Lee Daiels & More Speakers Set for PGA's 2015 PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced its initial slate of speakers confirmed to participate in the 7th annual Produced By Conference (PBC), taking place May 30-31 and hosted by Paramount Pictures on its historic Hollywood studio lot. This year, PBC's headlining "Conversations With..." series features individual in-depth discussions with producers Eva Longoria, Tyler Perry, Kevin Smith; and Reese Witherspoon with producing partner, Bruna Papandrea. The conference will also feature a special "360 "roundtable discussion on Fox's hit series "Empire" as executive producers Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brian Grazer, and Ilene Chaiken break down the diverse challenges of producing the show.

Produced By is the only conference specifically created by producers, for producers. No other event gives producers so many opportunities to network with and learn from top storytellers and decision-makers in the entertainment industry.

Confirmed panelists to date are noted below in alphabetical order. Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

· Richard Abramowitz - President, Abramorama

· Keith Arem - Creative Director and President, PCB Productions ("Call of Duty," "Titanfall")

· Craig Armstrong - Co-Founder and CEO, 5X5 Media ("Survivor," "King of the Nerds")

· Matthew Baer - Principal, Matt Baer Films (UNBROKEN, CITY BY THE SEA)

· Justin Berenbaum - Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Relations, 505 Games

· Arianna Bocco - SVP, Acquisitions and Production, IFC Films

· Lisa Bruce - (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, NO STRINGS ATTACHED)

· Ian Bryce - Ian Bryce Productions (WORLD WAR Z, TRANSFORMERS franchise)

· Ilene Chaiken - Principal, Little Chicken, Inc. ("Empire," "The L Word")

· Jeffrey Chan - Director & Chief Operating Officer, Bona Film Group

· Joe Chianese -- Executive Vice President, EP Financial Solutions

· Carlton Cuse - Principal, Carlton Cuse Productions ("Bates Motel," The Strain")

· Lee Daniels - CEO, Lee Daniels Entertainment ("Empire," LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER)

· Charlie Ebersol - Founder and CEO, The Company ("The Profit," "NFL Characters Unite")

· Tracey Edmonds - CEO and President, Edmonds Entertainment (JUMPING THE BROOM, "With this Ring")

· Ellen Eliasoph - President and CEO, Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia

· Lauren Gellert - Executive VP, Development & Original Programming, WE tv ("Braxton Family Values," "Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars")

· Mark Gordon - Principal, Mark Gordon Company ("Ray Donovan," SAVING PRIVATE RYAN)

· Brian Grazer - Chairman, Imagine Entertainment ("Empire," A BEAUTIFUL MIND)

· Marshall Herskovitz - Partner, Bedford Falls Company (THE LAST SAMURAI, "thirtysomething")

· Grant Heslov -- Partner, Smokehouse Pictures (ARGO, GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK)

· Holly Hirzel - Experience PM, Microsoft HoloLens ("1 vs 100 Xbox Live")

· Rachel Klein -- Producer/Partner Solaris Entertainment ("30 for 30: The Fab Five," "30 Days in May")

· Hawk Koch - Principal, The Koch Company (SOURCE CODE, PRIMAL FEAR)

· Stuart J. Levy - Founder & CEO, TOKYOPOP (PRIEST, PRAY FOR JAPAN)

· David Linde - Founder/Producer, Lava Bear Films (SHUT IN, FLOWERS OF WAR)

· Eva Longoria - Founder/Producer, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment ("Devious Maids," "Telenovela")

· Gary Lucchesi - President of the Producers Guild of America (MILLION DOLLAR BABY, THE LINCOLN LAWYER)

· Laurence Mark -Producer, Laurence Mark Productions (DREAMGIRLS, JULIE & JULIA)

· Lori McCreary - President of the Producers Guild of America (INVICTUS, "Madam Secretary")

· Brent Montgomery - CEO, Leftfield Entertainment ("Pawn Stars," "Tiny House Nation")

· Chris Moore - Principal, The Media Farm (GOOD WILL HUNTING, AMERICAN PIE)

