Meet the Jury

At VLAFF, our juries are made up of filmmakers, artists, and cultural leaders who bring diverse perspectives and a deep love of cinema to the table. Each year, our jurors select standout films and honour exceptional voices in Latin American storytelling.

Alfredo Arroyo Barra.

Alfredo Arroyo Barra

Carlett Decker.

Carlett Decker

Kas Bueno.

Kas Bueno

Cristina Badillo Petriz.

Cristina Badillo Petriz

Cristina Herdoiza.

Cristina Herdoiza

Dana Elizondo Pulido.

Dana Elizondo Pulido

Deyton Leonardo Arauz Reyes.

Leonardo Arauz Reyes

Gregor Aquino.

Gregor Aquino

Luca Pauly.

Luca Pauly

Marcela Echevarría.

Marcela Echevarría

Michelle Audrey Amsing.

Michelle Amsing

Rame Ibrahim.

Rame Ibrahim

Renata Calderón.

Renata Calderón

Soléne Pango Salas.

Soléne Pango Salas

Sooah Choi.

Sooah Choi

Sophie Diebold.

Sophie Diebold

Ximena Baeza.

Ximena Baeza

Ysadora Dias.

Ysadora Dias

Kendra Garcia

Kendra Garcia

Matias Meyer.

Matías Meyer

YENNIFER URIBE ALZATE

TERRA LONG

ERWIN GOMEZ

LOLA DíAZ-GONZáLEZ

VANESSA SANDRE

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Alfredo Arroyo Barra.

Alfredo Arroyo Barra

Alfredo Arroyo Barra is a filmmaker from Veracruz, Mexico, currently working in logistics and completing his latest short film. He studied at Vancouver Film School and participated in the Crazy8s Challenge as a writer and producer. He’s drawn to cinema that values sincerity, experimentation, and emotional vulnerability.

Carlett Decker.

Carlett Decker

Carlett Decker is a screenwriter and filmmaker passionate about engaging narratives. With
several years of experience, she is honored to contribute as a VLAFF Youth Jury member.
Having celebrated her short film Circadian’s North American premiere at the festival, she
offers a keen eye and fresh perspective on Latin American cinema.

Kas Bueno.

Kas Bueno

Born and raised in Argentina, Kas Bueno (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist with a strong interest in the administration of the entertainment industries. Their work focuses on real stories and a raw depiction of the everyday lives of ordinary people. They began their career in Vancouver, where they had to rethink their identity as a Latin American queer immigrant and explore how that identity influences their art and their work.

Cristina Badillo Petriz.

Cristina Badillo Petriz

I’m a mexican-born graphic designer and holder of a master’s degree in film, TV, and SFX makeup. Passionate about writing and cinema, I love everything film-related, from dubbing to script details. I’m a dual expertise merges art and storytelling, fueling my creative pursuits in the cinematic world.

Cristina Herdoiza.

Cristina Herdoiza

Hi, my name is Cristina I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. I speak English, Spanish and a bit of French. I am 25 years old of which I have lived 4 in Canada. Alongside with watching films, reading, photography and listening to music are things I love doing. 

Dana Elizondo Pulido.

Dana Elizondo Pulido

Born in Mexico, Dana is a multidisciplinary artist located in Vancouver, Canada. She
has over ten years of experience in television, digital media, videography, and stop-motion. Her work explores techniques like projection, mixed media, and themes of diaspora and feminism. Dana is currently majoring in Film at Simon Fraser University.

Deyton Leonardo Arauz Reyes.

Deyton Leonardo Arauz Reyes

Leonardo is an essayist and short story writer also pursuing a career in screenwriting. He is a double major in Anthropology and Latin American Studies at UBC, focusing on interdisciplinary Latin American arts. Leonardo is passionate about storytelling, culture, and creating meaningful connections through film and writing.

Gregor Aquino.

Gregor Aquino

Gregor Aquino was born and raised in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. He’s a student currently completing a BFA in Film Production at Simon Fraser University. Often collaborating with his family as non-actors, his latest documentary “Los Aquino, y las Moreno” was part of the 2025 4th Year Screening at SFU ‘s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

Luca Pauly.

