2026 Confirmed Panelists & Awardees
Check out our panelists for the 2026 Writers Conference. Panelists are posted on a rolling basis leading up to our full slate announcement in September. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and follow our socials for the latest announcements.
2026 Awardees
Nina Jacobson
Nina Jacobson
2026 Recipient of the Polly Platt Award for Producing
Nina Jacobson has built an extraordinary career spanning over three decades, earning recognition as one of the entertainment industry’s most accomplished and influential producers. A former senior film executive at three major motion picture studios, Jacobson founded the independent production company Color Force in 2007.
Her first project as a producer – and the first for Color Force – was Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which grossed over $75 million worldwide and spawned three popular sequels. Jacobson went on to produce The Hunger Games franchise based on Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novels. Collectively, the franchise has grossed $3.3 billion worldwide, featuring, most recently, the prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and the upcoming follow-up prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which premieres this November. Jacobson’s feature-producing credits also include the groundbreaking film Crazy Rich Asians, based on Kevin Kwan’s international best-seller for Warner Bros., and Ben Is Back, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim.
Jacobson, along with her Color Force partner Brad Simpson, made a successful leap into television with The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which they executive produced alongside Ryan Murphy. The show was an instant hit, receiving 22 Emmy® nominations and winning 9, including Outstanding Limited Series, and was nominated for 5 Golden Globe® Awards, winning 2. Its follow-up, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, garnered 18 Emmy nominations and 7 wins, as well as 4 Golden Globe nominations and 2 wins. Jacobson also produced the critically acclaimed series Pose for FX, as well as Impeachment: American Crime Story, Clipped, Y: The Last Man, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez and Say Nothing, a gripping account of the early years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
This year, Jacobson and Simpson executive-produced the critically and commercially acclaimed limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The dazzling production, which they worked on with Murphy, chronicles the captivating yet tragic romance that remains an indelible part of the American zeitgeist.
Prior to forming Color Force, Jacobson was president of the Walt Disney Motion Picture Group, where she oversaw script development and film production for Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures. During her tenure, 15 of Jacobson’s projects grossed over $100 million domestically, including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Princess Diaries.
Introduced in 2019, the Polly Platt Award is given to producers with a keen sense of story and who have a history of fostering new talent. Named after the legendary Polly Platt who was instrumental in the early years of Austin Film Festival and was an ardent champion of writers. Past award recipients include Christine Vachon (2025), Kathleen Kennedy (2024), Lauren Shuler Donner (2023), Dede Garner (2022), Stephanie Allain (2021), and Sarah Green (2019).
Nina Jacobson
2026 Recipient of the Polly Platt Award for Producing
Eric Kripke
Eric Kripke
2026 Outstanding Television Writer Award
Eric Kripke is the creator, executive producer and showrunner of the Emmy-winning Prime Video series The Boys. The Boys is based on the infamous New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Kripke is also executive producer of multiple shows within the expanding universe of The Boys, including college spin-off Gen V, Emmy-winning animated anthology The Boys Presents: Diabolical and the upcoming series Vought Rising.
Kripke also served as co-creator, executive producer and co-showrunner of the NBC time travel adventure series Timeless, along with Shawn Ryan. Previously, he served as creator, executive producer and showrunner of NBC’s hit drama Revolution (produced by JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot, with the pilot directed by Jon Favreau) as well as the long-running CW series Supernatural, which ended at 15 seasons and 327 episodes, making it the longest-running genre show in American history.
In addition to his work in television, Kripke produced and wrote the feature screenplay for The House with a Clock in Its Walls, based on the classic children’s novel by John Bellairs (with illustrations by Edward Gorey) starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Kyle MacLachlan, and Owen Vaccaro, which premiered in September 2018 from Amblin Entertainment and Universal. Kripke also wrote and co-produced Screen Gems Boogeyman produced by Sam Raimi (Spiderman) and Rob Tapert (The Grudge).
