Jury
Features
ALEX MITOW - INDEPENDENT FILM DIRECTOR, PRODUCER AND THOUGHT LEADER
Alex Mitow is a film director, strategist, producer, and thought leader in independent film and art. Through his Sherpa Films vehicle, he's co-produced films including Ira Sachs' Sundance 2025 release Peter Hujar's Day and directed Neon Reef, a queer nature documentary that premiered at Miami Film Festival in April 2026 and screened at OUTshine later that month. A believer in a bright, equitable future for queer independent film and its creators, Alex's core aim is to solve the distribution puzzle and find artistically and financially viable paths forward for movies, the festivals that show them, and the people behind the magic. Based between New York and Mexico City, he considers South Florida his spiritual home and the locals (mostly) appreciate him for it.
SAMUEL VARGAS - INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER AND PRODUCER
Samuel Vargas is a Miami-based filmmaker and producer whose work centers on independent narrative storytelling and community-building through cinema. Born in Envigado, Colombia and based in Miami for nearly a decade, he has developed a body of work that explores themes of identity, family, culture, belonging, and LGBTQ+ experiences through narrative and experimental filmmaking. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Film, Television, and Digital Production at Miami Dade College, Vargas was selected for The Gotham EDU’s 2024 Film & Media Career Development Program and received the Sidney Poitier Initiative Scholarship. His work has been showcased at festivals including the Miami Film Festival, OUTshine Film Festival, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, TIDE Film Festival, and others. His short film As I Promised You garnered more than 271,000 views on YouTube within its first year and has since surpassed 394,000 views. His comedy short ¡Que Colombianada! has accumulated more than 157,000 views within six months of its release, reflecting his commitment to creating stories that resonate with both local and international audiences. In 2024, Vargas co-founded the Hispanic Heritage Film Festival, a Miami-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to celebrating Hispanic voices and stories through film. As Festival Director, he leads the organization’s efforts to create meaningful opportunities for filmmakers, strengthen connections within the Hispanic film community, and expand access to diverse cinematic experiences in South Florida. Whether producing films, supporting fellow artists, or developing new platforms for storytelling, Vargas remains dedicated to using cinema as a tool for connection, representation, and cultural exchange
Documentaries
ROBERT COLOM-VARGAS - FILMMAKER, CURATOR and SOCIAL ARTIST
Robert Colom-Vargas (b. 1991, he/they) is a filmmaker, film curator, and social artist from Miami, whose work centers on creating accessible, community-driven experiences with the moving image, often outside of traditional institutional spaces. His film “Mountains” (Co-Writer, Producer) was awarded a Special Jury Prize at its Tribeca Festival debut, and premiered internationally at TIFF ahead of a national theatrical release in 2024. His narrative work has been prized at the Film Independent Spirit Awards (Someone to Watch, 2024), Berlinale (Golden Bear, 2020), and Miami Film Festival, and can be seen on Criterion Channel, Mubi, HBO, and PBS. Colom-Vargas is a fellow of Film Independent Producers Lab (2023), EFM Fiction Toolbox (2023), and New Orleans Film Society's Southern Producers Lab (2018 and 2022). His projects were invited to participate in The Gotham Project Market in 2021, 2022, and 2024, and he is a 2025 SFFILM Rainin Grantee with Juan Luis Matos and Monica Sorelle. He is the founder of Cinemóvil, a nonprofit organization that fosters shared cultural experiences through free programs that expand access to cinema. Colom-Vargas lives and works in Miami, FL.
MARIA AKAY - FILM PRODUCER AND NEW YORK LATINO FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAMMER
Maria Akay is an NYC-based producer and festival programmer. With experience spanning over a decade, Maria has produced short films which have premiered at festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, BFI London, among others. She frequently serves on festival juries nationwide, including most recently at Academy-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival. Previously the Marketing Manager at Spotlight Cinema Networks, she curated the CineLife Short Shorts Program in collaboration with film festivals and exhibitors across the country. Currently, she serves at the Lead Programmer at the New York Latino Film Festival, presented by Warner Bros. Discovery.
