Judges
Meet the Judges of DigiFest® 2026
At DigiFest®, your work is seen by accomplished creatives, educators, Emmy winners, filmmakers, musicians, illustrators, authors, and media professionals who know what excellence looks like.
When you submit your work to DIGIFEST®, you are not just entering a competition. You are putting your creativity in front of respected professionals with real-world experience across film, animation, music, photography, graphic design, voice over, podcasting, illustration, and more.
These judges bring decades of experience from major studios, global brands, museums, classrooms, stages, newsrooms, and production sets. Their insight, artistry, and professional standards help make DIGIFEST® a meaningful and exciting opportunity for every participant.
Judge Spotlight
Meet the incredible panel of judges helping shape this year’s DIGIFEST® competition.
PAT BATTISTINI
Category: Film
Title: Writer, Director and Producer
An award-winning writer, director, and producer, Pat Battistini brings over thirty years of experience to the set. He began his career in Chicago working in front of the camera before transitioning behind the camera, where he became known for his strong communication with actors and collaborative on-set leadership. His actors have received stage and screen nominations and awards, and his own body of work has earned recognition across the festival circuit. Pat’s fourteen short films and reputation for developing unique, memorable stories make him an exciting and highly respected member of the DIGIFEST® judging panel.
DAVID BEIER
Category: Film
Title: Filmmaker, VFX Artist and New Media Storyteller
David Amir Beier is a Palestinian-American filmmaker, VFX artist, and new media storyteller whose work explores the experiences of marginalized communities through narrative, documentary, and emerging technologies. He has directed and produced branded content for major clients including Ford, AT&T, Beats by Dre, Huggies, Marriott, Gibson Pro Audio, and Band-Aid. He earned his MFA in Film Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he was awarded the Jack Nicholson Directing Scholarship. His work continues to push the intersection of technology, storytelling, and social issues.
CATTE ADAMS
Category: Music
Title: Singer, Songwriter and Producer
Catte Adams first came to national recognition after winning $100,000 on Star Search, becoming grand champion after thirteen consecutive wins. She has toured with artists including Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, Yanni, Chaka Khan, and Tracy Chapman, and has provided vocals for legendary performers such as Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Celine Dion, and Neil Young. As a producer and songwriter, her original music has also appeared in film and television.
James Crowley
Category: Animation and Script Reading
Title: Animation Veteran, Designer and Storyboard Artist
James Crowley is a fifteen-year television animation veteran who has worked on productions for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, Fox, and Netflix. His experience spans design, animation, storyboarding, video games, and teaching painting classes. With an impressive background in visual storytelling and entertainment design, James brings industry insight, technical skill, and a creative eye to the DigiFest® judging process.
ANDREW FARAGO
Category: Animation and Graphics
Title: Curator, Cartoon Art Museum
Andrew Farago is the curator of San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum, the only museum of its kind in the western United States. With nearly two decades of experience in museum operations, collections management, curatorial work, education, and public programming, he is widely recognized as an authority on comic art and animation. He is also the author of several books on pop culture and cartoons, including Batman: The Definitive History of The Dark Knight, The Looney Tunes Treasury, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History.
JIM FOLEY
Category: Audiobooks / Voice Over
Title: Author
James Foley is the author of the Lisa Owens crime thriller series, including Treasure Coast, Blue Ridge, and Catalina. His character-driven storytelling has earned praise from readers and critics alike. Treasure Coast was a 2025 IngramSpark editorial selection, named one of the year’s best thrillers by BestThrillers.com, and picked up for development as a potential television adaptation. He is also active in International Thriller Writers and serves as president of the San Diego chapter of Sisters in Crime.
BYRON FRY
Category: Music
Title: Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator, Producer & Educator
Byron Fry is a composer, arranger, orchestrator, producer, studio musician, and educator in the L.A. music industry. His career spans every genre, with credits that include work with #1-hit and Grammy-winning artists, scoring for film and television, arranging and performing on countless records, and touring internationally. Trained by Dick Grove and Sammy Nestico, Byron continues to compose for orchestras and produce artists across genres while also educating the next generation of musicians and creators.
