PANELISTS
William Clark
William Paul Clark is a First Assistant Director who has worked on over 70 sets in more than ten countries with a worldwide aggregate box office of over $1.5 billion. Academy Award winners and nominees he has had the pleasure of working with include: Quentin Tarantino, Barry Levinson, Sylvester Stallone, Oren Moveman, and Terry Zwigoff.
Justina Omokhua
Respected marketing guru, Justina Omokhua, is synonymous with “strategist.” She maintains an insatiable curiosity and a thirst, drive and need for information - that has been central to the success she's manifested in her career. In her current role as SVP of Brand Marketing at Endeavor, Justina works across the ecosystem of the platform to create synergy across the various businesses in the portfolio including but not limited to 160/90, WME, IMG, UFC, Professional Bull Riders, Miss Universe and Frieze. In the words of Endeavor CMO Bozoma Saint John, “Justina is the best kept secret in the industry. She’s a proven marketing thought-leader who operates with masterful precision and detail. She brings the intersection of consumer strategy, technology and innovation to brands that move culture.” Prior to Endeavor, Justina worked at Apple as the Global Head of Content Strategy & Lifestyle Marketing for Apple Music and iTunes. She has also worked for some of the largest brands in the world - including Verizon, Nokia, Pepsi and L’Oreal.
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig is a nationally recognized film journalist. She is president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and has been a film critic on National Public Radio’s Film Week, on KPCC, since 2005. She was the lead critic at USA Today for 15 years, and host of the USA Today video series The Screening Room. Her print reviews are currently featured in the online entertainment news site The Wrap. She has been a featured guest on KCRW, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and on Mitch Albom’s syndicated radio show. In 2015, she was the consulting program director for the Napa Valley Film Festival and in 2016, a diversity consultant for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is also a regular moderator for film-related panels and Q & As, writes freelance articles and reviews, and has a consulting business specializing in film analysis, curating, programming, and diversity issues. Claudia began her 30-year journalism career in 1986 at the Los Angeles Times where she covered crime, courts, radio, film and Spanish language media. Claudia has covered the Sundance, Toronto and Cannes film festivals and has been a juror at dozens of film festivals around the world from Ashland to Zurich. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian and studied at Cambridge University and also at Universidad Ibero-Americana in Mexico City. Claudia has a B.A. in Communications Studies from UCLA and an M.A. in Communications from University of Southern California’s Annenberg School.
Ivette Rodriguez
Ivette Rodriguez is the president and founder of AEM (American Entertainment Marketing) a Hispanic theatrical marketing and PR firm founded in 1997 with expertise in the U.S. Hispanic market. Prior to starting her firm, Ivette was VP of Marketing and Publicity at LIVE Entertainment (Aka Artisan/Lionsgate) running national and field publicity for both theatrical and home entertainment. Prior to joining LIVE she was in the field marketing department at Colombia TriStar Motion Pictures managing west coast publicity and promotions. Prior to moving west, Ivette was based in NYC working for record business legend Clive Davis’ Arista Records in the Marketing department where she was part of the launching of albums for new artists such as Whitney Houston, TLC and legends Aretha Franklin and Carly Simon. With over 30 years of experience, Ivette is a veteran entertainment publicist and is considered a leading Latino consumer expert and thought leader and is also the recipient of Latina leadership awards and serves on several national Hispanic advisory boards including NHMC National Hispanic Media Coalition and CHCI Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and HFA Hispanic Foundation. Current and past films include Oscar nominated films The Revenant and The Hateful Eight as well as Hollywood Blockbusters Kingsman, X-Men Super Man, Dreamworks' Home, The Croods, and independent favorites Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Frida, Babel, Before Nights Falls, Crash, The Motorcycle Diaries, Mar Adentro, among others.
Alex G. Scott
Alex G. Scott has been working in feature film production for over eighteen years. Most recently, he executive produced Booksmart, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut. His other recent producing credits include Jonah Hill’s feature Mid 90s, and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. Alex served as co-producer on The Revenant and Thank You for Your Service. As a production supervisor, he worked on Django Unchained, and Love and Mercy. His upcoming projects include Justin Simien’s Bad Hair, and an as-yet untitled project for Lionsgate, starring Janelle Monae.
MODERATOR
Gil Robertson
Gil Robertson (moderator) is an African-American journalist and author. He is president of the African American Film Critics Association. Gil grew up in California. He earned a B.A. degree in Political Science from California State University, Los Angeles. Gil is known for his contributions to numerous publications that include: the Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Black Enterprise and Essence Magazine among others. He is also founder and editor of the Robertson Treatment Syndicated Column (RTSC), one of America's most widely read urban lifestyle columns targeting the African American demo. As an author, Gil has contributed to the anthology Souls of My Brother and is a frequent contributor to the African American Almanac. His first book, Writing As A Tool of Empowerment, was published in 2003. On December 1, 2006, Agate Publishing released Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American Community, a collection of essays about the AIDS epidemic, edited by Gil. He edited the anthology Family Affair: What It Means To Be African American Today. Gil became involved in the 2016 controversy surrounding the all-white list of Oscar nominees in the acting category and called for changes across the board in the Academy. He noted that his organization is working with other professional groups to correct the lack of diversity in Hollywood and at the Oscars. Gil is a member of the National Press Club and resides in Los Angeles and Atlanta.