Title: UN 101: Roadmap to Working with the United Nations
Date: 22 August 2020
Platform: Zoom
Industry Speakers:
- Lori McCreary, President Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America, Executive Producer of Madam Secretary, and CEO of Revelations Entertainment
- Trey Callaway, Co-Executive Producer and Writer of Revolution, American film and television writer and producer, and Professor in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California
- Robert Rippberger, President of FinalMation Studios and Founder of SIE Film
- William Nix, Chairman/CEO, Creative Projects Group
- Anne Marie Gillen, Founder and CEO of Gillen Group LLC
- Joanne Gunsberg, Director of Sustainability, Sony Pictures Television
UN Speakers:
- Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications
- Maher Nasser, Director, Outreach Division, UN Department of Global Communications
- Jon Herbertsson, Manager, Creative Community Outreach Initiative & Messenger of Peace Programme, UN Department of Global Communications
- Carlos Islam, Special Events Manager, Creative Community Outreach Initiative & Messenger of Peace Programme, UN Department of Global Communications
- Rajesh Mirchandani, Chief Communications Officer, UN Foundation
- Dani Zapotoczny, Senior Director, Partnerships and Communications, UN Foundation
Event Summary:
CCOI and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) launched the first virtual workshop in a two-year series that details how producers and members of the creative community can collaborate with the UN on social impact entertainment projects. Attendees learned what social impact entertainment is, the benefits of working with the UN, and the resources available to content creators. During the 90-minute event, participants gained insight into how the UN works and the most pressing challenges currently on its agenda, before taking a deep dive into previous successful UN partnerships with the film and television industry. This panel provided PGA members and other content creators with insight into the logistics of working with the UN through CCOI, whether at the headquarters or in the field, and the exceptional access and expertise that professionals from across the UN system can provide to ensure realistic, accurate, and engaging portrayals of the UN and its issues. The event was attended by close to 250 PGA members and other creative professionals. The participants were invited to take a survey following the virtual session, and their feedback will be used to help guide future panels and workshops in this series.
CCOI’s Role:
In collaboration with the PGA, CCOI created the event programme, identified themes of discussion, and secured industry and UN experts as panelists for this virtual workshop.
Related UN Issues:
Sustainable Development Goals, COVID-19 response
News Coverage: