2026 Speakers

 Mandy Tagger Brockey is an accomplished Film and Television Producer and Executive, who recently held the position of Head of Keshet Films and played a pivotal role in establishing the company’s Film Division. During her tenure, she was responsible for the creation of the company’s development fund that invested in TV and film across the globe.

Mandy’s career began by overseeing production at InDigEnt, a groundbreaking microbudget
venture cofounded by director Gary Winick and John Sloss.

She went on to cofound Spring Pictures in 2009, to develop, finance, package, and produce
films. Mandy’s films have been featured in renowned festivals such as Sundance and TriBeCa, 

Marisa Fox, Writer, Director, Producer

An award-winning journalist, Fox has covered major news stories from 9/11 (New York Magazine, New York Newsday) to the opioid crisis (The New York Times), from the 2017 Women’s March and rollback of women’s rights (Ms.), the Muslim ban (Haaretz) to the COVID pandemic, January 6th and the rise of white supremacy (The Daily Beast, CNN, the Forward). She was a U.S. correspondent for Israeli Newspaper Haaretz, specializing in gender, genocide, sexual trauma and extremism, and is a “she source” for the Women’s Media Center, started by Gloria Steinem. Throughout her 30-plus year career, she served as a deputy magazine editor and has written cover stories and lead features for The Chicago Tribune, LA Times, InStyle, O, Elle, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. She also was a television producer (FX, MTV, Vh1 and Channel 13-NYC) and a digital producer for Hearst, earning awards and nominations from the American Society of Magazine Editors. My Underground Mother, Fox’s directorial debut, led her to curate one of the only women’s Holocaust monuments at the site of the former Gabersdorf camp in Trutnov, Czech Republic, and a digital exhibit of women’s testimonies with

USC’s Shoah Foundation. Marisa cut her teeth in investigative journalism as a college intern at the Better Government Association and covered foreign affairs as a college intern for the Jerusalem Post’s Washington, DC bureau. She holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism and a BA in French Language & Literature from Northwestern University, earning a National Magazine Award for her master’s thesis publication Arts Chicago.  

Annie Guthrie, the middle daughter of folk singer Arlo Guthrie and artist Jackie Guthrie, had diverse inspirations. A picture of her grandmother, Marjorie, a Martha Graham dancer, ignited her passion for dance. Despite a knee injury, her mother introduced her to the guitar, and she quickly rediscovered her love for music. Her father taught her finger-picking, starting with Elizabeth Cotten’s ‘Freight Train.’

A prolific songwriter and versatile musician, Annie primarily plays acoustic guitar. Her honest songs, ranging from light humor to heartbreak, reflect her grandfather Woody Guthrie’s belief in “writing what you see.” 

Annie Guthrie’s recording career began at four on Arlo Guthrie’s Someday album. She contributed vocals to Woody Guthrie’s 20 Grow Big Songs, More Together Again, and joined her father on All Over The World.

Her long-awaited solo debut, Dragonfly, was released in July 2016. The collection of songs showcases her direct songwriting style and soulful delivery.

In December 2017, Annie released the single Feistier Than Gin, which features her fierce wit and dark humor. The song was written in early 2013 after the passing of her mother in 2012.

David Amram praised Annie for adding a new dynamic to folk music, saying, “I’d like to thank you [Annie], for adding a whole new dynamic to folk music. One where we are not all sitting around reading our vegan cookbooks.” 

Gaylen Ross (Director) is an award-winning documentary director,

writer, and producer with over 25 years of experience, including Emmy-winning Blood Money: Switzerland's Nazi Gold and multiple films that premiered at major international festivals like Berlin, Toronto, and Hamptons. Her notable works include Killing Kasztner:

The Jew Who Dealt With Nazis (theatrical releases in US, Israel, and France), Dealers Among Dealers about New York City’s diamond district (PBS), and two China documentaries co-directed with Andy Cohen and executive produced by Ai Weiwei. She was named by The Indiana Jewish Historical Society as one of four Jewish women shaping Indiana history (her birthplace.)