Luca Pauly

I am a Floridian born to a Costa Rican father. I am currently in my 2nd year attending Simon Fraser University in their school of contemporary arts where I study film. I enjoy movies for what they are and encounter few that I find irredeemable; always actively trying to extract what it tries to offer. I feel most engaged by work that experiments with unconventional ways to effectively tell a story.

Marcela Echevarría.

Marcela Echevarría

Marcela Echevarría is a Mexican film student currently finishing her degree at the SFU School of Contemporary arts. She is interested in exploring the interplay between painting, animation and film both in experimental and narrative films.

Michelle Audrey Amsing.

Michelle Audrey Amsing

Michelle Audrey Amsing is an Argentine—Canadian actor, writer & director focused on the portrayal of stories that hold truth, culture & shared memory. Through film, she wants to inspire Latin—American artists to honor their roots, trust their voice & and step fully into their own creative paths.

Rame Ibrahim.

Rame Ibrahim

Rame Ibrahim is a Palestinian-Canadian filmmaker whose work delves into displacement, politics, and the diaspora. His films, including Eid, Ahmed, and Prisoner, have been screened internationally, with Prisoner being shortlisted for the Young Director Awards at Cannes Lions. He holds an MFA from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is an alumnus of the DOXA and VIFF mentorship programs.

Renata Calderón.

Renata Calderón

Renata Calderón is a Mexican filmmaker based in Vancouver. Passionate about storytelling since childhood, she has honed her craft over the years. Renata aims to connect with people by sharing heartfelt stories that transmit deep emotions. Her work is deeply inspired by her Mexican heritage and personal experiences.

Soléne Pango Salas.

Soléne Pango Salas

 Soléne Pango Salas was born on April 3rd 2005 in the city of Arequipa, Peru, and is currently living and studying in Vancouver, Canada. She is pursuing a Bachelor Degrees in Film Production at Simon Fraser University. She previously attended the ACE-IT trades program for Film & Broadcasting at Burnaby North Secondary School, where her journey in film began.

Sooah Choi.

Sooah Choi

Sooah Choi, originally from Seoul and living in Vancouver since 2006, is excited to join VLAFF 2025’s Youth Jury. Passionate about Latin America—especially Argentina, which she visited in 2023—she explores culture and art through language, history, and politics, with a deep curiosity for stories that provoke thought and beckon analysis.

Sophie Diebold.

Sophie Diebold

Sophie Diebold (she/her) Recent Media Studies graduate at UBC, professional archivist, casual filmmaker, and radio host of The CiTRchives Show. I was raised in Lima, Perú by a French-Peruvian-Chinese father and a Honduran-Cuban-Palestinian mother. I am a fan of imperfect cinema, video essays, and print media :-))))

Ximena Baeza.

Ximena Baeza

My name is Ximena, and I am a Mexican filmmaker studying at SFU School of Contemporary Arts. My work explores field recordings, experimental cinema, archives and the intersection of film with other art forms. I’m interested in film as a space for memory, sound, and reimagining cultural narratives from a Latin American perspective.

Ysadora Dias.

Ysadora Dias

Ysadora Dias is a Brazilian dance artist and emerging choreographer whose work is deeply inspired by her roots and culture. Her cultural background informs every aspect of her artistic practice, shaping how she moves, creates, and connects with community. Since moving to so-called Vancouver, Ysa has developed a strong interest in interdisciplinary work, driven by curiosity about how rhythm, emotion, and physicality translate across mediums to tell powerful, embodied stories.

Kendra Garcia

Kendra Garcia

My name is Kendra Garcia. I am a 17 years old Mexican – American (Chicana). Graduate in 2025. My family and I immigrated here to Canada for a better opportunity. I am Passionate about filmography, and I love films in every way possible. I am glad to be able to be a part of the Latin youth jury.

Matias Meyer.

