STXIFF JUDGES

Angie Amaro

Angie Amaro is a visionary Mexican American multi-disciplinary artist who thrives at the intersection of analog and digital mediums. With a BFA in Motion Pictures and Television from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, her portfolio includes production design for music videos and captivating stop-motion animations for brands like Simpson Strong-Tie, the California Academy of Sciences, Facebook, and Giphy, where her work has amassed over 3.1 billion views.

Angie's ability to blend storytelling with captivating visuals has earned her widespread acclaim, most notably and recently for her contribution to the immersive "Media Under Dystopia" Virtual Reality installation on view during Miami Art Week, establishing her as a trailblazer in contemporary multimedia art.

SANDRA AVILA

A 24 yr. veteran in the entertainment industry, Sandra Avila has an established track record as an executive, producer and literary manager. For the past six years, she has been a partner and literary manager at Inclusion; a management company focused on elevating diverse storytellers. Some of her clients include: David Blue Garcia (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Tejano), Julio Quintana (Blue Miracle, The Long Game), Marcella Ochoa (Madres), Saray Guidetti (NBC’s The Blacklist) and Adrian Grunberg (Banditos, The Black Demon, Rambo: First Blood).

Rita Basulto

Rita Basulto is an award-winning Mexican animator specialized in stop motion. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences and the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences. She earned her degree in Fine Arts and Audiovisual Media at the University of Guadalajara, has participated as a fine arts artist in more than 20 exhibitions, and has won four Ariel Awards throughout her career. She has excelled as cinematographer, art and animation director in a variety of highly acclaimed short and feature films, the most prominent being Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Rita is the co-founder and creative director of Outik Animation and Humanimalia Studio, a company that specializes in puppet making. Her most recent short film HUMO (Smoke) had its world premiere at the Guadalajara International Film Festival and its international premiere at Annecy. The film was shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards and also was an ANNIE Awards nominee for Best Short.

MAURO FLORES JR.

Mauro Flores, Jr. is a McAllen native currently living in Los Angeles where he works as a story producer for unscripted shows such as Tough as Nails, LegoMasters, and The Amazing Race. He has also worked as a writers assistant on Starz’s VIDA and Netflix’s Atypical. And his short films “The Trainee”, “Night of the Hipsters”, “Alma” and “Searching for Waldo” can be found on YouTube. As a playwright his plays have been seen in LA, New York and Korea. Also an illustrator and painter, Mauro‘s work has been used on CBS’s How I Met Your Mother and Fox’s Dads, and he has recently broken into the art gallery scene in Los Angeles. You can see his work at maurofloresjr.com or his Instagram @mauro_floresjr_art.

JOSHUA KENNEDY

Joshua Kennedy is the writer-producer-director of more than twenty low-budget feature films including ATTACK OF THE OCTOPUS PEOPLE, SATURNALIA: CAVE-GIRL FROM OUTER SPACE, THE INNSMOUTH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, and HOUSE OF THE GORGON.

Since graduating from Pace University in New York City, Kennedy has been the recipient of the Rondo Hatton Award for Best Independent Film with HOUSE OF THE GORGON, the prestigious Monster Bash Conference "Lifetime Achievement Award," and his films have premiered in numerous cities including Los Angeles, California, Seattle, Washington, Miami, Florida, Sydney, Australia and London, England.  

He is currently at work on ten original feature films here in the Valley including his 16mm epic MANTOPUS – set for release on DVD and Amazon Prime later this year. 

Vanessa Rae Lerma

Vanessa Rae Lerma is a director and producer from San Antonio, Texas and is the Co-Owner of Screenville Films. Vanessa comes from a world of theatre, where she primarily produced/directed plays, cabarets, and musicals from SA to New York City and dedicated over 13 years of service as a public school theatre educator. In 2011, she began to switch her focus over to film, where she was able to learn alongside some of San Antonio’s best filmmakers. Her most recent work, Most Likely To, debuted at the New York Latino Film Festival and has been the recipient of several awards, including Best Series Director (Austin Revolution Film Festival). She is dedicated to uplifting Latino talent and voices on and off-screen through her work with Screenville and alongside colleagues throughout the nation.