Introduced in 2000, the Outstanding Television Writer Award highlights the artistic achievements and contributions of television creators and their importance in shaping the landscape of serialized storytelling. Past award recipients include Yvette Lee Bowser (2025), Ronald D. Moore (2024), Damon Lindelof (2023), Larry Wilmore (2019), Marta Kauffman (2016), and Vince Gilligan (2013).
Eric Kripke
2026 Panelists
Megan Alderson
Megan Alderson
Creative Development Executive, Pixar Animation Studios
Megan joined Pixar Animation Studios in 2013. As a Creative Development Executive she supports projects in early development, scouts screenwriters and guides research. After working on notable films like Inside Out, Coco, Soul, Turning Red, Inside Out 2 and Elio, she’s excited about the next crop of films in the works. With a background in creative writing and editing documentaries, she got her start in animation at DreamWorks Animation. Megan holds a Bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in directing from The American Film Institute. She lives in the Bay Area with her family and her dog.
Megan Alderson
Creative Development Executive, Pixar Animation Studios
Lindsay Doran
Lindsay Doran
Producer: Dead Again, Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction, The Sheep Detectives
Lindsay Doran has worked in the movie business for more than 40 years as a studio executive and as a producer. Her first film credit was as Executive in Charge of Production on the mock-documentary This is Spinal Tap. As a producer, her credits include Dead Again, Sense and Sensibility, Nanny McPhee, Stranger Than Fiction and The Sheep Detectives. Lindsay has served as the President of United Artists Pictures and as the President of director Sydney Pollack’s Mirage Productions. She currently divides her time between her producing duties and her work as “The Script Whisperer®” – story consultation for studios on high priority script development. In that capacity, she has consulted on the development of more than 200 films, both live action and animated. Her Script Whispering® work is ordinarily confidential and anonymous, but the three movies she’s allowed to mention (because the filmmakers, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, keep talking about their 19-year-long collaboration with her, so how is she supposed to keep it a secret?) are the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, its sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Project Hail Mary.
Lindsay Doran
Producer: Dead Again, Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction, The Sheep Detectives
Kelly Edwards
Kelly Edwards
Kelly Edwards often calls herself the Queen of the Pivot. After years as a film and TV creative exec at Fox and UPN, she started her own production company under a deal at Paramount before heading into the DEI space at NBCUniversal. Her last stint in the corporate world was as an SVP at HBO overseeing all of the emerging artists programs and producing 10 award winning short films. In 2020, she finally rolled out of HBO and into her current life as a writer by receiving her MFA, becoming a Sundance Episodic fellow, and staffing on a Fox drama series. Since then she published The Executive Chair: A Writer’s Guide To TV Series Development, sold a pilot, and a feature. In addition to working on her own projects, Edwards also consults for Apple TV Studios, Sony, BET, and PBS to help emerging artists hone their crafts.
Kelly Edwards
John Hamburg
John Hamburg
Writer, director and producer John Hamburg has been a key figure in modern comedy for nearly three decades. He made his directorial debut with the cult classic, Safe Men (1998) before going on to write and direct the hit comedy Along Came Polly (2004), starring Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. His directing credits also include the critically acclaimed film I Love You, Man (2009), featuring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, and the popular comedies Why Him? (2016), starring Bryan Cranston, James Franco and Zoey Deutch, and Me Time (2022), starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg. Hamburg’s latest movie as writer/director/producer is Universal’s upcoming Focker In-Law, starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Ariana Grande and Owen Wilson, which will be released in theaters Thanksgiving weekend, 2026. As a screenwriter, Hamburg has contributed to several blockbuster comedies, including Meet the Parents (2000), Meet the Fockers (2004), Zoolander (2001) and Night At The Museum (2006). His ability to craft relatable and sharp-witted humor has made him one of Hollywood’s most sought-after comedic voices. Beyond film, Hamburg has worked extensively in television. He directed the pilot for and served as an executive producer on CBS’s The Unicorn (2019-2021), starring Walton Goggins. He has also directed episodes of Undeclared (2001–2003), Stella (2005), and New Girl (2011). Most recently, he directed multiple episodes of the Apple TV+ show, Stick, starring Owen Wilson. Through his production company, Particular Pictures, Hamburg, and producing partner Lauren Hennessey, are currently developing various film and television projects across multiple studios.
