VOTING

Joining the distinguished festival jury are CAA talent representatives Ara Keshishian and Jeff Speich and marketing producer Owen Ward. The judges will choose winners for Best Documentary, Best Short Film, and Best Feature Film from the nominated films which were selected from this year’s festival entries.  The nominees in the Best Feature category are also eligible to receive Best Screenplay and Best Director nods.  Winners will be announced after their screenings throughout the three day festivities. (2011 Jurists from left to right – Speich, Ward, and Keshishian.)

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Ara Keshishian is a Motion Picture Talent agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an entertainment and sports agency based in Los Angeles with offices in Nashville, New York City, London, and Beijing.  Keshishian works in the Los Angeles office and represents such actors as Natalie Portman, Antonio Banderas, Édgar Ramírez, Eva Mendes, Jeffrey Wright, Jay Baruchel, Peter Krause, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, and Billy Crudup, among others. Keshishian began his career as an intern in the CAA mailroom in 1997. Keshishian received his JD from Loyola Law School in 1999.

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Jeff Spiech is a Motion Picture Talent agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an entertainment and sports agency based in Los Angeles with offices in Nashville, New York City, London, and Beijing.  Speich works in the Los Angeles office and represents many actors, including Robin Wright, Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, Zach Quinto, among others. Jeff graduated from University of Southern California and began his career at CAA in 1999.

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Owen Ward served as Vice President, Theatrical Marketing at Lionsgate and has overseen campaigns for films such as Academy Award® winner PRECIOUS, the TYLER PERRY and SAW franchises, and THE EXPENDABLES. He is also an avid producer with a love for independent film, most recently completing a short documentary on the city of West Hollywood.

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AFFMA Jury is comprised of industry professionals who deliberate on films in each of the festival’s five categories – feature film, documentary, short, animation, and music video. The AFFMA selection committee includes entertainment industry members who are film festival producers, directors, and programmers as well as film directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, producers and other creative members of the Los Angeles film industry.  The committee consists of seven to twelve members.