There’s a Hollywood saying that goes: “it’s not what you know,
but who you know.” The truth is, it’s actually a combination of the two.
That’s why the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge provides both an opportunity to hone your skills and interact with entertainment industry professionals. We’re proud to work with producers, writers, directors, casting directors and other crew members in two ways. Our Judges evaluate submissions to determine award winners and our Mentors meet with those winners to give advice on building a career in “the business.” Learn about past film challenge mentors here.
2025 Mentors:
Vice President, TV Programming DEI for NBCUniversal
Robert Baltazar
Robert Baltazar is Vice President, TV Programming DEI for NBCUniversal, servicing NBC, NBCU’s cable networks, streaming platform Peacock, as well as the Universal Studio Group. In this role, he oversees the TV creative talent development Launch programs for both scripted and unscripted, such as the NBC Launch TV Writers Program, the TV Directors Program and Female Forward, the New Mexico Directors Initiative, and the Unscripted Producers Initiative.
Prior to his current role, Robert has worked in the entertainment industry as a non-scripted development executive at various television networks, production companies, and studios, such as Discovery Studios, Four M Studios, and ITV Studios. Most recently, he was the Head of Development at Four M Studios, developing and selling the documentaries The Story of Diana and The Story of the Royals to ABC Network with PEOPLE Magazine attached, the PEOPLE Magazine Investigates franchise to Investigation Discovery, and People Puzzler to Game Show Network. This is Robert’s second term back at NBCU, as he previously was Vice President of Reality Development and Current Programming for USA Network, shepherding non-scripted formats and docu-series for the network.
Director of Film at Netflix
Ivana Lombardi
Ivana Lombardi is a Director of Film at Netflix, working on the studio film team. Since November of 2019, she has managed an original development and production slate that includes Reptile, The Good Nurse, and They Cloned Tyrone. Prior to Netflix, Ivana was President of Film, Annapurna Pictures where she oversaw the development, production and release of original films and acquisitions. Under Ivana’s leadership, the company released Booksmart, Vice, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Prior to Annapurna, Ivana was SVP of Film at Chernin Entertainment, where she developed and produced a variety of feature films including the Golden Globe nominated St. Vincent, Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Oscar nominated Hidden Figures. A native New Yorker, Ivana got her start at MTV Networks, where she held executive roles at various channels. Ivana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College. She is fluent in Spanish and is a member of the AMPAS Executive Branch Committee.
Director, Filmmaker & Content Strategies,
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group
Karen Noble
As Director, Filmmaker & Content Strategies, Karen Noble works with global and domestic writers and directors, in addition to developing strategies for on-camera talent. She began her tenure at Universal as the Senior Manager of Creative Talent & Content on the Studio’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion team in 2022.
Prior to joining Universal, Noble was an Entertainment Manager with Disney Parks Live Entertainment, overseeing live, themed entertainment at Walt Disney World. She also served as Manager of Casting for ABC Television Network and ABC Studios, where she produced a diversity casting initiative to discover, highlight and develop emerging talent. In addition to talent development, Noble oversaw the casting process for more than 20 primetime network and cable TV projects from pilots to hit TV show such as Brothers and Sisters, Criminal Minds, and Army Wives to name a few.
Raised in Michigan, Karen has a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, from Michigan State University with a film specialization, and a Master of Fine Arts, in Film Writing & Directing from Columbia College Chicago.
Executive Vice President, Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion, West Coast, Paramount Global
Tiffany Smith Anoa'i
“My personal and professional north star is to foster an inclusive environment for people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible and provide an equal opportunity for success and to be compensated fairly.”
TIFFANY SMITH-ANOA’I
Executive Vice President, Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion, West Coast, Paramount
Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i leads entertainment-focused diversity and inclusion initiatives across CBS Entertainment, Showtime, Media Networks and Paramount Pictures. She also oversees the company’s creative development programs, talent initiatives and outreach to agencies, multicultural coalitions, guilds and other key inclusion stakeholders.
Smith-Anoa’i first joined CBS Entertainment in 2000 as a senior publicist for primetime series and specials. In 2009, she created the position of Vice President of Entertainment Diversity & Communications for CBS Entertainment. Her dedication and innovative approach led to her appointment as Senior Vice President of Entertainment Diversity & Communications in 2015. In these roles, Smith-Anoa’i developed new programs to recruit, nurture, and hire inclusive talent for positions both in front of and behind the camera, helping to launch several notable careers.
Smith-Anoa’i serves as a board member for ColorComm, BIG SUNDAY, and on the business advisory board for the National Hispanic Media Coalition. She is also the co-chair of the Board of Trustees for The Archer School for Girls.
Smith-Anoa’i, known for her expertise in communications and diversity, equity, and inclusion, is a coveted speaker within her field.
Smith-Anoa’i is a graduate of Howard University.
