Amir is a film journalist and scholar. He is the senior film and TV writer and critic at Ynet, a Golden Globes voter, and a member of the Telly Awards judging committee. Alongside his role at LIFF, he serves as a programmer at the Woodstock Film Festival. Amir holds a Ph.D. in film theory from NYU.

Joana is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Cinema Studies and minor in Gender in Media Studies. She joined LIFF as a social media intern and stayed on as part of the programming team. Her love of horror and genre films was recognized from the start, and she immediately felt at home with the Darkhouse program.

Natalie studied finance and photography at George Washington University. After a career on Wall Street, she shifted to portrait photography, following a lifelong love of film. In 2012, she became involved with the Lighthouse International Film Festival, discovering a passion for film screening. Director of the year-round Lighthouse International Film Society, championing independent cinema.

Aaron is a filmmaker and producer whose work is rooted in real-world fieldwork, long-form observation, and human-centered storytelling. Through Embark Features, he creates documentaries and narrative projects guided by a simple philosophy: make films that move people to move people. He is also the co-founder and director of the Iris Global Health Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado.

Carolina is an accomplished Argentinian producer, writer, and director based in New York. She has built a strong career in production across documentaries, docu-series, feature films, and branded content. She is always developing new work or chasing the next story that won’t let her sleep.

Ryan is a New York–based filmmaker and co-founder of Precariat Productions, building a reputation for fearless, genre-bending stories with real emotional weight. His animated horror feature Canvas premiered at the Annecy Festival and secured worldwide distribution with Gravitas Ventures. He also co-directed Loud & Longing. al. Blending craft, experimentation, and momentum, Guiterman is an emerging filmmaker that audiences and industry are watching.

Jasmine is an internationally performing comedic actress, writer, and producer for screen and stage. Her recent work includes the one-act play 2-Faces, which premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe after a London preview, and 28 Is Great, an award-winning mockumentary short she wrote, produced, directed, and starred in.

Luke is a filmmaker born and raised in New Jersey. A proud alumni of Ocean County College and Stockton University. He has since pursued a career as a producer and director working with Oakleaf Media. He has a strong passion for watching and making sci-fi, fantasy, and horror films.

Anu is a festival programmer, film producer, and director whose sharp curatorial eye elevates emerging voices in independent cinema. As an event organizer for Ruff Cuts, The New School’s premiere film festival series, she champions meaningful industry networking, creating spaces where student filmmakers connect with professionals, collaborators, and future creative partners.

Chip Parham is an experienced programmer, actor, and cinephile who travels the globe in search of outstanding short films to bring to LIFF.

Jesse is an actor, director, writer, producer, curator, and educator working across theatre, narrative features and shorts, episodic projects, documentaries, commercials, music videos, and educational media. Past work has earned Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Audience awards, including Academy consideration for the 2016 Oscars. A child star with decades in film and TV, Jesse is a UPenn M&T graduate.