FESTIVAL TEAM

Nora Armani Founder, Artistic Director, Curator 

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Nora Armani is an award-winning actor/filmmaker with extensive International stage and screen credits.

She has curated, guest-curated, and organized film events, and festivals internationally since her debut with the

1992 Tribute to Armenian Cinema at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center in Washington,

D.C. Sherepresented the Ministry of Culture of Armenia in the Film Division from 1991-1993 organizing numerous

film eventsand retrospectives on Cinema worldwide. Under her Paris-based film production company Parev Productions/SquareMango Films, read more

Dirk Robertson Film Selection

Graduate of London School of Economics.Visiting Fellow, Southampton Solent University, U.K. Professional actor, writer and musician. Member, Crime Writers Association,U.K. and Mystery Writers

of America.

Michael Claes Outreach/ Promotion, Partner/Sponsor relations

Executive Producer/Producer. Two current projects in development, "Nara's War" - a romantic thriller taking place in Syria and "The Edge" - a television drama on the club scene in NYC in the 1990s.

Natalie Gologorsky Outreach/ Promotion, Partner/Sponsor relations 

Natalie is an aspiring childhood studies researcher who recently completed her M.A. in Sociology from the

New School for Social Research. She has an interest in documentary films and years of experience working

with social service nonprofits.

Lucie Tripon Panels / Producer 

Member of the SR family since its inception, writer, loves films, acting and theater.

Ching Juhl Film Selection, Q&A and Moderating Filmmaker Talks

Musician/educator/filmmaker, has appeared in Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center & Victoria Hall. She has performed with the Jade String Trio, Phoenix Symphony as well as touring with Rod Stewart & Perry Como.

Juhl taught music at St. Joseph's College and she directs the Music Studio Manhattan. As a filmmaker, she has produced more than 600 videos/films. 
Her film My Yang Gang Diary won the Best Documentary Feature at Rome International Film Festival 2021. www.juhlmedia.com

Jillie Simon Panels and Workshops

Actor-singer/producer/writer/director Jillie Simon began her career in theater, acting with luminaries such as Marlo Thomas (Cleveland Playhouse) & Marian Seldes (StagePlays Theater). Jillie manages the scriptwriting competition and directed the finalist script reading series at SRFF. He full bio may be found on the script competitoin page and on her wesbite http://www.jilliesimon.com

Linda Selman Film Selection, Outreach/ Promotion, Panels and Workshops 

Playwright, Director, Actor, Producer, Author and Museum Curator. Chair of the Theatre Committee at the National Arts Club Web Site: lindaselman.com  

Nadine Asmar Film Selection

Lebanese director and screenwriter of the two award-winning short films The Blind of the Cathedral (2015) and Perhaps Today... (2017). She's also a PhD Candidate in Film Studies in France, and a co-founder, partner and producer at MovieTailor Pictures.

Peder Smith Film Selection, Trailer, media clips

Filmmaker, writer and recent graduate from the University of Tampa. Member of the film selection and editing teams.

Donna Heffernan Film Selection, Filmmaker relations, Q&A and Moderating Filmmaker Talks,
Outreach/ Promotion, Panels and Workshops

Donna Heffernan is a seasoned Creative Director and multimedia specialist. She is currently working
on her first documentary and has survived her son's remote learning classes since March 2020. https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/kjWoRdqeTrZCPMRNA

Yao He Film Selection, Social Media

A film and digital media recent graduate who recently moved to New York from California, Yao loves attending film festivals and is excited to be part of one! And finds it important to show perspectives aside from the mainstream media by contributing different cultures and communities in the process of filmmaking.

Arpiar Elmayan Film Selection

Born in Istanbul, Arpiar enjoyed a long and successful career in electrical engineering and construction in

New York City - but, his true passions have always included cinema, art, history, human rights, environmental and landmark conservation. He currently lives in Huntington, N.Y.

Mia Assouad Social Media, Outreach/ Promotion

Graduate from ESA Business School and currently studying at EFAP New York (exchange program NYIT)
while working as an intern at SRFF. My passion is to take part in event planning.

Sophia Benz Outreach/ Promotion, Partner/Sponsor relations

Sophia Benz attends the The New School, Schools of Public Engagement. She is currently a staff writer and editor for Honeysuckle Magazine, and a staff writer, Social Media, and Nonfiction Editor for The 12th Street Journal. Sophia has worked for documentary filmmakers previously, and is passionate about film, social justice, and environmental rights.