INDUSTRY SUMMIT
The festival’s Industry Summit features professional workshops, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions with special guests and W&M alumni. These events offer attendees an opportunity to engage directly with artists and professionals working in the arts to learn more about their craft and career paths.
Sessions are free and open to the public, with no reservations required. All events take place at the W&M Entrepreneurial Hub, unless otherwise noted. The link for the virtual session will be provided on this page the week of the festival.
Creative Connections: A Guide to Networking at the AIAF
Cristen McQuillan, M.Ed. '15
Monday, 4:00 PM, Cohen Career Center
This student‑focused workshop is designed to help you make the most of your week at the Ampersand International Arts Festival (AIAF). Put together a game plan to maximize this opportunity and get the most out of this exciting event. You’ll learn practical ways to start conversations, meet fellow creatives, and connect with industry professionals in film and the arts. The session covers how to plan your week, how to approach people with confidence, and help build your professional network through connections that extend beyond the festival.
ABOUT CRISTEN MCQUILLAN
Cristen holds a B.S. in Advertising and Public Relations from Grand Valley State University in her home state of Michigan, as well as a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from William & Mary. In her current role as Director of Creative Careers for the W&M Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement, Cristen advises students within the creative careers community and plans programs to facilitate education and outreach within creative industries. She also oversees the Ferguson Blair Publishing Seminar and Scholarship, Creative Careers Trek to DC, and runs regular workshops on personal branding.
How an Idea Becomes a Show: Artistic Collaboration and Collective Creativity
Will Roland
Tuesday, 10:00 AM, Virtual Session
Will Roland has spent the last fifteen years creating new shows On- and Off-Broadway, on TV and in independent film. In this workshop he'll share some stories of successes and failures and try to illustrate how the voices of various artists working in step (and in tension) set those projects on their trajectories, with an AMA-style Q&A to follow.
ABOUT WILL ROLAND
Will Roland is a Brooklyn-based actor and director, best known from the original Broadway productions of Be More Chill (in which he starred as Jeremy Heere), and Dear Evan Hansen (where he originated the role of Evan’s ‘family friend’ Jared Kleinman). He is also known for his role as financial analyst "Winston" on the last five seasons of Billions on Showtime. His regional and off-Broadway theatre credits include The Baker's Wife at Classic Stage Company, Summer Stock at Goodspeed Opera House, The Black Suits at Barrington Stage Company and Center Theatre Group, and more. He is the director of All of Me, which recently received a gala presentation at Ensemble Theatre Company Santa Barbara. Will is also a proud longtime member of Joe Iconis & Family, the repertory company of punk-rock musical theatre artists led by Joe Iconis.
Literary Journal and Magazine Submissions: The Ins & Outs
Kyle Carrero Lopez ’17
Tuesday, 2:00 PM
This workshop will cover best practices for getting creative work picked up by publications. Potential topics include figuring out which outlets are the best fit for your pieces, deadline and simultaneous submission management, and how to know when something is ready to be sent out (if such knowledge is even possible!), plus time for any specific questions you may have.
ABOUT KYLE CARRERO LOPEZ
Kyle Carrero Lopez (W&M ’17) is the author of PARTY LINE, out this July with Graywolf Press, a Cave Canem fellow, and serves as Editor for the Poetry Project’s quarterly publication, the Newsletter. His poetry & prose is published in The Yale Review, New York Magazine, The Nation, POETRY, The New Republic, and elsewhere. He's worked as a reader or judge for numerous literary prizes, most recently the 2026 Derricotte/Eady Chapbook Prize and the 2023 F(r)iction Spring Writing Contest. Kyle will also be present for an Author Talk program during the festival.
How A Novel Gets Made: From Idea to Publication
Brian Castleberry, Rachel Beanland, Chad Luibl
Wednesday, 2:00 PM, PBK Hall Studio Theater
Writers Rachel Beanland and Brian Castleberry and literary agent Chad Luibl will discuss how a novel goes from a writer's initial idea through subsequent revisions and on to the publication stage. This workshop will help beginning writers understand the process of finishing a book, finding representation, getting a book deal, and maintaining a career as a published novelist.
