2024 Short Film Competition Judges
Cameron S. Mitchell is an award-winning director and cinematographer, known for his work on Emmy-winning shows like Cat People (Netflix) and Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (Hulu). A member of the Local 600 International Cinematographer's Guild, Cameron is dedicated to authentic portrayals of disability in film. As a filmmaker with CSM Productions, his projects, such as The Co-Op (Winner: Bergen International Film Festival) and Elsa (PBS American Masters, Telly Award Winner), focus on diverse perspectives. Cameron's upcoming documentary, Disposable Humanity, explores the history of disabled people in the Nazi Aktion T4 program. Explore his impactful work at www.cameronsmitchell.com and at www.disposablehumanity.com
Cory Reeder is an award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter renowned for blending disability-inclusive storytelling with cinematic excellence. His work has been featured in festivals worldwide and amassed nearly a billion views online.
Emily Shryock is proud to be the founding director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Disability Cultural Center and teaches as part of the UT Critical Disability Studies program. She has lived in Austin for 14 years and has been involved in many disability-related groups, programs, and events during that time. Emily has also served on several nonprofit boards in the Austin area, including Art Spark Texas and the Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities. Emily is a wheelchair athlete and has competed in several sports, including wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis and paratriathlon.
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Kristen Gooch is the Cofounder and Director of Communication and Outreach for TUBU Fest. Previously one of the longest running actresses with TILT Performance Group. Kristen has experience in theater, film, radio and non-profit work. She has been featured in a Capital Metro Commercial. Additionally, Kristen was featured in a public service announcement titled “Counting All My Children” which won a Barbara Jordan media award in 2021. In 2013 Kristen earned her Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders from Texas State University. She has worked for the Texas School for the Blind and is an advocate for people with disabilities. Currently she serves on the B. Iden Payne Award Council and the Partners In Policy Alumni Board, as well the IDD Advisory Council for Higher Education
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Ashley Eakin is a writer/director born with a physical disability. She has directed projects for Disney+, Apple TV+ and Netflix. Her AFI DWW film Single won the 2020 SXSW Special Jury Recognition Award and is currently being developed into a TV show for FX. In 2023 Eakin was selected for the Netflix Created By Initiative and is currently writing a feature for the platform. Eakin is passionate about disrupting the narrative of how disabled people are portrayed in media. She is a founding member of the DGA’s newly-established and historic Disability Committee. Eakin is represented by UTA and Artists First.
Adopted from Hong Kong to America, Maddy Ullman is a writer, photographer, and storyteller based in Dallas TX with cerebral palsy and diabetes. Through her career as a showrunner’s assistant at Netflix and Warner Brothers, Maddy is dedicated to raising authentic portrayal of disabilities in entertainment. For example, consulting on Disney’s Wish’s character Dahlia, an amazing baker who happens to use a crutch. Being a creative with a cocktail of disabilities [plenty of humor shaken in] has led to opportunities like being a film festival judge and a board member at a nonprofit both centering disabilities. Future aspirations include Tv writing and building a library worthy of a dragon’s hoard.
Dennis Borel was the Executive Director of The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities from 2000-2024. He is one of the founders of the Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival, and the Executive Producer of Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey, a documentary with national distribution.
