Getting Real with Mara Brock & Salim Akil

Date: April 10, 2015
Time: 2:15pm – 3:45pm
Location: Ada Slaight Hall, Daniels Spectrum

The TSC welcomes BET’s reigning scripted team, Salim and Mara Brock Akil (BEING MARY JANE, THE GAME, GIRLFRIENDS). Join Mara and Salim as they discuss using their shows as a platform for discourse with America, having to create series finales’ concluding arcs, writing authentic stories, engaging in healthy debates in the writers room, their hate of having to kill characters off, and much more. Two of TV’s most influential writer/producer/showrunners share how to follow your vision even if—or perhaps more important, because—it challenges the status quo. – See more at: http://www.torontoscreenwritingconference.com/2015/getting-real-with-salim–mara-brock-akil#sthash.xHeKoCMa.dpuf

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Mara Brock Akil returned to Los Angeles to pursue her passion for writing after receiving a degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She was first staffed on SOUTH CENTRAL, and then went on to write for MOESHA, before quickly ascending to supervising producer on THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW. It was during that time Mara developed her first original series, GIRLFRIENDS, which aired for eight seasons on UPN and The CW. She then developed the hit spin-off, THE GAME, which ran for three seasons on The CW before being cancelled and brought back to life on BET, where it debuted to record-breaking ratings.

In 2013, Mara created and produced BEING MARY JANE for BET. The first scripted drama in BET’s 30-year history, the 90-minute movie debuted to over 4 million viewers, and was immediately commissioned for a full series order. Currently, Mara is hard at work on Season 3 of the series, with Season 2 currently airing.

As an active philanthropist Mara dedicates much of her time to numerous charities and non-profits including: LAXArt, The Samburu Project, Dance Studio Harlem, The Rebecca Project, The William H. Johnson Foundation for the Arts, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. In 2014 Girls Inc. honored Mara for her work inspiring and advocating for girls everywhere.

Mara is married to her producing and business partner, director Salim Akil. Together they have two sons and reside in Los Angeles.