Meet Our 2024 Judges

Ione Skye made her film debut in RIVER’S EDGE, and then played the title character in THE RACHEL PAPERS. She went on to play 'Diane Court' in the classic romantic comedy SAY ANYTHING directed by Cameron Crowe. She also had roles in David Fincher's ZODIAC, A NIGHT IN THE LIFE OF JIMMY REARDON, Allison Anders’ GAS FOOD LODGING, Paramount Pictures’ WAYNE’S WORLD, FOUR ROOMS and FEVER PITCH. Some of Ione's television credits include: Arrested Development, GOOD GIRLS, CAMPING created by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner and Made For Love with Ray Romano. Ione has directed short films with Jena Malone, Selma Blair and Natasha Lyonne as well as directing music videos for Against Me! and Margaret Cho. She currently runs the production company Weirder Together with her husband Ben Lee, releasing music and podcasts by left-field unique thinkers like Jello Biafra, Lou Barlow and Brock Enright. She has exhibited her paintings in Tokyo and Los Angeles and is currently writing her memoir “Say Everything” due out in 2024 via Gallery Books.

Throughout a career spanning four decades, Peter has achieved success both in front of and behind the camera.

Having produced such films as the first Iron Man, The Break-Up, Four Christmases, and directing the Vince Vaughn starrer Couples Retreat, Peter currently serves as Executive Producer of the Netflix series F is For Family starring Bill Burr & Laura Dern, and recently wrapped the Dennis Quaid feature Broke.

Billingsley began his acting career at the age of three, in some of the '70s most memorable television commercials, and became a pop-culture icon when he played Ralphie in A Christmas Story. Today, he runs Wild West Productions with actor/producer Vince Vaughn. Billingsley has been nominated for three Emmys, a Tony Award and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Kyle Marvin is a director, writer, producer, and actor who most recently directed 80 FOR BRADY, which he also executive produced. Inspired by a true story of four best friends taking a life-changing trip to 2017’s Super Bowl LI, the film stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, and Tom Brady, and was released theatrically by Paramount. He starred opposite Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway in the Apple TV+ limited series WECRASHED. Marvin also co-wrote, produced, and starred in THE CLIMB, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and for which he was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award. Kyle is a native Oregonian and grew up in the McMinnville area.

Laura Silverman is an actress and writer, best known for Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist; HBO's The Comeback; the Sarah Silverman Program; and Fox's Bob's Burgers. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists).

Sonia Sebastian is an award-winning Spanish filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She has directed numerous high-profile actors such as Dermot Mulroney, Penelope Ann Miller, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Ethan Herisse, Alexandra Billings, and Jane Badler, among many others.

Sonia recently finished her third feature film, The Virgin of Highland Park, an inspirational coming of age story based on the play La Virgen de la Ballesta, and is in pre-production of her next one: The Kiss List. She directed Freelancers Anonymous, an English-language feature film produced by Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, and recognized with the gender-parity stamp from ReFrame and IMDbPro.

Her first feature film, De Chica en Chica, is available on Amazon Video. Sonia has co-directed more than 20 episodes for Spain’s TV networks Mediaset and TeleMadrid.

Sonia was the showrunner, writer, and director of the first online web series in Spain, Girl Seeks Girl, produced by Movistar (owned by Telefonica). The series was subsequently released on DVD in the U.S. She has two TV series currently in development: Extra Life and Mi casa es tu casa. Sonia is a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Bojana Sandic is a film festival programmer with an enthusiasm for authentic voices. She is currently Programming Director of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, where she is focused on connecting emerging filmmakers with new audiences, industry knowledge and opportunities.

Formerly the Director of Short Film Programming at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Bojana maintains a love of shorts as a medium for storytelling. She has worked in short film development and has served on film festival juries including those of Slamdance, Outfest and Palm Springs Shortfest.

Melissa Gregory Rue writes, directs, and produces films and series that provide cross-cultural experiences to inspire compassionate action on our planet.

In 2020, her short drama “Esperanza’s Turn” screened in 21 festivals around the globe, including the MSFF, and won Best Director at the Oregon Short Film Festival and the Rising Star Award at the Colorado International Activism Film Festival.

In addition to working on her own projects, Melissa co-produces Connectivity Project, a documentary series about people and organizations making a positive impact on our interconnected world. Before shifting her focus to filmmaking, Melissa taught writing and literature at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon for many years.

Polina Kutukina is an animator at Laika Studios in Portland, Oregon. She is a graduate from the Theater College in Moscow. In Russia, worked as a director and animator, creating 3 short films. Her short stop-motion film "Welcome" is the winner of many international festivals.