panels & WORKSHOPS
tuesday
april 22nd
LezBeHonest: Balancing Business and Authenticity
2:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Nicole Almanza
This session focuses on staying authentic while navigating business and social media. Kimberly and 14Hunnitvon will share their personal experiences of balancing personal values and industry expectations while working with LezBeHonest.
ABOUT Nicole
Nicole Almanza is the founder of LezBeHonest, a platform rooted in honest storytelling, intentional visibility, and empowered communication. With a background in psychology and sociology from Waldorf University, Nicole’s work centers on helping creatives and brands align their voice with their values.
From supporting youth and underserved communities to coaching entrepreneurs and artists, her mission has always been the same: build safe, authentic spaces where transformation can thrive. Through LezBeHonest, she’s guided clients in turning real stories into real growth—both online and off.
At JDIFF 2025, Nicole returns to lead two empowering workshops—The Heart of Networking and Balancing Business & Authenticity—to help creatives show up with clarity, connection, and confidence.
The Heart of Networking: A BTS Look
4:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Nicole Almanza
In this workshop, we will be uncovering the secrets to fostering genuine connections and meaningful engagement in today/s crowded social media landscape. From community-building tactics to interactive content strategies, this workshop will offer practical tips for standing out and building lasting relationships online.
ABOUT NICOLE
Nicole Almanza is the founder of LezBeHonest, a platform rooted in honest storytelling, intentional visibility, and empowered communication. With a background in psychology and sociology from Waldorf University, Nicole’s work centers on helping creatives and brands align their voice with their values.
From supporting youth and underserved communities to coaching entrepreneurs and artists, her mission has always been the same: build safe, authentic spaces where transformation can thrive. Through LezBeHonest, she’s guided clients in turning real stories into real growth—both online and off.
At JDIFF 2025, Nicole returns to lead two empowering workshops—The Heart of Networking and Balancing Business & Authenticity—to help creatives show up with clarity, connection, and confidence.
Wednesday
APRIL 23rd
The Heart of Networking: A BTS Look
11:30 AM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Nicole Almanza
In this workshop, we will be uncovering the secrets to fostering genuine connections and meaningful engagement in today/s crowded social media landscape. From community-building tactics to interactive content strategies, this workshop will offer practical tips for standing out and building lasting relationships online.
ABOUT NICOLE
Nicole Almanza is the founder of LezBeHonest, a platform rooted in honest storytelling, intentional visibility, and empowered communication. With a background in psychology and sociology from Waldorf University, Nicole’s work centers on helping creatives and brands align their voice with their values.
From supporting youth and underserved communities to coaching entrepreneurs and artists, her mission has always been the same: build safe, authentic spaces where transformation can thrive. Through LezBeHonest, she’s guided clients in turning real stories into real growth—both online and off.
At JDIFF 2025, Nicole returns to lead two empowering workshops—The Heart of Networking and Balancing Business & Authenticity—to help creatives show up with clarity, connection, and confidence.
Film Distribution Best Practices
1:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Sophi Shi from EST Studios
About Shophi
Sophi Shi, Acquisition & Production Executive, EST N8. Sophie Changhui Shi holds a BA in English from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and began her career as a CPA at Deloitte before pursuing her passion for storytelling. As the first female Chinese student admitted to UCLA’s MFA Producers Program in the 2010s, she now serves as Head of Acquisitions at EST N8, a Los Angeles, New York City and Bangkok-based film venture, where she has overseen the acquisition of over 30 films, including Pabrik Gula, Asog, Mash Ville, and Netflix Korea’s Chabak. Outside EST N8, she is producing the indie feature Outbound and previously worked as a creative executive at Janet Yang’s production company, contributing to Ang Lee’s upcoming Bruce Lee biopic. She has also worked with HBO on The Staircase and We Own This City and on NBC Universal’s Good Girls (Season 2).