SHAENON GARRITY
Category: Cartoon and Graphic Design
Title: Cartoonist and Writer
Shaenon Garrity is a cartoonist and writer best known for the webcomics Narbonic and Skin Horse and the graphic novel The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor. With over a decade of experience in comic books and graphic storytelling, her work has earned awards and critical acclaim. She has also advised companies on comic publishing and helped spearhead their work in the field, making her a highly knowledgeable and exciting judge for visual storytellers and designers.
BRYAN GIARDINELLI
Category: Photography, Videography and Creative Direction
Title: Photographer, Videographer and Creative Director
Bryan Giardinelli is a highly experienced creative director, brand strategist, educator, and visual storyteller based in Temecula, California. His career spans politics, web development, film and television, education, and direct-to-consumer design. He has worked on major motion pictures, taught thousands of college students, won a $1,000,000 contract on ABC’s Shark Tank, and served as the national Director of Photography for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. His expertise in photography, videography, branding, typography, and art direction makes him an outstanding addition to the DigiFest® panel.
CHRISTOPHE KATRIB
Category: Film and Documentary
Title: Artist, Filmmaker and Professor
Christophe Katrib is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, and professor whose work spans 16mm film, video, photography, sound, music, and installation art. He earned his MFA in Photographic & Electronic Media from the Maryland Institute College of Art and has participated in festivals, exhibitions, and artist residencies around the world. His short film This Dissonance earned multiple honors, including Best Experimental and Best Documentary at international festivals. He has taught filmmaking at the University of California, Riverside since 2019.
Jamie Kimble
Category: Photography
Title: Photographer
Jamie Kimble is a photographer whose love for the art form began in childhood, capturing family, friends, and pets in their natural environments. Today, she specializes in natural light photography and candid storytelling, using minimal posing and editing to create a relaxed, authentic experience for her clients. Her work is rooted in emotion, connection, and the beauty of everyday moments.
JOHN LARSEN
Category: Film and Script Reading
Title: Producer, Director, Creative Director and Designer
With more than 30 years of professional experience, John Larsen has produced and directed award-winning film, video, and multimedia presentations for corporate clients including IBM, Intel, Xerox, Motorola, Toyota, Acura, Mazda, BMW, Verizon, and Coors Brewing Company. Through HEADSWEST MEDIA DESIGN, he has also directed and designed interactive film segments for Universal Studios, Sea World Florida, and Disney’s EPCOT Center. His decades of work across media, design, and public arts make him an exceptional judge for filmmakers and storytellers.
AMANDA MORROW
Category: Fine Art
Title: Children’s Book Illustrator
Amanda Morrow is an award-winning children’s book illustrator who has worked with clients such as Random House Kids, Sourcebooks Kids, Tiger Tales, and Zonderkidz. She is known for creating expressive, heart-filled illustrations featuring cute kids, stylized animals, and big emotion. Her work brings warmth, imagination, color, and texture to every story she tells.
CARON MURRAY
Category: Music
Title: Songwriter and Recording Artist
Caron Murray was the primary songwriter and leader of the Los Angeles-based rock band The Little Girls, one of the first bands to have a video on MTV. The band opened for notable acts including The Pretenders and The Boomtown Rats. Their music was recently re-released in a CD anthology titled Valley Songs. Caron continues to write, record, and teach yoga from her home studio in Portland, Maine.
MARIO ORTIZ
Category: Cinematography, Film and Documentary
Title: Director of Photography
Mario Ortiz is a multiple Emmy Award-winning director of photography with more than twenty years of experience in commercial, corporate, and motion picture production. Known for his passion for camera movement, he is a certified Steadicam and Glidecam operator as well as a jib owner-operator. His technical expertise and cinematic vision bring a powerful perspective to the judging panel.
