2008 Judges

• Chris Metzler
• Independent Director/Producer
• San Francisco, CA

• Co-director of the 2003 hit documentary "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea" (which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and won a total of 23 'Best Documentary' awards on the festival circuit), Chris Metzler is a graduate of USC with a degree in business and film. Chris is currently completing "Everyday Sunshine," an upcoming documentary about influential punk/ska band Fishbone. Learn more at http://www.fishbonedocumentary.com/.

• Jeff Springer
• Director & Editor
• San Francisco, CA

• Co-director of "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea," Jeff Springer is also an accomplished director and editor of documentary films, music videos, and more. His resume includes such diverse achievements as directing behind-the-scenes featurettes for Lucasfilm ("Star Wars III: Attack of the Clones") and editing music videos for Hole, Aerosmith, and The Bloodhound Gang. Learn more at http://www.jeffspringer.com/.

• Jim Hayes
• Prop Designer & Manufacturer
• Louisiana House of Props
• Shreveport, LA

• Prop manufacturing guru Jim Hayes served as head prop manufacturer at Los Angeles, CA-based Hand Prop Room for more than 15 years before forming Louisiana House of Props. Among Hayes' most recognizable film props are the Dr. Evil chair and various key props from the "Austin Powers" series, weapons from the "Scorpion King" and "Universal Soldier" series, and more. Learn more at http://www.houseofprops.com/.

• Heidi C. Bordogna
• Assistant Professor of Communications, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• Freelance Television and Film Writer and Producer
• Lafayette, LA

• Heidi Bordogna splits her time between the worlds of academia and freelance television and film production. Holding a BFA in Film/TV from NYU and an MFA in Screenwriting from Goddard College, Heidi's accomplishments in the world of television production include work on "America's Most Wanted," "American Masters," and Animal Planet's "Shark Island." Heidi served as an instructor in the NYU film/TV department alongside such renowned faculty as Spike Lee and Vilmos Zsigmond, and has written, produced, directed, or shot over 25 short films and videos.

• Dr. Jefferson Hendricks
• Chair, Centenary College English Department
• Faculty Advisor, Centenary Film Society
• Shreveport, LA

• As English Department Chair at Centenary College of Louisiana, Dr. Hendricks teaches a wide range of courses, including Introduction to Visual Culture, Film History, Screenwriting, and Contemporary Literature. As founder and advisor to the Centenary Film Society, he helps film students program nightly screenings of independent, foreign, and classic films at Centenary College of Louisiana. As Chairman of the Board for the Robinson Film Center, Dr. Hendricks is one of the founders of Shreveport's all-new venue for independent, international, and classic cinema.

• Guest Student Judge:
• Alejandro Heiber
• USC Film School MFA Program, Class of '07
• Shreveport, LA

• Alejandro holds a B.A. in Film & Television from Centenary College of Louisiana and is a recent graduate of the USC Film School, where he earned his M.F.A. and created a number of interesting, challenging and well-made short films, commercials, and music videos. Download and view his work at his website, www.alejandroheiber.com. Alex is the first Guest Student Judge of the LAFF-SD, a tradition that we plan to carry on by inviting one distinguished film student or recent graduate to participate in scoring the festival.

About The Louisiana Film Festival

The Louisiana Film Festival - Student Division, a co-presentation of Centenary College of Louisiana and The Robinson Film Center, is Louisiana's only film festival dedicated exclusively to showcasing the original work of K-12 students. The festival was created to provide students interested in the media arts with a forum to share their work, experience works created by fellow students, and interact with film industry professionals. Each year, a professional filmmaker attends the festival, screens his or her work, and hosts a Q&A session with students and the public. Past guest filmmakers have included Academy Award-nominee Alice Elliott (The Collector of Bedford Street), Academy Award nominee Laura Poitras (My Country, My Country), and Cannes Film Festival Palm d'Or nominee Sasha Wolf (Joe).

The festival is currently seeking sponsors willing to help underwrite costs associated with programming, presenting, and marketing this annual event. If you are interested in learning more about how your company or organization can benefit from a partnership with the Louisiana Film Festival, please contact festival organizers at (318) 459-4119.

To request promotional materials for the 2008 fest, e-mail wbryant@robinsonfilmcenter.org or mglaros@centenary.edu.

The Awards

• -The Jefferson Hendricks Achievement In Film Award (Best of Festival)
• -The Charitable Film Network Special Jury Prize
• -Best in Drama/Narrative
• -Best in Documentary
• -Best in Animation/Experimental
• -Best in Elementary/Middle School Group