Making Film in Iowa
4:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Mediaverse Studios behind JDIFF Made in Iowa Selection 5683
About Mediaverse Studios
Mediaverse Studios is an all inclusive, collaborative space for artists and filmmakers alike. We love making movies, and we seek to help storytellers bring their visions to life through our facility resources, educational content, and consultation with our creative team. We will provide premium end to end service and creative problem solving to the region and cultivate lasting partnerships for today and the next generation.
THURSDAY
APRIL 24TH
The Efforts and Risks of
Documentary Filmmaking
1:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Meital Cohen-Navarro, Director of JDIFF Official Selection LOST ALONE
ABOUT Meital
Meital Cohen Navarro is an award-winning Israeli-born writer and director whose work spans both narrative and documentary filmmaking. Her films often explore the complexities of womanhood and human resilience, told through intimate and deeply personal lenses. She is currently in post-production on two feature documentaries: Lost Alone, about Holocaust survivor Elisabeth Mann, and an untitled project filmed independently in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the country’s turbulent 2023 election year—a production that required navigating real personal risk.
Her most recent short film, Over My Dead Body, screened at numerous festivals and won multiple awards. Her screenplay One Way, a narrative feature about a mother attempting to rescue her daughter from an arranged marriage, has also garnered recognition and accolades across the festival circuit.
Meital previously worked for the Israel Broadcasting Authority on investigative documentary programming. Later, she reported from Africa for Maariv newspaper, covering stories of conflict and daily life in the DR Congo, Mozambique, and South Africa. Her background in journalism fuels her filmmaking with realism, courage, and a deep respect for cultural complexity. She holds an MFA in Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles and splits her time between Africa and Los Angeles.
Film is Dead, Long Live Film: The Importance of Film Preservation
3:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Director Peter Flynn and film archivist Greg Hamilton
Discover the hidden world of physical film collection and importance of media preservation in the 21st century. Whether its digital scanning of historical/cultural artifacts or the transformation of old media into new ideas, we'll be diving into our collective memory through the medium of film.
About Greg:
Peter Flynn teaches media production and film history at Emerson College in Boston, MA. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he co-founded and directed the Boston Irish Film Festival from 1999 to 2009. His documentary films include Blazing the Trail: The O'Kalems in Ireland (2011), The Dying of the Light (2015), and most recently Film is Dead. Long Live Film! (2024). Full details on his work can be found at https://coldeyefilms.com.
About Greg:
Greg Hamilton has been a Film Programmer / Curator in the Pacific Northwest for the last 15 years, where he has hosted regional premieres, retrospectives and revivals of classic films.
Film Distribution Best Practices (Encore)
4:30 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Sophi Shi from EST Studios
About Shophi
Sophi Shi, Acquisition & Production Executive, EST N8. Sophie Changhui Shi holds a BA in English from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and began her career as a CPA at Deloitte before pursuing her passion for storytelling. As the first female Chinese student admitted to UCLA’s MFA Producers Program in the 2010s, she now serves as Head of Acquisitions at EST N8, a Los Angeles, New York City and Bangkok-based film venture, where she has overseen the acquisition of over 30 films, including Pabrik Gula, Asog, Mash Ville, and Netflix Korea’s Chabak. Outside EST N8, she is producing the indie feature Outbound and previously worked as a creative executive at Janet Yang’s production company, contributing to Ang Lee’s upcoming Bruce Lee biopic. She has also worked with HBO on The Staircase and We Own This City and on NBC Universal’s Good Girls (Season 2).
FRIDAY
APRIL 25TH
The World of Production Design
11:30 AM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Marco Niro
About Marco
After graduating from the Istituto Europeo di Design with a degree in Art Direction, Marco Niro continued studying various regional architecture styles by traveling around the world.
In 1993, Niro started his career in the film industry as an assistant art directors, Niro’s impressive line of feature film credit includes Titanic, Troy and Master and Commander. The Far side of the World, directed by Peter Weir and tarring Russell Crowe. Niro earned two Art Director Guild nominations for his work on Jarhead and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After five years in film production design, Niro began working in television with FX Networks’ Mayans MC, FX’s Legions and most recently ABC’s 9-1-1.