ABOUT BRIAN CASTLEBERRY
Brian Castleberry's first novel, Nine Shiny Objects, was a New York Times Editor's Choice, long-listed for the PEN/Faulkner award, and awarded the Library of Virginia Book Award. His stories and essays have been published in Narrative, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Southern Review, LitHub, and elsewhere. His second novel, The Californians, is out in paperback now from Mariner Books.
ABOUT RACHEL BEANLAND
Rachel Beanland is the author of The House Is on Fire and Florence Adler Swims Forever, which won the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and earned her MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. She lives with her family in Richmond, VA.
ABOUT CHAD LUIBL
Chad Luibl is a literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit Associates, where he specializes in literary and book club fiction, memoir and untold histories, and graphic novels. Born and raised in Virginia, Chad received a BA in English at Lynchburg University before moving to Eastern Europe to teach English for several years. While in Krakow, Poland, he got his MA in European Studies at Jagiellonian University, with a focus in Comparative Literature. He went on to get his MFA in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was also the coordinator of the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, an intern in the Literature Department at the National Endowment for the Arts, and an editor at Blackbird and Broad Street literary journals.
Freelance Camera [& Crew]
Lauretta Prevost (W&M ’05)
Thursday, 4:00 PM
A professional cinematographer who has been working freelance for twenty years gives the best advice she can. Geared for students and folks entering the industry fresh—though surely with some good ideas for all—we’ll spend our time going over suggestions, discussing practicalities, and taking questions about how to make a living as a freelance filmmaker. Think less “go here to get a job” and more “recommendations on how to build and maintain a network, as well as eat when work is slow.”
ABOUT LAURETTA PREVOST
Lauretta Prevost (W&M ’05) has worked for two decades in New York City and around the world as a cinematographer, with a dash of directing and camera department. Her work has received awards at festivals such as Sundance and Tribeca. She shoots feature films and documentaries and many things in between. Highlights range from filming Ethan Hawke to Hillary Clinton to the Indigo Girls to Dan Rather to endangered Puerto Rican parrots. She has filmed for NPR, BBC, the United Nations, McKinsey, CVS, the Moth, etc etc. She writes for film magazines such as American Cinematographer and No Film School. Lauretta is also presenting a short film, Boxes and Elephants, during the festival.
Documentary Production: Finding Your Story & Expecting the Unexpected
Chelsea Marotta (W&M ’12)
Friday, 2:00 PM
Documentaries require scripting…and documentaries inevitably go off script. In this workshop, learn the importance of story structure in documentary filmmaking. A strong narrative structure will give your project a solid foundation and allow you to pivot with confidence when the unexpected arrives. Together, we’ll review basic story models and how they can inform your approach to filmmaking from pre-production through edit.
ABOUT CHELSEA MAROTTA
Chelsea Marotta (W&M ’12) is an Emmy nominated creative with over a decade of experience in unscripted development and production. She uses her cross-disciplinary background to develop and produce stories with a focus on innovative visuals and intimate storytelling. She was named one of Variety’s New Leaders 2025. As a designer and animator, Chelsea has worked on projects like Simone Biles Rising on Netflix and In The Arena: Serena Williams on ESPN+. Her career began in development, where she spent a decade bringing unscripted ideas to life across genres and platforms. Currently, she is producing documentary series under the Next is Now banner at Religion of Sports, championing storytelling in women’s sports. The first series in the initiative is The Fastest Six Weeks in Sports, a six-part documentary that chronicles the breakneck transition in women’s basketball between college and the pros. The full series will screen during the festival.
Comedy Writing Q&A
Jenny Hagel (W&M ’98)
Friday, 4:00 PM
Jenny is a writer and performer at Late Night with Seth Meyers. Jenny will answer audience questions about working in late night, comedy writing, and how to pursue a creative career.
ABOUT JENNY HAGEL
Jenny Hagel (W&M ’98) is an Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedy performer in New York City. She is currently a writer/performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she created the recurring segment "Jokes Seth Can't Tell." Jenny also served as Head Writer/Executive Producer of The Amber Ruffin Show. Jenny has been nominated for two GLAAD Awards for her work addressing LGBTQ issues on TV. Her debut essay collection, Advice No One Asked For, is available for pre-sale now wherever books are sold. Jenny will also perform her show, Jenny Hagel Gives Advice, during the festival.
Collage Your Creative Career
Zara Fina Stasi (W&M ’12)
Saturday, 10:00 AM
Come engage in a hands-on workshop where you will create a collage representing your dream creative career while hearing from artist Zara Fina Stasi about her own creative career journey. Learn from Zara's experience starting off in the corporate world to running her own studio, Good for the Bees, where she creates for clients like Anthropologie, the World Bank, and the WNBA. Ask questions and get creative with this reflective workshop.
ABOUT ZARA FINA STASI
Zara Fina Stasi (W&M ’12) is an artist and author based in Richmond, VA. Her work has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report. She has been commissioned by the NYC Department of Transportation for public murals and has collaborated with the NBA, Cartier, and Anthropologie. Zara graduated Magna Cum Laude from William and Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in both Art and History. She is working on her first picture book and is represented by Red Fox Literary. Zara created the original artwork and design for the 2026 AIAF poster and curated Handmade, a visual art exhibit currently on display.
Artistic Resilience
Bryan G. Thompson (W&M J.D. ’12)
Saturday, 2:00 PM
Many artists quit before they hit their creative stride; surrendering to the weight of rejection, financial pressure, social pressure, and the self-fulfilling prophecy of gradually diminishing self-confidence. In this lecture, Bryan discusses how he overcame personal trauma, military trauma, and constant rejection to evolve from a struggling actor to writing and producing 13 feature-length films streaming on major platforms, and founding two film festivals. Artistic Resilience allows creators to "play the long game," cultivating the habit of continuous self improvement independent of external factors. Using real-life examples, Thompson shares how artistic resilience can be leveraged for distribution and employment negotiations, investment deals, sweat equity, in-kind partnerships, and how to keep your day job from killing your dreams.
ABOUT BRYAN G. THOMPSON
Bryan G. Thompson (W&M J.D. ’12) is an award-winning director and entertainment entrepreneur. He has written, directed, and secured distribution for over a dozen films, which are currently streaming on major platforms. Thompson is known for the romantic comedy “Valentines Date” and for the action thriller “Blowback” starring actor Clifton Powell. A graduate of College of William & Mary School of Law (2012), Thompson’s films often highlight legal issues and social topics, such as immigration reform ("El Sueño") and prison reform ("Thanksgiving with the Carters"). Thompson is the founder of the Miami Web Series Festival and the Virginia Black Film Festival as well the CEO of Imani Films.
So You Want To Get Into Playwriting?
Christopher Adams (W&M ’08)
Sunday, 2:00 PM
Theatre is one of humanity's oldest and most immediate art forms: a living exchange between performers and audience. In this introductory workshop, we'll explore what makes a play distinctive and how (and why) you might go about writing one. Led by US-born, London-based playwright Christopher Adams (whose play Venison will have a reading during the festival), the session will examine the unique qualities of stage storytelling: what separates a play from screen or prose fiction, what makes a scene 'dramatic', and how to think about stories in theatrical terms. Through discussion and hands-on writing exercises, you'll get a practical sense of the playwright's craft. We'll close with a Q&A about the realities of being a playwright today, including career strategies and navigating the industry. No prior experience necessary: just bring your curiosity and something to write on.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER ADAMS
Christopher Adams (W&M '08) is a British-American playwright and screenwriter based in London. His plays include Tumulus, Antigone, and Cooked. His play Venison won the Carlo Annoni International Playwriting Prize (2025). His play Progression was shortlisted for the George Devine Award (2024), received an Honorable Mention from the Relentless Award, and was a finalist for the Judith Royer Award for Excellence in Playwriting (2024). His screen projects have been developed by FilmNation and Hirsch Giovanni. He is currently on attachment at the National Theatre of Great Britain. In his academic life, Christopher holds a PhD from the Institute of English Studies, University of London. He was a US Fulbright Scholar in China (2011-2012).