People who make the festival possible:


Festival Committee

Herman Snell, director
Nina Parikh, associate director
Thabi Moyo, event coordinator
Laura di Stefano, merchandising coordinator 
Ed Inman, technical coordinator
Monte and Amy Kraus, hospitality coordinators
Bob Maywhort, transportation coordinator
Francine Reynolds, filmmakers workshop coordinator
Philip Scarborough, TV commerical and trailer coordinator
Robert Traub, screening coordinator
Ammi Nunnelee, publicity coordinator



Judges 

Jim Davis is a marketing/communications/event consultant for filmmakers, writers, and entertainment/lifestyle companies. He’s dealt with media relations for film festivals and guided filmmakers with their acquisition and festival strategies. Jim handles the U.S. publicity for "Ahlaam," the 2006 Oscar submission from Iraq, and is working with Human Film UK forthcoming documentary, "Shooting in Iraq." He’s also a contributing editor to CinemaWithoutBorders.com.

Sarah Diamond is the director of programming for the Slamdance Film Festival, overseeing all aspects of programming in addition to Best of Screenings.  Sarah also runs the Anarchy Online Film Festival, and is a producer of short film DVD compilations.

Michael Dixon, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, has been teaching high school and producing regional commercials since 2001. His short films have screened at film festivals around Mississippi. He is the co-director for the 2008 Ocean Springs Film Festival.

Les Edwards is a member of the organizing committee of the Indie Memphis Film Festival, a project of the nonprofit visual arts organization Delta Axis. Les is a board member and treasurer of the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission. His day job is a CPA, and he’s an enthusiastic volunteer for various arts organizations in Memphis.

Michelle Emanuel has been co-director of the Oxford Film Festival since 2005, after years of volunteering and screening films.  In her day job, she is a librarian at the University of Mississippi.

Bill Fitzhugh is an award-winning author of 7 satiric crime novels. His novels Pest Control and Cross Dressing are in development at Warner Brothers and Universal Studios.  He writes/produces/hosts a weekly show on XM Radio’s Deep Tracks channel, “Fitzhugh’s All Hand Mixed Vinyl.”  He’s just finished The Exterminators, and currently working on a book with Brooks and Dunn, called The Adventures of Slim and Howdy. 

Hudson Hickman, originally from New Albany, MS has worked in the film and television industry for 30 years. Formerly Senior Vice-President of Production for Television at MGM, he’s now an independent producer. He’s currently in post-production on a sequel to MGM's popular movie, “War Games” and developing a feature film adaptation of Why Beulah Shot Her Pistol Inside the Baptist Church, written by Mississippi author, Clayton Sullivan.

John Johnston, a Jackson native, began his career in 1985 as a wardrobe assistant on an erotic-sci-fi-romantic-comedy filmed in Louisiana.  Now as a Location Manager on Fox's award-winning series "24," John gets to indulge in his favorite hobbies, photography and architecture.  His television credits also include "The Pretender," "Drive," and "The Unit."  Feature films on his resume include "Pulp Fiction," "Volcano," "The Chamber," "Big Bad Love," and "The Rising Place".

Michael Kaczkowski, an artist/writer originally from New York, studied Film and Fine Art at the School of Visual Arts. He’s written numerous screenplays, directed several short films and plays and has written an original script for Lions Gate DVD.  Michael is president of Alatheia Prosthetics where he oversees the creation of his own line of custom life-like prostheses for amputees throughout the globe.

William Lowery is Vice President of Underground Film and Management, a production/management company. Underground recently wrapped the Robin Williams/ Mandy Moore comedy, LICENSE TO WED for Warner Brothers, and has over a dozen projects in development at various studios. As a literary manager, he represents writers working for Wes Craven, Joel Silver, Neil Moritz, and Jerry Weintraub, among others.  Before producing, William worked at United Talent Agency and The William Morris Agency. A native of Jackson, William is a graduate and former varsity football player at Vanderbilt.

Jennifer Ogden is a film and television producer from Natchez, MS. While pursuing a theatrical career in New York, she worked on films including “Annie Hall”, “Manhattan”, and “Hair” which led her to a ten-year working relationship with filmmaker, Sidney Lumet. Her other film credits include “How Stella Got Her Groove Back”, “Prelude to a Kiss”, “The Manhattan Project”, “The Family Stone”, among others. She spent 4 years at 20th Century Fox as vice-president in their film division, and garnered an Emmy as supervising producer of Oprah Winfrey’s “Tuesdays with Morrie”.

