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.

Alejandra Sofia.

Alejandra Sofia

Ana Paola Gutierrez Heredia.

Ana Paola Gutierrez Heredia

Ariadna Alvarado.

Ariadna Alvarado

Asu Raquel Richard Perrier.

Asu Raquel Richard Perrier

Ava Albaisa.

Ava Albaisa

Beatriz Jurkewicz.

Beatriz Jurkewicz

Fernando Vargas.

Fernando Vargas

Garbi Gomez.

Garbi Gomez

Juan Mendez.

Juan Mendez

Lavanda Mendez Ruvalcaba.

Lavanda Mendez Ruvalcaba

Lukas Troni Brien.

Lukas Troni Brien

Lyst Evelyn.

Lyst Evelyn

Maria Monaco de Oliveira

Maria Monaco de Oliveira

MARIANA GARCÍA OSPINA.

MARIANA GARCÍA OSPINA

Mikel Alberto Estrada Pinera.

Mikel Alberto Estrada Pinera

Santiago Hardie

Santiago Hardie

Sofia Treminio

Sofia Treminio

Valeria Renteria,

Valeria Renteria

Kendra Garcia

Kendra Garcia

Matias Meyer.

Matías Meyer

YENNIFER URIBE ALZATE

TERRA LONG

ERWIN GOMEZ

LOLA DíAZ-GONZáLEZ

VANESSA SANDRE

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Alejandra Sofia.

Alejandra Sofia

Alejandra Sofia is a Venezuelan-Canadian actress/choreographer and a recent graduate from the Acting for Stage and Screen program at Capilano University. Growing up with Western media, she never felt accurately represented on TV. Alejandra hopes to change this and be the representation she longed for as a young girl.

Ana Paola Gutierrez Heredia.

Ana Paola Gutierrez Heredia

I’m a Mexican historian, filmmaker, and holder of a Master’s in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. I have directed and produced movies for festivals like Run and Gun; my passion unites romance, history, and feminism. Leveraging creativity, I aim to inspire Latin American filmmakers and champion powerful, inclusive storytelling in the cinematic world.

Ariadna Alvarado.

Ariadna Alvarado

Ariadna Alvarado is a mixed media artist and communications specialist passionate about cultural storytelling and directing music videos. She founded Tertulia, a Spanish-language book club in Calgary, served as Community Manager for CLAFF’s first edition and is thrilled to be joining VLAFF this year!

Asu Raquel Richard Perrier.

Asu Raquel Richard Perrier

I’m Asu, Chilean, born in 2005. My parents are Canadian. I moved to Canada at 13. I spent my childhood writing stories and shooting “movies” with my plushes. Then, as a teenager, a highschool film class fueled my passion for film. I recently attended VFS, and made a short film.

Ava Albaisa.

Ava Albaisa

Ava Albaisa is a theatre artist from San Diego, California. She graduated from UBC’s Acting
program in 2026, and has taken a special interest in Latin-American adaptations of Greek
theatre. Through performance, Ava hopes to examine the relationships humans have to
themselves, one another, and the spaces we occupy.

Beatriz Jurkewicz.

Beatriz Jurkewicz

Beatriz is a Brazilian circus artist and film researcher. Her MA thesis explores cultural
memory, anti-colonial perspectives, and visual experimentation in cinema. After more than
three years in Vancouver’s film industry camera department, she now edits music-focused
content. Outside of work, she practices Capoeira and plays bass guitar.

Fernando Vargas.

Fernando Vargas

Fernando Vargas is an emerging scholar from Mexico with an interest in film festival curation and organization. He recently graduated from the University of British Columbia with an MA in Cinema and Media Studies. His research specializes in 1970s queer film and pornography, questioning its depictions of hyper-masculine desire.

Garbi Gomez.

Garbi Gomez

I am a Mexican filmmaker and writer who believes in the power of storytelling to connect people and share different perspectives. I studied filmmaking at Vancouver Film School and am currently majoring in Creative Writing. I love discovering stories that explore identity, culture and the complexity of human experiences, and I am excited to be part of the VLAFF Youth Jury.

Juan Mendez.

Juan Mendez

Juan Mendez is a Colombian sound design student and Visual Media graduate who is passionate about film and the relationship between sound and storytelling. Having grown up watching films, he values works that use sound intentionally and treat it as an essential element of the cinematic experience.

Lavanda Mendez Ruvalcaba.

Lavanda Mendez Ruvalcaba

Lavanda Mendez Ruvalcaba (they/she), is a writer, poet, creative, scholar-in-training &
spiritual practitioner. Lavanda centers her work around personal & collective transformation
through death & ancestral memory. She is currently finishing her BA in the Study of Religion
& Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. They are the daughter of Mexican
immigrants hailing from what is now colonially known as Saltillo, Puebla, & Mexico City.

Lukas Troni Brien.

Lukas Troni Brien

Lukas Troni Brien is a Chilean organizer based in Vancouver, where he co-runs Ritmos Climáticos, a youth-led arts and climate justice collective. He studied Geography at UBC, works across Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and has loved Latin American cinema for as long as he can remember.

Lyst Evelyn.

Lyst Evelyn

Lyst Evelyn is a Colombian 3D modeler specializing in animation and video games. Living in Vancouver since 2017, she has developed a strong passion for visual storytelling across different media. Her background in digital arts, combined with her appreciation for diverse voices and creative expression, brings a unique perspective to her role as a film festival jury member.

Maria Monaco de Oliveira

Maria Monaco de Oliveira

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Maria Monaco de Oliveira is a Vancouver-based
filmmaker with a love for storytelling. She has worked in production design, camera, and sports broadcasting, and enjoys discovering films that spark conversation, offer new perspectives, and celebrate the creativity and diversity of Latin American cinema.

MARIANA GARCÍA OSPINA.

MARIANA GARCÍA OSPINA

Mariana García Ospina is a Colombian Audiovisual Communicator with expertise in
documentary, fiction, and videodance production. Her multidisciplinary practice spans
cinematography, direction, and editing. She merges her dance background with audiovisual
storytelling to create innovative content exploring cultural narratives. Her work has received
recognition at national and international film festivals.

Mikel Alberto Estrada Pinera.

Mikel Alberto Estrada Pinera

Associate Producer and partner at Vancouver-based independent production company
Flying Cat Productions. He studied Animation Engineering at Universidad Panamericana
and Visual Effects at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and trained in screenwriting with
acclaimed Latin American filmmakers, including Carlos Cuarón, Astrid Romero, Marcelo
Tobar, and Fernanda Valadez.

Santiago Hardie

Santiago Hardie

Santiago Hardie is a psychology graduate and writer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied filmmaking and co-hosted a film podcast for several years. His interests include cinema, literature, and poetry.

Sofia Treminio

Sofia Treminio

From El Salvador, Sofia is a UBC graduate, passionate about cinema, especially films that explore memory, identity, and the complexity of human relationships. She works in the non-profit sector, committed to developing programs that support and empower Latin American communities across Vancouver and British Columbia.

Valeria Renteria,

Valeria Renteria

I’m Valeria Renteria, I was born on 2006 in Mexico City, where I developed a huge interest
in fashion and film. Currently studying Film Production at VFS. I’m excited about exploring
other ways to see the world through other people experiences to understand how the
world collides in just one.

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.