THE 2008 JURY PANEL
Jack Anderson, Cinematographer
Jack Anderson is a thirty-year Hollywood veteran. He was Director of Photography for Always Say Goodbye, first-prize winner at the First Hollywood Film Festival. He has been second-unit Director of Photography on Hook, Noises Off, Mad About You, and many other films, including extra camera on Pretty Woman and Bird. He has also worked on such films as To Live and Die in LA, Down by Law, The Long Riders, Oh God!, Broadcast News, The Long Riders, Barfly, and Showgirls. His many television credits include Third Rock From the Sun, News Radio, Spin City, The Tracey Ullman Show, Buffalo Bill, Hill Street Blues, Quincy, and The Rockford Files.

Short films he has shot have been prizewinners at many festivals, including Los Angeles Short Film Festival, Crested Butte Reel Fest, East Lansing Film Festival, Instant Films (Los Angeles), Waterfront Film Festival (Muskegon), and Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

In addition to his work as assistant professor of cinematography at CSULB, for six years he has been cinematographer-in-residence for the Summer Film Practicum at Grand Valley State University. He has taught in the Cinema Department at University of Southern California, the Theatre Department at Cornell University, and the Film Department (in the foreign Languages Department) at the State University of New York at Cortland.

He has an AB and MA from Cornell University. He was a Cinematography Fellow at American Film Institute and is an alumnus of the Motion Picture Industry Training Program for Assistant Cameramen. He is a member of International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600, SOC (Society of Camera Operators), and UFVA (University Film and Video Association).

Michael Berlin, Screenwriter
Dr. Berlin has written, produced, or consulted on television episodes, for series ranging from “Miami Vice, ” “McGuyver,” “Hunter,” “Cagney and Lacey” and “Wolf” to “Spielberg’s Earth 2”, “Sisters,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Diagnosis: Murder,” “The Commish,” “Pointman,” Beauty & The Beast,” “The Exile” “Earth: Final Conflict,” “The Outer Limits” and many others. He has written animated series, “Bruno the Kid,” produced “House Calls,” a reality series and created pilots for CBS, “Vice Girls” and ABC “Lorne and Max.” His (MOWs) include “Mafia Vendetta” purchased by CBS, “Escape from Wildcat Canyon” which he rewrote for Showtime and “Night Visions” purchased by Fox TV and Disney. His feature films include “Anguish” winner of six European Film Awards, “Breaking Point” for Paramount and Republic Pictures and "Robo-Warrior” for Paramount Pictures.

Some of Dr. Berlin’s accomplishments include serving as the staff therapist for the 400 bed Skilled Nursing Facility and Health Related Facility. He also worked on the original research for one of the first Hospice Programs in the United States, located in the Bronx, New York. He was the Dean of Academic Affairs at The College for Developmental Studies in Los Angeles. He has taught at Ramapo College, Montclair State College, U.C.L.A. Extension and Mills College of Education.

In addition to film writing and producing, Dr. Berlin currently teaches Media Writing, Short Script and Advanced Screenwriting, Adaptation, Diverse Media: Writing and Production, Television Program Symposium, American Film Genres at California State University, Long Beach.

A.P. Gonzalez, Director, Writer
His recently completed film, Hurricane Party (April ‘06), has just begun the 2006 festival circuit. Gonzalez is also currently directing, El Beisbol, a long-form documentary for television, which is in its initial production phase. His own feature screenplay, Cross My Heart, has been selected to participate at Tribeca’s All Access Connects 2006.

Gonzalez is the recipient of a 1998 ALMA AWARD for Mangas, broadcast nationally and part of ITVS’ FOTO-NOVELA series. His indie feature, Clay Farmers, was awarded AFI and Billboard Magazine’s Best-Fiction AVC Award.

Gonzalez teaches writing and directing at The School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA. He has been awarded UCLA’s prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003. A.P. Gonzalez is a member of The Directors Guild of America. He is actively involved and the current co-chair of the DGA’s Latino Committee. In October 2005, Hispanic Business Magazine named him among the top 100 influential Latinos in the U.S.

Ricardo Mendez Matta, Writer/ Director

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ricardo moved to Los Angeles to attend the USC School of Cinema and Television. Upon his graduation, Ricardo worked as an Assistant Director on music videos for artists such as the Talking Heads, Belinda Carlisle and Joe Walsh, and eventually joined the ranks of the DGA in 1988, having completed the Assistant Directors Training Program.

Amongst his credits as First Assistant Director are the series "LA LAW" and "Parker Lewis Can't Lose," pilots and MOWs such as Allison Anders’ “In the Echo,” León Ichaso’s “Ali” and Gregory Nava’s “American Family,” and feature films such as Carlos Avila’s "Price of Glory," Rob Bowman’s “Airborne,” Stuart Gordon’s “The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit,” Ken Loach's "Bread and Roses" and Andy García’s “The Lost City.”

In 1994, Universal Studios' Hispanic Film Project selected Ricardo to direct the short film "Todo Cambia/Everything Changes," from a script written by his wife, Poli Marichal, which won the Best Short Film award at the San Juan Cinemafest. The short features a spectacular Akela crane shot, which Loumasystems has since adopted as their demo.

Thanks to the success of the short, Ricardo landed an agent, and subsequently directed ten episodes of the Universal TV series "Weird Science," for executive producer John Landis. This in turn led to multiple directing assignments on the CBS series “Nash Bridges,” “Touched by an Angel” and “The District.” He also directed a concurrent 2nd Unit for his former USC roommate Mark Illsley on “Happy, Texas,” the surprise hit of the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.

