Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry

Director Georgia Oakley brings a fresh take to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. After their family loses its estate, the sisters navigate love, heartbreak and societal expectations while balancing reason and passion. Also starring Caitríona Balfe, George MacKay and Fiona Shaw, the film arrives in theaters October 16.

Georgia Oakley (Director)

Georgia Oakley is an award-winning writer and director. She most recently wrapped production on a new feature adaptation of Jane Austen’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, George MacKay, Caitríona Balfe, Fiona Shaw, Herbert Nordrum, and Frank Dillane. Working Title and November Pictures produced the film for Focus Features. It is set to release theatrically in the US on October 16, 2026. Her debut feature Blue Jean had its world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival where it won the People’s Choice Award and the Valentina Pedicini Award. Georgia was nominated for Best Debut at the BAFTAs for the film, and won the BIFA for Best Debut Screenwriter, one of four BIFAs Blue Jean was awarded. She was selected as a BAFTA Breakthrough that year. Georgia’s short films have screened at dozens of international festivals including SXSW, Tribeca, New York Film Festival, and Galway Film Fleadh. She has participated in talent development schemes including iFeatures, the BFI Flare & BAFTA mentorship scheme, where she was mentored by Desiree Akhavan, BFI Network x BAFTA Crew and the 2018 edition of Berlinale Talents.

She is currently writing an original feature for BBC Film, as well as adapting two short stories: Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata for Tessa Ross/House Productions and Film4; and Pillory for Michael Parets/Sinestra and Fremantle.

Connect with Karlee Fomalont:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you like this episode, check out:

How to become a DIRECTOR (and other lessons from Season 1 Directors)

Linda Mendoza - From page to Comedy TV/Film Director of Scrubs, The Good Place, and more

Tribeca: Director and Writer Rob Burnett for World Premiere of IN MEMORIAM

Michelle sits down with Mackenzie Newcomb, founder of Bad Bitch Book Club, to talk about the Amazon adaptation of The Love Hypothesis and why the film worked so well for readers. They also dig into how Bad Bitch Book Club grew from a tiny Facebook group into a 50,000-member reading community with chapters, events, and retreats across North America. They discuss the business behind book clubs, what makes a romance adaptation succeed and which changes worked, and didn’t work, from page to screen. Mackenzie shares what she thinks made the movie such a strong adaptation, along with the book-to-screen projects she’s most excited about next.

Key topics

Resources & Links:

Connect with Mackenzie:

Mackenzie Newcomb is the founder of Bad Bitch Book Club, a community of readers with over 50,000 members worldwide. Best known for their viral summer camp experience, BBBC has helped countless readers find friendship and connection through books. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, rescue dog, and three year old son, Sebastian. 

Ponderosa had its World Premiere at Tribeca Festival 2026. It stars Alexis Bledel, Bill Camp and Jack Dylan Grazer. This is a video podcast you can watch on Spotify.

⁠Please read the Behind-the-Scenes recap on Substack!⁠

Sponsor:

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Synopsis:

When the buffet where Zeke's mom works closes down, he's forced to entertain the wild advances of a rich regular who is weirdly and vehemently obsessed with becoming his father.

This episode has interviews with Dir/Writer Rob Rice and Actor Michael Patrick Thornton.

Host:

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Substack: ⁠https://michellesimonemiller.substack.com/⁠

If you like this episode, listen to this red carpet episode:

Tribeca: Red Carpet w/ Actors Marc Maron, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Saydee Dickinson, Mila DeGray, Merrick Hanna and Composer Will Bates for the World Premiere of In Memoriam (Video on Spotify)

Picture for cover art Ponderosa Tribeca Afterparty Photos with Alexis Bledel, Jack Dylan Grazer & Cast | Creators Faire

The Revisionist⁠ had its World Premiere at Tribeca Festival 2026. It stars Alison Brie, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Sturridge, Andre Holland, Fiona and Sophia Robert, and more. Directed and Written by Alex Vlack. This is a video podcast.

