The Judges

2009

Troy Gustavson
Lance Jenson
Bob Krakower
Wendy Makkena
Craig Parks
Tony Spiridakis
John Williams

2008

Michael Edelson– Since 1957 Michael has been working with a variety of media and art: film, photography, and journalism. He was a Professor at Stony Brook University where he created and directed the photography program while teaching studio art, art history, humanities and film studies. Most recently he is working as Director and Writer on the documentary film “The Vermeer Man” about Han Van Meegeren, the greatest art forger of the 20th century.

Ingrid Helfrich – After 19 years as a computer programmer, Ingrid utilized her knowledge of films and analytical skills as a scriptwriter and story consultant. She is currently the associate producer and co-writer of The Vermeer Man.

Troy Gustavson – Troy Gustavson and his wife, Joan, have been owners of Times-Review Newspapers since 1977. They have two daughters and three grandchildren, and divide their year between Orient and Florida. In college, he didn’t go to class very often, but he went to the movies almost every night.

Lance Jensen – Co-founder and executive creative director for Modernista!, the fastest growing ad agency in the world. Clients include Gap, Travel Channel, Cadillac, MTV, and Converse. His work is also in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. To his delight and surprise, he found out that he could actually make a living from his favorite high school pastimes of doodling, playing keyboard, and writing stories. Lance spent his summers growing up in Cutchogue and now in Orient.

Tom Leopold – Tom Leopold has written for television on such shows as Seinfeld andCheers. He wrote and Executive Produced My Family for the BBC and is currently preparing two comedies for British television. He is the author of the music (co-written with Harry Shear) J. Edgar! Mr. Leopold is the author of several novels, including his latest novel Milt and Marty: The Story of the Longest Lasting Least Successful Comedy Writing Duo in Show Business History. He is married and lives in New York City with his wife, two daughters, and Boston Terrier, Henry.

Craig Parks – Vice President of IFC Digital Media, Craig Parks runs the digital platforms at the Independent Film Channel, including IFC.com, IFC syndicated digital content and IFC Free, the network’s video on demand service. Mr. Parks also leads the development and production of IFC Media Lab, the network’s incubator for aspiring filmmakers. He is thrilled to be a part of the East End Film Festival and to be associated with so many talented and visionary up-and-coming filmmakers.

Ian Wile – A partner at Rogue Post, Ian has shepherded many interesting projects through the trials and tribulations that make up the post process. He helped develop the process that resulted in the first Digital Intermediate ever completed on an independent film. Ian brings a combination of technological understanding and creativity to every project. He is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts film program, though he stresses that his learning has truly been done in the various projects he’s worked on and vows to quit when there is nothing left to learn. Recent personal credits include Frost, Sordid Things, The Big Bad Swim, Late Watch, and Philips.

John D. Williams Jr. – Perhaps best known as Executive Director of the National Scrabble Association, he was featured in Word Wars, the hit documentary at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. John has also worked for 20 years as a writer/producer for television and film. He’s written and produced for Nickelodeon, SPIKE Television, TV Land, and ESPN among others. John has also written numerous screenplays, the most recent purchased by Paramount.