Current Judges
Co-Founder, Steel Titan Entertainment (ESPN 30 for 30: Playing for the Mob, Paulie & Henry: The end of a Goodfellas Era, The Fix)
Actor (Saint X, The Right Stuff, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Castlerock, Grace & Frankie, Longmire, Manhattan, Hail, Caesar!, Love You ManWriter/Producer (Issues), XENO
Lee Daniels is an Academy Award® nominated filmmaker whose work is trademarked by authenticity and candor. Some of his renowned movies include The Butler, Monsters Ball and Precious, The United States V.S. Billie Holiday as well as TV works such as EMPIRE and Star. Lee also recently produced the Broadway show Ain’t No Mo‘,
Writer (Around the World in 80 Days, Return to Return to Nuke ’em High AKA Volume 2, Mikey Mouse, Get Blake, Transformers: Robots in Disguise)
Producer/Writer: Julia Fisher Farbman wrote and produced the upcoming feature film “Audrey’s Children” about revolutionary pediatric oncologist and co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities, Dr. Audrey Evans. The film, coming out in 2024, wrapped production in the Philadelphia-area and stars Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Jimmi Simpson (Pachinko), and Clancy Brown (Dexter: New Blood). In recent years, Fisher Farbman produced the Emmy-nominated ABC/U.N. Women Special: Celebrate Equality: The Future of Women’s Rights, and has interviewed the likes of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. She also co-created, hosted and executive produced MODERN HERO (Amazon), an award-winning series that features female role models, including former First Lady, Michelle Obama and Dr. Audrey Evans, whose video amassed 17 MILLION views across platforms.
Joe Gangemi wrote the screenplays for WIND CHILL starring Emily Blunt, \STONEHEARST ASYLUM starring Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine, and BLACKWAY starring Anthony Hopkins and Ray Liotta. He was co-creator and showrunner of comedy series RED OAKS, starring Paul Reiser and Richard Kind, which ran for three seasons on Amazon Prime. Upcoming projects include a period comedy series for Lionsgate TV. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and lives in Haverford with his wife and children.
Adam F. Goldberg is the writer/producer of The Muppets Mayhem, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Fanboys, The Goldbergs, Schooled, Imaginary Mary, How to Train Your Dragon and the upcoming fantasy TV series The Wayfinders.
Writer/Director (ABC’s The Good Doctor, ESPN 30 for 30: Playing For The Mob, Insecure) Co-founder, Steel Titan Entertainment
TV: Executive Producer (Underground, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sherman’s Showcase, Rhythm and Flow)
Film: Producer/Executive Producer (La La Land, Monster, Southside With You, Jingle Jangle, Loudmouth)
Theater: Producer (Jitney and Turn Me Loose)
Writer (We the Animals, Bar Crossed Lovers)
– Development/Grants Consultant, Board Secretary Deaf West Theatre
Jo Piazza is the national and international bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to Be Married. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries and four of her books have been optioned for film and television. Jo’s podcasts have garnered more than twenty-five million downloads and regularly top podcast charts. An editor, columnist and travel writer, her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, New York magazine, Marie Claire, Glamour and many other publications. She lives in Philly with her husband, Nick Aster and three feral children.
Producer
(The Best and the Brightest)
ERNIE VECCHIONE is an award-winning screenwriter, producer and novelist. He has written for HBO and Miramax and is a former winner of the Set In Philadelphia Screenwriting Competition. He wrote and produced the Streamy and Webby nominated web series SEX ED: THE SERIES for YouTube, which has more than 160 million views worldwide. His novels, THE AMISH GIRL and DEVIL’S CATCH, are available on Audible and Amazon.
Jeremy Yaches is co-founder of the production company Public Record. His feature work includes HUSTLE, which was the #1 film on Netflix for two weeks straight and WE THE ANIMALS, winner of the Next Innovator Award at Sundance and recipient of five Independent Spirit nominations. He produced the documentary IN A DREAM, which was broadcast on HBO, shortlisted for an Academy Award and nominated for multiple Emmys. Jeremy’s other documentary work includes MONSTER FACTORY for Apple TV+, the Netflix original VOYEUR, SIDELINED for A&E Indie Films and 7 DEADLY SINS on Showtime.
Past Judges
Holly Brown
Mark Christopher
Lisa Cortes
Jim Young
Ben Hickernell
Geoffrey Klein
Michael Lee
Stephen Rivele
Mark Rosenthal