Jury
Features
FERNANDO ARCINIEGA - FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IBERO-AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL MIAMI (IAFFM)
Fernando Arciniega is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ibero-American Film Festival Miami (IAFFM), an international platform that connects Ibero-American cinema with U.S. audiences while fostering cultural exchange and industry collaboration. Under his leadership, the festival has grown into a dynamic space for premieres, emerging talent, and diverse storytelling.
Committed to inclusion and representation, Fernando has led initiatives within IAFFM that amplify underrepresented voices, including the Rainbow Flamingo Award, which recognizes outstanding LGBTQ+ narratives in Ibero-American cinema. His work bridges communities and highlights the importance of authentic storytelling across cultures.
He has collaborated with cultural institutions, filmmakers, and international partners to position IAFFM as a growing reference point for Ibero-American cinema in the United States.
Originally from Colombia and based in Miami, Fernando brings a deep passion for cinema, cultural dialogue, and the power of film to create meaningful social impact.
LEE CARSON - EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER, FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Lee Carson is a film buff and executive board member with the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Lee and his husband Jose are frequent attendees at film festivals both large and small and have developed a penchant for Icelandic cinema, Isabelle Huppert and films by Luca Guadagnino and Yorgos Lanthimos. Lee also has an enviable track record picking winning Oscar brackets.
Documentaries
PHAEDRA MLADENOVIC - PROGRAMMER, O-CINEMA SOUTH BEACH
Phaedra Mladenovic is a programmer at O Cinema South Beach, where she is building a career in film distribution, arthouse exhibition, and the festival circuit.
LEE CARSON - EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER, FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Lee Carson is a film buff and executive board member with the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Lee and his husband Jose are frequent attendees at film festivals both large and small and have developed a penchant for Icelandic cinema, Isabelle Huppert and films by Luca Guadagnino and Yorgos Lanthimos. Lee also has an enviable track record picking winning Oscar brackets.
ALFRED MARTIN, PROFESSOR OF MEDIA STUDIES AND CHAIR DEPARTMENT OF CINEMATIC ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Alfred L. Martin, Jr., PhD, is associate professor of media studies and chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at University of Miami. He is author of The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom and Fandom for Us, by Us: The Pleasures and Practices of Black Audiences. He is also editor of Rolling: Blackness and Mediated Comedy and co-editor of The Golden Girls: Tales from the Lanai.
