Storytelling360 State of the Story 2026: What Filmmakers Can Learn in New York
A Full Day with Working Writers, Directors, and Representatives Courtesy Storytelling360
On Sunday, October 4, Storytelling360 brings State of the Story to the DGA Theater in New York City. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with panels on representation, television, and feature films, followed by a keynote conversation with Phil Lord and Chris Miller. For filmmakers deciding whether to attend, each session addresses a different part of working in film or television.
The People Who Represent Stories
The first panel, from 10 to 11 a.m., brings together literary manager and producer Kailey Marsh, WME literary media agent Mary Pender, and CAA motion picture agent Craig Gering. Writers often hear advice about getting representation without hearing directly from people who evaluate work and help develop careers. This session lets attendees compare perspectives from different parts of the industry.
Pender represents authors and intellectual property for adaptation. That makes the discussion relevant to screenwriters seeking agents and filmmakers interested in adapting existing material. The event does not permit attendees to pitch or hand scripts to speakers, so the value lies in learning rather than seeking an immediate deal.
How Television Stories Develop
At 11:30 a.m., Soo Hugh, Sam Esmail, and Meredith Scardino discuss television. Their credits include Pachinko, Mr. Robot, and Girls5eva. These series differ in tone, structure, and subject. Hearing their creators together offers a chance to consider how writing choices change with a project’s format and audience.
For people developing a series, the useful questions extend beyond an initial idea. How does a showrunner sustain a story over multiple episodes? What changes when a writer also oversees production? The panel offers a chance to hear working creators discuss their approaches, rather than assume one method fits every show.
Screenwriters and Directors on Process
The 2 p.m. feature film panel brings together four Academy Award-winning screenwriters: John Patrick Shanley, Alexander Dinelaris, Geoffrey Fletcher, and Kenneth Lonergan. Their work includes Moonstruck, Birdman, Precious, and Manchester by the Sea. The range matters. A writer of an original comedy may solve different problems from someone adapting a novel, yet both must make choices that serve a finished film.
At 3:30 p.m., Lord and Miller take part in a keynote Q&A. Their directing work on Project Hail Mary gives the discussion a recent point of reference, while credits such as The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street show their experience with established material. Filmmakers can listen for how they decide what to change, what to retain, and how they work together. The scheduled session is a conversation about their process, not a technical master class.
Storytelling360 Worth Attending
General admission starts at $149, and each ticket includes three months of access to the event recording. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. There are scheduled breaks for meeting other attendees. For filmmakers weighing the cost of a full day away from their projects, the reason to attend is the chance to test their own questions against several working perspectives, then revisit the discussions when those questions arise again. Tickets and the full schedule are available through Storytelling360.