2025 Convention Schedule
August 28th – October 30th
The Art of Resistance in Film and Television
University Library 2nd Floor WalkwayCome see the Art Directors Guild exhibition honoring this year’s Imaginator Award Winner Herman Zimmerman and previous Imaginator winners such as Harrison Ellenshaw, Rick Carter, Dawn Brown, and Wynn Thomas. The exhibition will include production art from the Star Trek universe, the Star Wars universe, and many other of your favorite films and television shows.
September 23rd – September 24th
Vendors Room
U-SU Los Angeles Room CCome visit the vendors and get your fandom on! Buy merch from your favorite heroes at OG Collectibles, buy some novels, poetry, and art from EagleCon panelists, and get some EagleCon branded merchandise.
Tuesday, September 23rd
9:30AM – 10:40AM
Panel: Evolutionary Science, Living Art, and Crafting Speculative Environments: A Conversation about Envisioning Climate and Indigenous Resilience
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Last Spring, the Luckman Fine Arts Center hosted an exhibit called [In]visible Flows, which combined the cutting-edge evolutionary research for climate-resilient plants taking place at Cal State LA's Scoffini Lab with creative visual expressions made of living materials and classic speculative texts to present a set of hopeful possibilities for building a climate-adapted world. Students in Cal State LA's Fine Arts department were involved in crafting the exhibit. This panel takes the form of a conversation between Dr. Jeannette Vaught, Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities in Liberal Studies, and Fine Arts student Jesus Escandon, whose work on the exhibit drew from his indigenous knowledge and practice of making textiles from plant materials. The conversation will explore the exhibit's themes, the role of art and science in building climate resilience, and the centrality of indigenous knowledge and people to environmental justice work.
Moderator: Dr. Jeannette Vaught, Department of Liberal Studies
Panelist: Jesus Escandon, Artist
9:30AM – 10:40AM
Pitch Perfect: Selling Your Creative Ideas to Industry Pros
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Have a brilliant concept for a show, animation, or campaign? Great—now comes the real challenge: convincing others it’s worth making. In this interactive panel, creative leaders will share how they shape ideas to win over audiences, clients, and executives. You’ll learn how to understand your audience’s needs, tailor your message, and deliver a pitch that sticks—skills that will boost your job search, interviews, and career in any creative field.
Guest Speakers
Courtney L. Branch, Industry Programs Manager, Latino Film Institute
Nicole Edry, Sr. Manager of Creative Operations & Production for the Brand Creative & Digital Marketing Team in the Game Shows Division of Sony Pictures Television
Sean Malony, Partner & Creative Director, Animator, VFX Artist, Apartment D Films
10:55AM – 12:00PM
Tiny Poems, Infinite Worlds: The Dwarf Star Awards
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Join us for the SFPA Dwarf Stars Awards, celebrating the best speculative poems of ten lines or fewer. Hosted by Poet Laureate Emerita Wendy Van Camp, this special event features an interview with Dr. Miguel O. Mitchell, editor of the 2025 Dwarf Stars Anthology, who will share insights into the selection process and the unique craft of micro-poetry. Following the conversation, this year’s winners and honorable mentions will present readings of their award-winning poems. This program highlights the power of concise verse in science fiction, fantasy, and horror poetry. Sponsored by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association.
10:55AM – 12:00PM
Résumés, Reels, and Portfolios: Crafting Your Creative Calling Card
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)In the creative world, your résumé is only the beginning—your reel and portfolio tell the real story. Join recruiters Join recruiters from entertainment companies to learn how to showcase your skills, style, and story so you stand out in a crowded market. Discover what top entertainment recruiters look for, how to tailor your materials for different opportunities, and ways to present your work so employers can’t wait to call you in for an interview. Whether you’re applying for production, music, media, or marketing roles, this session will help you level up your job search toolkit.
12:20PM–1:30PM
Careers in the Entertainment Industries: The Artists’ Perspectives
University Student Union 3rd Floor Alhambra Room (305)Join members of Young Artists Committee of the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) for a discussion of how art departments work in the entertainment industry and the paths they took to break into the jobs they now have. More details coming soon!
12:20PM–1:30PM
Starlit Scribes: Speculative Voices, Timeless Themes
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Join us for Starlit Scribes, a dynamic poetry reading and panel discussion featuring speculative poets from SFWA, SFPA, and HWA. Moderator Wendy Van Camp leads a conversation on how these professional organizations support poets working in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. This event offers inspiration, community, and practical advice for poets writing in the genre and those curious to explore it.
Moderator: Wendy Van Camp (The Planets, Eccentric Orbits)
Panelist: Jean-Paul L. Garnier, publisher of Space Cowboy Books and editor of StarLine Magazine
Panelist: Pedro Iniguez (Mexicans on the Moon, Control Theory)
Panelist: Bree Wernicke (“Jack of All Faces,” “Fairy Tales for Drowning Girls”)
Panelist: Denise Dumars (Cajuns in Space, Paranormal Romance)
1:45PM – 2:55PM
Lemonade Award Presentation: The Organization of Transformative Works
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)EagleCon presents the Lemonade Award for acts of kindness by organizations that further science fiction communities. This year’s awardee is the Organization of Transformative Works (OTW, www.transformativeworks.org), a nonprofit organization established by fans to serve the interests of fans by providing access to and preserving the history of fanworks and fan culture in its myriad forms. Come hear a member of the OTW discuss their mission and how you can experience and contribute to their amazing archives.
