Pauline Pelsy-Johann – Founder/President of Jury
Pauline Pelsy-Johann is a French film director and screenwriter working worldwide. In 15 years, she directed around 20 award-winning documentaries and shorts for TV and released in theaters (Over the sky, The words between bars, La Renaissance ou la vie intermédiaire…) shot in France, USA, Chile, Easter Island, China.
She’s a film professor and lecturer (Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Nanterre University in Paris, EOI San Roque in Spain, Shandong Vocational Language College in China…).
She also found Quart Siècle Festival in Paris (2011), a cultural event with film screenings, live music, performances ; French Film Festival at Smith College, MA (2012). She was the Coordinator of Journées du Matrimoine de Montmartre, Paris (2016) and Jury of the Documentary Award at Silhouette Festival (2019). Find her on Insta : @paulinepjcinema / website : www.paulinepelsyjohann.com
Clémence Bradley – Jury
Clémence du Barré-Bradley started her Cinema education by skipping school to go to the independent cinemas in the Latin Quarter of Paris where they show all the French and International classics.
Her love for Hollywood musical films led her to graduating top of her class at the Centre International de Danse Jazz, Paris, and to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles.
Today, she’s working as the Event and Development Coordinator at the Alliance Française Atlanta where, among other diverse projects, she programs with great care the monthly French Cinéclub.
She continues to utilize her performing skills to sing classic French songs with a street organ throughout the Atlanta area. https://www.instagram.com/clemence_du_barre/
Cornelia Beckett – Jury
Cornelia Beckett is a writer and producer based in Birmingham, AL. Fin her on Instagram : @nelliebeckettconnects
Courtney LeSueur – Jury (and Best Poster’s Jury)
Courtney LeSueur is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Birmingham, AL. A lifelong theatre kid and avid cinephile, her love of stage and screen knows no bounds. She lives in a perpetual state of excitement. You can find her on instagram @lesueurcourtney and on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/courtneylesueur
Sarah Valentín-Sánchez – Jury
Sarah Valentín-Sánchez is an interdisciplinary film scholar. Her research and teaching interests focus on the work of Spanish female directors in the 21st century. Sarah is currently working on her dissertation which explores the cinematic expression of vulnerability as catalysts for personal, political, and social change in contemporary gothic, fantastic, and horror narratives. Sarah has published several peer-reviewed articles and participated in international conferences.
Additionally, she has contributed to film publications in digital magazines and podcasts. She has been invited as a panelist and guest lecturer at the Sidewalk Festival and Theater in Birmingham, AL. She is also the co-founder and co-producer of Sonic Visions, a Birmingham-based film screening collective focusing on the intersection between film, music, and the people who make them. You can find her on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/sarah_vs
Andrea Paschal – Jury
Andrea Paschal is an artist, and musician living and working in Birmingham, AL. She is the President of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores, a music marketing company and organization that advocates for independent record stores across the U.S, as well as ThinkIndie Distribution, an international independent music distribution company. She is also a co-founder and co- producer of Sonic Visions, which is a film collective that focuses on curating film selections with strong ties to music. She has had a particular interest and focus on French film and music from an early age.
Sophia Wise – Jury
Sophia is a writer and former professional actor with a love of French culture. After earning her BA at Smith College, she received a fellowship to study at the Ecole Normale Superieure before earning her Master’s degree in rhetoric in Shakespeare from the Sorbonne. She has produced several full-scale Shakepseare plays as well as performed for years with a Parisian improv troupe, Les Dictateurs. She speaks several languages and has particular appreciation for foreign cinema.
Rachel Garbus – LGBTQ+ Award Jury
Rachel Garbus Benítez (she/her) is a writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She’s the editor-in-chief at WUSSY Mag, a queer culture magazine based in the South, and the deputy editor at Atlanta Magazine.
She’s also the co-founder and co-producer of Out Down South, a multimedia history project sharing the voices and stories of queer Southerners. Find her on Instagram at @goodgraciousrachel.
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