JEFF MARQUIS

Jeff Marquis, a native of McAllen, TX,  is a semi-retired drama teacher, actor, singer, and voice artist. He is a veteran of over 75 stage productions, both collegiate, and professional. An avid cinephile, he also helms a popular web series called Punchy Players. At UT-RGV he helped create the university’s first summer children’s theatre program. He is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. 

CARLOS MORENO JR.

Carlos Moreno Jr. is a prolific and seasoned actor and filmmaker with credits in over 70 Hollywood and independent movies and television shows. His credits extend from television shows such as “911,” “ER,” “Dexter,” “Major Crimes,” “Difficult People” and “Huge In France” to feature films like “Transformers,” “Delta Farce,” “Frank and Lola,” and “Happy Feet.” He played four voices in the Oscar- winning animated film “Coco.”
Carlos is a filmmaker and has written, produced and directed several short films and series. His latest film, “Numb", has won The Audience Award, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Song at festivals in 2022 and 2023. His directorial debut film “Habanero” won him the Rayo Del Sol Award from CineSol Film Festival in his native state of Texas, while “Sweet Blight” earned him the Audience Award from the California Women’s Film Festival. His recent short “Panacea,” a minimalist futuristic drama about the difficult choices in life, played festivals in Hollywood and Los Angeles as well as the Latino Filmmakers Network’s showcase during the Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google Play.

Carlos is currently developing the comedy web-series “Pepito’s America”, based on the infamous Latin Pepito jokes. He created short vignettes of Pepito's America which is currently being considered for an Emmy in the Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series. He is also being considered for an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series as Pepito.
All the while, he continues to develop his first feature, “No, Guey Jose,” a dark-comedy about a border agent and an immigrant.

Desire, Believe, and Expect it!
Contributing to the betterment of humanity,
Carlos Moreno Jr.
Pepito's America - YouTube Channel
IMDB
www.carlosmorenojr.com
BRUH PICTURES

Roberto Paolo Riggio

Roberto Paolo Riggio began his artistic journey in childhood in México City, where he lived with his mother, her sisters, and his maternal grandparents in a musical home. After transferring to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, he began studies on the violin. Always interested in the spiritual power of music, its ability to communicate beyond words, and to build connections between people, he sought to uncover the esoteric and transcendental nature of the artistic process itself. Though Latin American and western classical music were among his earliest influences, he traveled the world to pursue a wide range of musical interests, from pop and electronic music to classical, popular, and folk music of the Middle East, India, the Mediterranean, and Africa, as well as other disciplines, including poetry, film, and stagecraft. He has gained a reputation as a skilled improviser in a wide array of styles, leading to studies and professional collaborations with prominent artists in the world of music, including Youssou N'Dour, Fairuz, Ali Akbar Khan, Simon Shaheen, Ram Narayan, the Reyes family of the Gipsy Kings, Eyvind Kang, and Adam Rudolph, among many others. Based in Austin, Texas, as musical director of the award-winning band Atash and the University of Texas ensemble "Bereket", he is known for his ability to synergize and unlock the creative potential of his collaborators.

SEAN ROBERTS

Sean Roberts, Producer/ Production Supervisor, has worked in the television commercial production industry in NYC for the past 24 years supervising commercials for directors such as Martin Scorsese, Kathryn Bigelow, Tom Hooper, Danny Clinch as well as Super Bowl ads for Monster Headphones and Budweiser. He grew up in Edinburg, TX and graduated from the University of Texas Pan American. His professional journey began at Summit Productions in McAllen, TX where he co-created, produced and directed the nationally syndicated television show "Puro Tejano”. While at Summit Productions he directed music videos for Pete Astudillo, La Sombra, Mazz and Selena’s “No Me Queda Mas” which was recognized as the Music Video of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. Going back to his roots, Sean is honored to be involved with the South Texas International Film Festival and excited to see this years selection of talented filmmakers and storytellers.

VALENTE RODRIGUEZ

Valente Rodriguez was born in south Texas in 1964. He is the youngest of eight in a family of migrant farmworkers. He put himself through college by doing children’s theatre in south Texas. After graduating college in 1987 he went to Los Angeles to become an actor.

