The Summit 2023 - Harbor Island Studios

THE SUMMIT - 2023

For its 10-Year Anniversary, The Summit is bringing the region's creative industry to Seattle for a two-day interactive, educational experience, for creative professionals. The theme - “Creative Reconnection”. This weekend will entertain, energize, and equip you with the skills - and relationships - to enrich your career.

We’ve gathered creative leaders from around the world to help: including the producer of Breaking Bad, an executive from Lucasfilm and WME’s lead story editor. Here’s the full lineup: https://seattlefilmsummit.com/speakers-and-panelists(opens in a new tab).

Short version: think of this as a mashup of SxSW, ComicCon, CES and E3 tailored to entertainment professionals.

THE WHAT. Two-Day Interactive Summit.

• Workshops on licensing, acting, broadcasting, marketing, etc…

• Demos of new technology & hardware (drones anyone?)

• Musical Performances, Cosplay, Table Reads

• Arcade, eSports, Tabletop Gaming

• Entertainment Career Fair

• … and red carpet, after-parties, awards, swag, and food trucks

THE WHO. Creative Professionals (Current & Aspiring).

• Filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, creators & influencers

• Game developers, designers, eSports broadcasters

• Musicians, producers & performers

• Authors & publishers

THE WHY. Over the years, Seattle has birthed some of our greatest creative movements. Recently, our community has been disjointed. Inspiring collaborations have devolved into solitary grinds. The creative economy has suffered. The Summit hopes to spark a movement of collaboration, and further evolve the entertainment ecosystem.

ROUND 2 - November 11 - 12, 2023 - HARBOR ISLAND STUDIOS - Education series, Career Fair, Vendor Expo, Music Showcase and more!!

JOIN our FREE virtual community! Get your FREE profile here - Summit+ FREE Community(opens in a new tab) 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10 - HYATT REGENCY IN RENTON

7:00 - 10:00 PM - PRIVATE VIP RECEPTION- SIP LOUNGE 2ND FLOOR: This private reception is for guest speakers, sponsors, vendors, and VIP ticket holders only.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 - HARBOR ISLAND STUDIOS

9:30 KEYNOTE - STATE OF THE CREATIVE UNION: State leaders discuss the current environment of creative industry in Washington. Panelists: Kate Becker, Manny Cawaling, James Miles(opens in a new tab), Tom Mara

11:00 AM STAR WARS: Expanding Lore and World-Building in a Shared Universe! Guest speaker: Pablo Hidalgo(opens in a new tab)

1:00 PM PITCH PANEL: Join us for the 2023 Pitch Competition. Watch our contestants knock their story ideas out of the park as they pitch their projects to industry pros. Judges: Christopher Lockhart(opens in a new tab), Zach Cox(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab), Local Producer: Roy Hsu

SUBMIT HERE(opens in a new tab) to pitch!

(opens in a new tab)1:00 PM PREDATORY BEHAVIOR IN THE FILM INDUSTRY: Join Brialynne Massie(opens in a new tab) and Vanessa Leigh(opens in a new tab) as they educate and empower our community to combat predatory behavior such as sexual assault, misconduct, harassment, overt and covert behaviors, grooming, intentional or unintentional behaviors.

2:30 PM BABY BAND - KING YOUNGBLOOD: Getting to a Million of Something; King Youngblood’s arduous journey to break out of the PNW and onto the world entertainment stage. Join Lara Lavi, Olivia Howell, Val Wolfe, Andy Moreno, as they chat about this band’s strategic journey.

2:30 PM WORKSHOP: WRITING THE STORY UNDERNEATH: An interactive and generative creative writing workshop, led by Jamie Lorente(opens in a new tab), utilizing the 6-minute writing exercise and other generative prompts.

3:30 PM - EMBRACE THE STAGE: Join Drew Hobson(opens in a new tab) as he teaches: Confidence Building & Sustaining for Aspiring Actors/Artists

4:00 PM - GREEN ROOM EXCERPTS

5:00 PM - THE SUMMIT TABLE READ WINNERS - PART II: Our Film Freeway winning short scripts get a second read in November. Don’t miss these compelling scripts be read by local professional talent.

5:30 PM SUMMIT NETWORKING and AFTER - PARTY

6:30 PM MUSIC SHOWCASE - CONCERT: Join us for this new and epic element of the The Summit. That's right, our first ever showcase will highlight four incredible groups of performers!

King Youngblood Nobi and the Force Rae Isla Terra Nobody

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 - HARBOR ISLAND STUDIOS

9:30 AM CREATIVE FUTURES: WASHINGTON’S CREATIVE ECONOMY STRATEGIC PLAN - In 2022, the Washington State Department of Commerce, inspired by legislative leadership, initiated a sector focus on the creative economy and launched a planning process. Join David Holland, Darryl Crews, Emily Washines, Shannon Roach Halberstadt, and Martin Cohen as they review the themes, findings, and outcomes of the planning process.

9:30 AM SFS PILOT WINNER - TABLE READ: Gin’d Up! by Lynelle Souleiel

11:00 AM NAVIGATING UNCHARTED WATERS: DILEMMAS INDUCED BY AI IN MOVIE DEVELOPMENT

Join Chaitra Vedullapalli, Michelle Pruitt, John de Pre Gauntt, and TBD, for an engaging session as they dive into the dynamic world of filmmaking transformed by artificial intelligence. Sponsored by Women in Cloud.

11:00 AM SFS FEATURE SCRIPT WINNER - TABLE READ

Christmas of the Dead by Brett Bowker

12:00 PM THE MAKING OF CULTURE & CODE

12:00 PM BLACK FILM & MEDIA: OWNING OUR NARRATIVE

Omari Salisbury, Winfield Ezell, Anthony Tackett, and Mujale Chisebuka will all join Trae Holiday to discuss their work and how it contributes to spotlighting and amplifying the lives of Black people.

1:00 PM CONNECTING WITH (AND MONETIZING) YOUR UNIQUE CREATIVE: A conversation with Sebastian Siegel (opens in a new tab)around the culture of artists getting lost in the needs of audience, representation, and studio execs. How an artist can tap into greater creativity through gaining a deeper understanding of themselves.

2:30 PM CLOSING KEYNOTE: HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE ENTREPENEUR: Guest Speaker - Matthew Bennett(opens in a new tab)

3:00 PM STUDENT SHOWCASE - Students from all over Washington have been selected to present their current projects and future ideas in front of a wide variety of industry professionals. Come see what the next generation of local creatives is up to!

3:30 PM CAREER FAIR - At this time The Summit OPENS TO THE PUBLIC. All vendors, speakers, and sponsors switch into career consultation mode. Bring your reel, portfolio, resume, and ask all those career questions you’ve had in the back of your mind.

4:00 PM AWARD CEREMONY: Following this, it’s time to announce all the award winners! Come cheer on your favorites in every film, script, and pitch category.

5:30 PM CREATORS MINGLE BINGO: Come join this fun session in partnership with The Seattle 48 Hour Film Project and The Seattle Composers Alliance.

• Table Reads
• Networking
• VIP Party
• Indoor and Outdoor Event Options
• Showcases
• Fashion Show
• Film Screenings
• Award and Grants Ceremony
• Car Show
• Camera Demos
• Drone Demos
• Musical Performances
• 1/1 Consultation opportunities
• Cosplay
• Interactive Games
• ESports

The industry professionals who organize The Summit volunteer thousands of combined hours to bring this transformational event to the Pacific Northwest. Together we are innovating a creative industry for all!