JURY
Clara Chan
Vancouver
Clara Chan has been in the animation/VFX industry for over two decades. She works as a VFX Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks by day,and as an independent filmmaker by night. She made her first independent short film, “Embrace,” in 2021 which has been screened at different film festivals in Canada and the US. She started Flying Dumpling Films in 2022 because she is passionate about telling unique and authentic stories that connect with people. Her second short film, “Have I Swallowed Your Dreams”, won the Gold Award at the Collision Awards 2024. Clara has lived in mainland China, Hong Kong, California, New York and Texas, and currently resides in Vancouver, Canada. She has a B.S. in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.S. in Visualization Sciences from Texas A&M University. She has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Short Films and Feature Animation Branch) since 2021.
New York
​
Cynthia LÏŒpez is a Multi-Emmy Winner and the CEO, Executive Director New York Woman in Film & Television. The former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where she implemented strategies to support film and TV production throughout the five boroughs. Cynthia joined the City of New York from American Documentary | POV, where she had worked since 2000, eventually becoming executive vice president and co-executive producer of the award-winning PBS documentary series. During Cynthia’s tenure at the POV series she championed diversifying the national PBS schedule through the CPB funded Diverse Voices Program, which provided major funding for this creative program that included mentorship and financial support for diverse filmmakers that had not been featured on a national broadcast. Her ability to forge strategic partnerships among corporate and public interest media has been a signature of her work, including the POV townhall special with ABC News, NIGHTLINE: America in Black and White, Two Towns of Jasper with Ted Koppel. Other Notable partnerships are: New York Times, Reuters, Al-Jazeera Network, Discovery Communications, The Moth, Story Corps, and Harpo Studios
Micaela Reis
Angola
​
Micaela Reis is an Angolan actress, businesswoman, TV presenter and independent producer. Member of the Television Academy.
​
Reis starred in the Angolan soap opera television series "Windeck," which became an international success. Set in Luanda, the series portrayed a thrilling story exposing the actions of individuals who spare no means to achieve their goals. In the series, she portrayed Victoria Kajibanga, a desperate sister willing to go to extreme lengths, even considering selling out her own sister, to attain her desires in life. Reis' first TV series was Voo Directo. A co production between Angola and Portugal, it told the story of four flight attendants. Micaela played the part of Yara, a sweet girl, who falls in love with a man online.
Rita Basulto
Mexico City
​
A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Short Films and Feature Animation Branch). Rita Basulto is known for Lluvia en los ojos (2013), El octavo día de la creación (2003) and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022).
She was the co-director of the feature film "El octavo día de la creación" (2000), also directed the short film "Eclosión", and the animation "Desierto adentro" (2008), by Rodrigo Pla. She also produced and directed the art of the short film "Mutatio", by León Fernández and directed "Lluvia de ojos", which was the winner of the XI National Short Film Competition of the Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE) and of the Best Short Film of the Festival de Cine de Durango in 2013.
​
Everett Downing
Los Angeles
​
A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Short Films and Feature Animation Branch), Everett Downing is known for films “Hair Love,” “WALL-E”
Everett Downing is an animator, story artist and director living in the Los Angeles area. Born in Boulder, Colorado and raised in Denver, he studied Film, focusing on computer animation at Columbia College in Chicago. Everett began his career as a story artist at Big Idea Productions before making his break into feature film, animating at Blue Sky Studios on the original “Ice Age.” He worked as an animator and story artist on three more features there (including “Robots,” “Ice Age 2,” and “Epic”) before taking a position as an animator at Pixar Animation Studios. After animating on several award winning feature films (every feature from “Ratatouille” to “Monster’s University”), he transitioned back into story where he boarded on the “Toy Story That Time Forgot” and “Cars 3.” He’s since worked on several feature films at Dreamworks Feature Animation, Paramount Studios, and Sony Pictures animation.
______________________________________________________________________
​​
Academy Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, some of these films may go on to receive Oscar nominations.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Official qualifying event for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA short film awards. Award-winners at the festival are eligible to win BAFTA's
Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
ACCT presenters of the Canadian Screen Awards – eligible international film festivals
​
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain
Official qualifying festival for the Goya Awards, Spanish short films selected for the festival are able to to submit for the 36 edition of the prestigious Awards.
​