Join Kevin Smith, Oscar winners, and top storytellers at the State of the Story conference. Explore the art of narrative with industry leaders this March.
- March 27, 2026
AceShowbiz - Kevin Smith is set to take center stage in a keynote discussion at the upcoming State of the Story conference this March.
The esteemed filmmaker will join a distinguished lineup of storytellers, including Oscar winners Cord Jefferson, Diablo Cody, and Graham Moore. Emmy awardees David Wain and former DGA president Paris Barclay will also be featured, alongside multihyphenate Nia Vardalos and writers Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan from KPop Demon Hunters.
Other notable participants include Franklin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Black List; producer Scott Glassgold of 12:01 Films; Verve partner David Boxerbaum; and Adam Kolbrenner, founder of Lit Entertainment.
The event is scheduled for March 22 and will be held at the Harmony Gold Theater. Originally planned for the Writers Guild Theater, the venue was changed due to ongoing staff strikes affecting the industry.
Storytelling360 is a live series dedicated to bringing together leading voices in storytelling for panel discussions and programming centered on the evolving state of narrative arts. The event also supports charitable causes within the arts community.
The inaugural Storytelling360 series took place across Los Angeles and New York last year, drawing acclaimed speakers such as Spike Lee, Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman, Forrest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth, Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz, Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, Tony Kushner (Lincoln), and Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine).
Other notable past presenters include Celine Song (Past Lives), Lee Daniels (Precious), Craig Brewer (Song Sung Blue), Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), and Tony Award winner Warren Leight (Law & Order).
Kevin Smith is best recognized for his Clerks franchise and has recently worked on projects such as The 4:30 Movie, Clerks III, Killroy Was Here, and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.