Program

This is a sample schedule and not a confirmed 2026 agenda. Program announcements are expected to begin in late April; the full program will go live on May 31, 2026. All times are in Pacific Standard Time.

Monday, July 20, 2026

11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Registration / Credential Pick-up
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Opening Keynote
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Champagne Toast
8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Neighborhood Crawl

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Panel
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Industry Expo Lunch
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Workshop
3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
The Hot Seat
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Evening Keynote

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Lights, Coffee Action
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Panel
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Workshop
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Breakout
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Panel
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Evening Keynote
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Live Performance

Thursday, July 23, 2026

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Morning Fireside Chat
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Morning Keynote
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout
1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Panel
3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Build Your Own Breakout
4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Closing Remarks

*May be subject to change

Testimonials From Past Getting Reals

“My experience was incredible. All of the staff and volunteers were kind and helpful. All of the filmmakers I met were so ready and willing to connect and share knowledge. There were many last-minute changes, but the email communication was clear and consistent, making it easier to navigate all the moving pieces. All in all, it was an incredible experience.” —Thanh Tran

Testimonials From Past Getting Reals

“I loved it. The quality of the curation was absolutely stellar, and attending was a communal event in the best sense: I really appreciate how you welcomed everyone from top-level industry insiders to film students (and all the rest of us in between) on an equal level. It felt democratic, accessible, inclusive. To be clear, I only attended the ‘live’ events, not the virtual ones, since I was there on-site. I really appreciated the variation in the programming, which had a clear theme, but which allowed for every talk to unfold on its own terms. In my experience, the talks felt genuine, honest, and ‘human’ in a way that some industry events do not manage to achieve. There was political commitment and a shared sense of cause, and I appreciate how it was made clear in text and talk that this was a forum in which everyone was encouraged to freely speak their mind and voice their opinion. I also really liked the ones about form and craft/art, as well as the one about using AI for concrete practices. For all those reasons, I find it hard to single out highlights, as Getting Real was so very rewarding as a complete experience. Also, it should be said that it was really great FUN too.”

—Mads K. Mikkelsen

Testimonials From Past Getting Reals

“I loved connecting with the people there. The people were really great. I feel like I made some really organic connections, and it was also nice to reconnect in person with some folks that I had met virtually during the pandemic.”

—Anonymous

“The sense of community I felt in person was invaluable. I also appreciate the discussions fostered among my peers, but the incredible presentations.” —Anonymous