2025 Jury

Anissa Latham-Brown is an Emmy Award winning director, producer, and editor born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She produces video content for AL.com and the brand “This Is Alabama.” Her films have been screened at film festivals including AFI Docs, New Orleans Film Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival, and DOC NYC. Her short, Pulled Over/Pulled Under (2022) was a finalist at the Online News Association’s 2022 Online Journalism Awards. Her work centers around the experiences of southern Black communities, and has been supported by Reel South, the Center for Asian American Media, and Firelight Media.

Audrey McDonald Atkins is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and writing coach based in Birmingham, Alabama. With more than 20 years of experience, Audrey specializes in Southern culture, the arts, and literary expression. She first discovered her passion for celebrating Alabama’s authentic voices and stories at the University of Montevallo where she obtained a B.A. in English. Her work has appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, The Bitter Southerner, Mobile Bay Magazine, and This Is Alabama. She is the author of the essay collection They Call Me Orange Juice and pens a monthly column for The Anniston Star. In addition to her writing, she teaches creative writing workshops and is an accomplished visual artist.

Gareth Jones has taught Film Studies for 18 years in three states, currently at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition, he worked for over twenty-five years for the Sundance Film Festival as a consultant for festival logistics in parking and transportation. For the past six years he has co-hosted Sleep In Cinema, a weekly live radio show about movies on Substrate Radio.

Marcus Rosentrater is a two-time Emmy award nominated producer, director, editor and animator with two decades of experience working in the film and television industries. He has produced four seasons of “Archer” (FX Networks), two seasons of “Marvel’s Hit-Monkey” (Hulu). As an independent filmmaker he has produced and directed a feature film and over a dozen short films.

Beyond filmmaking, Marcus is an avid supporter of independent film and film festivals. From 2016-2019 he completed a Filmmaker-in-Residence through the Atlanta Film Festival. When not attending festivals as a filmmaker he participates as a juror, panelist, panel host, industry supporter, and patron. His favorite screenings are regional short blocks.

As a recipient of Sidewalk Film Festival’s Best Alabama Short Award (Grand Fugue on the Art of Gumbo, 2012) and the Best Alabama Film Award (Limo Ride, 2014) it will be special to bestow upon another filmmaker the same award.

Molly Coffee emerged as an award-winning filmmaker in the DIY stop-motion and puppet scene in Atlanta, which segued pretty naturally into a career working in the art department on studio pictures. Molly has production-designed TV shows such as Freeform’s Single Drunk Female and Netflix’s First Kill and feature films like Nicolas Cage’s genre-horror WIlly’s Wonderland. She also makes time to focus on her own films, moving into storytelling with a focus on diverse and queer stories. Molly is the owner of the puppet fabrication company Zombie Cat Builds while also co-founding the non-profit Film Impact Georgia with the hopes of breaking down the barriers of entry for Georgia local creators. Molly’s lifelong dream is to hunt for Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest, and you should email her with any sightings.

Wally Chung is a New York based animator. His weird, macabre short films have screened at various film festivals around the world. Wally is a big fan of pinball, poutine, and is always on the hunt for knife throwing venues. He is currently working on his first feature, which is a black and white animated horror film.

André Natta is a journalist, urbanist, and community news advocate, currently serving as the Executive Director of the Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism (AIIJ) and publisher of BirminghamWatch. He is also known for founding and maintaining the local news website, The Terminal, for over 10 years. Natta is a former John S. Knight Journalism Fellow and has held various roles in journalism, such as digital media producer for WBHM-FM. He has also been involved in collaborative journalism initiatives, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-funded Southern Education Desk, Resolve Philly and the Lenfest Local Lab. He lives in the city’s South East Lake neighborhood with his partner, son, and two cats.

Jasmine Cannon is an award-winning filmmaker and documentarian from Alabama. She studied documentary storytelling at the Medill School at Northwestern University where she focused on social justice and sports stories before beginning her career as a video producer at one of the world’s largest magazine companies in New York City. Jasmine has worked in numerous capacities in the film and television industry on a number of different projects including Netflix’s “AMEND,” Disney’s “Black is King,” and ABC and Hulu’s “Soul of a Nation” and “Killing County.” Recently, she was a producer on PBS’s “Great Migrations”. Jasmine is currently directing and producing a feature documentary titled UTICA that highlights Utica, Mississippi’s agricultural and cultural revitalization while exploring larger questions about food justice, community self-sufficiency, and the impact of systemic neglect on rural communities across America. Jasmine holds a master’s degree in journalism with a focus on documentary storytelling from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from The University of Alabama. Jasmine is passionate about telling stories about people in and from the American South and beyond. She hopes to inspire kids from her home state and other places to dream big and go after their dreams.