In 2006, Ricardo made his feature directing debut with “Thieves and Liars” (Ladrones y Mentirosos, starring Steven Bauer (“Traffic,” “Scarface”) and Elpidia Carrillo (“Nine Lives,” “Mi Familia”), which he also co-wrote and co-produced with Poli Marichal. The film was the official Puerto Rican entry to the 2007 Academy Awards, won Best Director at the 2006 Phoenix Film Festival, was picked up by HBO at Cannes, and was released nationwide on DVD via Warner Home Video.

Ricardo has also served the DGA for several years as Co-Chair of the Latino Committee, and twice as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Assistant Directors Training Program.

Alan Jacobs, Producer/Documentarian
Alan Jacobs has 30 years experience as a producer of film, video and television movies, initially as an editor, director, and producer of independent documentary film. From 1988 to 2002, he worked almost exclusively as an executive producer and producer of mainstream industry TV movies: narrative drama and comedy. Currently, he is an active producer of non-fiction film.

Since 1990 Alan has produced 7 features for television, the major networks and cable. In 1994 he incorporated The Film Foundry, an independent film and television production company. From 1996 to 1998, as Senior Vice-President of Hallmark Entertainment, Alan was in charge of the west coast office, responsible for all aspects of sales, development and production.

As an independent producer, he had a first look deal with Sidney Pollack's Mirage Enterprises where he produced the Walter Matthau, Ellen Burstyn film, “Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love”. From 1982-1986 Alan served as Director of the Multimedia Division for the Trans-Lux Corporation, executive producing commercial entertainments while overseeing the marketing and sales of ongoing shows. Earlier, as Co-President and Owner of Odeon Films, Inc. from 1970-1985, Alan developed and produced numerous documentary films for TV and non-theatrical markets.

Alan Jacobs is a founding trustee of the Sundance Institute, and a former member of the Board of Trustees for the American Film Institute, Independent Feature Project, and Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers. He currently is an Assistant Professor in the Film and Electronic Arts Department of the California Sate University Long Beach.

Karen T. Bolt, Development Executive
Karen T. Bolt is the Development Executive for renowned actor Danny Glover’s film company Carrie Productions. She is credited as Associate Producer on Mr. Glover’s film JUST A DREAM and oversees the day-to-day operations of the production company. Ms. Bolt began working as a producer in local theatres in San Diego, California. She helmed her own theatre company, The Human “I”, producing several critically acclaimed plays. In Los Angeles, she co-produced the award-winning plays “Culture Shock” and “Vanities,” directed by Kim Fields (“Living Single”). She continued her theatre producing with “Jonin'”(national tour), “La Keisha,” and the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival. In addition, she produced several performance art events including “Sapphire Speaks Tales...,” “Women on a Mission,” and “Satori...” She tours annually with the critically acclaimed play she co-produces, "Sistah, Girl"; a one woman show on breast cancer.

When not producing, she devotes her time to Giving Back Corporation, an organization that provides books and supplies to college bound students and Break the Cycle, an organization that provides legal advice to children and young adults under attorney–client privileges.

Diana Wagman, Screenwriter/Novelist
Diana Wagman is a screenwriter and novelist.  Her three novels are Skin Deep (Univ. Press of Mississippi, 1997), Spontaneous (St. Martin's, 2000), and Bump (Carroll & Graf, 2003).  Spontaneous won the 2001 USA PEN West Award for Best Fiction.  Her screenplay, DELIVERING MILO, was produced by Wim Wenders, directed by Nick Castle, and stars Bridget Fonda and Albert Finney.  She has written numerous book reviews and articles for the LA Times.  Diana is an associate professor in the Film Department at California State University, Long Beach.

Linda Brown, Cinematographer
Linda J. Brown is an award winning cinematographer whose work defies categories. Blending styles, formats and genres is her trademark She is credited with documentaries, like A Tribute to Mel Blanc , the voice of virtually every major character in the Warner Brothers cartoon pantheon, fiction films, Walking to Waldheim, starring Doris Roberts and the Women Series for Showtime. Her work in digital cinematography attracted a team of Visual Effects Artists from Brain Zoo Studios and together they collaborated on an interactive screensaver program for Microsoft’s new Vista software.

She taught at AFI, the Maine Photographic Workshop, The City University of Hong Kong, Temple University, and is presently an Associate Professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

Richard Willis, Jr., Writer/Producer/Manager
Peabody Award Winner, Emmy Nominated (as part of production teams) Writer/Producer/Director Richard Willis, Jr., is CEO & Executive producer of Mozell Entertainment Group. Mozell! is a creative and business entity experienced in conceiving, developing, packaging, pitching, writing and producing projects for television, film, theatre and the music industry. Through fully integrated consulting, M.E.G. provides strategy, management and leadership to artists, independent producers and production companies to take ideas from concept to reality.

Appointed president of the Los Angeles based Third & Hauser Productions, throughout 2007, Richard, and his producing partner Kenny C. Williams, completed two award winning “Docu-Films”: Prison Body-Freedom Soul: The Saga of Robert Coney and In The Blood: The American Black Rodeo. They are currently assembling Inspiration Road: Inside Patti Labelle's Mega Church National Gospel Tour!

A popular speaker and panelist at conferences and festivals around the country, Richard is a recipient of the New York State Artist Fellowship (NYFA) in Playwriting & Screenwriting, and is grand prize winner of the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) “Pitch Me!” competition.

Richard is represented by ICM,managed by Hilly Elkins/Elkins Entertainment, and has a deal with 20th Century Fox. In 2008, Richard will make his feature film directing debut with THINGS SAID ON A THURSDAY NIGHT! Richard is a proud member of the WGA, 100 Black Men, Inc. and Friendship Baptist Church in Athens, Ga.