Our annual film competitions continues to attract exciting new independent films from around the world. Named after George Sidney, the Festival’s first recipient of the King Vidor Award, Sidney was a Central Coast resident and a passionate supporter of independent filmmaking. A panel of more than 100 screeners evaluated over 2,000 submissions, helping us make some very difficult decisions to finalize our Official Selections. The finalists in competition are juried by a panel of film and media professionals, and cash prizes will be awarded at the Fremont Theater during our Closing Night on Tuesday, April 28
Max Geschwind works in the Media Finance department, which focuses on packaging, sourcing financing for, and/or selling the distribution rights to independently financed films, at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Geschwind, who joined the agency in 2021, is a member of CAA Elevate, a state-of-the-art program for agents and executives in training. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Cinema and Media Studies and Political Science. Geschwind is based in Los Angeles.
Kathy Susca is the Director of Content and Operations for The Film Collaborative, coordinating operations for their festival and non-theatrical distribution program, spearheading TFC’s 2020 transition to virtual festivals, and served as the editor of How Not to Sign a Film Contract: Know What You’re Saying Yes To. She recently joined the Board of Directors of the Film Festival Alliance. She was the founding Director of Operations for the diversity initiative the Jane Bolin Project and consulted on the joint USC/Shoah Foundation film-based project Teaching Genocide Through Media. Kathy has been working with TFC since 2013, and regularly speaks on panels and in classroom settings as to independent film distribution strategies, and in particular festival strategy. She earned her Bachelor’s in Critical Studies of Film and Italian from the University of Southern California, and her Master’s in Cinema Studies from New York University. Kathy splits her time between Los Angeles and Florence.
Travis Weedon is the Director of Festivals and Non-Theatrical at Visit Films. He is the former program director for White River Indie Films Festival and currently programs with AFI FEST, the Ojai Playhouse Film Festival, and the Vermont International Film Festival. He has also been a jury member at the Calgary International Film Festival. Travis earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Oregon and enjoyed a career as an educator and a film critic before turning his focus to sales and programming. When not scouring the current cinematic landscape for the newest festival titles, he maintains a strict diet of MGM musicals with his young daughter.
Ben Bryan is a seasoned media executive, showrunner, and documentary filmmaker who enjoys getting dirt under his fingernails. With over two decades of experience, he’s known for emotionally rich and provocative storytelling and elevated craftmanship. As Vice President of Development & Documentary at Red Bull Media House, Ben produced over 20 critically acclaimed films and series including The Alpinist, which received the National Sports Emmy for Outstanding Long Documentary and the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Sports Documentary. He started his career in film distribution and marketing before sharpening his creative skillset. Ben founded the documentary studio Good Pudding with creative partner Fernando Villena and CAA.
Maya Seidler is a documentary producer and currently the head of production at Edgeline Films. She co-executive produced and produced multiple seasons of COUPLES THERAPY (Paramount) as well as directed Season 3A. In addition, she produced JERROD CARMICHAEL REALITY SHOW (HBO) and THE FIGHT (Magnolia Pictures, Sundance 2020 Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking), and co-produced the BAFTA-nominated CITY OF GHOSTS (Amazon).
Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker,
and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth,
Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with
nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.
Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for
images that are punctuated by untamed, energized landscapes and peak moments of
adventure. He has accumulated an audience of over 5 million followers to become a
globally recognized social influencer.
Burkard is often central in synthesizing the creative projects he is involved in, across
stakeholders. His holistic and visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to
work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, appear as a TED
speaker, develop specialty product lines, teach national and international photography
workshops and publish a collection of books, including a children’s book. Along with his
team, Burkard is based out of his full-scale production studio and art gallery near his
hometown in Central Coast California.
At the age of 39, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer,
accomplishing a prolific portfolio, connecting people from around the world and
producing some of the most recognized creative work of our time.