Ouida Washington is a passionate producer, whose background encompasses award-winning music videos, feature and short narratives, as well as both short and long-form documentaries. Ouida’s work is profoundly shaped by her Southern roots, growing up in Montgomery, AL
enabled her to craft narratives that resonate with regional experiences. As a dedicated educator, she teaches documentary filmmaking at Spelman College in Atlanta, nurturing aspiring filmmakers and advocating for diverse voices in the industry. Her commitment to education in her own work is a reflection in her belief in the transformative power of storytelling. Ouida’s recent directorial debut, a short experimental film titled “The Language of Joy,” explores the imaginative world of a young girl intertwined with her mother’s memories of a joyful day in Montgomery. The film premiered at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and has been celebrated at various festivals, including New Filmmaker LA, the Hayti Film Festival, the New York Short International Festival and other screenings across the country, showcasing her ability to connect local narratives to broader audiences. Ouida is an organizing member of IMAS and is currently working on two documentary films.

Ceci Leon, an Atlanta native, has always been passionate about merging her love for people and the creative arts in her hometown. After earning her degree, she dedicated her talents to supporting Atlanta’s film industry through her work with several nonprofit organizations. As a producer, Ceci is driven by a commitment to producing short films and events that spotlight unique narratives. She currently serves as the Membership Coordinator for the Film Festival Alliance (advocating for a sustainable + inclusive cinema exhibition ecosystem) and has been newly appointed Film Festival Producer for the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. Ceci takes pride in her role as a connector in the film and exhibition spaces.

Drea Clark is a longtime film festival programmer, currently Artistic Director of Geena Davis’s Bentonville Film Festival and a member of the Sundance Film Festival programming team, and previously with Slamdance (Head of Narrative Feature Programming and Festival Director) and LA Film Fest (Senior Programmer and Head of Filmmaker Relations).

As a producer, Drea has released four independent features: A New York Story
(director Fiona Robert), No Light and No Land Anywhere (director Amber Sealey, executive producer Miranda July), Lake Los Angeles (director Mike Ott), and The Last Time You Had Fun (director Mo Perkins).

She spent ten years as Producer-in-Residence at Film Independent, where she has also been the Spirit Awards Nominations Producer since 2021.

Drea co-hosts Maximum Film!, a weekly movie podcast with comedian Ify Nwadiwe and film critic Alonso Duralde, on the Maximum Fun network.

For over fifteen years, Kristin has successfully produced all types and sizes of productions, including national broadcast commercials, documentaries, photography, digital & social video content, music videos, narrative films, unscripted television, 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, and experiential installations. Through managing budgets, timelines, and collaborating with trusted partners, she consistently creates award-winning work across a variety of industries for clients like Google Fiber, Coca-Cola, DoorDash, Twitter, Valvoline and Southern Company. Her work has been published in Communication Arts and Flash Fiction Magazine, and she has been recognized by the American Advertising Awards for multiple years at the national level for creative excellence in production. She is deeply dedicated to empowering passionate, creative individuals, believes in leading with intention, and endeavors to help production evolve as a collaborative and inclusive craft.

Luna Sofía Miranda is an actress, writer, and producer who gained prominence for her role as Lulu in Sean Baker’s 2024 film Anora. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d’Or before winning a record number of Oscars at the 2025 Academy Awards. Luna began a career as a stripper to pay her way through a degree in creative writing and film while taking acting classes at the William Esper Studio. She used strip-club savings to produce 16 live cabaret shows, an arthouse film, and her upcoming narrative debut, FILMGIRL. She also stars in the upcoming sex-comedy Youthful Pleasures.

Noah Glenn is an independent filmmaker, podcaster, and founder of Like You Film Club, a Memphis-based non-profit presenting children’s and family films with an emphasis on emotional literacy and mental health. As a writer/director, his short films and feature screenplays have won more than a dozen awards from festivals across the country (including audience and jury awards from Sidewalk). His Signal Award winning podcast, Like You: Mindfulness for Kids, has been featured by Apple Podcasts and Common Sense Media. Noah also runs Perpetual Motion, a creative studio that develops and produces video and audio content for non-profits, small businesses, and original productions. His clients include Hilton, The National Civil Rights Museum, Hatch, and many more. He is currently developing his debut feature as a writer/director, and planning the first annual Like You Children’s Film Festival.

