Panels

Mike Fleming

Editor-at-Large, Deadline Hollywood

Mike Fleming Jr. is the Editor-at-Large for Deadline Hollywood, where he covers the business of film, live theater, publishing, and television. Widely known in the industry for his deep insider relationships and talent for breaking exclusive news, he served as Deadline's Co-Editor-in-Chief for over a decade alongside Nellie Andreeva. Before Deadline, Mike was a columnist and reporter at Daily Variety for twenty years. Beyond his entertainment journalism, Fleming is the author of The Three Stooges titled From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons, which was adapted into a television movie executive produced by Mel Gibson, and his latest, One Helluva Ride, the Michael Douglas memoir he cowrote, is currently a NY Times bestseller.

Janet Yang

Producer · Past President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

An Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Hollywood producer, Yang recently completed three one-year terms as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is the first Asian American to hold this position.

Yang rose to prominence through her collaboration with Steven Spielberg on “Empire of the Sun”, followed by a long partnership with multiple Academy Award-winner Oliver Stone where she served as Executive Producer on the iconic "The Joy Luck Club", and as a Producer on the Golden Globe-winning "The People vs. Larry Flynt".

Most recently, Yang is a Producer on the National Geographic documentary film "Everest: The Other Side", directed by the Oscar-winning directors of “Free Solo,” Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. Yang is an Executive Producer on the 2025 Tribeca Audience-award winning documentary "The Rose: Come Back To Me," the Sundance award-winning narrative feature “Take Me Home,” and the Oscar-nominated animated film “Over the Moon.” Her other works include "Dark Matter" (Sundance winner) with Meryl Streep, "The Weight of Water" (Lionsgate) directed by Kathryn Bigelow with Sean Penn, "High Crimes" (Fox) with Morgan Freeman, and cult favorites "Zero Effect" (Jake Kasdan) and "Shanghai Calling" (China Film Group).

Yang was named one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood" by The Hollywood Reporter, included in Variety's "Power of Women," and was featured on the Forbes "50 over 50" List. She is a co-founder of GoldHouse, serves on the board of IMAX China, Forbes APEX, and Asia Society Southern California’s Advisory Council, where she founded the Asian Women Empowered (AWE) Program. Yang is currently a Presidential Fellow at Loyola Marymount University.

Edward Burns

Filmmaker

Edward Burns has made 16 feature films, created two television series and has starred in many films, most notably Saving Private Ryan. His latest film as a writer- director-actor, Beneath The Blue Suburban Skies, will be released theatrically this December in select cities.

His previous film, The Family McMullen, is a sequel to Burns’ first film The Brothers McMullen, which premiered in competition at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury prize. The Family McMullen premiered on HBO Max this past December.

This October marks the release of Burns’ second novel, The Marlboro Road Gang (Seven Stories Press), the second installment in the Marlboro Road trilogy following A Kid from Marlboro Road.

Ed Burns was born in Woodside, Queens and raised on Long Island. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Donna Gigliotti

Producers Guild of America (Co-President)

In 1998 Donna Gigliotti became only the third woman in seventy years of Oscar history to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. She was granted the award for producing SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Subsequently, Ms. Gigliotti received three additional Academy Award/Best Picture nominations for producing HIDDEN FIGURES (2016) SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2013) and THE READER (2008.) In 2019, she was nominated for an Emmy for producing the ABC/Academy Awards telecast; in 2023 she received her second Emmy nomination for producing the documentary, WUHAN, WUHAN.

In 2019 Ms. Gigliotti was elected a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science where she served as Finance Chair and Governance Chair during her six-year tenure. Ms. Gigliotti is currently the Co-President of the Producers Guild of America.

In 1985 Ms. Gigliotti became the youngest woman knighted to the rank of Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by the French Republic. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.

Rena Ronson

Head of the Independent Film Group at United Talent Agency (UTA)

Rena Ronson is a Partner and Head of the Independent Film Group at United Talent Agency (UTA). One of the industry’s preeminent packaging and finance executives, she represents financiers, production companies, and filmmakers, specializing in global film finance, distribution, and marketing strategies for independent and co-financed features.

Throughout her career, Ronson has helped package, finance, and sell major Oscar winners and nominees, including I, Tonya, Hidden Figures, Room, Lady Bird, The Big Sick, Promising Young Woman, and Call Me by Your Name. She is widely recognized for guiding acclaimed filmmakers on their directorial debuts, including Greta Gerwig, Emerald Fennell, Marielle Heller, and Haifaa Al-Mansour. Ronson also champions the documentary space, overseeing high-profile films such as Will & Harper, the Oscar-winning Icarus, The Social Dilemma, and The Eternal Memory.

Prior to UTA, Ronson co-headed William Morris Independent, where she helped create the first global film finance division at a major agency. A frequent inductee on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Women in Entertainment Power 100” and Variety’s “Women’s Impact Report,” she is an Academy member, sits on the board of directors for Women in Film (WIF), and serves as an ambassador for its Reframe initiative.

Photo: Jessica Sample

Kathryn Tyus-Adair

Head of Film @ Orit (Octavia Spencer’s Co.)

Before joining Orit, Kathryn served as Senior Vice President of Original Programming at STARZ, where she championed, developed, and oversaw series such as BMF, The Serpent Queen, Blindspotting, Run the World, Step Up, Vida, and Ava DuVernay’s upcoming project starring Lauren Ridloff and Joshua Jackson. She was also an executive on hit STARZ series including Power, Outlander, and The Spanish Princess.

Prior to STARZ, Kathryn transitioned from producing to the buyer side with NBCUniversal’s UTV Studios Drama Development team, developing and selling series across broadcast, cable, and streaming.

Throughout her career, she has collaborated with top talent including Don Cheadle, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, and Curtis Hanson. Her film and television credits include producing the Bill Murray film St. Vincent, overseeing Showtime’s House of Lies and Soul Food, and executive roles on The Guard, Kidnap, The Horse Whisperer, A Civil Action, Barbershop, and Men of Honor. She began her career with the Children’s Television Workshop staffing the Sesame Street writers room.

Driven by a passion for storytelling, Kathryn mentors through the Sundance Episodic Lab, CineStory retreats, and Sophia Chang’s Unlock Her Potential Program. She is also a member of the Television Academy.

Lawrence Grey

Chief Content Officer Nateland Entertainment (Nate Bargatze’s Co.)

Lawrence Grey is Chief Content Officer of Nateland Entertainment, overseeing film, television, theme parks, and digital branding across the company, including its label No Pictures. Founded by comedian Nate Bargatze, Nateland is dedicated to humor, curiosity, and global connection.

A former executive at Fox Searchlight and Universal, Grey built a reputation for championing auteurs and developing major hits. His executive and producing credits include Juno—which earned over $231 million and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay—28 Days Later, Little Miss Sunshine, Hope Springs, Last Vegas, and Lights Out. At Netflix, he produced the record-setting family comedy Yes Day, as well as The Laundromat, Pain Hustlers, and Family Switch.

Over his career, Grey has collaborated with top-tier talent such as Steven Soderbergh, Sam Raimi, Ang Lee, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Jennifer Garner. His upcoming production, The Man with the Bag, a holiday comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson for Amazon MGM Studios, premieres on Prime Video in December 2026. A native of Montreal and a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Grey brings a strong creative vision and extensive studio experience to Nateland’s growing slate.