David Orr, native of Columbus, MS, is the founder and president of Possumtown Pictures, an independent film and television production company. David gained recognition with his award-winning feature film “Blossom Time”, starring Laurel Holloman. After years of production experience and executive stints at the studios, David recently relocated his company to Mississippi and is in preparation for his next film.

Mark Shilstone is a native of Long Beach, Mississippi and a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi in Radio, Television, and Film.  He currently works as a producer on the television show “Trading Spaces” on TLC.

Emily Trenholm chairs the program committee for the Indie Memphis Film Festival, and produces the festival program. Indie Memphis will celebrate its 10^th anniversary in 2007 and focuses on “The Soul of Southern Film”. Emily serves on the board of directors of Delta Axis, a Memphis arts organization and serves as the executive director of the Community Development Council of Greater Memphis, working to revitalize Memphis neighborhoods through affordable housing, economic development, and other strategies.

Screening Committee 

Board of Directors

Todd Stauffer, President

Anita Modak-Truran, Immediate Past President & Co-Founder

Dr. George Bey, III, Vice-President

Ammi Nunnelee, Chair of Membership Committee

Chaney Nichols, Board Director

David McCarty, Secretary

Ed Inman, Board Director & Co-Founder

Ferrell Tadlock, Board Director & Co-Founder

Grace Tate, Board Director

Beth Batton, Board Director

Herman Snell, Director of the Crossroads Film Festival

James Graves, Board Director

Jan Cooper, Co-Chair of Fundraising Committee

Jason Marlow, Board Director

Monte Kraus, Co-Founder & Art Director

Nan Beaumont,  Chair of Education Committee

Philip Scarborough, Director of Technology

Sid Davis, Treasurer

Greg Smith - Chair of Year Round Programming Committee

Diala Chaney - Co-Chair of Membership & Hospitality Committee

Advisory Board:

Nina Parikh, Co-Founder, Associate Director of Festival, Mississippi Film Office Liaison
Jeanne Luckett

Karen Gilder, Past President

Lorena Manriquez, Past President

Stuart Irby
Francine Reynolds

Marc Leffler

Kathleen Fitzpatrick

David Hughes

Jean Kelly

Cynthia Wall

Thabi Moyo, Crossroads Coordinator

Darryl Moses, Mississippi Public Broadcasting Liaison

Charly Abraham
Mississippi Film Office
Ward Emling
Betty Black
Philip Scarbrough
Eric Stracener
Rob & Wendy Cooper
Eric Stracener
Donna Ladd and everyone at the Jackson Free Press
John Hawkins
John Lawrence
Malcolm White
Nora Blake Albert
Marie Antoon
David Atkins
Patrick Benton
Jesse Bingham
Nan Bingham
Barbara Brooks
Dawn Buck
Vickie Burkes
Portia Ballard Espy
Mark Garriga
Josh Huff
Paul Hurst
Joy Jordan
Amy Kraus
Jerel Levenway
Mike Levanway
Michael Mabry
Erik MacKinnon
Linda Mann
Brett McIllvaine
Bill McCarty
Mark Modak-Truran
Selia O'Cain 
Matt Olson
Kristen Phillips
Tanya Rankin
Francine Reynolds
John Salem
Ronel Sanchez ("Ro")
Josh Schooler
Tempy Segrest
Meredith Shapley
Elizabeth Stephens
Tramell Tillman
Mark Wiggs
Grey Wiggers
Marc Leffler
Diane Williams
Communication Arts
Clarion Ledger
Gene Edwards
Jakob Clark
Joshua Clark
Lance Cooper
Brad Corban
Dan Decker
Caroline Eselin
Fondren Renaissance Foundation
Chandler Griffin
Hal and Mal’s
Laurel Isbister
The Hong Kong
Afrissippi
The Red Stick Ramblers
Mark Kozelek
Living Better Electrically
The Kraus Haus
Jerel Levanway
Liquid Creative
Love Communications
Scott Lumpkin
Magnolia Independent Film Festival
Maris, West & Baker
Jason Marlow
Mississippi Film and Video Alliance
Mississippi Museum of Art
Matt Olson
Parkway Place Theater
Peters Real Estate
Schimmel’s
Gary Arinder
Chaney Nichols
International Ballet Competition
Time Warner Cable
WLBT
Orian Williams


AND to all the members, sponsors and volunteers for their continued year round support of Crossroads.

Thank You.