John Hamburg
Phil Hay
Phil Hay
Phil Hay is a screenwriter and producer who works in partnership with Matt Manfredi. Together with director Karyn Kusama, the pair has made the critically-acclaimed films The Invitation (2015) and Destroyer (2018), the latter of which premiered at Telluride and garnered Nicole Kidman a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. In the studio world, Hay and Manfredi have written the enduring drama crazy/beautiful (2001) and such hits as Ride Along (2014), Ride Along 2 (2016) and Clash of the Titans (2010). Manfredi and Hay also directed the independent feature Bug (2002). In television, they created the Disney+ series The Mysterious Benedict Society (2021), the first show from the production company they share with Kusama. The series was nominated for 20 Emmys over its two-season run. Hay and Kusama live in Los Angeles with their son.
Phil Hay
Christina Hodson
Christina Hodson
Christina Hodson
writer The Flash, Bumblebee, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey
Meg Lefauve
Meg LeFauve
Nominated for Best Screenplay Oscar for the Pixar blockbuster Inside Out, LeFauve won an Annie Award for that screenplay. She also wrote Pixar’s Golden Globe nominated The Good Dinosaur. LeFauve is currently writing a series for the new Peacock Channel as well as the animated film My Father Dragon for Netflix and Cartoon Saloon. She also wrote on Marvel’s box office hit, Captain Marvel.
LeFauve began her film career as a producer and President of Egg Pictures, Jodie Foster’s film company. During that time, LeFauve produced films which were nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and she was awarded a Peabody for the Showtime film “The Baby Dance.” LeFauve also produced “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys” which won the 2003 IFP Spirit Award for Best First Feature.
LeFauve has been a consultant to Screen New South Wales and Screen Australia and has been a mentor at many writing labs, including Aurora Workshop, Cinestory Script Sessions, the Meryl Streep Lab, and the Sundance Creative Producer Lab. LeFauve taught at AFI and served as co-chair of the Graduate Producers Program at UCLA’s School of Film and Television, where she taught master level story and development classes for over seven years.
Raised in Warren, Ohio, LeFauve graduated from Syracuse University Newhouse School and currently lives in Studio City, California with her husband and two sons.
Meg LeFauve
co-writer Pixar’s Inside Out and Inside Out 2, writer Netflix’s My Father’s Dragon, writer Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur; co-story Captain Marvel; co-host The Screenwriting Life Podcast
Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald
Head of Comedy & Drama Development, Amazon Studios
Michael McDonald is the Co-Head of Comedy & Drama TV Development at Amazon Studios, where he launched Overcompensating, Young Sherlock, and the upcoming Off Campus, Every Year After, and Barbershop.
Before coming to Amazon Studios, McDonald was a development executive at HBO Max, where he worked on Dune: Prophecy, Gossip Girl, and Welcome to Derry. Prior to that he was Head of Scripted Television at John Legend’s Get Lifted Film Co.
McDonald spent nine years at ABC Studios (now ABC Signature), the last two as Head of the Drama Department, shepherding the development of series like Nashville. He previously served as VP current series for the studio, supervising the launches of such series as Revenge and Scandal. He was also involved in the development of ABC Studios’ Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Reaper and Commander in Chief.
McDonald left the Head of Drama post in 2013 to launch his own company, Stearns Castle, with an overall deal at ABC Studios. He executive produced John Ridley’s American Crime and Guerilla as well as Monarca.