Loren Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa) is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Waters Media, where her work spans directing, producing, and casting. She has been recognized on prestigious lists, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces. Her work has been showcased at esteemed festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, and Hot Docs. Her Academy Award-qualifying short documentary film, Tiger, received the Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Jessica Hester is a director, documentary producer, and post supervisor at A Journey Home Film. She directed the independent feature Coast, set in Central California, and has served as a producer and post supervisor on the award-winning series Couples Therapy and as post supervisor on The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Her work focuses on intimate, character-driven stories that explore family, resilience, and human connection.
Shruti Parekh is a Brooklyn-based writer, director, producer, and editor. Shruti was recently named in MovieMaker Magazine as one of Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch. Her narrative short ZARI was produced as a winner of the CAPE/Janet Yang Productions Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge. Since then, Zari has screened internationally and won top awards at NewFest, Inside Out Toronto, iSAFF Canada, Ojai Film Festival, SLO Film Fest, and more. Shruti’s previous short, ESPERANZA, screened in over 20 festivals and is streaming on PBS. Shruti’s most recent short, HOMEBODY, was a recipient of 2024 NYC Women’s Fund. Previously, Shruti’s work as a video journalist and documentarian creating award-winning news content and features garnered millions of views. As a freelance filmmaker, Shruti has created content for clients such as Food & Wine, NYLON, WIRED and many nonprofits. Shruti got her start as an assistant to acclaimed director Mira Nair. Shruti has a BA from Brown University and an MFA in Directing from UCLA.
Originally from a horse ranch in Colorado, Chelsea Christer began her filmmaking career in San Francisco. Her work centers on character-driven narratives, often exploring themes of human connection. Her feature-length debut, the award-winning music documentary Bleeding Audio (2020), released to critical acclaim and screened at nearly 20 film festivals, including Slamdance. She’s directed several narrative short films, her most recent, dark comedy Out for Delivery (2025), premiered at Sundance Film Festival and SXSW Film & TV Festival. She also directed the unscripted comedy series Nobody Asked (2024) for Dropout. Chelsea is a Film Independent fellow (2026) and Stowe Story Lab alumni (2023). She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog.
Nancy Collet is a veteran film festival strategist and entertainment professional with more than 30 years of experience in film programming, festival management, and strategic advocacy. She founded Cinema Collet, a Beverly Hills–based consulting firm that works with independent filmmakers, film festivals, universities, distribution companies, and cultural institutions worldwide. Through Cinema Collet, she guides narrative and documentary filmmakers in premiere positioning, festival strategy, and distribution. Her clients’ films have screened at SXSW, Tribeca, Toronto, Deauville, Slamdance, DOC NYC, Tallinn Black Nights, Heartland, and hundreds of festivals worldwide. In 2025 alone, Cinema Collet–represented films were selected for more than 200 film festivals worldwide.
Gina Papabeis is a documentary producer and impact strategist with over 15 years of experience guiding films across their full lifecycle — from creative development and production through distribution, audience engagement, and impact campaigns. Driven by a deep curiosity about how systems work, she brings together art, culture, science, and strategy to ensure stories generate meaningful social impact. Gina co-produced the cultural phenomenon THE GAME CHANGERS, directed by Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by James Cameron, and the Oscar & Emmy-nominated RACING EXTINCTION, where she also helped lead the film’s global outreach campaign. Early in her career, she supported the impact campaign for the Oscar-winning THE COVE, helping shape the emerging field of impact producing. She’s also produced large-scale projection events on the United Nations Headquarters, the Empire State Building, and St. Peter’s Basilica, creating global cultural moments that reached billions. She recently produced the film UNEARTH which was an award-winner at the SLO International Film Festival in 2025. As a consultant and creative collaborator, Gina works with filmmakers, NGOs, distributors, and funders to design strategies that connect stories with the right audiences and drive real-world change. She lives in San Luis Obispo, California, where she balances storytelling, art-making, and family life with curiosity and humor.
