LOS ANGELES — City officials, entertainment professionals and business leaders encouraged women filmmakers to build sustainable careers through strategic partnerships, business development and expanded access to resources during the 2026 Women in Entertainment Conference: Owning the Narrative.
Hosted by the NEW Women’s Business Center, the conference brought together filmmakers, producers, writers, actors and entrepreneurs for discussions on financing, marketing, production and professional networking.
Opening the program, Gary Smith of the Los Angeles County Film Office acknowledged the challenges women continue to face in the industry while encouraging attendees to keep telling stories that might otherwise go unheard.
“I hate that you have to keep fighting,” Smith said, while emphasizing that diverse voices remain essential to the future of film and television. He also said Los Angeles had “sat on its laurels” as the entertainment industry evolved and stressed the importance of creating opportunities that keep productions, jobs and investment in the city.
Daysi Hernandez, chief grants administrator for the City of Los Angeles, outlined several resources available to creative entrepreneurs through the city’s BusinessSource network, including technical assistance and access-to-capital programs designed to help emerging businesses.
Hernandez also previewed a microproduction initiative under development for Los Angeles City Council District 3. She said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield directed its development and implementation. The initiative is expected to include technical assistance and a monetary component when it launches this fall. Hernandez encouraged attendees to participate in upcoming opportunities to provide feedback on the city’s economic development plan and urged filmmakers to connect with available resources.
“We want you to stay in the city,” Hernandez said.
Producer, actress, attorney and entrepreneur Sauda Johnson-McNeal challenged attendees to move beyond waiting for the perfect moment.
“You’re not gonna ever fully feel like you’re ready,” she said.
Johnson-McNeal described what she called “deliberate velocity”—moving forward despite uncertainty and allowing confidence to develop through action.
She encouraged filmmakers to understand their own strengths while building teams from the people already within their professional and personal networks.
“Get it done,” she said.
Drawing from her experience producing Love the Skin You’re In, Johnson-McNeal said completing a film is only part of the journey. Marketing, she said, requires planning, intention and financial resources. She also encouraged attendees to seek sustainable financing for future projects rather than relying solely on personal funds, while using existing relationships to identify collaborators and open doors to new opportunities.
The afternoon panel, From Script to Screen: Stories Behind the Stories, explored the realities of independent filmmaking through conversations with working filmmakers and industry professionals.
Among the panelists, Chenessa Richa’rd discussed her film Three’s a Crowd, explaining that it grew from the complex relationships she shared with her father and brother. Rather than simplifying those experiences, she sought to portray both relationships honestly, illustrating how personal storytelling can embrace multiple truths within the same family.
Outside the formal sessions, attendees met one-on-one with industry professionals, including producer Mercedes Garcia of Stray Cats Productions. Garcia encouraged filmmakers to think strategically about financing by building credibility before seeking investment through partnerships, festival recognition, and organizations aligned with a project’s mission.
“We’re not playing small,” Garcia told attendees. “If you want to go bigger, you have to target the bigger.”
The conference concluded with the presentation of the 2026 Filmic Brilliance Award. Victoria Sampson received the top honor for Pinky’s Revenge, while Dawna Campbell was recognized as runner-up for Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secret Behind Achieving Greatness.
Throughout the day, speakers returned to a common message: successful filmmaking requires more than creative talent. Building sustainable careers depends on strong networks, strategic partnerships, thoughtful business planning and access to the resources that allow stories to move from concept to screen.