Sponsor:

Thank you to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠⁠!

Check out the Intro offer here for ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠⁠ and the Intro Offer for ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠⁠.

6 classes for only $60!!!

Synopsis:

Searching for inspiration for her next novel, Elise subtly manipulates the people closest to her like characters in a book. The sudden return of an old friend challenges just how far she’s willing to go in pursuit of her art.

This episode has interviews with Dir/Writer Alex Vlack, Producers Zachary Spicer and Gordon Strait, Actors and Producers Fiona and Sophia Robert, and actor Max Cortezi.

If you like this episode, listen to the original episode with Writers/Actors and Producers Fiona and Sophia Robert.

Becoming... Award-winning Producers, Writers and Actors Fiona and Sophia Robert (Feature films: "The Country Club," "A View of the World from Fifth Avenue")

I had the pleasure of speaking with two more of the filmmakers of the 'Love Fictionally' Shorts film block at the 25th Anniversary season of the Tribeca Festival. This is part 2! The link to Part 1 is here.

These films premiered at Tribeca on Friday, June 25th, with additional screenings on Saturday, June 13th at 8:30pm and Sunday, June 14th at 2:00pm. I moderated a Q&A after the screening on June 13th.

The description for this block is: Take a humorous, heated and heartfelt journey through love and relationships.

Blake Winston Rice is a writer-director from New Jersey and a graduate of Rowan University.

His breakout short Tea (2024), a 1990s dramedy starring Michael Gandolfini and executive produced by Patty Jenkins, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

His most recent short, DISC, premiered at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival and continues its festival run in competition at the 2026 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. DISC was also highlighted by IndieWire as one of the “Best New Films That Premiered at the Fall Festivals.”

Blake was recently named a 2025 Vimeo Breakout Creator for his emerging body of work and also produced PRIME, which was selected for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.He is represented by Kaplan Perrone and is currently developing his debut feature The Empty Lot (Wild Atlantic Pictures).

Jess McLeod is an award-winning trans nonbinary filmmaker and actor. Their first short, DTF?, is still on the circuit, picking up awards internationally, including Best Director at CIFF. 

They can be seen next acting in action/comedy feature Normal starring opposite Bob Odenkirk, in new series The Audacity on AMC, and in Jane Schoenbrun's newest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, premiering at Cannes. 

Special Thanks to Ben Thompson and Alan Seales

Host:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you like this episode, check out:

⁠Becoming... VP of Shorts Programming of Tribeca Festival Ben Thompson⁠

Sponsor:

Thank you to our sponsor ⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠!

Check out the Intro offer here for ⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠ and the Intro Offer for ⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠.

6 classes for only $60!!!

Thank you to ⁠⁠Welcome to Times Square.com⁠

ROB BURNETT is the writer/director of the feature film The Fundamentals of Caring, as well as a five-time Emmy Award-winning executive producer and head writer of The Late Show with David Letterman. In the course of his career he has received 34 Emmy nominations.

Burnett began his career with David Letterman in 1985 as a 22-year-old intern.  In 1988 he joined the show’s writing staff, and at 29 became its head writer.  In 1996 he became the show’s executive producer.

Burnett made his feature directorial debut on We Made This Movie in 2012, which he co-wrote with Beckerman.  

Burnett wrote and directed The Fundamentals of Caring, which was the closing night film at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.  The movie stars Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts and Selena Gomez and is currently available on Netflix. most recently, he wrote and directed In Memoriam, starring Marc Maron, Lily Gladstone, Sharon Stone, Judy Greer, Justin Long and more.

Burnett graduated in 1984 from Tufts University, where he majored in English and played varsity soccer. Burnett currently resides in Connecticut with his wife, Eunice, their daughters, Sydney and Lucy, and their son, Charlie. 

Sponsor:

Thank you to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠⁠!

Check out the Intro offer here for ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠⁠ and the Intro Offer for ⁠⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠⁠.

6 classes for only $60!!!