· TED Mundorff - President and CEO, Landmark Theatres

· Mark Owens -- Chief Revenue Officer, Corbis Entertainment

· Tyler Perry - Chairman, The Tyler Perry Company ("If Loving You Is Wrong," DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN)

· Brant Pinvidic - CCO, 3 Ball Entertainment ("Extreme Weight Loss," "Bar Rescue")

· Bruna Papandrea - Co-Founder, Pacific Standard (WILD, HOT PURSUIT)

· Bennett Pozil - EVP, Head of Corporate Banking, East West Bank

· Elsa Ramo - Founding Partner, Ramo Law PC

· Bruce Robertson - EVP, Creative Strategy, ITV Studios America ("#RichKids of Beverly Hills," "The Chase")

· Kevin Smith - President, SModCo (YOGA HOSERS, CLERKS III)

· Danny Strong - ("Empire," LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER)

· Vance Van Petten -- National Executive Director, Producers Guild of America

· Adrian Ward - Division Manager, Entertainment Industries Division, Pacific Mercantile Bank

· Sophie Watts - President, STX Entertainment

· Reese Witherspoon - Co-Founder, Pacific Standard (WILD, HOT PURSUIT)

· Winnie Wong - SVP, Momentous Insurance Brokerage

· Vince Zampella - CEO, Respawn Entertainment ("Titanfall," "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 &2")

· Ed Zobrist - General Manager, Games Division, RockYou ("The Walking Dead" Facebook game, "The Fast & Furious" Facebook game)

"There is no conference like Produced By," said PBC Co-Chairs Ian Bryce, Tracey Edmonds, Marshall Herskovitz, and Rachel Klein. "Even in the seven years since the PGA created this event, the role of the producer has shifted dramatically, and we're proud of the way that Produced By has both reflected and shaped that evolution. Every year, our attendees hear directly from the leading visionaries and most respected producers in the industry. It's a truly unique opportunity, and one that's already made a difference in the careers of hundreds of producers."

Produced By 2015 features a broad range of programming, including mentoring roundtables, workshops, and networking events. In addition to its prestigious "Conversations With..." series, PBC will include conference sessions covering an incredible variety of topics, including life story adaptations, independent feature film, the growing prominence of Chinese markets and investors, non-fiction television, the writer-producer collaboration, the next generation of horror storytelling, everything you wanted to know about games, and how the social web is changing media.

Registration and pricing information for Produced By 2015 can be found at ProducedByConference.com. Early bird registration at a discounted rate is available now and ends May 1st.

In addition to Paramount Pictures, sponsors to-date include: Cadillac, the official Automotive Partner of the PGA; PRG, Production Resource Group; AMC Networks; Baton Rouge Film Commission; Box; Corbis Entertainment; East West Bank; Entertainment Partners; Florida Office of Film & Entertainment; Honolulu Film Office; Minnesota Film & TV; Momentous Insurance; Pacific Mercantile Bank; The Molecule; Produce Iowa.

Returning to the PBC team are Supervising Producer Barry Kaplan, Program Director Madelyn Hammond, Marketing Consultant Lynda Dorf, and Sponsorship Director Diane Salerno of Six Degrees Global.

Produced By 2015 is made possible by the Producers Guild of America's charitable entity, the Producers Guild of America Foundation, and epitomizes the Foundation's core mission to educate those working in the producing profession. To review highlights from previous conferences and receive news and the latest programming updates for PBC 2015, please visit the Guild's official website and follow its social media channels for the event:

Website: ProducedByConference.com

Twitter: @Produced_By

Facebook: Facebook.com/producedbyconference

YouTube: YouTube.com/producersguild

Instagram: Instagram.com/producersguild

Hashtag: #PBC15

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA (PGA)

The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild has more than 6,900 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits, promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. For more information and the latest updates, please visit ProducersGuild.org, www.PGAGreen.org, and www.PGADiversity.org, and follow us on Twitter @ProducersGuild.

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