership, and the edit is crucial in bringing the creative vision to life.
Attendees also got the unique experience of witnessing a live production meeting during which Director Tessa Blake (Matlock, American Horror Story), cinematographer Tarin Anderson (Blindspotting, The Other Black Girl) art director Adam Rowe (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation), costumer Alayna Bell-Price (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Mayans M.C.), production manager Nate Ehrman (Station 19, Wisdom of the Crowd), and assistant director Helena Lamp (Modern Family, Station 19) broke down the prep process. The industry leaders demonstrated how to lead a creative team, efficiently prepare for a project, and foster team alignment before you arrive on set. The panel was hosted in partnership with Scriptation.
“Back to Set exemplified AWD’s mission of empowering women and gender-expansive directors by providing the tools, insight, and connections needed to thrive,” said Kylie Eaton, Interim Executive Director of AWD. “We are thrilled with the turnout and the meaningful conversations sparked throughout the weekend.”
The event was made possible through the generous support of Starz, NBCUniversal, Shotdeck, California Film Commission, Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc., Scriptation, Martini, and First Entertainment Credit Union, with additional contributions from The Black List, Letterboxd, NewFilmmakers LA, Saturation.io, Keslow Camera, and Portrait.
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ABOUT ALLIANCE OF WOMEN DIRECTORS (AWD)
Founded in 1997, Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to achieving gender parity in the entertainment industry by substantially increasing the number of working women and gender-diverse directors. Through craft enrichment, mentorship, and industry partnerships, AWD provides vital support to its over 600 directing and Ally members, who range from emerging filmmakers to award-winning veterans. AWD believes representation matters and works to ensure stories are told from all perspectives. For more information visit:
www.allianceofwomendirectors.org Press Contact:
Christina Lee for AWD
christinaelizabethlee@gmail.com
Posted By: Tanisha Grant
Thursday, October 2nd 2025 at 8:20PM
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