The CIFF50 Jury

American Independent / Local Heroes Jury

Robert Banks

Robert C. Banks Jr. was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966, and has attended Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland State University, and has also served in the U.S. Air Force. Inspired by his father, Banks is an experimental filmmaker, cinematographer, and teacher of filmmaking and photography at numerous colleges and universities. Banks’ films have been screened at numerous prestigious film festivals and art institutions, both domestically and abroad, such as Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Film-Music Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Museum of Modern Art, The Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, Chicago Underground Film Festival, and Ann Arbor. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including Filmmaker of the Year at the Midwest Filmmaker’s Conference, and his film retrospectives have been featured at The BBC British Short Film Festival, The Cleveland Cinematheque, and The Walker Center for the Arts. One of Banks’ best-known works is the 1992 short film “X: The Baby Cinema”, which chronicles the commercialization of Malcolm X’s image and legacy.

Some of his other films include “Motion Picture Genocide”, “My First Drug, the Idiot Box”, “Outlet”, “Goldfish and Sunflowers”, “AWOL”, “Autopilot”, and “Don’t Be Still”, all of which were shot and edited on 16 and 35 mm film. Several of his short films have been added to the private collections of institutions such as The Yale University Film School and The Walker Center for the Arts. Most recently, Banks has completed his first 35 mm feature film, “Paper Shadows”, which was seven years in the making.

Rachel Bleemer

Rachel Bleemer is a Los Angeles–based producer, programmer, and cultural strategist with nearly two decades of experience in the film industry. She serves as Director of Programming & Events at Film Independent, where she leads the creative vision and execution of the organization’s year-round public programming and marquee events.

In her role, Bleemer oversees the flagship screening series Film Independent Presents, the iconic Live Read series, filmmaker conversations, premieres, tributes, and high-profile awards-season activations. Her work centers on building dynamic, talent-driven experiences that champion bold storytelling while expanding access and representation within the independent film community.

Known for her ability to bridge artists, audiences, and institutions, Bleemer has strengthened Film Independent’s cultural footprint through mission-driven partnerships and curated programming that elevates both emerging and established voices.

Her latest and most transformative production is motherhood, where she is currently developing a fearless young protagonist with excellent instincts and strong opinions.

Jenice Contreras

Jenice Contreras is a recognized leader in business, community, and economic development, as well as an accomplished real estate developer and the founder of CentroVilla25. As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development (the Center), Jenice directs the organization’s dynamic portfolio, including the NEO Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, among other innovative community development initiatives.

As someone who grew up in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood—the most densely populated Hispanic enclave in Ohio—Jenice is a visionary force behind equitable neighborhood revitalization. Dedicated to cultural preservation, wealth creation, and business growth, Jenice is the founder and co-developer of CentroVilla25, a transformational, $14 million mixed-use project revitalizing a vacant 32,500-square-foot warehouse in the heart of Clark-Fulton. This adaptive reuse initiative will feature twenty micro-retail kiosks, a commercial kitchen, a business innovation center and co-working space, office suites for Latino and neighborhood-serving organizations, an outdoor restaurant plaza, and a vibrant community gathering space for arts, culture, and local events—serving as an economic and cultural anchor for the region.

Jenice’s expertise in equitable development has been further strengthened by her completion of the Equitable Development Initiative, where she advanced her skills in inclusive, community-first real estate. She also completed a fellowship with the Business Alliance for Living Local Economies (BALLE) and served as Faculty Chair for the National League of Cities Equitable Economic Development Fellowship.

Jenice holds a Bachelor of Arts from Capital University and an Executive MBA from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business. She sits on the Boards of National Main Street America, the Center for Community Solutions, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic–Medina Hospital, and serves on the City of Cleveland’s Near West Design Review Committee and the Cuyahoga County Citizen Advisory Council on Equity.

Documentary / Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition Jury

Mridu Chandra

Mridu Chandra is a BAFTA and Emmy-nominated filmmaker and producer of award-winning documentaries and fiction films focused on civil rights, environmental and racial justice, and gender equality. Her work has premiered at Sundance, Telluride, and SXSW; aired on PBS, HBO, Disney+, and Netflix; and screened for members of the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. Recent films include producing BECOMING COUSTEAU (Disney+) directed by two-time Oscar nominee Liz Garbus and co-producing CURED (PBS), directed by Bennett Singer and Patrick Sammon. Her expertise as an archival researcher and clearance specialist has additionally served numerous other documentaries (WHOSE STREETS?, BROTHER OUTSIDER), fiction films (STEVE JOBS directed by Danny Boyle) and Broadway productions (BETRAYAL directed by Mike Nichols). She supported the funding and distribution of short documentaries by underrepresented filmmakers worldwide as the founding director of IF/Then Shorts at Tribeca Film Institute, now part of Field of Vision. She is currently in development to direct a documentary about Dalip Singh Saund, our first Asian, Indian, and Sikh American Congressman. www.mriduchandra.com

