Franklin Leonard

Franklin Leonard

Keynote Speaker: Film Producer, Cultural Commentator, Professor, Activist & Entrepreneur

Franklin Leonard Biography

Franklin Leonard is the founder and CEO of the Black List, the company that celebrates and supports great screenwriting and the writers who do it via film production, as well as its annual survey of the best unproduced screenplays, online marketplace, live staged script readings, screenwriter labs and film culture publications. More than 400 scripts from the annual Black List survey (30 percent of its total output) have been produced as feature films, earning 250 Academy Award nominations and 50 wins, including four of the last ten Best Pictures and ten of the last twenty-two screenwriting Oscars.

Leonard has worked in feature film development at Universal Pictures and the production companies of Will Smith, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He has been a juror at the Sundance, Toronto, and Guanajuato Film Festivals and for the PEN Center Literary Awards. He was also a delegate and speaker at the White House's 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

Leonard was one of Hollywood Reporter's "35 Under 35," Black Enterprise magazine's "40 Emerging Leaders for Our Future," The Root’s 100 Most Influential African-Americans, Fast Company’s "100 Most Creative People in Business" and was awarded the 2015 African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)'s Special Achievement Award for career excellence. He is an occasional commentator on the BBC and MSNBC on matters of culture, politics and race, an associate professor at the American Film institute, a trustee of PEN America, an advisor to Glitch, Inc. and a member of the Associates Branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Franklin Leonard and other top speakers and celebrities.

Franklin Leonard Videos

How the Black List Revives Dead Scripts - Franklin Leonard
CNBC Evolve: Franklin Leonard
DeVon Franklin, Franklin Leonard, Debra Martin Chase & Phil Sun

How do I book Franklin Leonard to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Franklin Leonard for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Franklin Leonard, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Franklin Leonard or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Franklin Leonard for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Franklin Leonard, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Franklin Leonard are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Franklin Leonard, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Franklin Leonard speak about?

Franklin Leonard is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Television & Film, Professors, Social Activism, Entrepreneurship, Storytelling, Entertainers, Celebrity, TED, Diversity & Inclusion, Culture, Creativity and Entertainment.

Where does Franklin Leonard travel from?

Franklin Leonard generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Franklin Leonard?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Franklin Leonard for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Franklin Leonard for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Franklin Leonard or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Franklin Leonard is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Television & Film, Professors and Social Activism. The estimated speaking fee range to book Franklin Leonard for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Franklin Leonard generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Issa Rae, Spike Lee and Ben Vereen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Franklin Leonard for an upcoming event.

Franklin Leonard Videos

How the Black List Revives Dead Scripts - Franklin Leonard
CNBC Evolve: Franklin Leonard
DeVon Franklin, Franklin Leonard, Debra Martin Chase & Phil Sun
Sarah Ellison and Franklin Leonard | The 2019 MAKERS ...
How I accidentally changed the way movies get made | Franklin Leonard
  • How do I book Franklin Leonard to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Franklin Leonard for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Franklin Leonard, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Franklin Leonard or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Franklin Leonard for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Franklin Leonard, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Franklin Leonard are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Franklin Leonard, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Franklin Leonard speak about?

    Franklin Leonard is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Television & Film, Professors, Social Activism, Entrepreneurship, Storytelling, Entertainers, Celebrity, TED, Diversity & Inclusion, Culture, Creativity and Entertainment.
  • Where does Franklin Leonard travel from?

    Franklin Leonard generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Franklin Leonard?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Franklin Leonard for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Franklin Leonard for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Franklin Leonard or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
BOOKING INFORMATION REQUEST
FRANKLIN LEONARD

We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.

Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.

Tell us about your event!

We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.


This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.