IFFA Members
Film Festival Judges
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Mo Lee
Mo is a film student and independent blogger based in Fort Worth studying at the University of North Texas. Their aspirations are to be a film critic, media journalist, or culture correspondent. Being a part of this board is a privilege they hold dear and see as a monumental step towards joining the fray of the film industry. They can be found on IMDb for their credits from production assistant to script supervisor, in addition to acting. Their words can also be found on their blog Mo's Media, where they analyze all forms of media and share independent projects from in and out of film school.

Ashraf Shishir
Filmmaker | Scriptwriter | Human Rights Activist | Juror, 40+ International Film Festivals including the International Emmy® Awards
Md Ashraful Alam, widely known as Ashraf Shishir, is an acclaimed filmmaker, scriptwriter, and human rights advocate whose work bridges art, activism, and innovation. With over a decade of experience, he has served as a juror in 50+ international film festivals across the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Greece, New Zealand. Romania, Bangladesh, India, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Iraq including the 52nd & 53rd International Emmy® Awards. His debut feature, THE INNOCENCE (Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo), running over 21 hours, is recognized as the longest fiction feature film in world cinema history, pioneering his “Free Length Film” style that challenges conventional time restrictions in filmmaking. Shishir’s acclaimed films, including THE CART (Gaariwala) and THE INNER SOUND (Gopon), have screened in 100+ film festivals across 33 countries, earning 26 international awards for their artistic and humanistic storytelling. Beyond cinema, he is an active advocate for human rights and social inclusion, producing impactful multimedia content and international collaborations that promote cultural understanding and creative freedom.
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6959128/

Alayne Meeks
Alayne began her love of movies in her grandmother's 250 seat movie theater, the Lyric, in downtown San Jose, CA. She went on to earn a Master's Degree in Film Studies at San Francisco State University and to TA at the University of California Santa Cruz's Film and Digital Media department. Both these academic experiences were great exposures to student film projects and student essays on film topics. Alayne also voluntarily taught a film unit at the local high school on film literacy entitled "Teenage Images in Hollywood." And if you go to a movie with Alayne be prepared to sit through all the credits.

Barry John Terblanche
Barry John Terblanche is an acclaimed produced screenwriter of many years. Writing across all genres to formats of features, shorts, and TV pilots/series. For over a decade now, he is an international Academy Award Qualifying, Bafta Award, and Independent Film Festival,  screenwriting and film judge. Also, a film reviewer, critic, and interviewing Directors and Producers for two international film magazines.

Barbara Bullen
Barbara Bullen, a graduate of Cal State Los Angeles University with a B.A. in Political Science with a Minor in Prelaw changed careers to the literary and entertainment industry.
An author. screenwriter, poet, playwright, actor and producer has been involved in the industry for ten years. 
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11298546/
Although I specialize in fantasy, I write in all genres, consistently developing my skills, my screenplay projects and literary works. I have written sixty plus books and numerous screenplays
as the love of the industry is an everlasting decision to achieve success of the greats.

Eliza Claudia Filimon
Eliza Claudia Filimon is a PhD Associate Professor of Film Studies, Literary and Audiovisual Translation and the Director of the MA ‘The Theory and Practice of Translation’ at the West University of Timisoara, Romania. Awarded the title of Professor Bologna in 2018, Eliza is a member of the European Film Academy. She served as a member of the Steering Committee of the European Parliament terminology unit DG TRAD-Term Coord- YOURTERM (2019-2021), and is currently a Board member of the European networks ICC (International Language Conferences) and PETRA-E (European Association for the Training of Literary Translators). Eliza is an active member of international assessment boards in the fields of Film, Art and Language. She blends research with practical activities by organising activities such as the European Symposium ‘Wise Choices in Audiovisual Translation’ (2 editions so far) and ‘Freeze-Frame – West University of Timișoara in Dialogue with the Reel World’, which facilitate interaction between representatives of the film industry and the academic community. Eliza’s assessment skills have earned her roles as a jury member in major international literary competitions, and an assessor of films and screenplays in international film festivals (‘Dracula Digital Romania’, ‘Holywood Screenings’, ‘Sunset Film Festival’, IEMMY), and she engages in activities with CICAE (International Confederation of Art Cinemas) and ESIST (European Studies in Screen Translation). Eliza is the Head of the audiovisual translation team (subtitling, dubbing, audio description) and a member of the Programming team of ‘The Galactic Imaginarium’ SFF Timișoara Film Festival, now past its 6th edition, running workshops with the cast and crew of films during the festival. Eliza was the ProZ Pro Bono Ambassador to Romania (2023-2024).

Fanni Fragner
Fanni is an Assistant Director, Producer, and Director with experience across both major studio productions and independent films. Her credits include international projects such as Dune: Part Two, Moon Knight, FBI: International, and Borderlands. In recent years, she has expanded her creative focus into producing and directing, developing original films that explore psychological and supernatural themes. Passionate about championing women in film, Fanni continues to bring strong creative vision and production leadership to every project she takes on.

Fiona Ho Bao Er
Fiona is a Los Angeles–based character animator with over six years of experience in animation and visual storytelling. She specializes in crafting expressive in-game performances and cinematic trailers, as well as developing previs and postvis sequences for feature films. Fiona has contributed to major productions including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Fast & Furious 9, The Tomorrow War, Ford v Ferrari, and Ad Astra. A lifelong film enthusiast and storyteller at heart, Fiona is devoted to celebrating stories that move audiences—on screen and in spirit.

Roland Lutz
Coming from a musical background of playing piano and singing Roland started to strive for a career as a music manager to become aware about the depths of the entertainment industry and help aspiring artists to prepare and handle their individual career paths. After several years of working at THRON Media Group (Stuttgart) the Covid Pandemic opened him up for a more educational path as a coach and “proper teacher”. He currently studies Education (German and Music) while preparing private students and artists for recordings, concerts, castings and competitions. In his freetime, Roland loves to dig into movies and analyze written and visualized movie language to expand his knowledge within the Performative Arts.

Benjamin Li
Benjamin is a Boston-based multidisciplinary creative with accomplishments in both film and literature. His on-screen experience includes a leading role in a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet produced during his early years of study. He later served as a judge for the 2024 OHSCARES Film Festival in Los Angeles. A published author and dedicated film enthusiast, Benjamin brings a narrative-driven perspective to his cinematic work. He has taught courses at Boston University, where he blends computer technology with film studies concepts. With a specialization in East Asian horror, shaped by focused academic study and personal passion, Benjamin seeks to explore the intersection between culture and visual art.