Description

You don’t need to work harder.
You need the truth about what’s working now.

Here’s the thing most actors won’t say out loud. It’s not your talent that’s holding you back. It’s your strategy. You know you’re ready, but you’re still second-guessing every audition and submission, wondering how to stand out in a noisy, digital-first industry, and waiting on reps or the next workshop to move the needle.

A shifting industry needs a shifting strategy. That’s what The Shortlist gives you.

This is the 2026 summit, the newest one, with 27 hours of real conversations and real access from 18+ of the people who actually make casting, signing, and hiring decisions. This year’s lineup includes Emmy winners, Artios Award winners, and Oscar nominees, plus casting directors, agents, managers, and producers with projects on Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu, and ABC, the people shaping the industry right now.

The actors who are booking and signing aren’t hustling harder.

They’re connected and strategic. This is where you stop playing small, start thinking like a CEO, and learn what it really takes to work in today’s industry.

Here’s a taste of what’s waiting inside your 27 hours:

• The current rules for building a working career in today’s market, with host Jodie Bentley
• What casting directors actually remember, and what gets you cast, from names like Terry Berland, M’saada Nia, Steven Tylor O’Connor, Kimberly Skyrme, and more
• What makes actors stand out, earn trust, and stay repped, from working agents and managers like Marilyn Atlas
• What producers and award-winning directors look for in the actors they hire again and again
• Why unclear messaging keeps you from booking, and how to show up with precision and confidence
• Real actor breakthrough stories, plus recorded sessions that turn it all into a plan you can act on
• The SHORTLIST Playbook: a 50-page toolkit of prompts, exercises, and career strategy

This isn’t another panel. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what’s actually working now, from the people deciding who works. And it’s yours for life, so you can come back to any session whenever your career needs a next step.

Clarity. Strategy. Momentum. It all starts here.

Stop waiting to be picked. Get the roadmap and start owning your career.

Summit Guests:

What the 2026 Summit Attendees Said: