SFTV Equity Council Panel: Navigating Entertainment Careers with Disabilities and Neurodivergences

The SFTV Equity Council would like you to join us online for the panel discussion on Navigating Entertainment Careers with Disabilities and Neurodivergences. This panel will help inform and support disabled and neurodivergent students pursuing work in film, TV, and digital media.  

 

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 11^th from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Zoom Link: https://leo.lmu.edu/event/8955745

 

Through a moderated panel discussion, audience Q&A, and breakout sessions led by disabled and neurodivergent entertainment professionals, this event will create a space for students to connect with the disability community, ask questions, and glean practical advice. 

  

Recognizing persistent ableism in the entertainment industry, we will share strategies, resources, “hacks,” and life experiences to empower disabled and neurodivergent students in: 

 

• Discerning viable career paths 
• Practicing self-advocacy 
• Building professional networks 
• Transitioning out of university 
• Managing workplace expectations 
• And more...  

 

This event is open to students of all physical ability and neurotype, including disability/neuro-questioning folks and allies.  

 

Host:

Harrison Hamm is a screenwriter, educator, and entertainment professional originally from rural Tennessee, now graduated with dual BAs in Screenwriting & Women’s and Gender Studies from Loyola Marymount University. Immediately post-grad, Harrison worked at Big Swing Productions and Roadmap Writers with prior experience interning at Outfest. As a screenwriter, Harrison is represented at Industry Entertainment and has a genre-bending dark comedy TV series currently in development at Down The Line Productions. As an academic, Harrison co-created and co-taught “Queer Television” at LMU with long-term teaching and research partner Dr. Sue Scheibler with whom he continues to conduct scholarly work spanning critical pedagogy, televisual aesthetics, queer and neuroqueer theory. Coming from a queer, neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD, C-PTSD), and mixed-race background, Harrison approaches media creation and analysis with a commitment to intercultural dialogue and challenging power structures. 

Panelists: 

Taylor Aguilar melded her studies in Theater and Journalism & Media Communications from Colorado State University to pursue a career in the film industry. A skilled director and writer who loves working with actors, Taylor completed her M.F.A. in Film & Television Production at Loyola Marymount University in 2022. During her tenure at LMU she began to lose her vision and took a year off to attend blind school. She has subsequently lost all sight.  After researching visually impaired filmmakers and seeing little representation, Taylor chose to move forward with the goal of becoming a successful example of a blind person in the film industry. 

 
Kristen Case is a neurodivergent filmmaker who has production experience ranging from a PA on the upcoming Zack Snyder production of Rebel Moon, gripping on the feature film Ballroom to their recent role as Set Dressing on a music video for the artist AJJ. They are excited about working on people's passion projects and working with artists, athletes and actors. They are currently developing their directorial narrative debut. They aim on telling stories that aim to share more access and ignite change around us. 

Kiersten Kelly is a singer-songwriter, model and actor from Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating from Berklee College of Music with a City Music scholarship, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. As a person born with a disability, her goal is to normalize the experiences of the disabled. Kiersten has modeled for About Face by Halsey, Google, Fruit of the Loom, Cricket Wireless, and more. She has worked on commercials for Google TV, Walmart and C1000 Vitamin with Miss Universe, an ad that has over 24 million views. She recently finished filming her first feature film. She has also been acknowledged by the well-known social media-focused news organization, NowThis for her remake of the Mean Girls Four-Way Call’ scene. The remake received a positive response and has gained 2.2 million views. Kiersten’s music is available on all music streaming platforms. 

Mx. Chels Morgan, CSE (pronouns: they / xe)  is an Afro-Latinx, Neuroexpansive (Autism, ADHD & C-PTSD), and Queer filmmaker, sexuality and social justice educator, cultural competency specialist, and intimacy director & coordinator. Chels has an extensive background in film, television, theater, dance and circus and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production from Loyola Marymount University with a specialization in Directing Fiction (as of 2023). Their intimacy and cultural competency work has been featured on many productions, including the New York Theatre Workshop (Off-Broadway), the Hudson Theatres Mainstage (LA-local), on the AllBlk Streaming Platform (an AMC Network) as well as at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and Black Film Festival Atlanta.  Chels' career focus is to spread narratives of radical humanity and radical self-compassion, and to curate justice-centered and emboldening spaces on screen, on stage and in their communities through media. To learn more about Chels, follow their work on Instagram at MxCMorgan or on their website at www.mxcmorgan.com. 

 

Verity Van Dams is a Neurodivergent actor and writer originally from the United Kingdom who has worked in all kinds of creative roles on set and stage both domestically and internationally. Unaware that they were on the spectrum or had ADHD until adulthood, Verity has recently come to understand themself through their art.  Verity wants to help shape an industry that provides inclusive story telling opportunities and on-screen role models for the Neurodivergent and wider disabled community. 

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