Creators Define the Future of Storytelling at Shifter(s) Series in West Hollywood
From financing and representation to authenticity and ownership, creators shared how they’re shifting the industry toward a more diverse and dynamic future.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Inside the Juniper Gardens at the 1 Hotel West Hollywood, more than a hundred filmmakers, founders and cultural innovators gathered Sunday for the Shifter(s) Series: The Future of Storytelling × Rhythm Garden — an event dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and spotlighting women reshaping the creative landscape.
The afternoon, hosted by The Shift Studios and Winston Baker, showcased a lineup of storytellers whose work is driving cultural impact across film, television and media. Three back-to-back panels explored how women are shaping tomorrow’s narratives, navigating an industry in flux and transforming ideas into movements.
Shaping Tomorrow: Women Driving Storytelling & Change
The first panel — moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist Roqui Theus — brought together screenwriter Marilyn Fu, J. Bey Entertainment CEO Jana Babatunde-Bey, and visionary entrepreneur Thai Randolph.
Fu, the screenwriter behind the upcoming feature film Rosemead, spoke candidly about nearly leaving Hollywood after a major project collapsed. “I was heartbroken and felt like I was going to disappear,” she said. “I thought, maybe that’s it. I’ve made some great stuff. Maybe I’m good.”
But a shift came when two long-dormant projects suddenly moved at once: Rosemead — starring Lucy Liu as a terminally ill immigrant mother confronting her son’s obsession with mass shootings — secured financing, and Fu was hired onto the writers’ room for The Copenhagen Test, set to release next month.
“I had to decide — am I going to disappear, or am I going to be visible?” Fu said. She chose visibility, signing with Paradigm and recommitting to championing Asian American stories. “If you have something to say, say it,” she told the crowd. “We need different voices to build stories from the bottom up so they can reach audiences.”
Randolph, a tech and media executive known for her work in inclusive innovation, spoke about navigating an industry defined by constant disruption. She compared the pace of change to “tectonic plates shifting beneath our feet,” reshaping careers and business models.
She shared how an unexpected email introduction early in her career rerouted her path from advertising into a visionary role at Sony. “These shifts lead to serendipitous — or miraculous — changes in your life,” she said. Today, her work is guided by a different mission — the world in which her young son will be living. “So much of what I do is about creating things for the world he will inherit,” she said.
Randolph also discussed financing and the persistent underfunding of women and people of color, noting that investors often rely on “pattern matching” rooted in familiarity. “The question becomes, do they recognize this person? Do they identify this type of person as successful?” she said. But the data tells a different story: “Women drive 85% of global purchases and trends,” she said. “We should be evangelizing the ROI in this audience.”
Babatunde-Bey echoed the importance of access and representation. She described her own entry into Hollywood as a UCLA student interning for Quincy Jones before landing at Will Smith and James Lassiter’s company.
She gravitates toward stories with powerful female characters, saying, “If we can find a story that illuminates something beautiful about womanhood, I love to do that.” She highlighted her Netflix docuseries, Amend: The Fight for America, calling the 14th Amendment “the central point of the push-pull of our democracy.”
But no matter the project, relationships remain key. “A brand is a thing, but the relationship between you and the person across the table is what makes the deal,” she said. “How can you be that catalyst for someone else?”
Fireside Chat With Omar Benson Miller
Actor and producer Omar Benson Miller, star of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and known for Ballers and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, joined Thorsten D. Meier for a conversation on craft and creative identity.
Miller said he selects roles based on authenticity — not audience reaction. “The only thing I know how to be is me,” he said. “To successfully fool the audience, I need to believe it myself.”
He added that he doesn’t take jobs based on whether they’ll be liked. “I have to like it,” he said. “Whether it’s a podcast, a film, or an improv joke, I have to be the curator as per my taste — and trust that it will translate to millions of people.”
Miller also explained why he stays grounded in real life rather than chasing online trends. “I don’t really play the social media game,” he said. “I have to be in the world. I have to get the world on me so I can interpret what’s happening and spit that out through performance.”
Owning Your Narrative: Turning Vision Into Impact
The final panel — moderated by Hollywood Reporter senior entertainment reporter Mia Galuppo — featured Murai International founder Amber Clifford, Imani Media Group CEO Imani “Manny” Halley, Emmy-nominated showrunner Rob Weiss, and Black Excellence Brunch founder Trell Thomas.
The group explored how founders and creators build movements, not just projects, and why ownership of one’s narrative remains a form of both empowerment and sustainability in a shifting media landscape.
A Community Powered by Storytelling
As the panels ended and the Rhythm Garden music experience took over, the energy shifted from conversation to celebration. Afro House, Amapiano and global rhythmic sets filled the garden as artists, filmmakers and entrepreneurs connected over shared purpose.
Across the afternoon, a clear theme emerged: in an industry evolving faster than ever, inclusive storytelling is not just necessary — it’s driving the next chapter.
And the women on stage made one thing certain: the future is being shaped by those willing to stay visible, lift others and keep telling stories that shift culture forward.