The Future of NW Arts, Film, & Entrepreneurship

King's Books, 218 St Helens Ave

Northwest leaders, organizers, and creators share the successes and challenges of living and working in the arts, film, and technology. Learn about the opportunities, collaborations, recommendations, and trends impacting film and the arts in the Puget Sound area. 

Panelists include Courtney Sheehan, Myisa Plancq-Graham, Will Jordan, Rachel Ervin, Silong Chhun, Danny Tayara, and Melinda Fox.

This panel is free and open to the public but space is limited, arrive early to King's Books.

Courtney Sheehan is the executive director for Northwest Film Forum, & co-founder of Cine Migratorio & the Seventh Art Stand. Courtney has curated and produced film programs for theaters and festivals on three continents. As a journalist, her coverage included events such as the world’s largest documentary festival and South America’s largest animation festival. Courtney strives to build coalition through her work with film and media.

Danny Tayara is a filmmaker and festival programmer. They founded Seattle Queer Filmmakers, is the Senior Programmer with Three Dollar Bill Cinema, Festival Director for TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival & assists in programming for Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival. They also manage Reel Queer Youth, a video production and media literacy training for LGBTQ youth and allies. Danny collaborates with many different organizations to bring projects to completion, and would like to acknowledge Blanket Fort Films, Reel Grrls, Three Dollar Bill Cinema, and Reel Queer Youth for the support they’ve provided over the years. (He/She/They pronouns)

San Francisco native Myisa Plancq-Graham began her photography career exploring the streets of Atlanta in 2011. Her  appreciation for photography and videography culminated in the creation of Annie Graham Imagery which led to her work with The Hive Gallery & Studios in LA. In 2013, she worked as photographer and graphic designer for clothing company, Blu Pony Vintage. Myisa serves as lead director, videographer and editor for UNCODE, a short documentary series highlighting people and stories of The African Diaspora.

Rachel Ervin is the Assistant Director for the arts and hospitality organization Alma Mater Tacoma. She began her career in beauty industry training, managing, and worked as a commercial makeup artist for 15 years before shifting gears and diving into content development work with online publications. She served as co-editor of the arts and culture blog, Post Defiance, managed UW Tacoma's literary arts magazine, Tahoma West, and has written and edited various other publications over the past six years. 

Producer, designer, and musician Silong Chhun was born during the Khmer Rouge Regime and immigrated to America, settling in Tacoma, WA. Silong plays piano, bass, guitar, & produces beats, was the frontman, producer, and engineer for rap group The 2nd Language, & provided music production for the award-winning documentary Cambodian Son. Silong & his father founded the Sinn Sisamouth Foundation and Silong works with artists and djs in Cambodia and throughout the world, producing beats and mentoring. In 2013, Silong launched Red Scarf Revolution, giving voice to once silenced art, culture, and language, and memorializing the darkest tragedy in the history of Cambodia with designs that represent the resiliency of the Cambodian people. 

William Jordan is a songwriter and artist from Tacoma, WA. He worked with Beluga Heights A&R Tommy Rotem where he collaborated with producer JR Rotem on several projects, the most successful of these was Fly by Nicki Minaj. Featuring Rihanna on the hook, Fly went platinum, won an American Music Award and was nominated for a Grammy. Currently, Will is performing in support of his recent Journey To The Land of The Lost series of EPs and providing writing and production for both major and independent artists.