As a casting director, Eyde Belasco has worked on the independent feature films Sorry To Bother You, Wild Indian, I Was a Simple Man, Monos, Morris From America, Breathe In, The Words, Like Crazy, Pariah, Here, Lymelife, Don’t Let Me Drown, and Half Nelson, all of which screened at the Sundance Film Festival. She is in her 30th year as the West Coast casting director for the Sundance Institute.

Kharmel Cochrane has spent the past 14 years shaping the landscape of casting, building a reputation as a visionary force in the industry. Celebrated for championing fresh, diverse voices, she has become synonymous with discovering talent and elevating stories through exceptional casting. Her work includes Robert Eggers’ The Witch, Saltburn, Rye Lane, John Wick: Chapter 4, A Quiet Place: Day One and Nosferatu.

Richard Hicks is an Emmy Award–winning casting director for film, television, and theater. Films include Hell or High Water, Gravity, Zero Dark Thirty, Hairspray, Lars and The Real Girl, Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration and A Mighty Wind, Walter Salles’ On The Road, and Ken Loach’s Bread and Roses. Richard also casts for the Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs.

Jessica Kelly is an award-winning casting director and burgeoning producer. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work casting HBO’s Euphoria. She proudly has had 33 films at the Sundance Film Festival, including Chasing Summer (2026), Sorry, Baby, Last Days, A Real Pain, Ponyboi, Blood, Resurrection, A Love Song, and When You Finish Saving the World. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Erica A. Hart is an Artios Award–winning casting director whose work spans film, television, theater, commercials, and live performances. A Washington, D.C. native and NYU Tisch Film & Television alum, Erica began her career at ABC Primetime Casting before transitioning to independent casting, where she has become a sought-after collaborator known for championing bold storytellers and distinctive voices.

Karlee Fomalont, CSA, is an Artios Award–winning casting director, four-time Artios Award nominee, and graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She began her career at CBS Primetime NY and ABC Primetime NY before moving into independent casting and has worked with Rori Bergman for 11 years. Film credits include: A Complete Unknown, Steven Spielberg’s The Post, and Private Life.