Importance of Working Together, Insights from a Director and Director of Photography
1:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Brandon Cox and Shenpenn Khymsar of JDIFF Official Selection FOUR RIVERS SIX RANGES
About Brandon:
Brandon Cox is an award winning Cinematographer with a knack for visual storytelling. Over his decades-long career, he has brought countless scripts to life through masterful framing, lighting, and movement across every genre from pulse-pounding action to gut-wrenching drama. With his keen eye and technical mastery, Brandon makes movie magic happen. His keen eye for composition and lighting transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Lauded by critics and colleagues alike for his technical mastery and storytelling skill, Brandon continues to push the boundaries of the art form. His exceptional work leaves audiences marveling at the power of film to move and inspire. With over 30 films under his belt, Brandon has shot alongside some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Bruce Willis, Dave Bautista, Nicolas Cage, and Robert De Niro.
Brandon also has a passion for adventure and storytelling that shines through in his work. Whether on location in Columbia, Puerto Rico or Nepal, he seeks out compelling narratives that take audiences on a journey. Most recently, Brandon brought to life the incredible story of how the Dali Lama was forced to flee Tibet in 4 Rivers 6 Ranges currently in post production. His work illuminates the world through immersive and enlightening tales.
With a talent for capturing the human experience, Brandon is dedicated to creating impactful films that resonate with viewers across the globe.
About Shenpenn:
Shenpenn Khymsar was born in Darjeeling, India as a Tibetan refugee and grew up being very influenced by rock music and cinema. He always wanted to go to film school when he was young but could never afford it, nor was his ambition understood by his family or community. Shenpenn has been a human rights activist for 28 years now and has been advocating worldwide for Tibet. He is a role model in the Tibetan and Himalayan communities and is also considered one of the most out-of-the-box Tibetans. To make ends meet, Shenpenn explored a number of day jobs, including banking, but his calling for cinema and the arts took precedence over everything else in his life. He decided to permanently quit his corporate job in 2008 and pursue his dreams full time, come what may. Since then Shenpenn has been learning everything related to filmmaking on his own and has made a feature documentary, a few shorts and two features. In his most recent film "Four Rivers Six Ranges" Shenpenn did the entire casting, wrote, produced, action director, composed the music and Directed.
TV vs Movie Sales and Distribution
3:30 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Shannon Hamm and Producer Randy Tat
About Shannon:
Shannon is an actress, producer, and creator originally from Erie, PA. When she was accepted into the Integrated program at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC, she jumped and never looked back.
Throughout her career, Shannon has worked as an actress and a producer on countless award-winning shorts, web series, and indie films. Working alongside the talented cast and crew of a hit CBS show for six seasons taught her invaluable lessons about what happens on both sides of the lens. She credits her time on set as the best film school she could have ever attended.
Shannon attended The Maggie Flanigan Studio, where she studied The Meisner Technique. This training, combined with her myriad of on-set experience, has pushed her work to a level that can be distinguished on screen in every role she steps into.
Shannon recently wrapped a co-star role on Blue Bloods and is in the process of shopping her pilot, Burnout, in which she both starred and Executive Produced. She also wrapped roles in the award-winning web series East and the feature film Spite. The Reunion, in which she line produced and acted, won best feature at the 2021 SOHO International Film Festival.
About Randy:
Randy Tat is a veteran entertainment executive and producer with over 30 years of experience across film, television, and digital media. Known for his sharp creative instincts and business savvy, Randy has developed and produced hit content for networks including Discovery, A&E, Hallmark, Magnolia, MAX, FOX, CBS, and NBC. As founder of Warner Drive Entertainment, he continues to create compelling scripted and unscripted projects and podcasts, focusing on powerful storytelling and innovative formats. Prior to launching his company, Randy held senior roles at Renegade 83, Paramount Pictures, and Fox Broadcasting, helping shape major franchises and breakthrough television formats.
