Film Chronicle's Judges

Araybia Ahmad-Goodlow

Director/Producer | Boston University

Araybia Ahmad-Goodlow is an aspiring film director and producer from Boston, Massachusetts. Araybia is a film and production major at Boston University and is currently working as a production assistant at WHDH 7 News while also contributing as a marketing intern at MOORvision. Her favorite films include ‘The Usual Suspects’ and ‘I am Legend,' as well as wildlife and environmental documentaries. Nature and the outdoors have been a long lasting love for Araybia as she enjoys horseback trail rides, hiking and snowboarding in her free time.

Ashley Balbo

Screenwriter | San Diego State University

Ashley Balbo is an aspiring screenwriter from San Diego, California. Her favorite films include Stuck In Love, Before I Disappear, and Love, Rosie. She is inspired by the works of Josh Boone, Wes Anderson, Shawn Christensen, and Jordan Peele. Along with film, Balbo is an amateur photographer and musician.

Bella Cordero

Director/Sound Designer | Kansas City Art Institute

Bella Cordero is a young filmmaker & analog photographer from Kansas City, Missouri. Cordero has a passion for film photography and experimental film noir. Her favorite films include A Study in Choreography for Camera, La Jetee, Mr. Nobody, and Amelie. Aside from film she is passionate about classical ballet and works for her local radio station.

BreAnna Romero

Casting Director/Director | Savannah College of Art and Design

BreAnna Romero is an aspiring Casting Director/Director from Denver, Colorado. She is currently attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in Film & Television, minoring in Casting. At SCAD, she works at the SCAD Casting Office and is actively involved in student films as the casting director, script supervisor, editor, and assistant editor. She recently watched C'mon C'mon directed by Mike Mills and is full of inspiration from him.

Carlie Newton

Producer | University of Michigan

Carlie Newton is an aspiring producer from Arizona. I currently am studying Film, TV, and Media at the University of Michigan. Right now I am working freelance as a PA and some of the commercials and live events I have worked on are Cashapp, Beyonce x Tiffany & Co, Rolling Loud, and Pepsi-Vma’s. My favorite movie would have to be Moonlight or the Goofy movie, it honestly depends on what the mood is. I really enjoy playing around with photoshop on my computer and listening to music. Some of my favorite artists are Drake, Montell Fish, Dijon, and Men I Trust.

Christopher Picucci

Director/Cinematographer | Pace University

Christopher Picucci is an aspiring director and part time photographer, currently in his senior year at Pace University in New York City. He loves world cinema and classic films. Among his favorite movies are Jules and Jim, Moulin Rouge!, Breaking the Waves and In The Mood For Love. He also has a passion for classic literature and is a massive music nerd with interest in directing music videos as well. Christopher is a lover of all things creative, particularly the visual arts.

David Sabot

Director/Writer/Producer | Emerson College

David Sabot is an East coast based filmmaker, originally from Massachusetts. He uses filmmaking as an avenue to ask questions and implant himself in other disciplines. In his spare time he is an amueter historian.

Dylan Furlong

Screenwriter | University of California, Santa Cruz

Dylan Furlong is an aspiring television screenwriter at University of California Santa Cruz. Furlong takes influence and interest from the likes of Abso Lutley productions and the 3rd Cinema movement of the 1960s. His favorite films include Harold and Maude, Memories of Underdevelopment, and Waiting for Guffman, his favorite shows include On Cinema at the Cinema, I Think You Should Leave, and Arrested Development. Music is also a passion of Dylan’s, Shoegaze and Gypsy Jazz are some of his favorite geres.

Eliot Kimball

Director | Wesleyan University

Eliot Kimball is a media creator and aspiring film director based in Brooklyn, New York. Kimball is interested in hyper-stylized music videos and harnessing the power of filmmaking to create meaningful social change and build empathy. Some of his favorite films include The Gleaners And I, Ratatouille, and The Green Knight. He is also currently working on directing a music video for Graham Riley, a Roc Nation artist!

Emanuel "Eman" Ordonez

Cinematographer | California College of the Arts

Eman is a cinematographer from Wilmington, North Carolina. He specializes in the visual craft of narrative and documentary filmmaking. His favorite films include Inception and Prisoners. He is also a portrait photographer and a musician.

Gabriel Chapman

Director/Producer | Arizona State University

Gabe Chapman is an aspiring Director/Producer from Tucson, Arizona. He is currently in his senior year at ASU and works for a local commercial company as an editor. Gabe's favorite genre of film is Sci-fi Fantasy and some of his favorite filmmakers include Denis Villenvue, James Gunn, and Alfonso Cuarón. Outside of Movies and TV he has interests in Music, Soccer, and gaming. After graduation Gabe plans to move to LA and hopes to get directly involved in the film industry.