His first professional acting Job was a feature film called SALSA THE MOTION PICTURE in January of 1988. Since then Valente has appeared in numerous Film/TV and Theatre productions – Film: Blood in… Blood out…, Mi Familia, Roosters, Erin Brockovich, Deep Blue Sea, Volcano, The Ugly Truth,  It’s Complicated, McFarland USA. TV: Golden Girls, Mad About You, X-files, ER –  he was a regular on the George Lopez show playing the part of Ernie. He was also a regular on Happily Divorced  with Fran Drescher – playing the part of Cesar.

Along with being an actor Valente has written several theatre pieces that have been seen in LA.  He was a member of the Latino Lab in Los Angeles and has performed both their DAY OF THE DEAD show as well as the Christmas pageant “La VIRGEN”.  He has performed at numerous stages in LA and through out The United States. He produced three films in the Rio Grande Valley (Texas), directing one of them, in 2010. He also went back to school, completing his Masters in Theatre in 2015.

Ashraf Shishir

Md Ashraful Alam, widely known as Ashraf Shishir, is a multifaceted filmmaker, scriptwriter, and human rights advocate with a robust global standing in the film industry. Acknowledged for his cinematic expertise, he's served as a jury member in 35+ prestigious international film festivals in USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, Greece, including the 52nd International Emmy® Awards (International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences).

Ashraf Shishir has a prolific background in filmmaking, having received numerous national and international accolades. His debut feature film, "THE INNOCENCE" (Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo), holds the record for the longest fiction feature film (21 hrs.+) in world film history, a testament to his innovative approach and dedication to the art of storytelling. His work spans various genres and formats, including feature films, documentaries, short films, and television commercials. 

His directorial ventures encompass compelling feature films like "THE CART" (Gaariwala), awarded a prestigious grant and honored in over 100+ international festivals across 33 countries, receiving 26 international accolades. Similarly, "THE INNER SOUND" (Gopon), acknowledged internationally, awaits its global release after screenings in 25 festivals spanning 18 countries.

Beyond filmmaking, Shishir's social advocacy, including impactful multimedia content highlighting human rights issues, has earned awards and nominations. He's actively involved in TV series, international collaborations, historical features, and telefilms, reflecting his diverse and impactful contributions to the film industry.

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6959128/ 

Ya’Ke Smith

Ya’Ke Smith, known for his unflinching and veracious style of storytelling, is a rising voice in independent cinema.

His films have received world-wide acclaim, screening and winning awards at over 110 film festivals. The Director’s Guild of America, the Student Academy Awards, HBO, Showtime, the City of Buffalo, NY, which proclaimed February 23, 2013 as Ya’Ke Smith Day and the city of Cincinnati, OH which proclaimed October 6, 2019 as Ya'Ke Smith Day, have honored him. 

His short, KATRINA'S SON screened at over 40-film festivals and won 14 awards. The film was also eligible for the 2012 Academy Award in short filmmaking. His debut feature, WOLF, which NPR called “an impressive piece by a young director,” premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and has gone on to screen and win awards at festivals across North America. The film is currently streaming on several VOD outlets. Ya'Ke's film, DAWN., made its television premiere on HBO in February of 2015, and screened on the network for two years. The film is currently streaming on youtube as part of Issa Rae's Short Film Sunday series. His web-series,THE BEGINNING AND ENDING OF EVERYTHING, is currently streaming on the digital platform A Space for Creators. Ya'Ke’s latest projects BROTHER, EDWIN, THE PANDEMIC CHRONICLES, and JUNETEENTH: FAITH & FREEDOM, have all won top honors at film festivals across the U.S. THE PANDEMIC CHRONICLES was theatrically distributed by Full Spectrum Features and JUNETEENTH: FAITH & FREEDOM broadcast nationally on PBS. The latter is also available in classrooms across the country via PBS Learning Media. 