Film Festival Strategy and Best Practices
5:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Kimberley Browning and Susan Gorrell
About Kimberley:
Kimberley Browning is a filmmaker & film festival professional based in Los Angeles. Originally from Washington DC, Kimberley studied music performance and film at USC, then began her career working in production at Disney's Touchstone Television. She is on the short film programming team at Tribeca Festival, and is the Production Advisor for the festival’s AT&T UNTOLD STORIES million dollar feature film production program. She has worked on the festival programming teams of LA Film Festival, Guadalajara Intl Film Festival - Los Angeles and Catalyst Content Festival. Kimberley is the founder of Hollywood Shorts, a monthly short film and animation industry screening series that launched in Los Angeles in 1998. She has contributed her curation expertise to Los Angeles’ historic Ford Theatre, Tarfest at LACMA, LA County Library as well as the Broad Stage. Kimberley has extensive experience navigating feature and short films through the US and international festival circuit, as well as facilitating both traditional, specialty theatrical and DIY distribution strategies and audience building for indie films. She oversees festival and distribution strategy for the social impact films at Moving Pictures Institute, including the recently released bio pics Kemba (BET) and Freedom Hair (Apple+).
She previously was the Executive Producer of HBO Access, the network’s development and training program for directors and writers. She directed the award winning art doc Room 19 and recent feature producing credits include Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance (HBO/Max) and Being Michelle, currently on the festival circuit. Episodic credits includes programming for HBO, A&E Networks, CBS, NBC, ABC Signature,Rollingstone.com,People.com, Warner Brothers TV, Comedy Central and RealNetworks. Kimberley serves as the National Chair of Film at YoungARTS, the nominating organization for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
SATURDAY
APRIL 26TH
Film is Dead, Long Live Film: The Importance of Film Preservation (encore)
11:30 aM five flags orpheum Room
With Director Peter Flynn and film archivist Greg Hamilton
Discover the hidden world of physical film collection and importance of media preservation in the 21st century. Whether its digital scanning of historical/cultural artifacts or the transformation of old media into new ideas, we'll be diving into our collective memory through the medium of film.
About Peter:
Peter Flynn teaches media production and film history at Emerson College in Boston, MA. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he co-founded and directed the Boston Irish Film Festival from 1999 to 2009. His documentary films include Blazing the Trail: The O'Kalems in Ireland (2011), The Dying of the Light (2015), and most recently Film is Dead. Long Live Film! (2024). Full details on his work can be found at https://coldeyefilms.com.
About Greg:
Greg Hamilton has been a Film Programmer / Curator in the Pacific Northwest for the last 15 years, where he has hosted regional premieres, retrospectives and revivals of classic films.
Lunch Power Hour: Women in Film
12:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
Moderated by Megan Gloss with Ksusha Genefeld (MOTHERLAND), MAGGIE HARTMAN (147)
About Ksusha:
Ksusha Genenfeld is an award-nominated cinematographer whose work spans narrative films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos.
She began her career by earning a BA in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University and has spent over a decade honing her craft behind the camera. In that time, she has lensed numerous feature films, including A Wounded Fawn, which premiered at Tribeca. Her cinematography on the film earned her a Fangoria Chainsaw Award nomination for Best Cinematography, where she was nominated alongside industry titan Hoyte van Hoytema, and recognition by The Playlist as one of the best cinematographers of 2022.
About Maggie:
Maggie Hart is an award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter whose work spans narrative features, documentaries, and branded content. Her films have screened at festivals across the U.S. and internationally.
In 2020, she co-founded Farsighted Creative, a women-led production company focused on creating empathy-driven, impactful stories. Her recent documentaries, including A Good Neighbor and 147, have been powerful tools for advocacy and community connection.
Maggie is passionate about expanding representation in film and creating space for women and non-binary voices in the industry. She is always developing new projects and believes deeply in the power of story to spark change.
