Join fellow Oberlin alumni for Outside In: A Conversation about Creativity and Perseverance with Independent Filmmakers, a lively discussion about the inspiration and pragmatism of the creative process to inspire the next generation of independent storytellers, featuring Siân Heder, James Ponsoldt, and Ry Russo Young '03. Moderated by Tasha Cohan '11.
Immediately following the panel, participate in a happy hour networking session with other alumni, regardless of where you are in your career. Build connections, learn from one another, and open doors for the Oberlin community in the entertainment industry! Heavy hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be provided.
6:30 p.m. | Doors open
7:00 p.m. | Welcome, panel discussion, and Q&A
7:45 p.m. | Panel ends/happy hour begins
9:00 p.m. | Event ends
10:00 p.m. | Video store closes
10:30 p.m. | Bar closes
11:00 p.m. | Vidiots closes
PANELISTS:
SIÂN HEDER
Siân Heder is an Academy Award and BAFTA winning writer and director. Her debut feature, TALLULAH, starring Elliot Page and Alison Janney, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released as a Netflix original. Siân wrote and produced for three seasons of the Netflix series, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK and has directed episodes of GLOW, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, THE PATH, and LITTLE AMERICA.
Her most recent film, CODA, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was the first film to win all four major awards and sold to Apple for a record breaking $25 million. CODA received the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as Best Adapted Screenplay for Siân and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur.
Most recently, Siân served as showrunner and executive producer of the critically acclaimed series LITTLE AMERICA for Apple TV+. Upcoming, she will serve as a director, writer and producer of BEING HEUMANN, a memoir about the life of disability rights activist Judith Heumann, and has been tapped to direct a feature adaptation of the bestselling novel, TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin.
JAMES PONSOLDT
James Ponsoldt hails from Athens, Georgia. His films, which include "The End of the Tour," "The Spectacular Now," and "Smashed" (among others), have been recognized by the National Board of Review, Independent Spirit Awards, and Sundance Film Festival.
His television work has been nominated for Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, and Critics Choice Awards. He’s directed pilots and executive produced shows such as “Master of None” and “Sorry for Your Loss.” Most recently, he executive produced and directed the pilot and multiple episodes of "Shrinking" for Apple TV, Amazon’s “Daisy Jones & The Six," as well as the upcoming series "Running Point" (starring Kate Hudson) for Netflix and episodes of a new series for Marvel.
He's currently developing a new TV series and film.
RY RUSSO YOUNG '03
Ry Russo Young’s early independent films were associated with the mumblecore genre in part due to her performance alongside Greta Gerwig in the mumblecore classic HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS. As a filmmaker in her early 20s, she directed two micro-budget indies ORPHANS and YOU WON’T MISS ME, the latter premiered at Sundance and received a Gotham award. NOBODY WALKS (2012), co-written with Lena Dunham and starring Olivia Thirlby, Rosemary DeWitt and John Krasinski, won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance and was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures. Ry then went on to direct the wide-release features BEFORE I FALL (2017) and THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR (2019) as well as numerous television projects, including Apple’s SHRINKING, HBO’s AND JUST LIKE THAT, Amazon’s PANIC and Marvel’s CLOAK & DAGGER.
Her 3-hour limited HBO documentary series, NUCLEAR FAMILY (2021), is based on the true story of her sperm donor suing her lesbian mothers for visitation and paternity rights when Ry was nine years old. The series received much critical acclaim with nominations for a Peabody Award, Independent Spirit Award and GLAAD Award.
Ry is currently directing an upcoming limited documentary series about Alex Cooper’s UNWELL TOUR. Cooper is the creator of the hit podcast, “Call Her Daddy,” the most listened to podcast by women in the world. She’s also working with Big Beach and Walden Media on an adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel THE LAST ANIMAL by Ramona Ausubel and with 20th Century Fox to adapt the classic book THE BEST OF EVERYTHING by Rona Jaffe.
MODERATOR:
TASHA COHAN '11
Tasha Cohan is a Senior Manager of Creative Affairs at A+E Studios. She's worked on shows including AMC's PARISH, Lifetime's FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC and Kan's THE MALEVOLENT BRIDE. She has developed dramas at Amazon, Fox, Netflix, Hulu, Max and others. Tasha started at A+E Studios as an intern in 2014 while pursuing her MFA in Screenwriting at Chapman University.
She is passionate about empowering and connecting current students and Oberlin alums who want to work in entertainment through Obiewood. Tasha currently lives on the (very) East Side of LA with her wife and young daughter.