Ya’Ke has directed episodes of the hit BET series’ TALES and SACRIFICE. He also wrote and directed episodes of the REELZ series’ Scandal Made Me Famous, Murder Made Me Famous, and The Price of Fame. He most recently produced and directed the documentary Black Girl Missingand episodes of the docu-series Text Me When You Get Home, both of which aired on Lifetime TV and currently stream on the Lifetime App. 

Ya’Ke has been featured on NPR, CNN, HLN, Ebony Online, Indiewire, Filmmaker Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Variety Magazine, Vogue Magazine, and Shadow&Act. He was a fellow of the OpEd Project and has written OpEds for The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, The Emancipator, and The San Antonio Express-News. He was previously a contributing columnist with the Dallas Morning.

Ya’Ke graduated with his B.A. from the Communication Arts Department at the University of The Incarnate Word, where he later became the youngest recipient of the Alumni of Distinction for Professional Achievement Award. He received his M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin’s film program, where he is currently an Associate Professor of film and also served as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Moody College of Communication. He was awarded the Robert C. Jeffrey Benefactor Award, as well as the Creative Achievement Award from Moody College. He was previously the Morgan Woodward Distinguished Professor of Film at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he was honored with both the College of Liberal Arts Creative Activity Award and the University Award for Outstanding Creative Accomplishment.  Variety magazine named him one of the best film educators in the world.

John J. Valadez

John Valadez is a Peabody Award winning filmmaker, whose work has received two national Emmy nominations.  He has directed a dozen documentary films for primetime national broadcast on PBS and CNN over the past 25 years.  His body of work explores race, power, and identity through the Chicano & Latinx experiences. 

Valadez has tackled diverse and often controversial subjects, bringing thoughtful, and emotionally engaging work to a national audience.  His latest film, American Exile (PBS/2021) aired nationally in primetime.  The film explores the deportation of US military veterans, and played an important role in helping to change national policy, allowing deported veterans and their families to return home.

Other major works explore a diverse range of subjects including: the lynching of Mexican Americans in the West (The Head of Joaquin Murrieta PBS/2017), the Chicano struggle for equality and justice (Prejudice and Pride /2013/PBS/Latino Americans), Latinos in World War II (War and Peace/2013/PBS/Latino Americans), the birth of Mexican American civil rights (The Longoria Affair/ 2010/PBS/Independent Lens), The history and evolution of Chicano Music (The Chicano Wave/2009/PBS/Latin Music USA), public art and the genocide of Native Americans in the Southwest (The Last Conquistador/2008/PBS/POV), the devastating impact of standardized testing on America’s most vulnerable children (High Stakes Testing 2005/ CNN Presents), the resegregation of American schools (Beyond Brown/2004/PBS), contemporary segregation in a small southern town (The Divide/2003/PBS/Matters of Race), Latino gangs in Chicago (Soul Survivors/1997/PBS/Making Peace), and the false imprisonment of a leader of the Black Panther Party (Passin’ It On/1994/PBS/POV).

John’s films have garnered top prizes at film festivals from San Francisco to Chicago to Atlanta to Mumbai, have been broadcast across the United States, Canada and Europe, and have been featured at major museums and cultural institutions – including the Hirshorn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institute, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.   

John grew in up Seattle, taught photography in rural India, studied filmmaking at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is Professor of Documentary Filmmaking at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  

Adrian Viña

Adrian Viña was born and raised in Edinburg, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Viña wanted to be a storyteller from a very young age. He was involved with drama and media tech in high school, while fostering a deep appreciation for film and television and daydreaming about working in Hollywood one day. He eventually studied film at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. While in school he co-wrote and directed a short film that later played at CineSol Film Festival. After graduating from SMU, Viña moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. He worked numerous positions in the industry. His writing career finally started while working at a literary management company, when he optioned his script SUCKERS to Alcon Entertainment. That same script was later picked up by Nickelodeon and made into their hit Halloween movie, LIAR, LIAR VAMPIRE in 2015. He then worked on numerous television and film projects, including BLURT! For Nickelodeon and COP AND A HALF: NEW RECRUIT starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Adrian also participated in the prestigious Disney Television Writing Program in 2020-2021 and has a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting degree from California State University, Northridge.

Camille Scioli Chambers