You must log in to register for this event.
RSVP Required: Log in to see the form below and RSVP by Monday, May 5 at noon PT.
In recent years, there has been an industry shift in how films are made and distributed. The evolution of social media, streaming and technological advances have expanded, while offering more opportunities for first time filmmakers, including military veterans. What has not changed, is the requirement for funding. Please join the L.A. Local Military Committee as we explore various methods used by independent filmmakers. Panelists include producers Shari Hamrick-Grewal and Angela C. Lee along with SAG-AFTRA members Rachel Bailit and Per Hampton, and SAG-AFTRA Executive Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy Kerri Wood Einertson. The conversation will be moderated by SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local Military Committee Chair Jane Austin.
Panelists:
Angela C. Lee is a Spirit Award-nominated producer whose film Songs My Brothers Taught Me premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. She also produced the fiction short The Row commissioned by Indigenous Media and distributed by Condé Nast Entertainment. She is a 2018 Women at Sundance Fellow, and has been supported by the Berlinale Talents and Co-Production Market, PGA Diversity Workshop, and the Center for Asian American Media. Angela is also the Director of Artist Development at the arts nonprofit Film Independent, where she oversees the fiction and non-fiction labs and programs including Fast Track finance market, Fiscal Sponsorship program and Project Involve. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics.
Jane Austin (Moderator) is a stuntperson who began her career in 1988 on the television series Tour of Duty where she earned her SAG card. Jane has done stunt work on feature films such as Wayne’s World, Naked Gun, Star Trek Generations, Avatar 2 and Thor: Love and Thunder. Television credits include Timeless, Bosch, Law & Order, Key and Peele and True Blood to name a few. Jane has driven for numerous car commercials and specializes in aerial stunts and fireburns. Her biggest stunts to date include a 650-foot descender and an 80-foot high fall. Jane attended the University of San Diego business school and is co-owner of Hollywood Stuntworks, a company providing stunt coordinators, performers and equipment to the entertainment industry.
Kerri Wood Einertson is the Executive Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy at SAG-AFTRA. In this role, Kerri oversees government affairs for the union, where the focus is on state and federal issues affecting performers, including copyright, production tax incentives and anything involving a government entity that helps SAG-AFTRA members thrive. In 2022, Kerri was appointed to the California Film Commission. She also serves on several nonprofit boards, including Children’s Musical Theater San Jose and the Diablo Valley National Charity League. Prior to SAG-AFTRA, Kerri worked for several years on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. She is fluent in Spanish and speaks it as often as possible. Kerri is a longtime member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. She is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of USC. Kerri currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two daughters and a very special German Shorthaired Pointer mix.
Per Hampton is an award-winning screenwriter as well as an actor, author and director. Per trained at The Strasberg Institute in Hollywood under Lee Strasberg and Milton Katselas. He is a former U.S. Navy nuclear submariner specialized in crypto-top secret communications. He has called Rome, London and New York City home, with his hometown being Los Angeles, California. He’s performed in multiple stage productions on and off-Broadway. Per’s first short film End of the World garnered seven million views in two days on YouTube. His second novel in the current Sunset & Vine series, Force of Destiny, is under option as a feature film. The chilling psychological thriller Peekaboo is his directorial debut. Per co-starred in Double Cross, Murders of Orange County and independent film Sweet Pea.
Rachel Bailit is an actor, producer and teacher at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. Rachel has created classes for veterans at SAG-AFTRA, Veterans in Media and Entertainment and New Politics, a bipartisan nonprofit that trains veterans and service members to run for political office. Rachel recently produced and stars in a new independent film Everyone Asked About You, a tragic love story centered around the exploration of children and women in Hollywood. Rachel proudly serves on the SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local Military Committee.
Shari Hamrick-Grewal is an award-winning indie producer, writer and director. A troubleshooter, Shari is sometimes hired to help projects in distress by indie studios or private investors with budgets from $100,000 to $300 million. Shari also was the Production Coordinator for two film finance media funds with a combined investment capability of over $192 million for seven years. Currently she advises GPS Film Fund and just launched a new genre label called Happy Cheers, Inc. Shari has extensive international experience, including filming on location in Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong and New Zealand to name a few. She is a Producers Guild of America member for twenty years and a member of the International Film and TV Producers Council.
When: Tuesday, May 6 from 6 - 8 p.m. PT
Where: James Cagney Boardroom, SAG-AFTRA Plaza
5757 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Parking: Please park in the garage off of Curson Ave. and bring your parking ticket for validation.
Questions? Email LARSVP@sagaftra.org.
No late admittance. Doors will close at the beginning of the event. RSVPs do not guarantee seating. These events are overbooked to compensate for no-shows.
This event is only open to SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local members in good standing (paid up thru April 30, 2025 or October 31,2025). No guests allowed. Performers under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Panelists are subject to change without notification.
This panel is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG- AFTRA. The information provided through the panel is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for the advice of other industry professionals. You should always use good judgment in these matters and should not act or refrain from acting based solely on information provided through the panel.
ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 hours before the start of the event.