A great casting director should be one of the first partners you hire when you set out in pre-production on your feature. The right casting director will add legitimacy to your project and help you assemble a cast that is perfect for your story and appealing to investors.

We’re pleased to present our annual panel and networking event featuring some of the top casting directors working in independent film.

The panel will offer tips on when and how best to approach a casting director; some dos and don’ts to observe; and ways to get around the Catch-22 that faces many indie filmmakers – you can’t get money without a cast and you can’t attach talent without money. They’ll also talk about the growing field of webseries and original internet content.

Confirmed panelists include Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd (Southside with You, Fruitvale Station; Julia Kim (The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Spa Night); John McAlary (Them That Follow, Unfriended: Dark Web) and Meg Morman (The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Hello, My Name is Doris). Moderated by Vice President of the Casting Society of America, Rich Mento (Ashes in the Snow, Warm Bodies, Cedar Rapids).

The event will conclude with a reception to give members a chance to meet and chat with all the panelists.