Narrative Jury

Yuta Yamaguchi

Yuta Yamaguchi is an award-winning director, cinematographer, and editor in Austin, TX. His filmography includes work that has screened at Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, HBO, SDAAFF, and AAAFF (his favorite festival). Indiewire lauded his "striking visual work" on Ya'Ke Smith's WOLF that won the Panavision Best Texas Feature Film Award at the Dallas International Film Festival. He served as Associate Producer on August Evening, winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Bilingual in English and Japanese and a graduate of UT Austin's Radio-Television-Film program, Yuta currently serves as the Director of Multimedia Production at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jenni Kaye

Jenni Kaye is the Co-Founder of Hyperreal Film Club, Letterboxd's Austin correspondent, and a Marketing Consultant for Magnolia Pictures. In her spare time, she likes producing and directing films with her friends, crafting, and watching movies on Tubi.

Austin King

Austin King is a filmmaker and festival programmer in the Austin, TX film community. He screened for the SXSW features program in 2021-22 and was Assistant Programmer for aGLIFF in Austin in the same time period. Austin joined the Fantastic Fest staff in 2022 as Head of Submissions, and in 2025 transitioned to a Features Programmer. He has experience writing, directing, and producing films and is currently touring festivals around the world with his debut short film, “One Night Cherub” which received the 'Best Emerging Filmmaker' Award at the Atlanta Underground Film Festival.

Documentary Jury

Jina Chung

Jina Chung is a veteran fundraiser with nearly fifteen years of supporting independent media. She is a fierce advocate of Community-Centric Fundraising and helps mission-driven organizations use fundraising models rooted in equity and social justice to support their vision. She has worked in many different roles, including leading a progressive audio journalism organization, Frequencies of Change Media, and serving as the Senior Director of Development & Partnerships at the International Documentary Association (IDA). As a fundraising consultant, she has a strong affinity and passion for building and implementing systems to expand fundraising capacity for small visual and media arts organizations. She currently serves as board treasurer for OUTsider, a transmedia arts organization in Austin, Texas. Outside work, Jina enjoys spending her free time collecting stationery and journaling.

PJ RAVAL

PJ Raval is a queer first generation Filipino American filmmaker who examines social justice issues through the voices of queer and marginalized subjects. Named one of Out Magazine’s “Out 100”, PJ’s feature credits include TRINIDAD (Showtime), BEFORE YOU KNOW IT (PBS), and CALL HER GANDA (GLAAD Media Award nominee) which recently broadcast on POV to millions of PBS viewers.

Also an accomplished cinematographer, PJ shot the Academy Award‐nominated Best Documentary TROUBLE THE WATER and is a 2015 Guggenheim Fellow, 2016 Firelight Media Fellow, 2021 Soros Justice Fellow, and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

SARAH KUCK

Sarah Kuck grew up in an on-the-move military family, and from an early age became curious about the meaning of home and belonging. She now finds that much of her interest in storytelling revolves around ideas of community and relationship. Her films – Even the Walls (Best Short Film, SIFF, 2015), Retornados (IWMF Grantee, 2016), and Tarcila (Audience Choice Short SFiFF, 2020) – each examine external forces that pressure communities to change. She works as the Film & TV Support Coordinator for SXSW. Sarah earned her master’s degree in media studies from The New School (2013), and her bachelor’s degree in environmental journalism from Western Washington University (2006). Sarah lives in South Austin with her partner Jake and cat Kiki Iris. Once a month, she and her friend Ivy Chiu run a documentary club to help local, nonfiction creatives collaborate.