2016 Jury

ROY WOOD, JR. brings a brand of thought provoking comedy that was described by Entertainment Weekly as “charismatic crankiness”. In 2016, Variety magazine named him one of “10 Comics to Watch”. Currently a correspondent on ‘The Daily Show,’ Roy previously spent three years on the TBS sitcom, Sullivan and Son and is still a regular on ‘Conan,’ ESPN’s ‘SportsNation,’ & Comedy Central’s ‘@Midnight’. A native of Birmingham, Roy is a graduate of Ramsay High School and began his comedy career in 1998 at the age of 19 while attending Florida A&M University. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & Vine: @roywoodjr

Farah White has won over directors and fellow actors with her talent, passion and a tenacity to do whatever it takes to help get the job done. A professional actress since 1999, she can currently be seen in Flutter (2015), Ladies of the House (2015), in which she starred/produced, and in the upcoming release of The Great & The Small. She has written and directed several shorts, television pilots, and produced over 10 features in the past 5 years.

Aaron Hillis is the Manager of Film & Creative Outreach for the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. He was praised by Brooklyn Magazine as one of “The 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture.” Aaron is also a filmmaker, programmer, and proprietor of Video Free Brooklyn (one of the last DVD rental stores in NYC). His writings have appeared in The Village Voice, VICE, Variety, Vanity Fair, and several other outlets that don’t start with V. Aaron’s co-directorial feature debut FISH KILL FLEA screened at Sidewalk in 2007. Twitter & Instagram: @cobblehillis.

Ash Christian is an Emmy Award winning film producer based in New York City. Film credits include the soon to be released Hello Again starring Audra McDonald and Martha Plimpton, Miles starring Molly Shannon and Paul Reiser, Petunia starring Brittany Snow and Thora Birch, and Hurricane Bianca starring RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio, Rachel Dratch and Margaret Cho. He also works on the new Sony/Crackle series “Startup” starring Martin Freeman and Adam Brody.

Melodie Sisk quickly found a love for producing after starring in Zach Clark’s Modern Love is Automatic (SXSW 2009). Since then, she has produced and appeared in Clark’s Vacation! (Edinburgh 2010) and White Reindeer (SXSW 2013) and is a Story Creator and Producer on Clark’s newest feature Little Sister (SXSW 2016). Melodie also produced and can be seen in Onur Tukel’s Summer of Blood (Tribeca 2014), and produced Tukel’s following film Applesauce (Tribeca 2015).

Andrea Krauss has a professional background in television, film and video with a concentration on independent film that spans over two decades. Producing credits include: Dalila Ali Rajah’s short film “Secret & Toys” with Quentin Lee directing, “Grown This Way” directed by Nathan Adloff and “Cinema Conversations with Stephen P. Jarchow”, a docu series for Here Television. Her ability to build bridges through cultural diplomacy has fostered the exchange of ideas and communication through the medium of film. @kraussinthehouse

Skizz Cyzyk is a filmmaker, writer, musician, artist, and film festival careerist having held positions at MicroCineFest, Maryland Film Festival, Slamdance, Kansas City Film Fest, and Atlanta Film Festival. Skizz also writes for music and film magazines, is on the Board of Directors for Maryland Lawyers for the Arts, plays ukulele for Go Pills, and is the drummer for indie-pop sensations The Jennifers, as well as for Mink Stole & Her Wonderful Band. Facebook: Skizz. Twitter & Instagram: @skizzcyzyk

Becca Greene is a writer/director based in Los Angeles. Becca has written for and developed multiple TV shows and pilots including, “Nevermind the Bullocks,” Zachary Levi’s ‘’Worst Night Ever’’ at NBCUniversal, and David Gordon Green’s animated comedy, “Good Vibes”. Her remakes of the successful Italian films for producers Aurelio and Luigi De Laurentiis are in development. She is set to direct her first feature film next year, The Beard, with Adam Goodman producing. Instagram: @thebeccagreene

Kate McEdwards is the VP of kickin’ out the jams at Oscilloscope, and is a current Canadian expat living la vida loca. She also helps release indie feature films. Oscilloscope’s prior releases have included Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy and Lucy and Meek’s Cutoff, Lana Wilson and Martha Shane’s After Tiller, and Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights. Current and upcoming releases include Anna Biller’s The Love Witch, Anna Rose Holmer’s The Fits, and Joel Potrykus’ The Alchemist Cookbook.