Panelist: Erica L. Frank, Galactic Journey blog and OTW member
Moderator: Dr. Patrick Sharp, Department of Liberal Studies
3:10PM – 4:25PM
Imaginator Award Presentation: Herman Zimmerman
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Guild for wondrous achievement in visual conceptualization. This year we honor legendary art director and production designer Herman Zimmerman, whose long career in Hollywood has seen him create the look of many different science fiction stories about resistance such Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999). Visit the Library exhibition of his work and come see him discuss his amazing career as one of the primary architects of future resistance in film and television!
Awardee: Herman Zimmerman, production designer (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Star Trek: Enterprise
Michael Okuda, Star Trek graphic designer and the original EagleCon Prism Award recipient
Moderator: Professor Patrick Sharp, Department of Liberal Studies
Wednesday, September 24th
10:00AM – 10:50AM
Workshop: Images of Resistance
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)What does resistance look like? Across media, resistance movements and rebellions against unjust and dangerous organizations and governments have utilized design and visual language to unify and empower everyday people to rise up and fight for themselves and for each other. In this workshop, we will examine different resistance movements across realities and fandoms and use that knowledge to create our own visual calls to action. By the end, each participant will walk away with a button (or buttons!) of their own making as a symbol of their resistance to the forces that try to tear them down.
Moderator: Professor Zachary Vernon, Department of Art
11:00AM – 11:50AM
Student Panel: Telling Your Own Stories Through Comics
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Come hear students from the Spring 2025 special topics class, “Comics & Graphic Narratives,” share their work and discuss how they went from readers of comics to makers of comics. There will also be a raffle to win a printed copy of the comic anthology, Freedom, created in the class.
Moderator: Professor Zachary Vernon, Department of Art
Panelist: Mayra Gamboa (student, Art)
Panelist: Royce Jamerson (student, Computer Science)
Panelist: Yair Flores (student, Art)
12:00PM – 2:00PM
Styled for Success: Creative Industry Pop-Up
University Student Union 3rd Floor: Just outside of the Los Angeles Room (308)Step into your future with a style that speaks your creative language. At this career clothing pop-up, you’ll explore what professional dress looks like across creative fields—from relaxed production roles to polished client-facing positions. Learn how to align your personal style with industry expectations so you can show up with confidence at interviews, networking events, and on set. See outfit examples, get inspired, and discover how the Cal State LA Career Clothing Closet can help Golden Eagles build a professional wardrobe—free of charge.
12:20PM – 1:30PM
Beyond the Gatekeepers: Indie Sci-Fi from the Science Fiction Novelists Anthology
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Waiting on agents, editors, and publishers to greenlight your work? So were these authors. Join four of the contributors to the Science Fiction Novelists 2025 SciFi Anthology as they share how they took the leap outside the traditional publishing system and put their stories directly into the hands of readers. In this candid discussion, they’ll answer your questions ranging from story crafting to publishing and anthology collaborations and online platforms. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and how today’s science fiction writers are building their own patterns. Whether you're an aspiring writer or a curious reader, this panel offers a look at the new frontiers of indie sci-fi.
Moderator: S. A. Gibson, author of Woodpunk and editor of the SFN anthology
Panelist: EJ Runyon, author of A House of Light and Stone, Your Little Red Book.
Panelist: Shakyra Dunn, voice actor, singer, and author of The Final Lesson and The Sage’s Reign
Panelist: Cynthia Liu (aka Liu Wen Zhuang), author of “The Metamorphosis Bud” and contributor to Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction
1:50PM – 2:55PM
Prism Award Presentation: Alex Rivera
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)The Prism Award is given to creators who have made outstanding contributions to diversity in speculative genres across media. This year we honor influential filmmaker Alex Rivera, whose short films and cyberpunk feature film Sleep Dealer are widely recognized as foundational works of Chicana(o) and Latina(o) futurism. The recent exhibition Cyberpunk: Exhibiting Possible Futures Through Cinema at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures featured artifacts and clips from Rivera’s films as well as an original short film for which Rivera wrote the script. Come hear him discuss his career from DIY filmmaking to Hollywood features with Cal State LA students and faculty.
Awardee: Alex Rivera, writer and director, Sleep Dealer, Cyberpunk
Moderator: Dr. Stephen Trzaskoma, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters
3:10PM – 4:20PM
Panel: AI and Adapting Capek’s Rossum’s Universal Robots
University Student Union 3rd Floor Los Angeles Room (308)Come hear about the new production Karel Čapek’s Rossum's Universal Robots, the first ever text to use the word “robot,” by the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Daniel Hrbek, Artistic Director of Prague’s prestigious international Svanda Theater and Dr. Zdeněk Vacek, Director of the Karel Čapek Museum in the Stará Huť will discuss the life and work of Čapek and the history and future of this production.
Panelist: Daniel Hrbek, Artistic Director of Prague’s prestigious international Svanda Theater
Panelist: Dr. Zdeněk Vacek, Director of the Karel Čapek Museum in the Stará Huť
Moderator: Professor Tanya Kane-Parry, Department of Theatre and Dance