2025 Judges

Terrence Battle
Terrence Battle is an award-winning Producer and Entrepreneur. This “Power 30 under 30” Morehouse grad spent over a decade in the music business working with artists such as Dallas Austin, India Arie, and Toni Braxton. Terrence later became VP of Teamedia, a multi-million-dollar boutique advertising agency with clients such as Nike, State Farm, Pepsi, Sony, Universal, RCA, and Warner Music. After leaving the music industry, he turned to TV and film, producing, selling, and financing projects for Comedy Central and Universal. In 2021, he and his partners opened Lincoln Park Studios in Atlanta, whose clients have included Netflix, WB, BET, Bounce, and Apple. Terrence was formerly Head of Content for Content South and Trilith Studios, and he currently produces/consults for 3 Arts Entertainment and is Principal of Sway Media, an Emmy-award-winning TV/film production company based in Los Angeles.

Terrence Battle

Terrence Battle is an award-winning Producer and Entrepreneur. This “Power 30 under 30” Morehouse grad spent over a decade in the music business working with artists such as Dallas Austin, India Arie, and Toni Braxton. Terrence later became VP of Teamedia, a multi-million-dollar boutique advertising agency with clients such as Nike, State Farm, Pepsi, Sony, Universal, RCA, and Warner Music. After leaving the music industry, he turned to TV and film, producing, selling, and financing projects for Comedy Central and Universal. In 2021, he and his partners opened Lincoln Park Studios in Atlanta, whose clients have included Netflix, WB, BET, Bounce, and Apple. Terrence was formerly Head of Content for Content South and Trilith Studios, and he currently produces/consults for 3 Arts Entertainment and is Principal of Sway Media, an Emmy-award-winning TV/film production company based in Los Angeles.

Instagram: @terrencecbattle

Angi Bones
Angi Bones is President of Production at Tyler Perry Studios. She served as second assistant director and co-producer of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns, and recently produced Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black (Netflix) and Single Drunk Female (Freeform and 20th Television). Bones’ extensive resume of music videos, commercials, award shows, television series, and feature films includes Blade, To Wong Foo, The Fighting Temptations, Men of Honor, Training Day, and Crazy in Alabama. She is president and co-founder of West End Road Productions, Executive Vice President of Bobbcat Films, and a member of the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA), Director’s Guild of America (DGA), Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA), and Reel Divas, a group that aims to promote female Black writers, producers, and directors and increase awareness of Atlanta as a production hub.

Angi Bones

Angi Bones is President of Production at Tyler Perry Studios. She served as second assistant director and co-producer of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns, and recently produced Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black (Netflix) and Single Drunk Female (Freeform and 20th Television). Bones’ extensive resume of music videos, commercials, award shows, television series, and feature films includes Blade, To Wong Foo, The Fighting Temptations, Men of Honor, Training Day, and Crazy in Alabama. She is president and co-founder of West End Road Productions, Executive Vice President of Bobbcat Films, and a member of the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA), Director’s Guild of America (DGA), Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA), and Reel Divas, a group that aims to promote female Black writers, producers, and directors and increase awareness of Atlanta as a production hub.

Jim Farmer
Jim Farmer is the festival director of Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQIA+ film festival. Over the last 15 years, he has helped lead the organization to become one of the major LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the country (and an Oscar® qualifying one as well). In 2023, Out on Film was named top film festival in the nation by the readers of USA Today. Farmer is also an award-winning journalist who has written about queer arts for over 25 years. He was named 2019 Businessman of the Year by the Out Georgia Business Alliance and has been included on Atlanta Magazine‘s “500 Most Powerful City Leaders” list every year since 2020. Farmer has also served on the Atlanta Hawks’ LGBTQIA+ Pride Council and acted as grand marshal for Atlanta Pride.

Jim Farmer

Jim Farmer is the festival director of Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQIA+ film festival. Over the last 15 years, he has helped lead the organization to become one of the major LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the country (and an Oscar® qualifying one as well). In 2023, Out on Film was named top film festival in the nation by the readers of USA Today. Farmer is also an award-winning journalist who has written about queer arts for over 25 years. He was named 2019 Businessman of the Year by the Out Georgia Business Alliance and has been included on Atlanta Magazine‘s “500 Most Powerful City Leaders” list every year since 2020. Farmer has also served on the Atlanta Hawks’ LGBTQIA+ Pride Council and acted as grand marshal for Atlanta Pride.

