Dylan Gary

​Writer/Director Dylan Gary began his screenwriting career on the writing staff of HBO's critically-acclaimed series Tell Me You Love Me. Since then, he's had his original pilot Behind The Sun included in Sundance TV’s development slate, received a "blind pilot" deal from Sony Television, and has had his work optioned by numerous production companies, including Steve Buscemi & Wren Arthur’s company Olive Productions and Warp Films in the UK. His short films The Uniform, Shangri-La and Broken Toys have won numerous awards all over the world. Dylan is currently in pre-production on his debut feature, based on his award-winning short The Uniform.

Rodney Ferrer

Rodney Ferrer is an Award-Winning Filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY.  His career began as an actor where he toured for five years with Family Life Theatre Company.  This led to Ferrer studying at New York’s prestigious Acting Studio, where he would later teach on-camera acting. For the last 20 years, he has proudly established himself as an independent filmmaker and created Sidewalk Prophecy Films Productions, focusing on the human condition set amidst a distinctly urban landscape, while unflinchingly exploring the culture and diversity of the city through cinema.. Those very aspirations compelled Ferrer, with his wife Yelena Ferrer, to create many films Films in which she has thus far produced Ferrer’s two acclaimed series, City of Mercy and Placebo Heart, his acclaimed short film The Song of Her, and the multi-award winning feature Bobby Mortal, which has since gone on to win Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor in the Roosevelt Island Film Festival, and garnered Ferrer the Vincent Spano Award for Best Director.  His latest feature, House of Waltz, received its World Premiere screening at Stuart Cinema in Brooklyn in March 2024.  The film also received numerous awards at the 2024 Roosevelt Island Film Festival. We are blessed to have him as a judge this year.

Angelo Perez Lebbink

​“Born and raised in Amsterdam, after writing reviews for an online magazine, Angelo turned to film making: production management, directing or writing, all aspects of the industry inspire him. Angelo worked on documentary, feature films, and short films. His short Flash/Crash (2022) played at festivals world wide, including Roosevelt Island Film Festival, and received many accolades and nominations. With a Masters degree in Film Studies, at the University of Amsterdam, bringing a variety of voices into storytelling is one of his motivations in contributing to the landscape”.

Karim Azimi 

In the field of cinema since 1987. Azimi was selected in more than 500 national and international festivals and won more than 50 awards. Canada World Festival Royal Badge / Philadelphia USA World Festival Gold Statue / Ghent Belgium Gold Medal / Baku World Festival Golden Fairy / Italy asolo international Festival Special Badge / Columbus USA World Festival Statue / Poland international Festival Bronze Medal / Best In Festival and multi award winner at the Roosevelt Island Film Festival Festival. 

Azimi has also participated as a jury in many national and international festivals, jury for baku international film festival/jury for tehran international short film festival/jury for start azerbayjan short film festival. 

Jake King

Jake King has been fascinated with film since high school, and had chosen to major in filmmaking and graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2021 with a Bachelors in Arts. After graduating college, Jake had kept himself active and productive in many areas of the entertainment industry, including interning at Outpost Digital, working as an editor for CUNY Kingsborough, and collaborating on independent projects. Jake also keeps acting in the film festival circuit, having served both as tech director and judge for the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival and the Roosevelt Island Film Festival, respectively. His work can be seen on his website www.jakekingmedia.com

Yelena Ferrer

Yelena Ferrer is a classically-trained Pianist, Actor, Producer and Co-Founder of Sidewalk Prophecy Films, which she established with her husband, Rodney Ferrer.  Born in Ukraine, she emigrated to NYC in 1989.  Early in her career, she worked as a photojournalist and was one of the founding members of Shoot 4 Change.  Ferrer then worked in the world of finance on Wall Street for 7 years, before studying the Sanford Meisner technique at the prestigious Acting Studio in New York City. Through their established NYC-based production company, Sidewalk Prophecy Films, she has produced and performed in the feature films Bobby Mortal (Best Film, Roosevelt Island Film Festival) and the recently completed House of Waltz, in addition to two acclaimed series, City of Mercy and Placebo Heart, as well as the acclaimed short film, The Song of Her - all written and directed by Rodney Ferrer.  Ferrer and her husband are parents of a Type 1 Diabetic son and publicly championed a landmark Civil Rights Lawsuit against the New York Department of Education that changed and prioritized the rights for all diabetic students in the NYC public school system.

Oleksandr Zemlyanyy

Oleksandr Zemlyanyy is a cinematographer who has lensed eight feature films and is a member of the European Film Academy and the Society of Camera Operators (SOC). His
work spans drama, historical epics, and war films, and he is known for his strong visual storytelling and emotionally driven imagery. In 2024, Zemlyanyy shot his first American feature, Bonding, starring Jefferson White,
Gloria Reuben, and Tate Donovan. His acclaimed war drama Mother of the Apostles has received over 70 international awards, earning global recognition for its powerful portrayal
of the human impact of war. He is now continuing his career in the U.S., focusing on narrative features, music videos, and
visually ambitious independent projects.