The sold-out event from VES was held on September 4, bringing together over 250 attendees from around the world at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. 

As the flagship event from the VES’ Women Who Lead initiative, which launched earlier this year, this first-ever Summit offered an intimate venue for unfiltered dialogue and true connection across both speakers and attendees. Throughout two keynote talks and two panels comprised of industry leaders, the speakers shared lessons learned from their own careers and experiences with refreshing honesty – including insights on how to build a more equitable industry, and tangible ways to elevate and advocate for the next generation of talent. The event was bookended by breakfast and lunch, giving attendees further opportunities to network and build connections. 

The day’s two keynote talks included an opening fireside chat with producer Barbara Muschietti (IT, IT: Welcome to Derry, They Will Kill You, Ride or Die), moderated by Janet Muswell Hamilton, VES (HBO), and a closing talk from Brit MacRae, the co-founder of KINO, a venture-backed independent film fund. Muschietti reflected on the importance of collaboration, creating your own opportunities to do the work you want to be doing, and how to get good at being uncomfortable. MacRae offered her insights on how Hollywood can become less risk-averse – across creative, financial, and even hiring decisions – and how trying to avoid failure often means holding yourself back from success.

Between these keynote talks, two different panels provided engaging conversations on stage. The first panel was “Opening Doors for the Next Generation of Leaders,” moderated by Janet Muswell Hamilton, VES (HBO), with panelists Jennifer Bell (Universal Pictures), Kathy Chasen-Hay (Paramount Pictures), Anne Putnam Kolbe (Netflix), Christine Mansfield (Disney), and Lori J. Nelson (Warner Bros. Pictures). The wide-ranging discussion covered different paths of career advancement, nurturing more female VFX supervisors, necessary leadership skills, and more.

 The second panel, “Storytelling Empowered by Technology,” was moderated by Annie Chang (NBCUniversal), with panelists Dina Benadon (Super 78), Pavani Boddapati (WetaFX), Emily Hsu (Epic Games), and Connie Wailan Siu (Promise). This panel delved into the constantly evolving technology that drives the VFX industry, as well as the more unique challenges of being a woman in a technical role.

Neishaw Ali, VES, Chair of the VES’ Women Who Lead Committee, and the Founding Partner, CEO, and Executive Producer of SPINVFX, shared the following reflections on the inaugural Summit: “Thank you to everyone who gave so generously of their time, support, and energy to make this event possible. I can’t remember the last time I left an event feeling this hopeful and inspired about what lies ahead for our industry. There was something incredibly powerful about the honesty and openness of our speakers – their willingness to be real, vulnerable, and forthright created a connection that could be felt throughout the room. It reminded me why I fell in love with this industry in the first place and, more importantly, why I still believe so deeply in its future. I walked away reenergized, inspired, and incredibly proud of what we created together. It feels like we started something special.”