MEET OUR 2025 CFC JUDGES
2025 CFC Selection Committee Judges
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Cristina SassoCristina Sasso is a Panamanian filmmaker who honed her craft at Playhouse West Repertory Theatre before stepping into writing and directing. She has collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Adalgiza De Los Santos (Criminal Minds), and Shoniqua Shandai (Harlem). Sasso is the co-founder of Side Pocket Station, a Los Angeles-based rehearsal and audition-tape studio. Passionate about crafting narratives that amplify underrepresented voices and exploring the lens through which they see the world. Follow her creative journey on Instagram: @sassymakesfilms. She is also an OG CFC filmmaker.
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GABRIEL YAFFE Gabriel is an Austin, Texas-based filmmaker and actor who focuses primarily on making comedies to make you think. To put it in the most pretentious way possible, he makes you laugh while holding up a mirror to society. His short "The Surge" won best comedy short at the 2019 Anthem Film Festival. And his subsequent film "Police Werk: 2020" was a contender the year following. He's currently working on films that explore the impact of AI on human creativity and meaning. These days, much of his time is joyfully occupied by his wife and 3 kids, all of whom are 3 or younger. Well, not his wife. She's an adult. |
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Brion HambelBrion Hambel is an independent producer living in Los Angeles. His credits include SXSW winner Natural Selection, Scenic Route, Better Watch Out, and Tone-Deaf. His latest producorial effort, Ike Boys (a family-friendly, kaiju fantasy adventure that mixes live-action with anime and tokusatsu), will be released in October.
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2025 CFC Grand Jury
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MATTHEW CLAYBROOKS Born and raised in Compton, Matt learned about the harsh realities of life at an early age, and how to use humor to cope with them. As a 2024 Emmy Award Nominee & PGA Nominee for Outstanding Variety Special for Netflix's Chris Rock: Selective Outrage serving as an Executive Producer, Matt is currently the Showrunner and Executive Producer for the new BET+ animated series, Lil Kev, based on the early life of comedian/actor extraordinaire Kevin Hart. Matt has written on multiple television shows, including: The Gordita Chronicles (HBO MAX), All About the Washingtons (Netflix), The Game (BET) and Everybody Still Hates Chris (Comedy Central), as well as writing on multiple awards/variety shows from the Oscars to Saturday Night Live. |
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TERRA WEILER Terra Weiler is a Partner and Manager at Impact Artists Group, LLC, where she brings over two decades of expertise in behavioral psychology, marketing, training and development—combined with 14 years of talent management experience. Her unique, multidimensional background has been instrumental in building and shaping the careers of a diverse and talented roster, including Diego Tinoco, Drake Rodger, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Ray Proscia, Diandra Lyle, William Mark McCullough, Tait Blum, Savannah Nicole Ruiz, and many more. Terra’s management philosophy blends a strategic business mindset with deep psychological insight, marketing acumen, and a heartfelt commitment to her clients. She is fiercely dedicated to creating an environment where artists can do their most authentic and powerful creative work—free from the typical pressures of the entertainment industry. Her mission is to ensure that each client operates from a place of vulnerability, passion, and truth, supported by a solid, forward-driving professional foundation. In addition to her work in talent management, Terra is an author and founder of BuildMyWins.com, a platform devoted to personal development and goal building. Her upcoming book, What Does a Win Look Like? Focus Book for a Life That Counts, debuts in 2025 and is complemented by her live course, Win Builders. Through these offerings, Terra helps individuals redefine success and recognize that every step of the journey matters. Follow Terra on Instagram: @TerraWeiler and @BuildMyWins to stay inspired and connected. |
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TRACY MERCER
Tracy Mercer, currently an independent producer at Amasia Entertainment, is an industry veteran with over twenty five years of feature film and television producorial and executive experience. Mercer is a producer on the upcoming science fiction thriller from director Brad Anderson (Session 9, The Machinist) WORLDBREAKER , shot on location in Belfast and currently in post-production starring Luke Evans and Milla Jovovich. Additionally, Mercer is co-host on the 200+ episodes/4 years and still going strong irreverent comedy podcast, MY FAVORITE SHITTY MOVIE. Also a published author, Mercer recently contributed 5 chapters to the Amazon #1 Best Seller in Movie Guides: CINEMA BIZARRO: THE WEIRD KID’S GUIDE TO PARTICULARLY ODD HORROR AND SCI-FI MOVIES. This book is a sequel book to the best selling/Rondo-nominated GIANT BEAST CINEMA, to which she was also a contributing author. Mercer’s first development job was as story editor with then Sony-based producer Rob Fried at Fried Films; there she worked on projects including the cult hit THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, and HBO’S critical darling, WINCHELL. Tracy next joined producer Dan Halsted at Halsted Pictures, who was then partnered with director Oliver Stone, where she worked in development on TNT’s hit series based on the Top Cow comic, WITCHBLADE and feature films including ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, BEYOND BORDERS and THE ART OF WAR. Spending much of her childhood as a rabid fan of science fiction and horror films, Tracy was next hired by her childhood hero, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, at her company, Valhalla Motion Pictures. She rose through the ranks to become Senior Vice President and Head of Development. At Valhalla Tracy was the executive in charge of production on the PBS award-winning documentary, TRUE WHISPERS: THE STORY OF THE NAVAJO CODETALKERS and worked in a development capacity on Ang Lee’s HULK, Marvel’s THE PUNISHER, Karyn Kusama’s AEON FLUX and Nickelodeon’sCLOCKSTOPPERS. After four years at Valhalla, she was hired to head up development for Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment, where she was involved in the development of feature films including INVICTUS, directed by Clint Eastwood, 10 ITEMS OR LESS, directed by Brad Silberling, Mimi Leder’s THE CODE, Robert Benton’s FEAST OF LOVE, and Rob Reiner’s THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE. Mercer also served as producer on Richard Loncraine’s film, 5 FLIGHTS UP, starring Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman and Cynthia Nixon. Tracy was instrumental in getting Revelations into television when she conceptualized and sold THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN to Discovery Science Channel, where she served as Executive Producer on the four time Emmy-nominated series. She was also co-producer of the Peabody Award-winning ESPN 30 FOR 30 Documentary, THE 16th MAN which won a special “Television with a Conscience” Emmy. Mercer is most proud to have been essential in the selling, development, and her role as executive producer on the pilot of the CBS’ hit series, MADAM SECRETARY and producing successive seasons.. Working with TV showrunner goddess Barbara Hall remains a career highlight. A Pepperdine University graduate who went to film school at San Francisco’s Academy of Art, Mercer started her career as a production coordinator on independent feature films and a script analyst for producers Jennifer and Suzanne Todd at Team Todd during their New Line Term deal. From there, Mercer transitioned to being Jennifer Aniston’s first personal assistant, working closely with the Emmy-winning actress during several seasons of the TV juggernaut FRIENDS and the feature film’s PICTURE PEFECT, OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION OFFICE SPACE and IRON GIANT. |
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JUSTIN ARMAN
Founder, producer, and executive director of CiVL. Principal AI Research Engineer for the Foundation for Harmony and Prosperity. |
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ERIC THOMPSON Eric has been working in film crews for over 17 years, gaining both practical experience and a creative understanding of filmmaking. A Los Angeles-born writer, director, and producer, he has created several original projects, including short films "The Veil" (Grand Jury Prize Winner—CFC), "Stevie" (Dances With Films, HollyShorts Film Festival), and "Flanders" (Winner of Night of Comedy Shorts). A participant in the 2025 MPI Short Film Lab. He currently has a feature screenplay optioned with a major studio. |