Guest:

IMDb

Wikipedia

Instagram

In Memoriam

Host:

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For his first episode on the podcast, check out

Becoming... 5x Emmy Winning Producer and Director Rob Burnett

In Memoriam had its World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival 2026. It stars Marc Maron, Lily Gladstone, Sharon Stone, Judy Greer, Justin Long, Talia Ryder, and more. This is a video podcast.

Sponsor:

Thank you to our sponsor ⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠!

Check out the Intro offer here for ⁠⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠⁠ and the Intro Offer for ⁠⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠⁠.

6 classes for only $60!!!

Synopsis:

A vain actor learns he has six months to live and becomes obsessed with making the Academy Awards “In Memoriam” montage, sparking a hilarious and affecting exploration of ego, humility, and legacy.

Marc Maron is a comedian, actor, producer, and host of the influential podcast WTF with Marc Maron, known for roles in GLOW, Joker, and numerous acclaimed stand up specials.

Megalyn Echikunwoke is an actress known for projects including CSI: Miami, The 4400, Night School, and Almost Family.

Mila DeGray is a young actress known for emerging film and television performances.

Saydee Dickinson is an up and coming actress known for work in film and television.

Merrick Hanna is a dancer, actor, and social media personality who gained national attention on America’s Got Talent.

Will Bates is an Emmy winning composer known for scores for The Magicians, Away, Immaculate, and numerous film and television productions.

If you like this episode, listen to the original episode of the Director/Writer of In Memoriam, Rob Burnett:

Becoming... 5x Emmy Winning Producer and Director Rob Burnett

I had the pleasure of speaking with the filmmakers of the 'Competitive Edge' Shorts film block at the 25th Anniversary season of the Tribeca Festival.

The description for this block is: These narrative shorts pack a punch as sports and performance take center stage.

ISABEL LAMERS| Director & Writer of 'Kaya (ᜃᜌ)'

Isabel Lamers is a Filipina-German actor, director, writer and producer based in Los Angeles. Shaped by her mixed-race heritage and upbringing, Isabel strives to tell stories from a unique point of view, specifically exploring larger societal issues in intimate, character-driven narratives. She also aims to give a voice to women-empowering stories. Isabel’s notable acting credits include the Cate Blanchett let “Tar”, “Club Zero” (a 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or nominee) and “SISA” which was a main selection at the Black Nights Tallinn Film Festival. She also co-wrote and starred in the award-winning short “A Dozen Suns”, which received a nomination at the Cannes Short Film Festival, and “A Serious Game” which won the 2025 Audience Award at FilAm Creative.

JORDAN BRITT | Director & Writer of 'Freestyle'

Jordan Britt is a New York City– based film director from North Carolina and a recent graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a BFA in Film & Television with a minor in Anthropology. Her work centers on personal history and identity, often approached through a global perspective. Her NYU senior thesis film, Freestyle, was selected to premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. Her films also include Girl Builds Rocket, a 16mm narrative short now in post, as well as BAD, SUGAR!, an upcoming short film. She founded Moonwatch Pictures, an independent production company, and has interned at Protozoa Pictures and Artemis Pictures. In 2025, Jordan was named a Soho House x Creative Futures Fellow, a year-long fellowship through which she is developing her debut feature.

MISHA CALVERT | Director & Writer of 'Fault'

Misha is an award-winning writer, director, and showrunner based in New York. She has created five digital series, including Strut (2018 Tribeca Film Festival), which campaigned for an Emmy in 2022, and All Hail Beth, commissioned by BRIC TV. Her 2026 projects include Pink Flags, starring Raye and Sawyer Spielberg; The Fuckboy Diaries, a comedic series about modern dating; and Candy, a musical short created in partnership with singer-songwriter Kate Eberstadt. On the feature side, Misha is developing two narrative dramas. Misha’s work is high-concept and visually driven with a focus on gender, mental health, power, and the female experience. She is the recipient of the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant and was a finalist for the Bechdel Residency in 2024. Misha works as a career strategist via her educational company, Vermilion and The Vermilion Podcast, and she is currently on staff as a teacher at Sundance Collab. To see more of Misha’s work, check out www.mishacalvert.com 

