STATE OF THE STORY – LOS ANGELES 2026

Storytelling360 returned to Los Angeles for its third State of the Story conference with its largest and most decorated speaker lineup to date. Three panels and a keynote brought together Oscar winners, Emmy nominees, agents, managers, producers, and development executives for a day that ranged from the business of breaking in to the art of writing something that lasts. The day closed with a keynote conversation between Kevin Smith, one of Hollywood’s most self-made writer-directors and Backstory’s Jeff Goldsmith.

Speakers: Franklin Leonard, Adam Kolbrenner, David Boxerbaum, Scott Glassgold, Kate Oh, Lee Jessup, Paris Barclay, John Quaintance, Hayden Schlossberg, Alison Flierl, Stephanie McFarlane, Graham Moore, Cord Jefferson, Nia Vardalos, Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Diablo Cody, Joe Russo, Kevin Smith, Jeff Goldsmith.

The founder of The Black List, two of Hollywood’s most active literary reps, a producer with a track record in short-form storytelling, and a development executive from one of the industry’s most distinctive production companies tackled the big picture: what the market wants, what it actually needs, and where the opportunities are for writers willing to look in unexpected places. One of the most candid industry conversations State of the Story has hosted.

An Emmy-winning director. A showrunner with credits spanning Will & Grace to Reboot. The co-creator of Cobra Kai and the Harold & Kumar franchise. A writer whose work on BoJack Horseman helped define animated drama for a generation. Four storytellers at different stages of long, varied careers talked about what sustains a creative life — and what you have to be willing to let go of along the way.

Three Oscar winners. The only woman to have solo-written an original film franchise. Two writers redefining what a studio comedy can look like. And the writer of Juno, Jennifer’s Body, and Young Adult. This panel brought together six writers whose work has left a genuine mark on the culture — and who had a lot to say about how it gets made, what it costs, and why it’s worth it.

Thirty years after Clerks changed what independent filmmaking could look like, Kevin Smith sat down with Backstory Magazine’s Jeff Goldsmith to talk about the career that followed — the hits, the misses, the fandom, the heart attacks, and the films he still wants to make. Funny, generous, and completely unfiltered.