Bill Guentzler

Bill Guentzler is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Obscured Releasing, a recently launched filmmaker-focused distributor that partners with filmmakers to develop audience interaction through festival play, publicity campaigns, and marketing outreach via thoughtful release windows and strategies. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Operations for Gravitas Ventures, which had a library of over 3000 titles and released over 150 new films each year. After spending a summer studying in Berlin in 1998, he joined the Cleveland International Film Festival as an intern and grew with the organization, ultimately being named Artistic Director in 2005, a position he held for 15 years. During his tenure, CIFF was one of the largest and most well-respected film festivals in the US and one of the first in the world to transition to an online format in 2020. In 2021, he served as Program Director of Medworks, a Cleveland-based nonprofit organization linking people who are uninsured and underinsured with vital healthcare services. He holds a BA in Communications from Cleveland State University, which named him one of its inaugural 50 Fascinating Alumni. He also proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Collaborate Cleveland.

Kara White

Kara is an award-winning Director and Producer of documentaries, short films, museum films, web videos, and commercials. With a love for storytelling and passion for tales of strong women in history, she has directed the documentary films Rise Above: WASP about the Women Airforce Service Pilots from WWII and PBS' Beyond the Powder, telling the story of the first women's cross-country air race and the women who still race today.

She has received Emmy nominations for Directing, Writing, and Research and has won Emmy awards for Writing, Best Documentary, and Technical Achievement, along with multiple film festival awards. She produced the Emmy Award winning documentaries The Restorers (TV series) and Space Chase USA for PBS, and Rise Above: Tuskegee Airmen. Her feature length script, The Aviatrix, was selected as a finalist in the Hollywood International Diversity Film Festival. She is also a member of the Alliance of Women Directors. Kara's latest film Witness to Revolution won an Emmy for Historical Documentary, which is now available on PBS and Amazon Prime.

Kara started her career in New York City, working as a Producer creating spots for Food Network, USA, and Touchstone Energy.

Groundbreaker Award / DReam Maker Award Jury

Carey Gibbons

Carey Gibbons is a passionate community advocate and leader with over a decade of experience advancing equity for marginalized populations, with a strong focus on the LGBTQ+ community. As Director of LGBTQ Navigation at the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), Carey led transformative outreach, education, and advocacy efforts to support unhoused LGBTQ+ individuals—building vital partnerships and creating pathways to safety, stability, and dignity.

In July 2025, Carey will make history as the first-ever LGBTQ Liaison for the City of Cleveland, where they will continue their work as a trusted connector, fierce advocate, and champion for visibility, inclusion, and policy change.

Carey’s career includes impactful roles at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland and the May Dugan Center, where they provided trauma-informed care, coordinated life-changing resources, and deepened community ties. A firm believer in joy as resistance, Carey is also an active member of Stonewall Sports, where they bring people together through sport and shared purpose.

Carey’s work is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and the belief that everyone deserves to be seen, safe, and supported.

Osinachi Ibe

Osinachi Ibe is a Nigerian-American writer, filmmaker, and film programmer from the San Francisco Bay Area. She creates intimate, feminine portraits that meditate on the complexities of the spirit, heart, and the divine. Her work is expressive and incorporates elements of narrative and experimental cinema, and poetry. Osinachi earned her MFA in Film Directing from Chapman University where she received a graduate fellowship. She is an alum of the 2022 Sundance Uprise Grant Fund for her debut feature film, Karolina and Udochi Dance in the Woods at Dusk!. Osinachi was an artist in residence in Headlands Center for the Arts' 2023 Artist in Residence Program, and a filmmaker in residence in SFFILM’s 2023 & 2024 FilmHouse Residencies. She was awarded SFFILM's 2024 Rainin Grant.

Osinachi is a programmer for Mill Valley Film Festival where she helps produce Mind the Gap, the festival’s acclaimed gender equity and inclusion program.

Curtis Minter

Bio coming soon

International / George Gund III Memorial Central & Eastern European Award Jury

Jenn Kidd

Jenn Kidd is the Executive Director of The Nightlight, Akron’s nonprofit arthouse cinema, where she oversees all aspects of the organization, from artistic vision and curatorial strategy to operations, community partnerships, and long-term growth. She brings more than two decades of experience in the entertainment industry, ranging from styling and wardrobe work on stadium stages and arena tours to producing and creating projects presented in museums and cultural institutions. A photographer and visual storyteller, she is driven by a deep curiosity about the world and a commitment to meaningful cultural exchange.

