Illinifest 2018 | Illinifilmfest

IlliniFest 2018

Official Selections

Jurors

William Donaruma

William is currently a Teaching Professor in Filmmaking at the University of Notre Dame and also serves as Creative Director for the Office of Digital Learning. His courses involve narrative digital cinema production as well as visual research in anthropology stemming from his documentary work off the coast of Ireland. He forged careers in academia, cinematography and directing winning awards for both teaching and filmmaking.

Eric Pierson

Eric Pierson is a Professor of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego. He also serves as director of the Interdisciplinary Film Studies program. His work on images and audiences has appeared Screening Noir, the Encyclopedia of the Great Black Migration, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Watching While Black: Centering the Television of Black Audiences, Documenting the Black Experience and Beyond Blaxploitation. Eric can also be seen in the documentary Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise a

Nick Allen

Nick Allen is an Assistant Editor at RogerEbert.com. He has been writing about film online since 2007, contributing to various publications including TheFilmStage.com, MovieMezzanine.com, HollywoodChicago.com, TheScorecardReview.com, and RogerEbert.com. His film reviews can also be found in your local library’s recent copy of Magill’s Cinema Annual. He has been a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @nickallen_redux

Sandy Camargo

Sandy Camargo is a Senior Lecturer of English and Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has taught courses on a wide range of subjects, from Australian Cinema to Countercultures in the Movies. Her writing has been featured in M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, as well as the Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television. She received her Ph.D. in Film Studies from the University of Missouri.

Anne Lukeman

Anne Lukeman is an ILLINOIS alum (History ’09) and former Illini Film and Video executive board member. She is a video producer for the University of Illinois Office of Public Affairs, and is one of the founders of the Champaign-Urbana Film Society’s Pens to Lens program, as well as the co-founder, along with her husband, of CU Adventures in Time and Space, an escape room in Urbana.

Rini Bhattacharya Mehta

Rini Bhattacharya Mehta is Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and of Religion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mehta works on the evolution and synthesis of modernity; nationalism, religious revival, cinema and the post-global nation-state. In 2010, she directed and wrote the script of a film on domestic violence in India, entitled Post498A: Shades of Domestic Violence. She has published two co-edited anthologies: Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema,

Semih Bedir

Semih is originally from Istanbul, Turkey. He interned in the Council of Europe’s Audiovisual department and worked as an assistant screenwriter on several Turkish TV series. His latest short film, Capital, screened in several international film festivals around the world and received 3 awards from Illinifest. He is in post-production phase of his first feature film and he received his M.F.A. in Film from Ohio University. Now, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Mass Communication there as well.

William Donaruma

William is currently a Teaching Professor in Filmmaking at the University of Notre Dame and also serves as Creative Director for the Office of Digital Learning. His courses involve narrative digital cinema production as well as visual research in anthropology stemming from his documentary work off the coast of Ireland. He forged careers in academia, cinematography and directing winning awards for both teaching and filmmaking.

Eric Pierson

Eric Pierson is a Professor of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego. He also serves as director of the Interdisciplinary Film Studies program. His work on images and audiences has appeared Screening Noir, the Encyclopedia of the Great Black Migration, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Watching While Black: Centering the Television of Black Audiences, Documenting the Black Experience and Beyond Blaxploitation. Eric can also be seen in the documentary Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise a

Nick Allen

Nick Allen is an Assistant Editor at RogerEbert.com. He has been writing about film online since 2007, contributing to various publications including TheFilmStage.com, MovieMezzanine.com, HollywoodChicago.com, TheScorecardReview.com, and RogerEbert.com. His film reviews can also be found in your local library’s recent copy of Magill’s Cinema Annual. He has been a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @nickallen_redux

Sandy Camargo

Sandy Camargo is a Senior Lecturer of English and Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has taught courses on a wide range of subjects, from Australian Cinema to Countercultures in the Movies. Her writing has been featured in M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, as well as the Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television. She received her Ph.D. in Film Studies from the University of Missouri.

Anne Lukeman

Anne Lukeman is an ILLINOIS alum (History ’09) and former Illini Film and Video executive board member. She is a video producer for the University of Illinois Office of Public Affairs, and is one of the founders of the Champaign-Urbana Film Society’s Pens to Lens program, as well as the co-founder, along with her husband, of CU Adventures in Time and Space, an escape room in Urbana.

Rini Bhattacharya Mehta

Rini Bhattacharya Mehta is Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and of Religion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mehta works on the evolution and synthesis of modernity; nationalism, religious revival, cinema and the post-global nation-state. In 2010, she directed and wrote the script of a film on domestic violence in India, entitled Post498A: Shades of Domestic Violence. She has published two co-edited anthologies: Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema,

Semih Bedir

Semih is originally from Istanbul, Turkey. He interned in the Council of Europe’s Audiovisual department and worked as an assistant screenwriter on several Turkish TV series. His latest short film, Capital, screened in several international film festivals around the world and received 3 awards from Illinifest. He is in post-production phase of his first feature film and he received his M.F.A. in Film from Ohio University. Now, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Mass Communication there as well.

Panelists

Moderator Dr. Jenny Oyallon Koloski

Jenny Oyallon-Koloski is an Assistant Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies. She teaches courses that explore film history, film theory, cinema’s place in the contemporary media landscape, and digital media production. Her current research studies the history of movement on screen, genre cinema, and the films of Jacques Demy.