PRYDE PIERCE
Category: Film
Title: Independent Filmmaker, Actor and Videographer
Pryde Pierce is an award-winning independent filmmaker, actor, and videographer whose work has been recognized in writing, directing, cinematography, acting, and editing. He won Best Actor when his short film Hemorrhage screened at the Directors Guild of America in the 48 Film Festival. His experience includes Shakespeare productions, Fortune 500 collaborations, feature film work, and teaching digital filmmaking to underserved students. He also serves on boards supporting theater and film education.
THOMAS PRICE
Category: Music and Music Video
Title: Musician and Educator
Thomas W. Price is a distinguished tuba player who served for two decades in the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. During his military career, he performed for numerous U.S. Presidents and foreign dignitaries and appeared at venues including Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, the Disney Institute, Juilliard, and Lincoln Center. Since retiring from the Army, he has dedicated nearly two decades to teaching middle school band in Southern California and continues to support music education in his community.
JOSEPH RUSSO
Category: Film and Commercial
Title: Executive Producer, Director, Creative Director and Writer
Joseph Russo is a seasoned executive producer, film director, creative director, and writer whose work spans advertising, live events, and film. As a partner at Make A Thing, he leads visually compelling productions as an executive producer, director, cinematographer, and creative strategist. He has written, produced, and directed award-winning commercials for brands including Samsung, Walmart, Verizon, and Straight Talk, and has worked with agencies such as Droga5, TBWA, and The Martin Agency. He also directs experiential activations and develops personal film projects with collaborators he loves.
DAVID SCHREIBER
Category: Film and Documentary
Title: Filmmaker and Educator
David Schreiber earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and his MFA in Film/TV from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has run story departments for major filmmakers including Mel Brooks and Spike Lee, worked in camera and lighting on independent features, and had several of his screenplays produced. He later found his calling teaching the next generation of filmmakers and eventually built and managed a college film program devoted to cinematic storytelling.
SCOTT SICKLES
Category: Film and Script Reading
Title: Writer and Playwright
Scott C. Sickles is an acclaimed writer whose plays have been performed in New York City, across the United States, and internationally. His work has received major recognition including an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, Lambda Literary Award finalist honors, and O’Neill Festival distinctions. In addition to his stage work, he has received five consecutive Writers Guild of America Awards for General Hospital and has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards. He brings an extraordinary literary eye to the DigiFest® judging panel.
DON SMITH
Category: Film and Student Animation
Title: Animator, Designer and Educator
Since graduating from CalArts, Don Smith has built a diverse career creating visuals for the entertainment industry. As a senior designer for Digital Productions and Whitney-Demos, he worked on over 50 commercials for brands including Mercedes-Benz and Samsung, as well as feature films such as The Last Starfighter, 2010, and Labyrinth. During his time at Digital Productions, the company received a Special Achievement Academy Award for visual effects. Don has also spent many years teaching animation and multimedia at Southern California colleges.
CATHY STEVENSON
Category: Podcast
Title: Actor and Educator
Cathy Stevenson studied Radio and Television Production and acting in Los Angeles and later worked as a floor director for a PBS-commissioned series. She also directed the summer theater program at JDS Studios in Temecula and has taught improv and performance to students of all ages. Her background in production, education, theater, and live creative experiences gives her a thoughtful perspective on podcasting and performance-based storytelling.
JOHN WILLIAMS
Category: Film, Documentary & Photography
Title: Emmy-Winning Content Creator
John Williams is a multiple Emmy-winning content creator whose career spans nearly forty years of media production across the United States. He currently works as a producer at CBS8 in San Diego and brings decades of experience in visual storytelling, production, and content creation. His professional perspective makes him a valuable judge for both documentary and photography submissions.
Your Work Deserves to Be Seen
Submitting to DigiFest® means more than entering a competition. It means sharing your creativity with accomplished industry professionals who understand storytelling, innovation, technical excellence, and artistic heart.
From Emmy winners to published authors, filmmakers, musicians, illustrators, and creative directors, the DigiFest® judges panel is filled with professionals whose insight and experience bring real value to every submission.
