Meet Our 2026 Official Jury

 Each year, a selection of top industry professionals come together to form the Official Jury of Breaking Through The Lens. Our Jury serve as mentors and advisors to our finalist filmmakers.

View the profiles of our 2026 BTTL Jury below.

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Amy Gardner

Amy Gardner

Founder and Producer,
Finite Films & TV

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Nicolás Celis

Nicolás Celis

Founder, Pimienta Films | Academy
Award-Winning Producer

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Mia Bays

Mia Bays

Director of the British Film Institute
National Lottery Filmmaking Fund

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Steven Adams

Steven Adams

Founding Partner, Alta Global Media

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Kara Durrett

Kara Durrett

President of Pinky Promise

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Thomas Pierce

Thomas Pierce

President, Pierce Capital
Entertainment | Executive Producer,
The Brutalist

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Lauren Melinda

Lauren Melinda

Founder, Simbelle Productions

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Jennifer Goyne Blake

Jennifer Goyne Blake

Partner, Diversity Hire Ltd | Founding
Director, Sundance Episodic Lab

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Rita Baghidadi

Rita Baghidadi

Filmmaker & Producer | 2025 BTTL
Action Grant Winner

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Erin Sayder

Erin Sayder

Filmmaker & Producer | 2025 BTTL
Action Grant Winner

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Get Involved

We are planning to expand Breaking Through The Lens to other major festivals around the world and to create a supportive network for women through every stage of making their feature films. Find out how you can join us on this journey.

Attend our events

Our events are strictly invite only. However, we will evaluate individual requests on a case by case basis. Please include your company affiliation.

INQUIRE

Stay informed

Applications for our next BTTL Action Grant are now closed. The shortlist will be announced November 1st.

READ GUIDELINES

Join the movement

Applications for our next BTTL Action Grant are now closed. The shortlist will be announced November 1st.

GET IN TOUCH
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