5 Jurors Announced!
The Strasbourg Int’l Film Festival is proud and honored to announce the following filmmakers from both past and present SiFF festivals as 2009 jurors:
Rocky Palladino
Rocky, 1st time UK director and writer of SiFF’s 2008 feature film French Premiere Waiting at the Gate (2007) will bring his new politically thought-provoking short film, Britian Isn’t Working, to our 2009 festival. As an independent filmmaker who has had to fight for his film, Rocky knows what independent filmmakers must endure, struggle through and overcome. His background and experiences in the independent arena will be an insightful addition to our jury.
Ava Lanche
Ava is a short filmmaker coming out of Germany. Her artistically-inclined, political short film, Silence, screened at SiFF 2008 and has since screened like wildfire around the world. Souls just don’t come more independent and free-thinking than Ava. She will be a pillar of her own as a juror.
Jeff Orgill
Jeff premiered his feature film in France at our sister festival, Tregor Film Fest, where we all had a rockin’ good time. Boppin’ at the Glue Factory is Jeff’s first feature film. Jeff is a true lover of film. He wants to learn as much as he can about it so that he can become better at his craft. Case in point, for several years (8, I believe) Jeff volunteered for Sundance in the Print department. This volunteer job allowed him the ability to watch film after film, in effect schooling him. He spent several years making Boppin’ at the Glue Factory which played to a very receptive audience not only at TFF where it won Best Film and Best Director but also has picked up awards at other fests. It is both a joy and an honor to have this filmmaker back with us. Jeff is an editor by trade and will be an attribute as both a juror and filmmaker as Boppin’ at the Glue Factory is one of only four feature films which has already screened in France (two premieres were lost to our own sister fest, TFF).
Meet Jeff
Boppin’ at the Glue Factory Trailer
Dee Wills
Dee’s film, Jane’s Paradise, is her first feature film which we are thrilled will have it’s World Premiere with us. Dee is an artist, the kind of artist that can’t help it. Art runs through her veins and owns her thoughts. It is the eyes she sees with. The air she breathes. Jane’s Paradise is art on film. It is delicious chocolate melting slowly in your mouth as you yearn for nothing more in complete satisfaction. While Dee has categorized her film as a docu-drama due to it’s documentational/dramatic style, I tend to think of it as pure art in the form of an experimental film. Either way, you end up with a juror who will consider your work through the eyes of an artist first and foremost.
Sophie Scott
Sophie’s short films, Obsession and Cannibal Jane had their French Premieres at SiFF 2008 in the Under 18 category. Sophie is in her second year as a Programmer for SiFF, is the Festival Director of our sister festival, Tregor Film Fest, and has translated several films from English-to-French. Sophie represents the voice of the next generation. She is our touch point there. Sophie has a strong and solid background in film which has proven immeasurable during programming. She is my counterbalance. I was watching a film and couldn’t figure out how to describe it. She said, ‘it’s like early John Waters’. I was like, “Yeah, mixed with Nora Ephron” The film, Herbeast Comes to Life, has since been accepted into SiFF. Sophie is a stickler for story, strong acting and production quality. She’s a fighter for films she loves.