Ben Hall
Ben Hall is a screenwriter and director who currently resides in Atlanta, GA. Formerly based in L.A., he has worked in the production department on multiple studio feature films and television shows, all while developing and directing independent feature films via his production company, Marianna Motion Pictures. Some of his directorial work includes Sergeant Townsend (2012), Old Souls (2013), and feature films The Man from Outer Space (2017), Night into Day (2020), and Remote (2025). He is currently serving as a Production Sustainability Advisor for Netflix, most recently working on productions such as Being the Ricardos (2021), Rebel Moon (2023-2024), and Stranger Things (2025).

Ben Hall

Ben Hall is a screenwriter and director who currently resides in Atlanta, GA. Formerly based in L.A., he has worked in the production department on multiple studio feature films and television shows, all while developing and directing independent feature films via his production company, Marianna Motion Pictures. Some of his directorial work includes Sergeant Townsend (2012), Old Souls (2013), and feature films The Man from Outer Space (2017), Night into Day (2020), and Remote (2025). He is currently serving as a Production Sustainability Advisor for Netflix, most recently working on productions such as Being the Ricardos (2021), Rebel Moon (2023-2024), and Stranger Things (2025).

Instagram: @hall_ben_hall

Caroline Rumley
Caroline Rumley is an American filmmaker from the South who collages solo-shot film, found and archival footage, text, and sound to illuminate a personal or public event. Her experimental documentary and poetry films have screened internationally at varied venues—from Melbourne’s Biennial of Video Art to Amsterdam’s IDFA to Berlin’s Zebra Poetry Film Festival to Sundance. Caroline holds an MFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MA in Film, Video, and Digital Imaging from Georgia State University. She was named Kirk Visiting Artist at Agnes Scott College in 2019, and her work is housed in the permanent collections of Agnes Scott, the British Film Institute Archive, and the British Artists’ Film and Video Study Collection at Central Saint Martins.

Caroline Rumley

Caroline Rumley is an American filmmaker from the South who collages solo-shot film, found and archival footage, text, and sound to illuminate a personal or public event. Her experimental documentary and poetry films have screened internationally at varied venues—from Melbourne’s Biennial of Video Art to Amsterdam’s IDFA to Berlin’s Zebra Poetry Film Festival to Sundance. Caroline holds an MFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MA in Film, Video, and Digital Imaging from Georgia State University. She was named Kirk Visiting Artist at Agnes Scott College in 2019, and her work is housed in the permanent collections of Agnes Scott, the British Film Institute Archive, and the British Artists’ Film and Video Study Collection at Central Saint Martins.

Instagram: @mediapoesie

Previous Judges

Ellen Barnard
Ellen Barnard is co-owner and Executive Producer of Tomorrow Pictures Inc. Along with co-owner and founder director Fr3deR1ck Taylor, she develops and produces award winning original scripted and unscripted content for film, television, radio/podcast, streaming, and client-based productions. Tomorrow Pictures projects have been distributed on digital platforms including Prime, as well as broadcast on PBS, and many network affiliates. From its founding, Tomorrow Pictures has been committed to telling stories globally with a commitment to equity, diversity and leveraging media as a force for good.

Ellen Barnard

Ellen Barnard is co-owner and Executive Producer of Tomorrow Pictures Inc. Along with co-owner and founder director Fr3deR1ck Taylor, she develops and produces award winning original scripted and unscripted content for film, television, radio/podcast, streaming, and client-based productions. Tomorrow Pictures projects have been distributed on digital platforms including Prime, as well as broadcast on PBS, and many network affiliates. From its founding, Tomorrow Pictures has been committed to telling stories globally with a commitment to equity, diversity and leveraging media as a force for good.

https://www.tomorrowpictures.com/

Bill Burton
A graduate of Georgia State University, Bill Burton is an award-winning cinematographer of feature films, scripted television series, documentaries, and TV commercials. A dedicated screenwriter since grad school, he has earned accolades for his feature and pilot scripts in The Nicholl, Page, Austin, Scriptapalooza and Big Break screenwriting competitions. As Director of Photography, his scripted television work has appeared on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Hulu, VH-1, Investigation Discovery, HBO Max, and Nickelodeon, and his feature films have been distributed via theatrical release, streaming outlets, and home video.

