WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) today announced playwright, screenwriter and director Leslye Headland, will deliver keynote remarks at the Touchstones Luncheon, taking place on Monday, September 28 at the Marriott Marquis in New York. In addition, WICT announced that Lisa Schwartz, Executive Vice President, Distribution, Operations & Business Development for Sundance Selects and IFC Films, will serve as the luncheon’s Honorary Chair.
The WICT Touchstones Luncheon is a highlight of the WICT Leadership Conference held in conjunction with Cable’s Diversity Week 2015. AMC Networks serves as the Premier Sponsor of the luncheon.
"WICT is thrilled to have the multi-talented Leslye Headland give remarks at the WICT Touchstones Luncheon. Leslye has broken through in an arena where women have not been well represented. She brings a unique perspective to our audience through her highly acclaimed work," said Maria E. Brennan, CAE, WICT President & CEO. "We are also delighted to have Lisa Schwartz serve as our Honorary Chair. Aside from Lisa's significant business accomplishments, she is a staunch WICT supporter and a diversity champion.”
The purpose of the WICT Touchstones Luncheon is to showcase the Woman of the Year and Woman to Watch honorees. This year's Woman of the Year, Ellen East of Time Warner Cable, and Women to Watch, Bernadette Aulestia of HBO (programmer) and Rachel Welch of Time Warner Cable, Inc. (operator), exemplify strong leadership and achievement in the workplace and a true passion for the cable industry. Alongside showcasing the accomplishments of the honorees, the luncheon will feature words of wisdom from our keynote guest.
About Leslye Headland
Leslye Headland is a triple threat, having worked in theater, film and television alongside some of today's biggest stars. Her latest film, “Sleeping With Other People” – starring Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Natasha Lyonne and Jason Mantzoukas – will be released this Fall.
Headland is an established playwright, screenwriter, and director. She started by writing for the theater, with such plays as “Bachelorette” (Second Stage), “Assistance” (Playwrights Horizons), and the rest of the “Seven Deadly Plays” series (IAMA Theatre Company). In 2010, Headland became a staff writer for FX’s television series “Terriers,” created by Ted Griffin and Shawn Ryan, starring Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James. Two years later, her play “Assistance” was acquired by NBC for television. The pilot was executive produced by Headland, Ferrell, and McKay for Gary Sanchez Productions, and starred Krysten Ritter. In 2012, Headland broke out in features when she made her directorial debut with another of her plays, “Bachelorette,” starring Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, James Marsden, and Adam Scott. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, was sold to the Weinstein Company, and went on to become one of the most successful VOD releases to date. Off of that feat, Headland set up her next script, “About Last Night,” at Screen Gems. Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy star in the film directed by Steve Pink. The film opened at #2 and grossed over $50 million domestically.
About Lisa Schwartz
As executive vice president of distribution, operations and business development for Sundance Selects and IFC Films, Lisa Schwartz serves as the senior distribution strategist for the division and is responsible for creating, identifying and securing revenue-generating opportunities. In addition, she oversees all of the day-to-day operations for IFC Films’ distribution businesses. In 2006, Schwartz joined IFC Films with more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing. Prior to joining the division, she served as senior vice president of national accounts and advanced services for AMC Networks National Advertising Sales, the national distribution division of IFC Films’ parent company AMC Networks Inc. There, Schwartz played a significant role in pioneering the introduction of IFC In Theaters and developing key strategies that maximized IFC Films’ relationship with filmmakers and MSOs. Previously, Schwartz managed the Comcast corporate account for AMC Networks’ AMC, IFC and WE tv and also held various key affiliate distribution positions within the Company.
Schwartz has been named to Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women in Cable list, as well as named a Multichannel News Wonder Woman in 2011 and Woman to Watch in 2010. Schwartz is an alumna of WICT’s Senior Executive Summit at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, as well as CTAM University, CTAM's executive management program at Harvard Business School.
About WICT
For over thirty-five years, Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide professional development programs, research and services that help advance women in cable media. With 10,000 members, WICT is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable industry. Comcast NBCUniversal, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Suddenlink Communications are WICT's Strategic Touchstone Partners. Please visit www.wict.org or follow @WICT on Twitter for more information.
