Hollywood is experiencing massive disruption with changes in technology, demographics, economic models and where and how people are consuming movies and TV. How can we prepare the next generation of diverse storytellers? What does inclusive film education look like? Cheryl Boone Isaacs, former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, professor and now founding director of The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, will share her vision for the school and for the future of film education. 

This discussion will be led by Peter Murrieta, deputy director and professor of practice in The Sidney Poitier New American Film School. Murrieta is the recipient of the Imagen Foundation’s Norman Lear Writer’s Award and a multiple Emmy winner known for award-winning series like Netflix’s “Mr. Iglesias” and Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.”

The event will also include interactive presentations with key film faculty, including XR pioneer Nonny de la Peña and MacArthur “Genius” grant recipients Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra.

The Sidney Poitier New American Film School operates across three cities in Arizona and California, offering graduate and undergraduate programs in the ASU California Center and giving film students from every background an opportunity to connect with the entertainment capital of the world. The school’s name signals ASU’s commitment to excellence and inclusion and carries forward Sidney Poitier’s legacy through the lives and creativity of thousands of students and graduates. 

Event agenda

• 2:30 p.m.: Check-in. 
• 3 p.m.: Program begins:
• Steven Tepper, dean, director and Foundation Professor, ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
• Cheryl Boone Isaacs, founding director and professor of practice, and Peter Murrieta, deputy director and professor of practice, The Sidney Poitier New American Film School.
• 4 p.m.: Experience the Film School: Presentations by key film faculty. 
• 5 p.m.: Cocktail reception and networking.
• 6 p.m.: Event ends.