Meet our TEAM
Laura Thorne - Executive Director
Laura serves as the Executive Producer for The Art of Movie Making Film Fest and is the lead on all things planning, strategy, and execution. She brings a background in photography, videography, graphics design, business management, and event planning to the role. She is a transmedia mogal co-owning both Hey Alec Productions and Wildebeest Publishing Co. With an undying passion for seeing underdogs succeed, she is honored to be able to serve the behind the scenes community in this way.
Aldea K Gerard - Creative Director
Aldea serves as the Creative Director for the Art of Movie Making Film Festival, where her passion for highlighting creative talents takes center stage. With expertise in both fine art and digital art, Aldea is the owner of Aldea K Creative and co-owner of Hey Alec Productions. Her deep roots in the arts fuel her mission to inspire and bring out the creative potential in everyone she encounters.
Alex Griffin - Awards MC
Alex Griffin is an award-winning filmmaker on the Autism Spectrum (PDDNOS). Griffin started his filmmaking journey in 2019 at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego's Cinema and Screen Studies program, studying under experienced professionals, some with major film credits. Since childhood, Griffin was inspired by the technical beauty of video as well as the theatrical magic of cinema. In January of 2020, Griffin had launched his own personal multimedia production company, Dream Corridor Productions, under which he filmed and
published a collection of short films from documentaries to space fantasies, as well as filmmaking videos for newcomers to the craft of cinema production.
Kevin Sherwin - Puppets/stop-motion Category Lead
Kevin Sherwin is a filmmaker and composer. His recent short film, "How Do You Milk an Almond?" introduces audiences to animal rights issues through a satire inspired by real-life lawsuits. The film made its NYC debut at the 2024 The Art of Movie Making Film Festival as a nominee for Best Puppet Design, following its premiere screening at the Yale Law School. Kevin has served on the jury for the Best Music Category at the Miami Film Festival, and performed at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joe's Pub NYC, and given concert tours throughout North America. He is a Fellow at Timothy Dwight College, Yale University.
Andrew Lazerous - AI Category Lead
Andrew is an active supporter of the Art of Movie Making Film Festival, where he spearheads gathering submissions for the AI Category as the Category Lead. A seasoned expert in AI tools, Andrew harnesses their power to fuel his popular Twitch stream, where he creates engaging content across multiple mediums, including music, video, and digital imagery. His deep understanding of AI extends beyond content creation, as he also employs these technologies to streamline routine tasks. Always on the cutting edge, Andrew is passionate about exploring new AI advancements and innovations. You can follow his work on Twitch and YouTube under the handle Ohitslaz.
Justin Trimm - Lead Judge
Justin is a filmmaker and stand-up comedian. He specializes in cinematography, live broadcast directing, and making terrible puns. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY OCC’s media communications program, has made several short films as well as a feature length documentary, and volunteers as a part of Hey Alec Productions. His favorite film is a toss up between Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Tremors.
Duwaun White - Stunt category judge
Duwaun is a Brooklyn based stunt performer with over twelve years of experience in the field. His work has been featured on John Wick 3, The Punisher, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Luke Cage among others. Duwaun has leveraged his 9 years of professional wrestling, 20 years of boxing, and 10 years serving in the Navy to hone a well-rounded stunt style. With this blended style, he has found a home in the world of motion capture, logging hundreds of hours for a prominent video game company.
Gabe Grende - SFX Category Judge
Gabe is a filmmaker and director, majoring in VFX and 3D Animation at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment. He specializes in cinematography and directing, but is never opposed to working at any spot in the film and television industry. His favorite film is Blade Runner 2049, with Shrek 2 as a close second.
Manny Martinez - Student Liason
Manny is an award winning filmmaker who has been featured in the New York City Independent Film Festival, Gothamite Monthly Film Awards, and the Museum of the Moving Image. He is a Director, Writer, Actor, Editor and Sound Person, who has been telling stories for as long as he can remember. Now studying film at the School of Visual Arts, Manny focuses on telling stories with brevity, humor, and heart.