Isaiah Wood

Director/Writer | Stanford University

Isaiah is from Sulligent Alabama as is an undergraduate sophomore in college. Isaiah Wood Film major at Stanford University. He is an aspiring independent director and screenwriter of drama and crime genres.

Janicel Diaz

Writer/Director | Florida State University

Janicel Diaz is currently an FSU College of Motion Picture Arts BFA Film Production student with a passion for filmmaking, photography, and all things storytelling. In addition, she is a south Florida native, born and raised, and a first-generation Cuban-American. She is currently interning for Rangel and Saya Agency as a Youtube Video Intern and Editor. For as long as she can remember, Janicel has had a passion for telling a story that contains the power to touch the lives of others. In addition, she loves comedies,romantic comedies, coming of age stories, and Disney Channel Originals. Consequently,through her art, her mission is to spread positivity and promote an enjoyable environment on and off of the film set.

Joshua Trust Reed

Writer/Director | New York University

Joshua Reed is a photographer, writer, and director from Alexandria, Virginia. From a young age, he was interested in film and television. In his eyes, the story you tell with your art is the most important component, no matter the medium. His favorite films are The Incredibles, Hot Fuzz, No Country for Old Men, and Killer of Sheep. He believes that good art can elevate every day to the extraordinary, and even be revolutionary.

Kai Tattersall

Director | University of Southern California

Kai Tattersall is a director from Okinawa, Japan. Tattersall has a strong interest in using emerging technology to incorporate live action into animation. Currently, he’s researching the applications of synthesized animations to deliver new ways to tell stories. He’s also interested in the works of Hayao Miyazaki and watching Slow TV.

Lu Mendoza

Director of Photography | New York Film Academy, Los Angeles

Lu is an aspiring Director of Photography from Metepec, Mexico. Lu aspires to help create diverse representation for the LGBT+ community. Some of their favorite films include Scott Pilgrim, 3 Generation, and Juno. Along with filmmaking, Lu aspires to be a poet as well as an illustrator.

Michael Heck

Director | UW-Milwaukee Peck School of The Arts

Michael Heck is a filmmaker from Milwaukee Wisconsin. He has a strong focus in experimental drama narrative as well as visual art and distortion. His Favorite Films include La Haine and Paris Texas and his inspirations are William Eggleston and Edward Hopper for his work. Outside of film, he is interested in volleyball and listening to music.

Naomi Nagasawa Segal

Director | University of California, Los Angeles

An aspiring Director, Naomi Nagasawa Segal desires to tell untold stories on the screen. Moving between the American Midwest, East Coast, West Coast, and Japan, Naomi loves learning about people and their perspectives. Naomi’s favorite films include The Farewell, Memento, and Paprika. When she’s not on set, you’ll likely find her attempting flips on a trampoline!

Niamani Ricks

Screenwriter/Director | Columbia College Chicago

NIamani Ricks is an aspiring screenwriter and film director from Chicago, Illinois. Niamani has a strong interest in providing unique storytelling in the cinematic genres of Drama, Family, and Psychological Thriller. She has written over 5 screenplays including a feature-length script, garnering attention from her school's undergraduate 2020 screenwriting festival at Columbia College Chicago. Nia's favorite film is Pixar's, Ratatouille and she inspires to meet Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away With Murder showrunner and creator, Shonda Rhimes.

Savanna Trujillo-Poelma

Director/Assistant Director | The University of Colorado, Denver

Savanna is a native Coloradian filmmaker about to receive her BFA in Filmmaking & Television from the University of Colorado, Denver (Spring 2022). During the last four years of study, Savanna has worked and honed in on her craft as an assistant director and within the creative development field. Currently, she is working in Denver as a freelance AD and PA; all the while, she still tries to decide on what her favorite movie is, since the manufacturing of stories does not stop. After graduation she intends on traveling to different filmmaking hubs to experience different values, virtues, and landscapsual views.

Shawntel Tilos

Production Manager/Producer | San Francisco State University

Shawntel Tilos was born in Oakland, CA and raised all over the Bay Area. She is currently a Cinema major at San Francisco State University and is currently interning at NBC Sports Bay Area. Alongside being a student and an intern, she also dabbles in freelance photography. Growing up, she's always been fascinated by every aspect of production and the work that it takes to put out content. The curiosity for sports media began in high school when she was entrusted with capturing her high school football games. Now, she's been able to feed that growing interest with her Production Assistant Internship and hopes to stay adaptable in order to find her niche.

Tiara Smith

Director/Photographer | Full Sail University

Tiara Smith is a photographer and aspiring film/television director from Chicago, Illinois. While taking Television Production her sophomore year of high school, Tiara decided to pursue a career in directing and cinematography. Fun Fact: Tiara is a fan of the horror and thriller genres.