Programmers
Brian Ackerman
Founding Programming Director Brian Ackerman has been with the JBFC since it opened its doors in 2001. He has 30 years of experience in the New York City cinema scene, building, programming, and operating art theaters in Manhattan and Westchester. As Programming Director, he oversees the presentation of over 400 films and programs a year at the JBFC. Brian also serves on juries at film festivals including Full Frame and SXSW. He has serves as Associate Producer for Jonathan Demme's I'm Carolyn Parker, and Consulting Producer for Guy Reid's Planetary.
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Andrew Jupin
Andrew Jupin has been a part of the JBFC family since 2006 and the Senior Film Programmer since 2017. He curates several series, including "Global Watch, “Retro Revival,” “Sounds of Summer,” and the annual Halloween horror marathon. He is also one of the hosts of JBFC Preview Club. Outside the Burns, Andrew is a filmmaker, having written and produced two feature films with his comedy arts collective, Private Cabin. Since 2010, he’s been the host of “We Hate Movies,” a popular film-related comedy podcast that releases new episodes each week and tours the country playing live shows.
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Kathy Bonomi
Kathy Bonomi programs several cultural series, including "Dance on Film," "Frameworks," and "Jazz Sessions," plus "Classic French Cinema" and various German film series. She served on the CICAE jury at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival and Circuito Off at the 2007 Venice International Short Film Festival. She has a BA from Smith College and a master's in art history from NYU's Institute of Fine Arts. Kathy has been a JBFC programmer since 2004.
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Karen Sloe Goodman
Karen Sloe Goodman has been a film programmer at the JBFC since 2008 for annual series including "Focus on Nature," "Westchester Jewish Film Festival," and "Sounds of Summer: New Music Documentaries." She has produced, directed, and edited short documentaries, and holds an MA in Cinema Studies and an MFA in Film Production from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She has extensive experience as a jewelry designer and goldsmith, and is a proud member of the Shovel Ready String Band.
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Guest Programmers
Bruni Burres
For over 20 years, Bruni Burres has worked at the intersection of arts, culture, and human rights as a festival director and curator, media educator, creative producer, and social media strategist. She is currently a Senior Consultant for Sundance Institute’s Documentary Program, a mentor and partner with the Greenhouse Documentary Initiative for MENA filmmakers, a consultant with Good Pitch and Chiledoc, and a senior program advisor for the Middle East Now Festival. From 1991-2008, she was the director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Bruni is the co-writer and associate producer of Beyond My Grandfather Allende, which won best documentary at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
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Mihai Chirilov
Mihai Chirilov is a film critic and has been Artistic Director of the Romanian film Festival in New York City since 2006. He is also Artistic Director of the Transilvania International Film Festival, which he cofounded in 2002 and guided to European stature. His relationship with the JBFC began in 2011 when he spent time as an International Fellow. He curates and hosts the annual series "Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema."
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Lina Matta
A Lebanese-American based in Dubai, Lina Matta is the Senior Channel Manager of the Middle East Broadcast Company (MBC channels 2,4, Max, and Variety. She has programmed "ANA Contemporary Arab Cinema" for the JBFC every year since 2012.
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