New Filmmakers LA Unveil Nominees and Jury for 11th Annual Awards

New Filmmakers Los Angeles has unveiled the nominees and jury for its 11th annual awards that celebrate the work of independent filmmakers around the world.

The kudos cover 16 award categories as well as an overall best new filmmaker prize. New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on nurturing up-and-coming talent and opening doors for filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds. The nominees were selected from independent productions that screened last year during NFMLA’s monthly film festival showcase series.

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“We are incredibly pleased with the final selection of our 2023 nominees and when you talk about opportunities for new talent, the Best of NFMLA Awards is it,” said Larry Laboe, NFMLA executive director and co-founder. “We’ve assembled an incredible array of industry professionals and creatives to activate our 2023 jury and these leaders represent every area of the media ecosystem. This is all about getting eyes on the promising new, diverse talent that the industry needs to be accessing.”

Jury members for the Best of NFMLA Awards included Brian Harvey (Amazon Studios), Chelsea Itaya (Sony Pictures Animation), Daijah Abram (MarVista Entertainment), Daniel de Boulay (Sony Pictures
Entertainment), Diamond McNeil (Warner Bros. Pictures), Elizabeth Taylor (Disney Television Animation), Georgina González Rodríguez (Universal International Studios), Jaad Asante (Walt Disney Co.) Jamie Spetner (Chernin Entertainment), Jen Trofa (Range Media Partners), Madeline Chais (Twentieth Century Studios), Michael Pogarian (NBCUniversal), Michele Sanchez Arteaga (Starz), Peryn Reeves-Darby (Fifth Season), Rebecca Windsor (Warner Bros. Television), Richard Ruiz (Searchlight Pictures) and Robert Baltazar (NBCUniversal).

Click here for a full list of NFMLA nominees.

“It’s exciting to be able to honor these nominees, whose work has collectively pushed boundaries in terms of form, story and impact.” says Bojana Sandic, NFMLA programming director.

(Pictured: International Comedy nominee “All Because of the Damn Blonde’s Son”)

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