Episode Directing: Breaking Into TV Directing
About this Event
YOUR FIRST EPISODE: Breaking Into TV Directing
How do you land your first episode and what happens once you’re on set? Four women & non binary directors, across different genres, will share with us how they broke in, the creative choices behind their work, and how they adapt their approach from one genre to the next.
LOCATION The Caberet Room in The Aster Hollywood 1717 Vine St Hollywood CA 90028
DATE Tuesday, October 20th
DOORS: 6:30PM
OPENING REMARKS: 7 PM
DIRECTOR Q&A: 7-8:30 PM
MINGLING WITH DADDY: 8:30- 9:30 PM
PANELISTS
Rachel Goldberg is an award-winning filmmaker whose directing highlights include the upcoming AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, Marvel's AGATHA ALL ALONG, the critically acclaimed THE BOYS' spin-off, GEN V, A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, RESIDENT EVIL. AMERICAN GODS, VERONICA MARS, MAYANS M.C., THE BURBS starring Keke Palmer and more. Prior to her work in television she directed MUTED, a film about media discrepancy when a child of color goes missing, which was distributed on HBO. Currently, she is attached to direct the feature comedy HOLY SHIT, written by FAMIlY GUY scribes, Artie Johann and Shawn Ries, as well as the biopic, OH YOKO, written by Allison Lee which was featured on the 2026 Blacklist. You can learn more about her at
Rory Kramer is a comedy writer, director, and actor. Their work spans campaigns and projects for Reddit, TIDE, BMW, Atlantic Records, NBC, Disney, and YouTube Premium, including a global FUJIFILM campaign that won the 2024 American Advertising Award for Best Series. Their narrative work has earned top festival recognition, most recently Raindance 2025, a Grand Jury Prize win at Just For Laughs 2025, and previously, a Collegiate Emmy for Best Scripted Web Series. They were part of the Disney Directing Program (2024) and the NBC Launch Directing Program (2024–26), with nine episodes of television under their belt by age 30. They made their primetime debut on St. Denis Medical for NBC in October, with a season three episode underway. In early 2026 directed Smosh’s live-streamed improvised TV special to an audience of over 70,000 people. On the development side, they’re currently taking out a series with The Wolper Organization and are in a development deal with Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue. Tonally, their work can be described as absurd with a sincere center
After making her mark as one of the premier female Music Video directors, Millicent Shelton has become an award-winning director for television and film. She has directed over 100 episodes of television, which include an array of comedies and dramas, working with such noteworthy actors including Al Pacino on Hunters, Octavia Spencer on Truth Be Told, Brie Larson on Lessons in Chemistry, and Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on The Morning Show. She also directed the pilot episode of the Starz comedy hit, Run the World. Most recently, her work can be seen in Netflix’s No.1 film, End of The Road, starring Queen Latifah and Ludacris. Shelton has earned attention for her picturesque cinematic style, nuanced work with actors, and a deep storytelling sensibility that transcends both Drama and Comedy. She was the first African-American woman to receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for the “Apollo Apollo” episode of NBC’s 30 Rock and recently received her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination and first Directors Guild of America nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series for the “Poirot” episode of Lessons in Chemistry. She was also the first recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for The Bernie Mac Show. In addition, Shelton has won a Peabody Award and multiple NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Directing in both a Dramatic and a Comedy Series. Shelton’s expansive career also includes: Hit shows, “The Night Agent,“ “Insecure,” “Locke & Key,” “P-Valley,” “9-1-1,” “The Equalizer,” “The Flash,” “The Walking Dead,” “Ballers,” “Jessica Jones,” “Preacher,” “American Crime.” In addition to her television and film work, Millicent’s commercial work has included a series of comic spots for Old Spice.
Ally Pankiw made her TV directing debut with Netflix’s Feel Good. She directed and executive produced the show’s first season, which boasts a 100% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Pankiw has since directed on Hulu’s Shrill, on Tony McNamara’s Emmy-nominated comedy, The Great, with Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, Peacock’s Ponies, starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, and she also helmed the much lauded “Joan Is Awful” episode of Netflix’s Black Mirror, starring Annie Murphy and Salma Hayek. Her latest Black Mirror episode, “Common People,” starring Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, and Tracee Ellis Ross, was nominated for two Emmys and a DGA Award for Outstanding Direction in a Limited & Anthology Series. In 2024, Pankiw wrote, directed, and served as EP on her first film, Utopia’s I Used To Be Funny, starring Rachel Sennott. It premiered at SXSW, and was honored as a Critics Pick by both The New York Times and Globe & Mail. Her latest feature documentary, Hulu's Lilith Fair: Building A Mystery, made its world premiere at TIFF 2025 to rave reviews. In addition to her work in film and TV, Pankiw has built an impressive career in music videos and branded content. She has helmed ad campaigns for top brands like Amazon, Chanel, and Loewe, and she is also the founder of Breadcrumbs, an initiative launched in partnership with Women In Film that advocates for the integration of paid mentorships in film and TV for women and non-binary filmmakers.
Where is it happening?
USD 25.31