RAN RAN WANG | Director & Writer of 'I Think About Killing You'

Ran Ran Wang (She/Her) is a Chinese American writer-director. Her feature screenplay IF I HAD YOUR FACE was featured on the 2023 Black List, and is currently in development at MGM/Orion with Closer Media producing. In 2024 she was a fellow in the inaugural cohort of the Rideback Rise accelerator program. She is attached to direct DYING IS FINE, a feature film selected for the 2025 Sundance Producers Lab. She is represented by Sukee Chew at Hopscotch Pictures and Erica Ling at WME.

MARIA SOFIA HERNANDEZ | Director & Writer of 'La Lucha de Lucîa'

Maria Sofia Hernandez is a Mexican-American filmmaker and actress based in Brooklyn. She grew up on the border between Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, CA. Her debut short film “La Lucha de Lucía” had its New York Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, it has also screened at Cinequest in San Jose, CA. Maria Sofia’s background as theater director and actor led her to film when she was looking for a medium that encompassed visual arts, music and her love of storytelling. She has worked on various short film sets behind and in front of the screen, and she received the Latino Public Broadcasting Digital Award Fund to finish post-production for La Lucha de Lucía.  She strives to create work that makes space for the voices of Latinos, and underrepresented communities in the U.S. and around the world.

JEAN-LUC AND DESIREE MWEPU | Co-Directors & Writers of 'Ultimatum'

Also starring Desirée Mwepu

Special Thanks to Ben Thompson and Alan Seales

Sponsor:

Thank you to our sponsor Studio Pilates South Slope and Studio Pilates Cobble Hill!

Check out the Intro offer here for Studio Pilates South Slope and the Intro Offer for Studio Pilates Cobble Hill.

6 classes for only $60!!!

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⁠Becoming... VP of Shorts Programming of Tribeca Festival Ben Thompson

Watch Tribeca Shorts Film Roundtable panel "Love Fictionally" with Kaily Morgan Smith, Drew Van Steenbergen, Ty Molbak, Maggie and Tyler Brown

I had the pleasure of speaking with some of the filmmakers of the 'Love Fictionally' Shorts film block at the 25th Anniversary season of the Tribeca Festival.

These films premiered at Tribeca on Friday, June 25th, with additional screenings on Saturday, June 13th at 8:30pm and Sunday, June 14th at 2:00pm. I moderated a Q&A after the screening on June 13th.

The description for this block is: Take a humorous, heated and heartfelt journey through love and relationships.

KAILY MORGAN SMITH | Director & Producer of 'General Admission'

Starring Nina Dobrev, Adam Shapiro, Cedric Yarbrough, Sarah Baker

Kaily Morgan Smith is a director, writer, producer, and entrepreneur originally from Denver, Colorado. Her acting credits include THE OFFICE, GILMORE GIRLS, and FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. In 2012, Kaily relocated to New York City after being cast as Alicia Silverstone’s understudy in the Broadway production of THE PERFORMERS. In addition to her creative work, Kaily is the co-founder of SeriesFest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to championing artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling. Kaily is the founder of Kind Spirit Studios, her current production company focused on developing bold, character-driven stories with a particular emphasis on female-driven narratives across film and television.

DREW VAN STEENBERGEN | Director Writer & Actor of 'Buckets'

Starring Drew Van Steenbergen

Drew van Steenbergen is an award-winning editor and director with work spanning commercials, narrative series, shorts and interactive storytelling. He serves as the lead editor for Spotify and The Ringer’s Golden Globe winning podcast, “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” and has edited series for Paramount+, Hulu, Disney, ABC, and Comedy Central. Drew has also cut high-profile commercial campaigns for such clients as DoorDash, Bank of America, and NBC’s Abbott Elementary – earning accolades including Clio Awards, Best Editing at the NYTV Festival, and Best Short Film at OutFest LA. 

