AFF is proud to announce the first wave of confirmed jurors for the 2026 Film Competition! Our esteemed jury consists of industry leaders with various backgrounds across film and television. We’re excited to work with these creatives to review this year’s in-competition films and determine the winners.
Jeffrey Reiner
Narrative Student Shorts
Director/Producer Jeffrey is an award-winning film and television director and executive producer with his notable credits including the iconic Friday Night Lights, Fargo, Homeland, Dirty John, and The Affair. He has been awarded a Golden Globe, a Peabody, and multiple American Film Institute Awards for his outstanding contributions to film & TV. Jeffrey got his start as an independent filmmaker and returns to his roots with Lake George, a gritty, dark comic, Neo Noir. Lake George premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and will be released theatrically by Magnolia Films. In addition, Jeffrey is in production on a feature documentary about the wine maker, Randall Graham, and his cutting edge project Popelouchum.
Pamela Ribon
Animated Shorts
Pamela Ribon is the Academy Award®-nominated creator and writer of My Year of Dicks, an adaptation of her critically-acclaimed comedic memoir “Notes to Boys (And Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public).” In addition to her work as a screenwriter (Nimona, Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet), performer, VR and TV writer, comic book writer (“My Boyfriend Is a Bear,” “Slam!”), best-selling novelist, and filmmaker, she co-hosts the podcast “Listen To Sassy,” a weekly deep-dive through every issue of Sassy Magazine. A former Austinite with a BFA in Drama from the University of Texas and a former finalist at AFF, Pamela has been entered into the Oxford English Dictionary under “muffin top.” (That is not a joke.)
Ryan Swanson
Narrative Feature Jury
Ryan is a screenwriter and producer who worked extensively in feature film development with Academy Award winner, Akiva Goldsman. His TV credits include work on JJ Abrams’ Fringe and the global phenomenon The Chosen as co-writer and executive producer. He also penned the adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for Lionsgate and is the showrunner and executive producer of the upcoming animated series, The Chosen Adventures.