Event Schedule

Opening Session

Greeting by Jack Hafer, with main-stage presentations from Destin Cretton, director, and Rob Liefeld, creator of Deadpool.

Breakout Panels

• Women in EntertainmentMeagan Good, Traci Blackwell, and Valentina Garza
• The Animated LifeTony Bancroft, Mark Henn, and Armand Serrano
• Motion Capture, Virtual/Augmented Reality, 3D Today & TomorrowRemington Scott and Travis Cloyd

The Biola Media Conference is a gathering for Christians working across entertainment and media, bringing together filmmakers, producers, artists, and students in a shared setting of learning and encouragement. Rather than treating the industry as a closed door, the event is presented as a place where doors open and barriers come down, and where careers in storytelling are explored as genuine, honorable paths. The conference atmosphere reflects a belief that creative work and faith conversation belong in the same room, and that those who make films, television, and music can find community and mentorship alongside one another.

The schedule page lays out a full conference day, structured around opening sessions, featured speakers, breakout panels, lunch, and networking time. Main-stage presentations anchor the morning, offering audiences a broad view of the media landscape, while breakout discussions move into smaller, focused rooms where participation is more conversational and specific. This layered structure lets attendees move between large-room inspiration and small-group practicality, mirroring the way creative careers are actually shaped through a mix of vision, craft, and relationships.

Breakout panels are a distinctive part of the program, with sessions devoted to topics such as women in entertainment and other specialized areas of the industry. These smaller discussions are designed to surface voices that might otherwise go unheard in larger formats, and to give participants room to ask direct questions, share experience, and connect with peers facing similar decisions about their calling. The emphasis on representation, perspective, and honest conversation reflects the conference's wider aim of stretching limits and widening what is possible for Christian creatives.

Featured speakers and industry figures contribute perspectives that have been shaped by years of professional work, including experience with studios, production departments, and the creative departments that support big-picture projects. Their involvement underscores the conference's commitment to connecting attendees with real practitioners rather than abstract theory, and it helps illustrate how stories are developed, how teams are assembled, and how a distinct creative voice can find its way through the industry. The tone is informative and forward-looking rather than promotional.

Beyond the sessions themselves, the conference emphasizes fellowship and practical next steps: registration and screenings, networking with agencies, representatives, artists, and students, and conversations about internships, early-career opportunities, and long-term sustainability in the field. The overarching message is that the media industry, often perceived as unwelcoming to those outside its inner circles, can be navigated with community, mentorship, and persistence. For many attendees, the event functions as a turning point — a place where a sense of calling meets concrete direction.

Lunch

A shared midday break for conversation and connection with fellow conference participants.