Anne Maselli-Stampfel
LIIFE Co-Founder, Film/Screenwriting Judge, Fest Organization Team
Anne Stampfel is one of the co-founders of this festival along with husband Henry and Debra Markowitz and has been a judge for the entire duration of LIIFE for the past 26 years. Together with her husband they own and operate the Bellmore Movies & Showplace, The Malverne Cinema & Art Center and the North Shore Towers Cinema.
Anthony Labriola
SFYL Festival Director, Film Judge, Fest Organization Team
Anthony A. Labriola is an alumnus of The School of Visual Arts with background in Film & Television writing. Anthony is an active member of The Horror Writers Association and his passion for all things that go bump in the night is reflected in his award winning screenplays, horror short story publications, and his podcast “The Hauntsville Cryptast.” Anthony’s company, Sophisticated Lions Entertainment, specializes in content development for film, theater, documentaries, radio drama, illustration, and animation. He has been a member of The Long Island Film and Television Foundation since 2015, and has since been the director of the foundation’s horror film festival “Scared For Your LIIFE.”
Cheryl Dobbins
Film Judge
Debra Markowitz
LIIFE Co-Founder, Festival Director
Debra Markowitz created and served as the Director of the Nassau County Film Commission. Serving four administrations during her 33-year tenure, Ms. Markowitz had steadily increased production of movies, television programs and commercials that were shot in Nassau County. Along with Anne and Henry Stampfel, Debra is co-founder of the Long Island International Film Expo, and is the current President of the Long Island Film/TV Foundation. Debra is also a prolific indie filmmaker whose screenplays have been in Academy award qualifying festivals such as HollyShort and FlickersRI. Her directorial resume includes award winning shorts, pilots, episodics and narrative feature films.
Edward V Lacina
Fest Organization Team, Film Judge
Edward V Lacina has been exploring the human condition and studying life’s experiences through both an individual and group settings; searching for many years while wearing the multiple hats of a writer, filmmaker, photographer and musician, all while honing the moments through the filters of telling a better story.
EJ Acosta
Film Judge
E.J. Acosta, director of “Drink In The Pain”, the animated short “Man’s Beat Fiend”, and theatre production “The Mouse”, has been an actor for the past decade. He’s taken part in various theatre productions (“Welcome To The Moon”, “Of Mice and Men”, “Requiem for a Heavyweight”), and independent productions (“Harmony”, “Father” “Sfortunato”, “The Better Man”), across Long Island, NY. Additionally he’s worked and gained invaluable firsthand experience behind the scenes on numerous independent projects over the years, while specializing in the position of sound recordist. As well as functioning as a sound board operator for various theatre productions at The Actors Workshop in Levittown, NY. He is proud to be a part of this year’s judging committee, and looks forward to seeing the passion and creativity set forth by all LIIFE participants.
Henry Stampfel
LIIFE Co-Founder, Film Judge, Fest Organization Team
Jake Graydon
Fest Organization Team, Film Judge
Josh Graydon is a queer writer/director/producer from Long Island who has been working professionally since he was 14 years old. Nearly a decade later he’s worked on every aspect of production, made numerous shorts (HARMONY is now streaming on Tubi), made a feature film “Charlene” (which premiered at LIIFE), and is currently in pre-production on his second feature “Violet Hearts”.
John Marean
Film Judge, Technical Director
John Marean, co-owner of Intention Films and Media, graduated with his MFA in Technical Design and Production from the Yale School of Drama. He started his career as the Technical Director of the Hudson Guild Theater, then became Production Manager of Playwrights’ Horizons/Scenic Central and built sets for Nickelodeon, as well as many other Broadway, off-Broadway, television and feature film productions.
John has been working as a Director of Photography, Assistant Camera, Grip, Gaffer, Sound Recordist, Production Manager and Assistant Director on many indie shorts, episodics and feature films.
Kory Diskin
Filmmakers Lounge Manager/Designer
Kris Fluck
Website / Graphic Designer
Kris Fluck has been a professional website/graphics designer since 1995. She has worked with the Long Island International Film Festival since 2013. Kris was widowed in 2008 and has one daughter with whom she has shared many adventures. Kris enjoys traveling, live concerts, photography and nerding out with her daughter at comic conventions & theme parks.
Manny Serrano
Festival Director, Technical Director, Film Judge
Manny Serrano has been an indie filmmaker in the NYC area since 2008, focusing primarily on horror/genre film. Along with his wife Lindsay Serrano, they formed Mass Grave Pictures, where they have produced three feature films (Blood Slaughter Massacre, Theta States, and Dark Tales From Channel X), the featurette “The Attack of the Brain People”, and numerous award winning short films. He is currently the co-host on the Haunted Hangover podcast discussing horror and cult films.
Mark Pragai
Fest Organization Team, Film Judge
Mark Pragai developed his filmmaking approach from design school at Concordia University and art department in film. Since his transition, Mark has been excelling in the Montreal market as a commercial/fashion cinematographer. He also works to educate and help filmmakers enter the world of cinema through hosting the local networking event, sponsored by the Raindance.
Mitchell Bard
Screenwriting Judge
Mitchell Bard is a media professor at Iona University in New Rochelle, N.Y. Mitchell has written, produced, and directed feature films, short films, and music videos. He has also worked in development and distribution.
Rob Graydon
Fest Organization Team, Film/Screenwriting Judge
Rob is an award winning filmmaker whose work ranges from documentaries to puppet films to horror. Rob directed the Clive Barker documentary “Abarat – The Artist’s Passion’ for Fangoria. He’s worked with such artists as Rob Zombie, KNB Studios and the late Stan Winston for Fangoria as well. His vampire horror short Harmony is currently streaming on TubiTV. Recently he has directed several segments for Sesame Street which has been a life long dream. He is also Co-Host of the horror podcast Stabby Road.
Sal Rendino
Film Judge
STAGE
- Artistic Director Achievement Award in L.A., as “Best Lead Actor in a Drama” (world premiere, “David and Goliath in America”)
FILM
- Best Supporting Actor Award (Long Island Int’l Film Expo., “One Moment”, opposite Danny Aiello in his final screen performance);
- Best Supporting Actor Award (Nice [Fr] International Film Fest., “Second Chance”);
- Rising Star Award (Long Island Int’l Film Expo.)
TV
- Power Book III”, “FBI”, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”, “The Americans” (recurring), “Billions” (recurring)
Sarah Klima
Festival Admin
Stevan Mena
Screenwriting Judge
Stevan is a writer/director. His award winning films have been distributed theatrically worldwide. He recently completed work on his latest picture, The Ruse, starring Veronica Cartwright (The Witches of Eastwick, Alien). He has also worked in television, directing several episodes of the SyFy show School Spirits. He currently resides in NY.
Tim Porter
Screenwriting Judge
Tim Porter is an internationally recognized screenwriter, having won numerous competitions in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and beyond. His feature, Typhoid Maria, was the winner of the 2022 LIIFE Screenplay Competition and received the inaugural live table read. When not creating art, Tim works as a CTO in the non-profit industry to close the opportunity divide for young adults.