Since taking the helm in 2021, she has expanded The Nightlight’s audience and strengthened its role within the greater Akron community by connecting bold, globally relevant films with Northeast Ohio viewers. In 2022, she launched and led a $1 million capital campaign, overseeing a construction expansion completed in 2024 that more than doubled the cinema’s size and capacity, reinforcing its long-term sustainability and national relevance.

Jenn strongly believes in film as a vital civic art form that builds empathy and expands our understanding of one another. She believes, simply, that cinema is about people, and her work is rooted in deep, enduring care for the communities it serves.

Beyond the cinema, Jenn serves on the boards of Open Tone Music and the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival and contributes to cultural initiatives across Akron, underscoring her broader commitment to strengthening arts and community in Northeast Ohio.

Joseph Morrison

A Pennsylvania resident for more than 45 years, Joseph graduated from Temple University with a degree in Radio-TV-Film and began his career working for non-profit arts organizations in Pittsburgh in 1989. Joseph spent a decade working at PCTV, the public access tv station as a teacher and producer before spending another decade as Operations Manager at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. A position as programmer and manager of the Hollywood Theater in Dormont followed, before a return to Pittsburgh Filmmakers to manage and program both the Regent Square and Harris Theaters. Joseph is currently employed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to program and manage the Harris Theater, in downtown Pittsburgh, one of Pittsburgh's last independent movie theaters, and one that still screens 35mm. Since joining the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in 2020, Joseph has programmed hundreds of films from both the US and around the world and has provided material and logistical support for many Pittsburgh film festivals, including the European Union Film Festival, Screen Shot Asia Film Festival, Polish Film Festival, Pittsburgh Silent Film Festival, and the Three Rivers Film Festival.

David Wittowsky, International / George Gund III Memorial Central & Eastern European Award Juror

David Wittkowsky

From 1983 to 2001, David Wittkowsky served CIFF in a variety of roles: volunteer, student intern, Managing Director, and for nine years, Artistic & Executive Director. Among his many contributions to CIFF were the introduction of the Eastern European and LGBT sidebar programs. He was the first Executive Director of Collaborate Cleveland (formerly Cleveland Social Venture Partners), Regional Vice President of Take Care Health, a division of Walgreens, and retired from Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland, an organization he served for 10 years as Vice President and Compliance Officer. David earned his BS degree in Management from CWRU and his MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Today David serves as Board Chair at DANCECleveland and on the Board of the City Club of Cleveland. He’s also a member of the Visiting Committee of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and on the Board of the Pride LGBT Alumni Network, both at CWRU. He and his husband, James Anderson, live in Cleveland Heights.

Short Film (Animation, Doc, Live-Action, Comedy) Awards Jury

Bilali Mack

Bilali Mack is a VFX Supervisor and Filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Accra, Ghana, He is best known for his work as the Overall VFX Supervisor on Lionsgate’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan and Power Book II: Ghost, and has collaborated with major studios and brands including HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Lionsgate, BMW, Tiffany & Co., and Coca-Cola. and directors including Darren Aronofsky, The Russo Brothers, and Dave Meyers.

His recent work includes Aronofsky’s recent feature film Caught Stealing, following their collaboration on the Academy Award-winning film The Whale. Beyond VFX, Bilali produces the Legends of VFX podcast and directs films, commercials, and enjoys street photography.

Mariana Silva

Mariana Silva is a Community Investment Officer at Akron Community Foundation where she works to support grantees and local nonprofit organizations. She’s lived in Northeast Ohio since 2005, when she moved here from Sao Paulo, Brazil. A Kent State graduate, she worked as a newspaper reporter after college, before finding her place in the nonprofit sector in 2013. While she has always enjoyed movies, her first job at a video store introduced her to the classics and kickstarted a life-long interest and love for film. Mariana has lived in Akron since 2016, where she shares a home with her husband Sam, their son Valentin, and their two cats. Mariana currently serves on the board of The Nightlight Cinema. She is also involved with the Akron Zoo, where she is a member of People Advocating for Wildlife (PAW), the zoo’s young professionals group fundraising to support conservation efforts.

Johnny Wu

Johnny K. Wu is an award‑winning Cleveland‑based filmmaker, producer, and director with over three decades of experience in independent cinema and video production. Through his company Media Design Imaging (founded in 1998), he has produced, directed, or edited more than a dozen feature films that have been distributed worldwide, including the sci‑fi–action feature Wu Lin: The Society (2022) and the action thriller Bullets, Brothers and Blood (2024), both of which have won festival awards and secured international distribution. He is also recognized for his documentary work, such as History of Cleveland’s Chinatown, which has screened at local festivals and aired on Cleveland stations while earning accolades like the Telly Award, underscoring his impact as a cultural storyteller and pioneer in the region’s independent‑film community.