Adalberto Angulo is a Mexican American, bilingual actor, filmmaker, and author from Carpinteria, California. He’s drawn to grounded, emotionally honest characters, men who feel strong on the outside but are navigating something deeper underneath. His work, both in front of and behind the camera, leans into raw, slightly off center stories that explore identity, culture, masculinity, and the quiet questions we don’t always say out loud. Whether he’s acting, directing, or writing, he’s most interested in creating work that feels human, intimate, and real
Director and Producer Soraya Simi is an award-winning director, producer, and writer. Her work spans feature documentaries, commercial campaigns, and branded films for world-class talent and global audiences. Her debut feature ROW OF LIFE was in consideration for the Academy Awards and has positioned her as a rising voice in human endurance storytelling. With over 15 years of experience across unscripted television, docu-series, and advertising, Soraya specializes in cinematic, character-driven stories that sit at the intersection of athleticism, identity, and resilience. She has produced multi-million dollar campaigns starring A-list talent, led international crews in extreme environments, and raised nearly $1M in private financing for independent films. Fluent in French and experienced living and working across Europe, the U.S., and remote ocean environments, Soraya brings a global lens and exceptional adaptability to every production. Her ability to operate in extreme conditions and culturally diverse settings uniquely positions her for international filmmaking and stories that push physical and emotional boundaries. She is the founder of 805 Film Collective and teaches filmmaking part-time at Santa Barbara City College.
Writer-director Kris Lefcoe's films have screened at TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, Art Basel Miami, British Film Institute, IFC and the Sundance Channel. Her unique voice runs through an eclectic award-winning body of work that spans network comedies, satirical art films, stop motion animation, and original music. A professor in the MFA Film and Television Program at Stony Brook University SUNY, Kris also created and leads the SBU post-MFA Pilot Incubator Lab, designed to connect alumni projects to the industry. “Booked A Room,” SLO fest’s 2025 Best Music Video winner, combines Kris’ filmmaking and songwriting for the first time, and is the advance single for her upcoming solo album, “Spooky Action at a Distance.”
John Loken is a brand communications executive known for revitalizing iconic institutions for the digital age. As Executive Vice President of Growth Marketing at the Recording Academy — producer of the Grammy Awards — he has helped reposition one of the world’s most storied cultural franchises for a new generation, nearly doubling viewership among adults 18–34 and delivering a 10x increase in social video engagement. Through platforms such as Grammy House, a traveling experiential franchise; Grammy One, a mobile app for the music community; and a rotating series of cultural collaborations with designers including Public School New York, his team has evolved a single-night broadcast into a year-round enterprise dedicated to serving music makers.
Over the course of his career, John has been recruited to modernize legacy brands at pivotal moments of growth and reinvention, leading transformation at global leaders including Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and Endeavor. As an entrepreneur, he founded The Experience Factory — adapting Yuval Noah Harari’s international bestseller Sapiens into a touring mixed-reality exhibition — and co-founded Brands+Music, connecting artists with global brands through strategic creative partnerships.
From his early days in the record business, developing campaigns for artists such as Madonna, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Boyz II Men, John learned that legendary brands are forged at the intersection of inspiration and craft. His forthcoming business memoir, Better Stories, explores how narrative drives impact — shaping organizations, re-ordering how value is created and captured, and guiding leaders through disruption and renewal.
Suzanne Schonig is a local radio host and program director in San Luis Obispo. On a mission to work around music, she's worked at record stores, managed a band and eventually found radio. Her career in broadcast includes a stint at KCBX, our local NPR station, and 20 years in commercial radio with American General Media. Currently, she is programming and hosting daily at 93.3 KZOZ Rocks! and The Krush 92.5, The Perfect Blend. Tune in sometime! Her connection to the SLO Film Fest is long standing as she has worked with her company on ongoing sponsorship of the fest for the better part of a decade, attended as a fan and has entertained festival goers as an emcee at Surf Night, Closing Night and our Music Video Showcase and has presented various awards to our winning filmmakers. In recent years, she's also been a proud member of the festival board.
Angie Han is an award-winning, West Hollywood-based TV critic who has been with The Hollywood Reporter since 2021. Previously, she was a Brooklyn-based entertainment editor working for Slashfilm.com and Mashable.
Nicole Barker, a graduate of the University of Denver with degrees in Film and Environmental Science, began her career on the producing team for THE HOLLY, a two-time Emmy Award–winning documentary. Now in her fourth year at SeriesFest, she curates independent and international episodic programming and leads year-round education initiatives.