Sarah Valentín-Sánchez is an interdisciplinary film scholar whose research centers on contemporary Spanish cinema, with a particular focus on the work of 21st-century women directors. Her dissertation explores cinematic representations of vulnerability as catalysts for personal, political, and social transformation in modern gothic, fantasy, and horror narratives.

She has published several peer-reviewed articles, presented at international conferences, and contributed to film culture through digital magazines and podcasts. Sarah has also been invited as a panelist and guest lecturer, bringing her expertise to diverse academic and public forums.

Asad Muhammad is an impact strategist, public media executive, and father. As VP of Impact & Engagement Strategy at American Documentary | POV, Asad extends the impact of nonfiction films beyond their public broadcast date through community engagement, education, and event production work with noncommercial television stations. From orchestrating impact campaigns to organizing film screenings, Asad engages educators, cultivates inclusive spaces where folx can exercise agency over their own learning. His newest project as co-producer is Talking Walls, an audio-visual film and archive project canvasing the narratives and personal spaces of “seasoned”, Black queer and SGL-identified people.

Bo McGuire was born the queer son of a Waffle House cook and his third-shift waitress in Gadsden, Alabama. The first movie he truly fell for was the music video for Reba McEntire’s “Fancy.” He was a Ryan Murphy + Half Initiative Mentee and one of FilmmakerMagazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” His feature debut, SOCKS ON FIRE, won the jury prize for best documentary feature at Tribeca Film Festival. He teaches screenwriting at Tulane and belongs to the first church of Dolly Parton.

Nick is the series producer of Reel South, a PBS documentary series that highlights independent stories from across the American South. He oversees the series’ daily operations, programming, and production, collaborating with filmmakers, PBS stations, and partners to bring regional voices to public media audiences.

Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Nick got his start as a film fellow with the Southern Exposure program at the Southern Environmental Law Center. He went on to work with National Geographic and Discovery before moving into public media, first with PBS North Carolina and then with Reel South.

His work on the series has contributed to several honors, including a Peabody Award, an International Documentary Association Award for Best Limited Series, and an Honorable Mention for Best Curated Series. In 2023, Current magazine named him a Rising Star in public media.

A proud Sidewalk alumnus and award winner, Alan has produced a variety of fiction and documentary films that have screened internationally. His past films have explored subjects spanning historical and cultural themes, while his more recent work tends to focus on threatened animals and ecosystems and the people rallying around them. Alan is an Associate Professor at UAB, where he directs the Digital and Broadcast Media program in the Department of Communication Studies.

Amanda Willoughby is a Memphis-based filmmaker, visual artist, and arts educator dedicated to storytelling and youth development. A 2012 graduate of Memphis College of Art, she has combined her passion for creative expression with over 15 years of experience mentoring young filmmakers. As Supervisor and Lead Video Instructor at CLOUD901 Teen Learning Lab of Memphis Public Libraries, Amanda designs programs that teach technical skills while fostering creativity, confidence, and collaboration among teens.

She is also the co-founder of Not Your Ordinary Films, a production company committed to authentic narratives. Her recent documentary, I AM—exploring the experiences of African American women living with anxiety—is currently streaming on the PBS app. Beyond film, Amanda has showcased her paintings in two exhibitions, further reflecting her multidisciplinary approach. Her past role with Indie Memphis as Youth Mentor Program Coordinator and Black Creators Forum Producer highlights her commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices in film.

John Rash is a filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist working as Assistant Professor of Film Production and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi. John earned his M.F.A. in Documentary and Experimental Art from Duke University. His films have been shown in festivals and museums around the world and he has received multiple awards including the Soul of Southern Film Award from Indie Memphis Film Festival for Negro Terror, History+ Best Documentary Award from the North Carolina Museum of History for Our Movement Starts Here, and an Emmy nomination for his film about photographer Sam Wang. John was a 2025 resident artist at Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai and 2023 Crosstown Arts resident in Memphis. He is the founder of the Southern Punk Archive which aims to preserve the stories of DIY punk communities in the American South.