A Conversation With Annetta Marion and Kathryn O’Kane: The Art of Directing and Running a Show

This intimate conversation between director/showrunner Annetta Marion and director/producer Kathryn O’Kane will highlight the unique roles and creative inspirations of directors and showrunners who bring stories to life on screen.  The discussion will give a behind ­the­ scenes look at the craft of filmmaking, explore culture and creativity in their body of work, as well as allow these producers to share their passions for the work, both on and off the screen.

Annetta Marion is an award-winning director and Primetime Emmy-nominated showrunner. Marion recently wrapped production as a director and the EP/Showrunner on her sixth season of OWN’s acclaimed Emmy-nominated and NAACP Image Award-winning series Oprah’s Master Class, which reached record ratings heights this season with guests Steve Harvey, Kevin Hart, Congressman John Lewis, LL Cool J, Gladys Knight, Shaquille O’Neal, Tyler Perry, Usher and Lynn Whitfield. Working on the show since its inception in 2010, before OWN even launched its first broadcast, Marion has overseen all 55 episodes, directed 16, segment directed 24 episodes that is all the “scripted” content in the series, and captured in-depth and remarkably intimate interviews with a wide range of luminaries, such as Berry Gordy, Lenny Kravitz, Dwayne Johnson, James Taylor, Tim McGraw, Vanessa Williams, Cicely Tyson, and Patti LaBelle. Among other projects for OWN, Marion also directed the documentary special, Oprah Goes To Broadway: The Color Purple, featuring Danielle Brooks, Cynthia Erivo, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson, Lupita Nyong’o, Phylicia Rashad, Alice Walker, and Oprah Winfrey. For MTV, she worked as the segment director on the documentary special Nicki Minaj: My Time Again. Impassioned by the limitless storytelling possibilities of the medium, Marion has created roughly 70 hours of television and has recently directed the series Mission Juno: Journey to Jupiter for NASA. Marion also directs high-end branded content and has almost ten award-winning short scripted films under her belt. Marion is a NYWIFT board member, a member of the Alliance of Women Directors, a member of WIF Los Angeles, an AFI DWW fellow, an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Science, Film Fatales, Director’s Guild of America, Producer’s Guild of America, and was recently elected to serve on the DGA Eastern Directors Council. Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Marion now considers NYC her home.

Kathryn O’Kane is a non-fiction director/producer with over fifteen years of experience in television, advertising, and web media. O’Kane is the show runner on Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, a four-part travel culinary series which launched globally on Netflix October 11. Based on Samin Nosrat’s best-selling, James Beard Award-winning book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is the essential guide to the basic elements of good cooking. O’Kane is currently directing and producing two episodes of a true crime documentary series for HLN produced in conjunction with Jigsaw and Sundance Productions. She provides content for clients like ABC, IBM, Nike, Sundance Channel, and United Airlines. Her strength is telling character-driven stories, and she’s crafted narratives as diverse as Mission Juno: Journey to Jupiter, documenting NASA’s probe to Jupiter, and Talking Dead, the hit show for AMC. Having started her career supporting democratic initiatives in Latin America, O’Kane first learned the power of messaging while organizing election observations in the Dominican Republic with President Jimmy Carter. She now seeks to bridge cultural differences through art and storytelling.

Produced by Rosalind Murphy

Pricing

$15 for NYWIFT Members
$25 for Nonmembers
Register by prepayment online