Michele Santiago

Michele is a subject matter expert who has a passion for making work, work for everyone. She incorporates her experience as a certified life coach and accomplished sales executive with over 20 years in leadership to her methodology as a strategic human resource manager. She believes that the right policies and best practices are key to having the best organizational cultures. She entered into the film, tv, and media industry in 2011 as a wardrobe consultant for series produced by the Food Networ

Corielle Heath Laaspere

Corielle Heath Laaspere is a certified Sexual Violence Prevention Educator with over 120-hours of training and 10-years of experience. She holds dual degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Lehigh University, as well as a Master’s of Strategic Public Relations from the University of Southern California. Corielle is the Founder and President of liftUPlift Worldwide, a 501(c)3 nonprofit on a global mission to prevent sexual violence. She has trained thousands of Allies around the world to recogni

Stephanie Brown

Stephanie Brown is finishing her doctorate in Media and Communications at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the Institute of Communications Research. Her dissertation looks at gendered gatekeeping in stand-up comedy as a media industry, including the sexual harassment and threats women comics and fans face from local comedy scenes to social media. In addition to presenting her work at numerous conferences across the country, she has also been published in Flow Journal, In Media Res

Dr. Aymar Jean Christian

Aymar Jean “AJ” Christian is an assistant professor of communication studies at Northwestern University and a Fellow at the Peabody Media Center. His first book, Open TV: Innovation Beyond Hollywood and the Rise of Web Television on New York University Press, argues the web brought innovation to television by opening development to independent producers. His work has been published in numerous academic journals, including The International Journal of Communication, Cinema Journal, Continuum, and

Caitlyn Johnson

Caitlyn Johnson is a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she majors in Media and Cinema Studies. Growing up, Caitlyn has always held a strong interest in cinema and has been making short films from a very young age. Since beginning her film studies, Caitlyn has become active in the local film community and has worked on several projects with Shatterglass Studios, including web series ‘Seeds’. Additionally, Caitlyn has done videography work for the Regional Dance Developme

Ted Reilly

Ted Reilly is a passionate storyteller and entrepreneur. As executive director of Chicago Media Angels he is focused on organizing, educating and accelerating savvy media investors in the Midwest. Ted is also the founder of SRH Partners where he leverages his passion for creativity and extensive experience in finance to help creative talent organize and flourish. Ted serves on the board of Stage18 Chicago, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, community, office space, reso

Edwin Linker

Eddie Linker has combined a lifelong career in finance with his love of film. Having worked his way through college on the trading floors in Chicago, he has always sought opportunities in areas of change and disruption. Film seems to always be in a stage of disruption, so he looked to find a way to finance films. It’s a fine balance between capitalizing on an opportunity while still offering creative integrity to filmmakers. He is one of the founders of Forager Film Company. He has produced over

Moderator Dr. Jenny Oyallon Koloski

Jenny Oyallon-Koloski is an Assistant Professor of Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) through the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies. She teaches courses that explore film history, film theory, cinema’s place in the contemporary media landscape, and digital media production. Her current research studies the history of movement on screen, genre cinema, and the films of Jacques Demy.

Michele Santiago

Michele is a subject matter expert who has a passion for making work, work for everyone. She incorporates her experience as a certified life coach and accomplished sales executive with over 20 years in leadership to her methodology as a strategic human resource manager. She believes that the right policies and best practices are key to having the best organizational cultures. She entered into the film, tv, and media industry in 2011 as a wardrobe consultant for series produced by the Food Networ

Corielle Heath Laaspere

Corielle Heath Laaspere is a certified Sexual Violence Prevention Educator with over 120-hours of training and 10-years of experience. She holds dual degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Lehigh University, as well as a Master’s of Strategic Public Relations from the University of Southern California. Corielle is the Founder and President of liftUPlift Worldwide, a 501(c)3 nonprofit on a global mission to prevent sexual violence. She has trained thousands of Allies around the world to recogni

Stephanie Brown

Stephanie Brown is finishing her doctorate in Media and Communications at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the Institute of Communications Research. Her dissertation looks at gendered gatekeeping in stand-up comedy as a media industry, including the sexual harassment and threats women comics and fans face from local comedy scenes to social media. In addition to presenting her work at numerous conferences across the country, she has also been published in Flow Journal, In Media Res

Dr. Aymar Jean Christian

Aymar Jean “AJ” Christian is an assistant professor of communication studies at Northwestern University and a Fellow at the Peabody Media Center. His first book, Open TV: Innovation Beyond Hollywood and the Rise of Web Television on New York University Press, argues the web brought innovation to television by opening development to independent producers. His work has been published in numerous academic journals, including The International Journal of Communication, Cinema Journal, Continuum, and

Caitlyn Johnson

Caitlyn Johnson is a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she majors in Media and Cinema Studies. Growing up, Caitlyn has always held a strong interest in cinema and has been making short films from a very young age. Since beginning her film studies, Caitlyn has become active in the local film community and has worked on several projects with Shatterglass Studios, including web series ‘Seeds’. Additionally, Caitlyn has done videography work for the Regional Dance Developme

Ted Reilly

Ted Reilly is a passionate storyteller and entrepreneur. As executive director of Chicago Media Angels he is focused on organizing, educating and accelerating savvy media investors in the Midwest. Ted is also the founder of SRH Partners where he leverages his passion for creativity and extensive experience in finance to help creative talent organize and flourish. Ted serves on the board of Stage18 Chicago, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, community, office space, reso

Edwin Linker

Eddie Linker has combined a lifelong career in finance with his love of film. Having worked his way through college on the trading floors in Chicago, he has always sought opportunities in areas of change and disruption. Film seems to always be in a stage of disruption, so he looked to find a way to finance films. It’s a fine balance between capitalizing on an opportunity while still offering creative integrity to filmmakers. He is one of the founders of Forager Film Company. He has produced over

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