Bill Burton

A graduate of Georgia State University, Bill Burton is an award-winning cinematographer of feature films, scripted television series, documentaries, and TV commercials. A dedicated screenwriter since grad school, he has earned accolades for his feature and pilot scripts in The Nicholl, Page, Austin, Scriptapalooza and Big Break screenwriting competitions. As Director of Photography, his scripted television work has appeared on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Hulu, VH-1, Investigation Discovery, HBO Max, and Nickelodeon, and his feature films have been distributed via theatrical release, streaming outlets, and home video.

IMDB: Bill Burton

Karen Ceesay
Karen Ceesay is an actor, writer, and producer living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. Karen has appeared in recurring roles on several hit projects, most notably as Mrs. Sinclair, Lucas & Erica’s mother, on Stranger Things (Netflix) and as Bertie on The Walking Dead (AMC). As a writer, she has a project in development with Laurence Fishburne’s production Company, Cinema Gypsy, and was part of the writing and production team on the short form series Intersection which garnered a 2022 Emmy nomination for one of its actors. Karen currently serves on the boards of Screen Actors Guild / American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA Atlanta Local), Film Impact Georgia, and Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA).

Karen Ceesay

Karen Ceesay is an actor, writer, and producer living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. Karen has appeared in recurring roles on several hit projects, most notably as Mrs. Sinclair, Lucas & Erica’s mother, on Stranger Things (Netflix) and as Bertie on The Walking Dead (AMC). As a writer, she has a project in development with Laurence Fishburne’s production Company, Cinema Gypsy, and was part of the writing and production team on the short form series Intersection which garnered a 2022 Emmy nomination for one of its actors. Karen currently serves on the boards of Screen Actors Guild / American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA Atlanta Local), Film Impact Georgia, and Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA).

Instagram: @karenceesay

Mike Chase
Emmy winning Director of Photography Michael Chase has a wide-ranging knowledge of film and video projects from inception to completion. He applies creative and technical problem solving to get the shot no matter how challenging the situation. Michael is an expert, collaborative, visual storyteller with a 25-year history of happy, loyal clients and, of course, a few trophies in the back of the closet, too. He is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), the Georgia Production Partnership (GPP), and the Digital Cinema Society (DCS).

Mike Chase

Emmy winning Director of Photography Michael Chase has a wide-ranging knowledge of film and video projects from inception to completion. He applies creative and technical problem solving to get the shot no matter how challenging the situation. Michael is an expert, collaborative, visual storyteller with a 25-year history of happy, loyal clients and, of course, a few trophies in the back of the closet, too. He is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), the Georgia Production Partnership (GPP), and the Digital Cinema Society (DCS).

http://www.chaselight.com

Jane Cole
Jane Cole is an Emmy winning Director/Producer with over 25 years of experience in commercial, documentary, corporate and broadcast mediums. She has a passion for telling compelling stories; by collaborating closely with clients, crew, and talent, she always captures unique and powerful narratives. Jane works with some of the world’s top brands – Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, Emory Healthcare and others. She is a native of Atlanta and a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and the Producers Guild of America (PGA).

Jane Cole

Jane Cole is an Emmy winning Director/Producer with over 25 years of experience in commercial, documentary, corporate and broadcast mediums. She has a passion for telling compelling stories; by collaborating closely with clients, crew, and talent, she always captures unique and powerful narratives. Jane works with some of the world’s top brands – Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, Emory Healthcare and others. She is a native of Atlanta and a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and the Producers Guild of America (PGA).

http://www.chaselight.com

Rick Estimond
Rick Estimond is the President of People Store Talent Agency. He joined the People Store team in 2009 after graduating from Georgia State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations. In 2011, under the tutelage of his mentor and predecessor Jen Kelly, Rick took over as head of the Commercial and Industrial departments. He has a great appreciation for the arts; as a child, he was fortunate enough to study acting, music, writing, and dance at the Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Rick finds great joy in helping actors achieve their dreams, and is very proud to represent the best talent in the Southeast.