Getting Financial Support For Your Festival Run
2:00 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Mikhail ‘Kale’ Howell and Veronica Gonzalez Howell of CINESTUCT
Taking your film through the festival circuit is an exciting adventure, but submission fees for festivals add up quickly. Traveling to the festivals where your film is screening can be prohibitively expensive. Kale and Veronica Howell from Cinestruct break down the strategies and resources you can use to lessen the financial burden the festival circuit can have on your pocket book. They’ll share filmmaker success stories and how the Cinevite platform can help filmmakers on their journey.
About Kale and Veronica
Founded by Mikhail 'Kale' Howell and Veronica Gonzalez Howell, Cinestruct partners with events to help creators maximize the value of their work through practical business strategy and tech innovation. Kale is a Creative Technologist and Filmmaker with experience working on feature productions and producing award-winning short films. He expanded into software development to build tools that place storytellers at the forefront of emerging technologies. Veronica is a Business Development and Operations Specialist. She develops partnerships and curates a network of industry support to connect filmmakers with the right people and opportunities.
The World of Production Design (encore)
4:30 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
With Marco Niro
About Marco
After graduating from the Istituto Europeo di Design with a degree in Art Direction, Marco Niro continued studying various regional architecture styles by traveling around the world.
In 1993, Niro started his career in the film industry as an assistant art directors, Niro’s impressive line of feature film credit includes Titanic, Troy and Master and Commander. The Far side of the World, directed by Peter Weir and tarring Russell Crowe. Niro earned two Art Director Guild nominations for his work on Jarhead and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After five years in film production design, Niro began working in television with FX Networks’ Mayans MC, FX’s Legions and most recently ABC’s 9-1-1.
SUNDAY
APRIL 27TH
A Conversation with a FIPRESCI Juror
11:30 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
with Alfredo Naime Padua
FIPRESCI is the international federation of film critics. They will be watching JIDFF screenings and giving out a FIPRESCI award. Come talk with Alfredo and learn more about being a critic.
About Alfredo:
ACADEMIC; FILM COLUMNIST; AUTHOR
Teacher of the subjects Film Language, Cinema Identity, Film Genres, History of Cinema and Film Analysis, for Bachelor, Master and Diplomat programs. One of the seven speakers representing México in the Encuentro Iberoamericano por los 100 años del Cine (Lima, Perú, 1995).
Over 2,000 reviews articles and essays published about film, film críticism, teaching cinema and film culture --throughout more than four decades-- in various newspapers, radio shows and digital platforms. Currently in La Jornada de Oriente (newspaper), Estamos al Aire (radio show and internet TV) and Ultranoticias (daily news show).
SHORT FILM, BIG CITY
4:30 PM Hotel Julien Dubuque River Room
with Nancy Nagant Producer to JDIFF Official Selection RIGHT TO PRIVACY
In this interactive session, filmmaker Nancy Nagrant shares insights about producing and shooting short films in NYC. We’ll talk about navigating permits, finding cast and crew, and securing locations while staying on budget. Whether you're planning your first shoot or looking to refine your approach, this workshop is a chance to trade tips, ask questions, and celebrate the hustle of making short films in the big city.
About Nancy:
Nancy Nagrant is an award-winning actress and producer based in NYC. As a producer, she loves ushering work from development through distribution, and is passionate about creating work featuring under-represented protagonists, especially women. Her films have played at major film festivals, including Academy-Award qualifiers St. Louis, Woodstock, deadCenter, Reel Sisters, and LA Shorts; and have collected nearly 100 official selections, along with dozens of awards and nominations. Nancy is also a busy working actor in New York City, with an extensive resume in television, film, and theater, best known for The Equalizer (CBS), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video), and Law & Order: SVU (NBC). Born and raised in Michigan, she currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband, an animator. She loves travel, especially to the sea, and is an avid snorkeler and a PADI-certified scuba diver. Nancy is a 20+ year yogi, and has been practicing Vedic Meditation every day for over a decade.