Casting is one of filmmaking's most under-recognized art forms—the invisible hand shaping everything an audience feels before a single line is spoken. Join leading casting directors and industry professionals as they reveal how the right actor transforms a script into a story, and how a single casting decision can define the tone, chemistry, and success of a film or series. From discovering new talent to building unforgettable ensembles, this panel explores the instinct, strategy, and collaboration behind bringing characters to life.
Back by popular demand, this panel brings together some of the most talented and diverse writers in the industry. Learn from their experience as they share how to craft and deliver a winning pitch, offering insights, strategies, and behind-the-scenes stories from the writers’ room to the big screen.
Susan Cartsonis Partner / Co-Founder. The Hollywood Reporter named Susan Cartsonis one of the top five grossing producers of the year for What Women Want—the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time at the time of its release starring Academy Award-winners Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt—and Where the Heart Is starring Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman. She has produced recent hits for Netflix including True Spirit, starring Academy Award-winner Anna Paquin. The movies that she’s supervised have amassed more than 1B in theatrical box office worldwide.
Cartsonis was Senior VP of Production 20th Century Fox where she worked for a decade, developing and supervising iconic films including Nell starring Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster, French Kiss starring Academy Award and Tony Award winner Kevin Kline, For the Boys starring Academy Award winner Bette Midler, Dying Young starring Academy Award-winner Julia Roberts, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer which launched a billion dollar television franchise. She also supervised talent deals for Fox such as that of Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly (Green Book, There’s Something About Mary), Academy Award-winner Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise, The Accidental Tourist), Golden Globe Award winner Richard Gere, and Golden Globe Award-winner Johnny Depp.Cartsonis is a member of the Motion Picture Academy, the Television Academy and the Producer’s Guild. She serves on the board of The Writer’s Lab founded by Meryl Streep, co-funded by Nicole Kidman and Oprah Winfrey. She serves on the board of the non- profit screenwriters’ workshop, Cinestory, and teaches at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
She recently produced Sitting In Bars With Cake for Amazon starring Yara Shahidi, Odessa A’zion, and Bette Midler, which premiered September 2023, with her Resonate partners.
Suzanne Farwell Partner / Co-Founder A longtime collaborator of writer-director Nancy Meyers, Suzanne Farwell has produced some of the most commercially successful comedies in recent history and worked with many of the industry’s most recognized and sought-after talents.
After receiving her early training at the William Morris Agency, Farwell began her production career on the set of Walt Disney Pictures’ remake of *The Parent Trap*. As President of Waverly Films at Sony Pictures Entertainment, she co-produced the critically acclaimed 2003 box-office success *Something’s Gotta Give*, starring Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. She later served as executive producer of the 2006 worldwide hit *The Holiday*, starring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, Academy Award nominee Jude Law, and Golden Globe nominees Cameron Diaz and Jack Black.
In 2009, Farwell executive produced *It’s Complicated*, starring Academy Award winners Meryl Streep and Steve Martin and Emmy Award winner Alec Baldwin. In 2015, she produced *The Intern*, starring Academy Award winners Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, for Warner Bros. Pictures.
Farwell also produced the 2017 independent feature film *Carrie Pilby*, starring Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Jason Ritter, and Vanessa Bayer. The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and was released theatrically by The Orchard and on Netflix in 2017.
In 2016, Farwell founded Resonate Entertainment with Susan Cartsonis and Brent Emery, her producing partners on *Carrie Pilby*. Under the Resonate banner, she served as executive producer of the 2020 Netflix original film *Feel the Beat*, starring Sofia Carson, and the Disney Channel Original Movie *Upside-Down Magic*.
Her additional credits include Disney’s hit musical *Zombies 3*, which premiered on Disney+ in July 2022, and Amazon’s *Sitting in Bars with Cake*, starring Yara Shahidi, Odessa A’zion, and Bette Midler, which premiered in September 2023.
Mission Forward — A Free Community Panel
Investing in film can be as thrilling as the movies themselves. This panel pulls back the curtain on funding models, market trends, and the balance of risks and rewards in both studio and independent projects. Industry experts will share what investors look for, how data and algorithms shape decisions, and why financing films remains both an art and a business.
Moderator: Steve Alexander
Steve Alexander is a producer and actor best known as executive producer of The Secret Art of Human Flight (Tribeca Film Festival, 2023), in which he also appeared. He and his wife and actress, Idylia Hachi, are founding partners of AHA Productions, where their next project is The Species with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Charlotte Rampling. Alexander is executive producing the upcoming film Nuur (2025), directed by Lula Ali Ismaïl and adapted from Hassan Ghedi Santur's novel, The Youth of God. He is the executive producer of the documentary, My Elephant Odyssey (2025), produced and directed by Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell and Timothy Rodwell. In 2025, he joined the board of The Museum at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York, on the site of the original 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair.
Alysha Haran, Producer, Director and COO Chula Vista Entertainment Center, Alysha's career started in theater before moving to LA where she produced commercials and music videos. After a change in plans spared her from the events of 9/11, she spent 17 years serving as a US Navy Officer. A member of the Dramatist Guild with degrees in Directing and Creative Writing, she has been a senior manager for ABC Studios at Walt Disney Television
for the past 5 years
Mission Forward — A Free Community Panel
As the industry evolves, so do the standards for working with talent. This panel unpacks the latest SAG-AFTRA best practices, key industry shifts, and the benefits of hiring union members. Learn the differences between union and non-union productions, the protections SAG-AFTRA provides, and how professional actors can elevate a film’s quality and marketability. A must-attend for all guild members, filmmakers and producers navigating today’s filmmaking landscape.
Christine Altan - Moderator, Actor & Filmmaker, CIFF SAG-AFTRA Liaison
Larry Poole, San Diego SAG-AFTRA President
The entertainment landscape is evolving at lightning speed. From AI and streaming dominance to shifting audience habits and Hollywood’s new realities, industry leaders explore the forces reshaping film and television. Gain insights into the future of content creation, marketing, and distribution in this pivotal conversation.
Presented by MovieMaker
Moderated by : Tim Molloy, editor of MovieMaker Magazine and MovieMaker.com, writing about the art and craft of moviemaking, as well as film schools, festivals and more.
The Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF) welcomes makers and lovers of film from all over the world to the storied seaside village of Coronado, California to celebrate the magical art of visual storytelling. Coronado’s enduring love affair with Hollywood began more than a century ago.