Event Recap

Here are a few words from the woman who truly helped this event go from idea to execution:

Tiffany Golden, W+K Producer Overall the event was a tremendous success. We checked all the boxes in terms of our objectives. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it was a mutually beneficial experience for mentors as well as attendees. I had quite a few people follow up after the event and was able to follow through on making connections. I see this event expanding while maintaining the same format. The buzz following this event was impressive and I am extremely proud of OMPA for really doing the work towards becoming more inclusive.

In the spirit of the event, we’ll let the attendees speak for themselves:

Briana Bard, PCC student and aspiring filmmaker It was great to be in a welcoming, collaborative space with people from different sectors of the arts community that were looking to strengthen their communal bond and gain industry insights!

Adolfo Cantu-Villareal, Filmmaker & Cinematographer, TZOM Films We really enjoyed chatting with everyone there and we are 100% supportive of initiatives that will bring more diversity to our film community. For me as a Mexican immigrant and for Maribel [De Leon] as a first-generation American, this is something that’s very important for us. We talked to an OMPA board member, Patty Brebner, about our company and our values. She invited us to the next Community Diversity Committee Meeting so we can get more involved in setting future goals and plans.

and here’s what a couple mentors had to say:

Pedro Valdez Jr., Photographer (mentor) The event was pivotal for young artists who are seeking advice from artists alike. I met with a photographer that went by the name Rose Leon and his work blew me out of the water! We spoke about where we began our careers, why photography, and some of our inspirations. The young artist shared his portfolio with me via iPad. I had so many questions about his work, as did he. Time flew, we spoke for nearly the entirety of the event, and we both left inspired and feeling like grabbing our cameras and doing a photoshoot right away!

David Poulshock, Screenwriter (mentor) I was at first surprised by the “free-flow” nature of the networking / mentoring set-up, but then thrilled by it. Challenging people on both sides of the equation to approach and engage each other in an open setting resulted in lively exchanges. There was enormous talent in the room, connections were made, future collaborations were incubated. It was an honor to be part of it!

Photos by Alex Lianopoulos.