TY MOLBAK | Director & Writer of 'You Tryna Say You Love Me?'

Starring Asante Blackk, Malia Pyles

Ty Molbak (Director, Writer, Producer) was raised between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Whidbey Island, Washington. You Tryna Say You Love Me? marks his first short film with dialogue. As an actor, Ty recently appeared in Hamlet directed by Tony nominee Robert O’Hara and is best known for starring in the BAFTA-winning interactive project Immortality by Sam Barlow which premiered at Tribeca in 2022. Additional credits include Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, Master (Sundance & SXSW 2022), Next Exit (Tribeca 2022), She Taught Love (Hulu), and Law & Order, portraying the counterpart to Luigi Mangione in the series’ viral episode.

Directing credits include TAN (a dance-film featuring dancers from San Francisco Ballet), SCORCH (a one-person play), Mary Poppins (reimagined with shadow puppetry), and Something Yellow (a silent short acquired by IndieFlix). Ty is also the founder of Blue Collaborative, a nonprofit production company  where he’s produced projects starring actors like Kaia Gerber, Bob Odenkirk, and Nat Wolff. He attended LMU’s School of Film and Television before transferring to Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and Shakespeare’s Globe in London to study acting. 

MAGGIE AND TYLER BROWN | Directors & Writers of 'One Night'

Starring Rain Spencer, Jackson Reid Kelly, Jahking Guillory

Maggie Brown is a filmmaker and advocate for menstrual equity. In middle school, she co-founded The Pad Project, a nonprofit dedicated to ending period stigma worldwide. At 15, she was the associate producer of the Oscar-winning Netflix documentary Period. End of Sentence. (2019). Now 22, Brown graduated from Columbia University, where she spent her senior year interning at A24. One Night marks her official narrative directorial debut. The short, which she co-wrote and directed with her brother, will have its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.

Tyler Brown is a director whose work spans music, film, and animation. He has collaborated with Gary Oldman, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Trent Reznor. His credits include Willa Amai’s “What’s Up” (1.4M+ views). He writes at Sony Pictures Animation and has been featured in Variety, THR, and Billboard.

Special Thanks to Ben Thompson and Alan Seales

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Becoming... VP of Shorts Programming of Tribeca Festival Ben Thompson

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Iconoclast had its World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival 2026 on Tuesday, June 9th.

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Thank you to our sponsor ⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠ and ⁠Studio Pilates Cobble Hill⁠!

Check out the Intro offer here for ⁠Studio Pilates South Slope⁠ and the ⁠Intro Offer for Studio Pilates Cobble Hill.⁠

6 classes for only $60!!!

Gabriel Basso (The Night Agent) writes, directs and stars in this tightly coiled psychological thriller. A reclusive loner's obsession with a live-streaming influencer reshapes his entire existence through one unsettling choice at a time.

Connor (Gabriel Basso) is going nowhere: Dead-end job, no real footing in the world, and a growing fixation on Nika (Courtney Eaton), a live-streaming influencer who has no idea he exists. He starts reshaping himself around her: lifting weights, learning to shoot guns and building a version of himself he thinks she'd want. His colleague Morgan (Rain Spencer) is the only thing keeping him tethered to reality, but she's losing her grip.

Gabriel Basso is known for The Night Agent, Hillbilly Elegy, The Kings of Summer, and A House of Dynamite. He wrote, directed and starred in Iconoclast.

Rain Spencer is known for The Summer I Turned Pretty, Good Girl Jane, One Night, and Big Girls Don't Cry.

The film also stars: Noah Centineo, Kiernan Shipka, and Courtney Eaton.

Guest:

Rain Spencer's IMDb

Gabriel Basso's IMDb

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you like this episode, check out:

⁠⁠5th Anniversary Episode - Tribeca Festival Favorites (Best Feature Film, Short film, Doc, Pilot, Talk)