Casting Professionals Join Talkback for Charity Screening Of CASTING BY
The event will take place at the LACAE Theatre, located in North Hollywood, CA.
On Thursday, April 9, 2026, LACAE and FYC Independents are presenting a special charity screening of the 2012 documentary Casting By, followed by a talkback featuring several influential casting professionals.
The event will take place at the LACAE Theatre, located in North Hollywood, CA. The doors open at 6:30 PM, with the screening beginning at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available here.
Joining the conversation will be the film's director, Tom Donahue, and composer Leigh Roberts, alongside a panel of industry guests:
- DAVID RUBIN - Former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2019-2022), with credits including The English Patient, Hairspray, Men in Black, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Rob Reiner's last film Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
- Deb Aquila - Renowned casting director known for The Shawshank Redemption, La La Land, and CODA.
- Barbara McCarthy - Credits include Catch Me If You Can, Mother's Day, and The Christmas Chronicles.
- Josh Einsohn-Emmy-Nominated for Monster, This Is Us, Paradise
- Alexa Pereira - Emmy-nominated and Artios Award-winning casting director, who most recently cast the Netflix hit series Nobody Wants This.
- Paul Ruddy - Emmy-winning casting director of The Eastsiders, Mafia Spies.
- Lauren Fernandes - A longtime collaborator with Heidi Levitt, with over two decades in casting, including work on the Oscar-winning film The Artist.
This special event serves as a fundraiser for FALA (Future Artists of Los Angeles), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Los Angeles' cultural landscape. FALA supports both emerging and established artists, with a focus on building sustainable careers in the performing arts.
Originally released in 2012, Casting By played a pivotal role in reshaping industry perceptions of casting directors, elevating them from largely uncredited contributors to recognized creative partners. Its impact helped pave the way for the introduction of the inaugural Academy Award for Best Casting, presented in 2026. The Emmy-nominated Casting By was produced by Ilan Arboleda, Tom Donahue, Kate Lacy, and Joanna Colbert.
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