Judges

Executive Director, Chicago South Side Film Festival

Michelle Kennedy is the Founder + Co-Producer + Executive Director of the Chicago South Side Film Festival, a not-for-profit 501c3 Arts & Culture organization. She founded the festival in 2017 to fill a void in the South Side’s cultural scene, with the intention of creating spaces where South Side filmmakers and audiences could meet. Michelle is a South Side native who graduated from Kenwood Academy and has earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin, The University of the West Indies, and Rutgers University. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in Commercial Real Estate Finance.

Video Producer, Lightswitch Video

Co-Founder/Producer, Diginamic Productions

Andrew Nuño is a writer, director, producer, and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Andrew creates content that focuses on untapped communities. Over the years, his work has been recognized at film festivals in both the US and abroad in countries like Portugal and Ireland. In addition, his work has screened through partnerships with organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness and at venues like The Chicago Cultural Center. In addition, Andrew has spoken and moderated panels at festivals such as Stareable Fest and the Tu Cuentas Cine Youth Fest. Andrew's current project, the web-series Border'd, is currently streaming on the Emmy and Streamy-nominated web platform Open Television where the full season of Border'd is expected to premiere this November.

Executive Director, IFA Chicago

Film Producer, Black Apple Media

Certified Life Coach, International Coach Federation

Angie champions leadership and well-being in creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs.


As a community leader, Angie serves as the Executive Director of The Independent Film Alliance Chicago, a 501c3 organization that believes in Chicago as a place where all media creatives can achieve their dreams.

As a life and leadership coach, Angie specializes in working with creatives, leaders, executives, and organizations to help them channel their power, manifest financial stability, and take their future in to their own hands.

As a producer, Angie develops authentic independent film and television content, and is an expert on the growing Chicago film scene. Her production company, Black Apple Media, has been active since 2010. Her most recent films include Killing Eleanor (Best Narrative Feature Film, SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2020), Monuments (Nashville Film Festival Audience Choice Award 2020), and Jennifer Reeder’s Signature Move (Official Selection SXSW 2017).


Angie was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado and is a proud graduate of DePaul University, and an adjunct professor at The Second City Film School. Shout outs go to her family, her man, her dog, and her high school softball coach. Learn more on her website at www.angiegaffney.com

Senior Video Producer & Project Manager, Lightswitch Video

Alex is a producer, director, writer, former journalist and current mom to three kids. While she was born and raised in a small beach town outside of L.A., Chicago is where she fell into video production and filmmaking over a decade ago.

Recently she served as the Director of Video Production for “Mardi Gras for All Y’all,” a three night livestream of content dedicated to the season in New Orleans after it was “canceled” this year due to the pandemic. The show was honored with one Gold and two Bronze Telly awards. She adds these accolades to an assortment of Telly Awards from her work at CBH Video, as well as an Emmy Award from previous work with NBC.

She has a strong passion for documentaries but also enjoys watching a good action or comedy movie when she isn’t watching cartoons with her kids.

VP, Creative Director, Walker Sands

Ann leads the integrated creative department at Walker Sands, the fastest-growing B2B marketing agency in North America. Her team of creatives, including designers, copywriters, social media strategists and digital content specialists, are experts at building campaigns, websites, social media programs and brands for B2B companies looking to accelerate growth.

Ann’s background is in design, but her varied leadership experience includes new business generation, creative direction, agency systems and process development, team-building and mentorship.

Her work has earned recognition from the Holmes Report SABRE Awards, In2 SABRE Awards, Hermes Creative Awards, AVA Digital Awards, PRSSA, Content Marketing World, Killer Content Awards and Business Insider. Her insights on creativity have been published in FastCo Design.

Co-Founder, Amulet Studios

Founder, Streetlamp Media

Kevin Koperski has written screenplays and novels, worked at a 3D animation company, and co-founded two successful technology startups acquired by public companies. He's currently the co-founder of an insurance technology startup dedicated to helping Americans afford health care after unexpected job losses. He's serving as an executive producer on multiple independent film and animation projects. And he recently founded Streetlamp Media to support underrepresented authors and filmmakers.

Senior Marketing Communications Specialist, ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions

Janelle has worked in marketing communications for several years, wearing several hats. One of her favorite hats the last few years has been working with Lightswitch to create customer videos for ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions. Janelle studied marketing and German so ZEISS has been a nice fit, as it is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Her closest brush with fame in film was being an extra in the first Mighty Ducks movie.

Janelle also thoroughly enjoyed taking acting classes at the Guthrie theater in Minneapolis many, many years ago.