Rick Estimond

Rick Estimond is the President of People Store Talent Agency. He joined the People Store team in 2009 after graduating from Georgia State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations. In 2011, under the tutelage of his mentor and predecessor Jen Kelly, Rick took over as head of the Commercial and Industrial departments. He has a great appreciation for the arts; as a child, he was fortunate enough to study acting, music, writing, and dance at the Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Rick finds great joy in helping actors achieve their dreams, and is very proud to represent the best talent in the Southeast.

https://peoplestore.net

Mary Grace Higgs
Mary Grace Higgs is an Emmy-winning Producer, Director, and Writer who has worked in the film and television industry for over 20 years. She has worked with a wide variety of networks including Netflix, Food Network, HGTV, Turner, A&E and The Weather Channel. Her documentary credits include Herren’s: A Sweet Southern Spirit, an Emmy nominated documentary about the first Atlanta restaurant to integrate in the 1960’s. She also produces EcoSense for Living, an Emmy winning environmental documentary series on PBS, and her feature film work includes Remember the Titans, Unshackled, and The Killer Next Door.

Mary Grace Higgs

Mary Grace Higgs is an Emmy-winning Producer, Director, and Writer who has worked in the film and television industry for over 20 years. She has worked with a wide variety of networks including Netflix, Food Network, HGTV, Turner, A&E and The Weather Channel. Her documentary credits include Herren’s: A Sweet Southern Spirit, an Emmy nominated documentary about the first Atlanta restaurant to integrate in the 1960’s. She also produces EcoSense for Living, an Emmy winning environmental documentary series on PBS, and her feature film work includes Remember the Titans, Unshackled, and The Killer Next Door.

Kristen McGary
Kristen McGary is a director, writer, and producer based in Atlanta, GA. A graduate of UGA’s MFA Program, Kristen and sister Amy currently helm Screen Lloyd, a company devoted to creating/producing content, as well as supporting other filmmakers and their work. Kristen’s feature directorial debut, The Adventures of Ociee Nash, was distributed by 20th Century Fox, HBO Central Europe, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Her screenplay Wed was a semi-finalist at the Atlanta Film Festival (2019), and her work has been selected for the Women in Film International Shortcase, a CINE Golden Eagle Award, and a Southeastern Emmy Award Nomination. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA).

Kristen McGary

Kristen McGary is a director, writer, and producer based in Atlanta, GA. A graduate of UGA’s MFA Program, Kristen and sister Amy currently helm Screen Lloyd, a company devoted to creating/producing content, as well as supporting other filmmakers and their work. Kristen’s feature directorial debut, The Adventures of Ociee Nash, was distributed by 20th Century Fox, HBO Central Europe, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Her screenplay Wed was a semi-finalist at the Atlanta Film Festival (2019), and her work has been selected for the Women in Film International Shortcase, a CINE Golden Eagle Award, and a Southeastern Emmy Award Nomination. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and Women in Film & Television Atlanta (WIFTA).

https://screenlloyd.com/

Jeffrey Umberger
Jeffrey Umberger is a voiceover manager with ACM Talent (NY, ATL, L.A.). His background in the entertainment industry stretches back 40 years, first as a film and TV actor, composer, and musician, transitioning to the casting, agent, and management side to specialize in voiceover. Former owner and founder of Umberger Agency, Jeffrey is a well-respected voiceover industry expert, panelist, speaker, and actors’ advocate. He has also served as a voice coach for on-air talent at CNN and NPR.

Jeffrey Umberger

Jeffrey Umberger is a voiceover manager with ACM Talent (NY, ATL, L.A.). His background in the entertainment industry stretches back 40 years, first as a film and TV actor, composer, and musician, transitioning to the casting, agent, and management side to specialize in voiceover. Former owner and founder of Umberger Agency, Jeffrey is a well-respected voiceover industry expert, panelist, speaker, and actors’ advocate. He has also served as a voice coach for on-air talent at CNN and NPR.

https://www.acmtalent.com