UNDERSTANDING THE ART OF INTIMACY
Intimacy Coordinators: Behind the Scenes of a Vital Role
Thursday, September 4 | 2 Hours | Limit 25 Participants
Due to the mature content, we ask that participants be 18 years of age or older.
Join Women in Film & Media Pittsburgh at Lightbulb Rentals' Magic Hour Creative for an in-depth panel discussion exploring the essential work of intimacy coordinators in film, television, and theater.
Our panel of experienced professionals will cover:
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What an Intimacy Coordinator is and the scope of their role
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Who they collaborate with on set to ensure safety and comfort
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The history of the profession and how it has evolved
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Established protocols for handling intimate scenes
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Strategies for making cast and crew comfortable during vulnerable moments
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Pathways to becoming an intimacy coordinator
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Special considerations, including the use of Shibari in production settings
The discussion will be followed by a Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and gain practical insights from industry experts.
Panelists:
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Michael Petyak – Intimacy Coordinator & Lead Presenter
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Alex Manalo – Intimacy Coordinator
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Elena Falgione – Intimacy Coordinator
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Kristin Morlino– Costume Supervisor
Cost:
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$30 – Non-members
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$15 – Students (Must show current school ID)
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$10 – Members
Space is limited to 25 participants — reserve your spot early!
MEET THE PANELISTS
Michael Petyak
Michael (Intimacy Director/Coordinator): Shenandoah University (BFA Music Theatre - magna cum laude, 2012) & University of Idaho (MFA – Theatrical Pedagogy & Direction – December 2025 Graduation – Summa Cum Laude) has vast experience with IDC and TIE trainings under his belt, as well as 100+ hours working in rehearsal spaces and film sets with intimacy experience ranging from large scale productions to smaller indie productions. He has helped teach an Intimacy Studio course through his graduate school, the University of Idaho, in which he taught choreography and documentation styles for both stage and film using standard intimacy guidelines. He is the resident intimacy director with Prime Stage Theatre and the resident intimacy director at Seton Hill University. Michael has also been on the panel for SAG-AFTRA to help negotiate intimacy professionals wages this past June, 2025. He is a proud SAG-AFTRA, AEA & IATSE member, as well as a proud husband and father.
Alex Manalo
Alex (she/her) is a Fil-Am actor, producer, director, choreographer, and intimacy choreographer, which she also refers to as a closeness coach. Alex is also the proud owner of Manalo Movement, which aims to provide healthier practices, one workshop at a time. She is in the beginning stages of rolling out her first workshop to high school performing arts programs titled the “ABC Movement.” This stands for Advocacy, Bravery, Community, and she is elated to share the applicable principles of intimacy with the younger generation. Some previous intimacy credits include “Waitress” with Pittsburgh Musical Theater and “How to Succeed in Business…” with South Park Theater. She hopes to expand this resume and continue shining an important light on IC work in Pittsburgh theaters. PPU Grad. IDC Certified. Represented by the Docherty Agency. Proud AEA and Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh member. You can follow her work at manalo-movement.com or on Instagram @alexmanalo_. Mabuhay!
Elena Falgione
Elena (she/her) earned her BFA in Musical Theatre longer ago than she'd care to say. She receives ongoing training from several different organizations, principally Theatrical Intimacy Education and Heartland Intimacy. Relationships and their care and keeping are an obsession of hers. Elena's goal has been cultivating a consent-based space of acceptable risk, giving actors tools for self-advocacy and self regulation, while mitigating the effects of power structures in the rehearsal room. Some of her most favorite Intimacy Work is supporting actors in new plays and collaborating to create a character from the ground up, digging into how they express love physically.
Kristin Morlino
Kristin is a Costume Supervisor in the film industry with over 25 years of experience. She specializes in running day-to-day operations within the department, hiring staff, maintaining budgets and tracking costume continuity. Raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, she is a 1992 graduate of Morgantown High School and a 1996 graduate of the University of Miami (FL). Moving to Los Angeles after college, she got her start in costumes working at the NBC Costume House before working on shows such as Days of Our Lives, The Tonight Show, and The Young and the Restless. She mentored with legendary Costume Designer, Rita Riggs before moving back to Morgantown and opening Sugar Britches Boutique, a boutique oBering label like James Perse, AG Jeans, and Tarina Tarintino. After years in retail, she sold the store and went back to her first love, the film business. Since then, she has traveled the globe working on many different projects and in 2019, she was thrilled to come to Pittsburgh, a place she considers home, to film Amazon’s “I’m Your Woman” . Her long list of credits includes hit shows such as The Walking Dead, 13 Reasons Why, and Devious Maids as well feature films like We Have a Ghost, Baby Driver, and Logan Lucky. She is an avid gardener, bibliophile, and dog rescuer and is presently enjoying the immense success of her movie Weapons, which has been number one at the box office for 2 weeks in a row. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
MEET OUR HOSTS
Magic Hour Creative is an inclusive, high-energy space where artists, filmmakers, and curious minds of all ages come together to create, learn, and connect. Rooted in the “magic hour” glow, our events, workshops, and gatherings celebrate every art form—music, design, writing, performance—and explore how each can shine on screen. It’s a vibrant hub buzzing with creativity, collaboration, and a shared love for catching the perfect light, on film and in community.
Our Mission
Women in Film and Media (WIFM) Pittsburgh is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to improve the status and portrayal of women in film, television, and other screen-based media in Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond. We serve our community by facilitating their access to opportunities in the industry. In addition, we lend our services to non-profit organizations helping women and children. Our programs and events include workforce skills development through mentoring and training workshops, production of public service announcements for non-profits dedicated to women and children, and industry partnerships that further our mission.
Our Activities
We serve our community by facilitating their access to opportunities in the industry. In addition, we lend our services to non-profit organizations helping women and children. Our programs and events include workforce skills development through mentoring and training workshops, production of public service announcements for non-profits dedicated to women and children, and industry partnerships that further our mission. WIFM is a chapter of Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI), a global network comprising over 50 chapters worldwide with more than 15,000 members, dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women in industry.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Women in Film and Media presents several scholarships to women from Southwestern Pennsylvania enrolled in a film or television production curriculum. The scholarships are presented in connection with the Opal Awards or Film Festival that honors high achievement of women in film and television.