Jury 2024
DOCUMENTARY FILM OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Marc Mejia
Marc Mejía has over 20 years of experience in the film industry, serving as Communications Director for a leading Dominican cinema news portal. Influenced by his father, Pericles Mejía, he became an active filmmaker and critic, involved in diverse productions from commercials to feature films. Marc is also a member of ADOCINE and ADOPRESCI, contributing to the growth of Dominican cinema.
Marc Mejía
Film Critic
Jury President
Gregory Hernandez
Gregory Hernandez is a feature filmmaker and video producer. He enjoys the collaborative process of making films and videos. He believes filmmaking to be one of the most inclusive art forms imaginable. In 2019, he co-founded “bronx film 48” a filmmaking initiative with the goal of increasing the number of filmmakers in The Bronx. Actually he is the Executive Director of Bronx Cinema.
Gregory Hernández
Filmmaker
Mario Peguero
Mario Peguero is a Dominican actor and presenter known for his work at Telemundo 47 and his performances with Repertorio Español. He studied acting in New York and has earned Emmy nominations, along with ACE and LATA awards for theater. In 2023, he won Best Actor of the Diaspora at the Dominican Film Festival in New York for "Tú y yo en Queens".
Mario Peguero
Actor
FEATURE FILM OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Luis Llosa
He began his film career as a critic and later worked as an assistant to William Friedkin on the Hollywood production “Sorcerer” (1977) in the Dominican Republic. In Peru, he founded Iguana Films, gained success with TV series like “Gamboa” and “Carmín,” and collaborated with American producer Roger Corman. He later directed several Hollywood hits, including “Sniper” (1993), “The Specialist” (1994), and “Anaconda” (1997), pursued personal projects like “La fiesta del Chivo” (2003), and recently premiered “Dueños del tiempo” in the Dominican Republic.
Luis Llosa
Director, Producer, Writer
Jury President
Sonia Fritz Macías
Sonia Fritz Macías (Mexico City, November 26, 1953) is a Mexican filmmaker based in Puerto Rico. In her works, she addresses the issue of gender, identity, history and culture in Puerto Rico and migration.
Sonia Fritz
Filmmaker
Terracino
Terracino was born on January 23, 1969 in Queens, New York, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Elliot Loves (2012), My Polish Waiter (1995) and Boys in Love (1996).
Terracino
Director, Writer
SHORT FILM OFFICIAL COMPETITION - DOMINICAN IN THE DIASPORA
Kiki Melendez
Actress, producer, writer, comedian, and CEO of Latin Hollywood Films Inc. and of Omni Cultural TV and Omni Cultural TV Fest. She stumbled into comedy while living near the Comic Strip in NYC and soon became one of America's top female performers touring the nation with other top comics!
Kiki Meléndez
Producer, Actress, Writer
Jury President
Carla Franchesca Robles
Carla Franchesca Robles Nunez, based in New York, NY, US, is currently a Production Facilitator at Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Founded the production company Rayoelú Films. Robles’s critically recognized films feature immigrants in New York City as they start businesses and seek better lives. She has a BFA in Film/Cinema/Video Studies @ City University of New York City College.
Carla Franchesca Robles
Producer
Kissayri Mercado
Founder and director of мar caѕтιng agency. She is known for Super Bomberos (2021) La Bruja (2021), Danny 45 (2022), The Wedding FActory (2023)July 7 (2024)
Kissayri Mercado
Casting Director
DOMINICAN IN THE DIASPORA - FEATURE FILM
Freddy Vargas
reddy Vargas moved to the U.S. decades ago and began his film career at St. John's University, where he won multiple awards for his short films. His work Victor received the Gold Plaque Award at the Chicago International Film Festival and was featured at the Telluride Film Festival. As a screenwriter, he has created films like In Search of a Dream and Red Passport. He has also directed notable shorts, including El seno de la esperanza and Hispaniola, supported by organizations like HBO and the European Union.
Freddy Vargas
Director, Producer, Writer
Jury President
Margherita Tortora
Margherita Tortora, a lifelong cinephile, has taught Latin American cinema at Yale for over 30 years, integrating films into her courses on Spanish and Latin American studies. She co-founded the New England Ibero-American Film Festival and later established the Latin and Iberian Film Festival at Yale (LIFFY), now preparing for its 10th edition. Tortora has also curated film events, lectured, published articles, and served as a juror for various film festivals.
Margherita Tortora
Executive Director LIFFY
Maite Bonilla
Maite Bonilla es una actriz y guionista premiada, conocida por su papel como "Ramona" en la adaptación teatral de "En el nombre de Salomé" en el Repertorio Español. Su cortometraje "La Entrevivú", que coescribió, dirigió y protagonizó, ha ganado premios en festivales como FEMUJER en República Dominicana y el Dominican Film Festival en Nueva York. Actualmente actúa en la obra "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" basada en la novela de Junot Díaz. Bonilla es graduada en Artes Dramáticas y posee una maestría en Consejería en Salud Mental.