Roberta Munroe is a producer, author, writer/director and the Managing Partner of her LA based film production and consulting company. Her book, HOW NOT TO MAKE A SHORT FILM: SECRETS FROM A SUNDANCE PROGRAMMER (Hyperion, 2009), has remained an Amazon Best Seller since its publication. From 2001-2006, Roberta programmed short films at The Sundance Film Festival during which time the Online Film Festival won several coveted Webby Awards.

Dr. Rachel Raimist is a filmmaker most known for Nobody Knows My Name, the first documentary about women in hip-hop. She has received grants from Women In Film and The Minnesota States Arts Board and was selected a Faculty Fellow of the Emmy Foundation’s Television Academy and the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE). She earned a MFA and BA in Film Directing and a PhD. She is the associate professor of media production at The University of Alabama, where she also serves as Co-Director of Creative Campus Program. Find Rachel on social media as @docraimist.

Ondi Timoner has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice, for 2004’s DIG! and 2009’s top prize-winner, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC. Both films were acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other acclaimed features include: The Nature of the Beast (1994), Join Us (2007), COOL IT (2010) and BRAND: A Second Coming (2015). Timoner produced and hosted BYOD (Bring Your Own Doc) for thelip.tv, the only documentary talk show in the world. Timoner serves on the National Board of the DGA and as member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Juki Timoner is 12 years young and enjoys the many opportunities that he is given by his mother, Ondi Timoner, who is highly regarded in the documentary sphere and is also his best friend. Juki has made short films in Bhutan, Panama, Israel, and even in Northern California with the inventor of the flying car. Having watched hundreds of documentaries and even more scripted films, Juki is excited to come to his second Sidewalk Film Festival, this time as a juror! P.S. If you agree with his choice for best film, then try out his Youtube channel: Jukebox Gaming!

Bryan Storkel made his first feature documentary Holy Rollers that was released by Warner Bros, and featured on The Colbert Report and This American Life. His follow-up Fight Church was picked up by Lionsgate/Netflix. Storkel has also edited or produced numerous docs including The Internet’s Own Boy, which was short-listed for the 2015 Academy Awards; the PBS Olympics film, Ice Warriors; and the 2015 PBS Independent Lens film, Little Hope Was Arson. This year, he directed an episode of Peter Berg’s State of Play for HBO and also edited the HBO Special, Ferrell Takes the Field.

(see Doc Features jury)

(see SHOUT jury)

Daniel Scheinert is a Los Angeles based filmmaker who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama of all places. He is best known as one half of the directing duo DANIELS (along with another Daniel named Daniel Kwan). After releasing a music video for the song “Turn Down for What,” they won Best Director at the MTV Video Music Awards, but both their moms were bummed that they don’t announce that one on TV. This year, they released their first ever feature film called Swiss Army Man. They write, direct, and sometimes act but to be honest Daniel does most of the work. Twitter: @daniels

(see Shorts jury)

Amanda Presmyk is the Festival Coordinator of the Oak Cliff Film Festival, in Dallas, Texas. Amanda hopped on the OCFF team in 2014, passionate about their mission to give a heart and home to the Dallas indie film community. She has worked on narrative television series, produced commercial spots for clients like the Texas Rangers and Papa John’s, and produced short films. Amanda has B.A. in Film and Media Arts and a B.A. in Convergence Journalism from Southern Methodist University.