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2018 Juries

Announcing Our 2018 Juries

 


Narrative Grand Jury

Matthew Lessner
Writer, Director

Matthew Lessner is a nomadic filmmaker and artist whose work defies easy categorization while remaining distinctly his own. His films have screened and won awards at festivals worldwide including Sundance and the New Hampshire Film Festival, where his second feature film Automatic at Sea won the Grand Jury Award. Lessner is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden.

 

Stephen Shafer
Production Executive, Di Bonaventura Pictures

Shafer is a Production Executive with Di Bonaventura Pictures, which produced the Transformers and GI Joe franchises as well as films such as Four Brothers, Shooter, Salt and Deepwater Horizon. He manages multiple projects in the development slate and most recently served as Co-Producer on American Assassin, starring Michael Keaton and Dylan O’Brien.

 

 

Jeff Tomsic
Director

Although known for his comedic work in television, Tomsic made his feature directorial debut with the action-comedy film TAG on June 15, 2018. His short film I’m Having a Difficult Time Killing My Parents premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and won the New Hampshire Film Festival’s Best Short Comedy Award in 2011.


Documentary Grand Jury

Michael Barnett
Documentary Filmmaker

Michael Barnett, a native New Hampshirite, is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker who tells inspiring, inquisitive and illuminating stories. His recent work includes Superheroes – HBO Documentary Films, Becoming Bulletproof – Showtime, and The Mars Generation – Time Inc. and Netflix Original Documentary, which premiered at 2017 Sundance as the opening night film.

 

Sean Flynn 
Program Director/Co-Founder, Camden Int’l Film Festival

Flynn is Programming Director and Co-Founder of the Camden International Film Festival, and has also helped design and produce all of the Points North Institute programs since 2011. He began his career as a producer and cinematographer for two feature-length documentaries, Beyond Belief and The List, both of which had their premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

 

 


Jacquelyn Mills
Documentary Filmmaker

Jacquelyn Mills’s work explores the healing and transformative qualities that come from a connection to the natural world. After graduating from Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema Jacquelyn was named Montréal Mirror’s NoiseMaker in Film and Canada’s Best New Director. Jacquelyn’s first feature-length documentary In the Waves had its world premiere at Visions du Réel 2017, was awarded Best Documentary, Best Edit (FIN), Grand Jury Prize (New Hampshire Film Festival) and Best Medium Length Documentary (RIDM).


Narrative Shorts Jury

Nick Camacho
Director of Marketing, Oscilloscope Laboratories

Nick Camacho is the Director of Marketing at Oscilloscope Laboratories. Nick oversees the releases of all feature films, creating marketing materials and branded ad campaigns for each film. Nick also runs all of Oscilloscope’s social media accounts, which you should definitely subscribe to for a good film themed laugh every day. Nick previously has worked in marketing and publicity at Brigade Media and IFC Films.

 

George T. Marshall
Executive Director/CEO, Flickers’ Rhode Island Int’l Film Festival

Marshall is the founder and executive director of the 37 year-old Flickers Arts Collaborative, a non-profit organization that produces programming and creative outlets for filmmakers and visual/performing artists, including the Oscar® qualifying, Rhode Island International Film Festival.

 

 

Max Porter
Director

Max Porter is an Oscar-nominated animation film director living in Providence, RI. Known for his collaborations work with co-director, Ru Kuwahata, he has directed and produced TV commercials, music videos, comics, interactive media and four independent films. Working internationally, Max has created projects with the Netherlands Institute for Animation Film and Ciclic Animation in France.


Documentary Shorts Jury

Laura Azevedo
Executive Director, Filmmakers Collaborative

Azevedo has over 20 years experience as a production manager and supervising producer, with credits on national series such as NOVA, American Experience and FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman.

 

Nicole Castro
Managing Director, HollyShorts Film Festival

After working for VH1 in New York for a few years, Nicole made the move to LA to work at HBO in the Post Production Films Department. While there, Nicole had the opportunity to hone her skills, allowing her the chance to produce a Webisode series (Dwelling) and a few award winning short films (Cherry Waves, Terms of Service, Metamorphosis).

 

Amy Nicholson
Filmmaker

Amy Nicholson created award-winning work for ESPN, Got Milk? Nike, Prudential and three old guys that owned Snapple beverages who she made famous. Her documentary Beauty School screened at Hot Docs, Woodstock, Edinburgh and many other prestigious festivals, and also got a PBS broadcast and entertained weary passengers on Virgin Atlantic.


New Hampshire Jury

Dylan Allen
Writer, Director

Dylan Allen is the founder of Amalgamated Picture Co, an award-winning production house based in Brooklyn, NY. His short film Epilogue premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and was featured on Short of the Week, Vimeo Staff Picks, Fast Company, The Atlantic, io9, United Airlines, Film Shortage and NoBudge, where it was the most watched film of 2014. His short film The Privates won the Best NH Short Narrative Award at the 2017 New Hampshire Film Festival. He is a card-carrying member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.

 

Cynthia Fenneman
President/CEO, American Public Television

Cynthia A. Fenneman is president and CEO of American Public Television (APT), a leading distributor of high quality, viewer-favorite programs to U.S. public television’s 350+ stations. With more than 35 years of broadcasting and production experience, she brings invaluable knowledge of the media industry to her post. During her tenure, she has led the company in new strategic and creative directions – from the 2006 launch of Create® TV, the dynamic 24/7 lifestyle channel, to the 2010 distribution of WORLD℠, the nonfiction news and documentary channel.

 

Sarah Stewart
Commissioner, NH Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources

Commissioner Stewart’s seasoned experience with the media, coalition development and policy know-how helped her successfully guide corporations, non-profits, political organizations and individuals through issue advocacy, grassroots lobbying and stakeholder engagement processes. Appointed commissioner of the N.H. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources in June 2018, Stewart leads a state agency charged with protecting, preserving, promoting and managing the state’s natural, recreational and cultural resources, which together support New Hampshire’s high quality of life and strengthen the experiences of our residents and guests. A veteran of non-profit leadership, she currently serves on the board of directors of Amoskeag Industries.