Before joining ABC Studios, McDonald worked at UPN, where he developed Kevin Hill and Veronica Mars and oversaw current for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He started off in producing as VP of Television at Sam Raimi’s Renaissance Pictures, where he served as producer on the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Michael lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their three children.
Michael McDonald
Head of Comedy & Drama Development, Amazon Studios
Lisa McGee
Lisa McGee
Creator and Executive Producer Derry Girls, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast
Lisa McGee Lisa’s original comedy series DERRY GIRLS (Hat Trick/Channel 4) has been C4’s biggest comedy launch since 2004 and has earned Lisa Emmy, BAFTA, IFTAs and RTS awards. The show ran for three series, concluding with an hour-long special in 2022. Lisa wrote all episodes and was an Executive Producer on the show. Her latest series HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST (Hat Trick/Netflix) launched in February 2026 to critical acclaim. She is currently developing a new original series with a streamer. She curated and wrote an episode of the BBC anthology series SKINT IN 2022. Her mini-series THE DECEIVED, co-created and co-written with Tobias Beer, aired on Channel 5/Virgin Ireland in 2020. Her original six-part sitcom LONDON IRISH, produced by Company Pictures for C4, premiered in 2013. Lisa has written episodes on series 1&2 of INDIAN SUMMERS for New Pictures/ C4 as well as THE WHITE QUEEN for Company Pictures/BBC1/Starz. She was a writer on series 2,3 &4 of the BAFTA-nominated BEING HUMAN (Touchpaper/BBC3). In 2008 Lisa created RAW, an original TV series for Ecosse/RTE, which ran for five series and earned her both IFTA and Zebbie nominations. Lisa is also a playwright. Her plays include JUMP! (later adapted for screen) and GIRLS AND DOLLS (Stewart Parker Award Winner; Susan Smith Blackburn Award runner up; Irish Theatre Award nominee) Lisa was the Writer on Attachment at the National Theatre in 2006.
Lisa McGee
Creator and Executive Producer: Derry Girls, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast
Oren Uziel
Oren Uziel
creator Spider-Noir; writer The Lost City, 22 Jump Street, Mortal Kombat; writer/director Shimmer Lake
Oren Uziel began his career after winning an award at the Austin Film Festival in 2008. He has written and worked on a number of feature films over the years, and recently created the upcoming TV series Spider:Noir starring Nicolas Cage, which will air on Amazon in early 2026.
Oren Uziel
Virgil Williams
Virgil Williams
Writer Mudbound, A Journal for Jordan, The Piano Lesson
Virgil Williams is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter who most recently adapted August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson for Netflix. He co-wrote the script with Malcolm Washington, who will also direct. Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, and Ray Fisher are attached to star. Denzel Washington and Todd Black are producing.
Williams previously adapted Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Canedy’s best-selling memoir A Journal for Jordan, which was directed by Denzel Washington and starred Michael B. Jordan.
His first big-screen adaptation, Netflix’s Mudbound, netted him Oscar, Critics Choice, Writers Guild, NAACP Image and USC Scripter Award nominations alongside co-writer and director Dee Rees for their extraordinary work adapting Hillary Jordan’s novel. The screenplay also won the Humanitas Prize for feature film drama. Williams also executive-produced the film which starred Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, and Garrett Hedlund. The critically acclaimed film was named the ‘Best Film of 2017’ by The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post and has received numerous awards and accolades.
Next up for Williams is a small-screen adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s bestselling novel, Blacktop Wasteland, for Peacock.
A trailblazing Afro-Latinx voice in Hollywood for nearly two decades, Virgil is a veteran television writer and producer, whose extensive credits include the groundbreaking, Emmy-winning dramas ER and 24; Fox’s The Chicago Code; as well as six seasons on CBS’s long-running drama, Criminal Minds.
Williams was born and raised in Chicago, and his scripts often draw from his experiences growing up as a bi-racial kid in a city with a notoriously long history of racial tension. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California.