Matías Meyer

Matías Meyer studied film direction at the Cinematographic Training Center (CCC) in Mexico City. “Louis Riel or Heaven Touches the Earth” (2024) is his sixth feature film as director, producer and screenwriter, preceded by “Modern Loves” (2019) “Yo” (2015),“The Last Christeros” (2011), “The Cramp” (2009) and “Wadley” (2008). His films have been programmed and awarded in festivals like Toronto, Rotterdam, Locarno, Ficunam and Morelia.

YENNIFER URIBE ALZATE

Yennifer Uribe Alzate (Medellín, Colombia. 1988) is a communicator in audiovisual languages with a Master in Communication from Medellín University and another in Film and Television Fiction from the Ramón Llull University in Barcelona, where she completed doctorate studies. She teaches script and directing. She was selected for the Buenos Aires 14 Talents Campus in 2019. In 2016 she directed the short film Como la primera vez, selected for Clermont-Ferrand. La piel en primavera / Skin in Spring, her first feature film and had its world premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Yennifer was last´s years winner of the New Directors prize.

Terra Long

Terra Long is a filmmaker, editor and educator whose work circles cultural, personal, and (un)natural histories embedded within landscapes. Her practice is collaborative, with a commitment to deep listening and material explorations of celluloid. Her works have screened at venues around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival, CPH: DOX, Ann Arbor Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Media City Film Festival among others. She is a member of the Independent Imaging Retreat Collective (The Film Farm) and Film for Artists Collective.

 

She lives and works on the traditional territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

erwin gomez

Erwin Gómez is a key figure in Latin American animation, with a distinguished career as a director, producer, and cultural manager. He is the founder and director of the Chilemonos International Animation Festival, one of the most important animation events in the region, and the editor of Solomonos Magazine, an online publication specializing in Latin American animation. Additionally, he leads MAI! (Animation Industry Market), a platform that brings together the Latin American animation industry, fostering growth and strengthening international connections.Throughout his career, he has directed short films, animated series, and has extensive experience in animation for advertising and television branding. His short film S.11 earned him the Pedro Sienna Award, Chile’s most prestigious animation prize, along with numerous international accolades.As president of the Chilemonos Foundation, he has played a crucial role in promoting and expanding Chilean animation worldwide, organizing training programs, industry networking events, and international collaborations.Currently, he is leading the research and production of an animated documentary feature film, From the Lion to the Beast, which explores the history of Chilean animation, inspired by the recent discovery of a Chilean animated short film that is over 100 years old

LOLA DíAZ-GONZáLEZ


Lola is a Cultural manager specializing in film promotion. She studied Communication Sciences at National University in Mexico City. In 2010, she began working at several film festivals: the Guadalajara International Film Festival (2011-2013), the Mexico City International Documentary Film Festival (DocsDF) (2010-2013), Distrital. Cine y Otros Mundos (2013, 2014), Cinema Global (2014), Los Cabos International Film Festival (2013, 2014), and Animasivo, the Mexico City Contemporary Animation Festival (2017). She was the director and programmer of La Casa del Cine Mx (2014-2017). In 2018, she served as Head of Planning and Monitoring at PROCINE, a Trust for the Promotion and Development of Mexican Cinema in Mexico City. Her most recent work was at the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE), as Deputy Director of National Promotion (2019-2022) and Director of Promotion of Mexican Cinema (2022-January 2025). Throughout these years, her activities have focused on promoting Mexican cinema and strengthening its exhibition circuits. She is interested in creating experiences around films, considering audiences, filmmakers, and the spaces where they meet. She conceives programming and distribution as a form of conversation and sharing, and today she focuses on designing strategies for films to circulate, be seen, and be celebrated in diverse contexts.

VANESSA SANDRE

Vanessa Sandre is a Brazilian award-winning filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Film and a Master’s degree in Literature focused on Women and Gender Studies. For the last 15 years, Vanessa has cultivated a diverse career as a screenwriter, producer, director, and performer.As a Latina immigrant and artist, she finds inspiration in crafting narratives that amplify underrepresented voices through a decolonial and intersectional feminist lens.Vanessa has an extensive knowledge of film production from concept to distribution, including narrative and non-fiction films and TV content.