2025 Judges:
Entertainment Executive
Nicole Castro
Nicole Castro was the managing director of the Hollyshorts Film Festival and worked for BBC Worldwide in production and distribution.
Director, She-Hulk, Marry Me
Kat Coiro
Head of Inclusive Content for Amazon MGM Studios & Prime Video
Jerome Core
Jerome Core is the Head of Inclusive Content for Amazon MGM Studios & Prime Video
He works to create industry-leading content that is inherently inclusive and ensure production sets look like the world we live in today by amplifying the voices of historically excluded communities across gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disabilities.
In the past year he has consulted on 30+ series and features including Emergency, With Love, and The Boys to increase diversity in front of and behind-the-camera and promote authentic story telling. Jerome has brought on key partners including GLAAD, Illuminative, Lead on ADA, Define American, and CAPE to consult on content and ensure lived experience is represented in production. In 2022 he was selected as one of Insider’s “Hollywood’s Rising Stars”.
In his free time, Jerome volunteers for Meals on Wheels and is the founder and former Chair of Amazon’s Black Employee Network’s Los Angeles Chapter. He is native to the Los Angeles area, growing up in Compton, CA.
Director, CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion
Jenni Gold
Jenni Gold is considered a triple threat in the world of entertainment. Her editing and screenwriting skills serve as a foundation for her directorial efforts which have received multiple awards and have placed her among the best in her field as a Director Member of the Directors Guild of America. Jenni is the founder of Gold Pictures, Inc. a development/production entity which was established in 2001.
In addition to directing the star-filled and award-winning film CinemAbility, Jenni just directed a comedy feature film and is currently developing various motion picture and television projects. Jenni also runs the corporate division of Gold Pictures which services such well-known clients as The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Ms. Gold is also a speaker and the author of “The Gold Test” which serves as a standard for Hollywood content creators. The “Gold Test” asks whether a work of fiction prominently features a disabled character whose story is not about their disability and whose character is not solely defined by their disability.
Jenni has Muscular Dystrophy and has used a wheelchair since the age of seven. She went to film school at the University of Central Florida where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with two BA degrees, one in Motion Picture Production and another in Radio and Television Broadcasting. Her passion for storytelling and entertaining an audience is clearly evident in her work and achievements.
Casting Director
Eric Ian Goldberg
Eric Ian Goldberg is an award-winning writer, director and casting director based in New York. Over the past decade, Eric has led the NY casting of countless pilots and series as a casting executive for CBS Entertainment. He previously worked for casting director Laura Rosenthal on the acclaimed HBO series “Mildred Pierce”. He recently wrote and executive produced the pilot “Me & You”, starring Emmy winner Luke Kirby, for Turner Ignite Studios. His short film “Fault”, is now available online after playing in film festivals around the country. After graduating with a degree in Film & Television Production from NYU Tisch, Eric co-created the independent TV pilot “Love’s A Bitch”, which premiered at the NY Television Festival. The show was then produced as a 12 episode digital series for Bedrocket Media, starring comedians Josh Rabinowitz and Jamie Lee. Originally from Houston, Texas, Eric began his career as a child actor, starring in the 2001-2002 CBS series “The Education of Max Bickford” – where he won a Jewish Image Award that he shares with Richard Dreyfuss and Eli Wallach, and appearing in the film “Miss Congeniality” – where you can see him get punched in the face.
Executive Vice President of the Golden Globes
Tim Gray
Disability inclusion expert & Founder of LaVant Consulting Inc.
Andraéa LaVant
Director, Crip Camp
Jim LeBrecht
James LeBrecht has over 40 years of experience as a film and theater sound designer and mixer, filmmaker, author and disability rights activist.
LeBrecht co-directed and co-produced the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winning feature length documentary, Crip Camp with Nicole Newnham.
Jim began his career in the theater, working as the resident sound designer at Berkeley Repertory Theatre for 10 years. His film credits include Minding the Gap, The Island President, The Waiting Room, and Audrie and Daisy. A complete list of his film credits (over 170) can be viewed at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0495898/
Jim co-authored Sound and Music for the Theatre: the art and technique of design. Now in it’s 4th edition, the book is used as a textbook all over the world.
Jim’s work as an activist began in high school and continued at UC, San Diego, where he helped found the Disabled Students Union. Jim is currently a board member at the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, which works for the rights of the disabled through education, legislation and litigation.
Actress, Model, and Activist
Jillian Mercado
Jillian Mercado is an actress, model, and activist who was born and raised in New York City and is of Dominican descent. Diagnosed with spastic muscular dystrophy as a child, Jillian has become a prominent figure in the fashion world, challenging beauty ideals, and re-defining traditional norms in the fashion industry.
To date, Jillian has starred in campaigns for Olay, Bumble 100, Calvin Klein fragrance, Nordstrom, Target and Tommy Hilfiger. In September 2018, she was featured on Teen Vogue’s first digital cover. In addition, editorial features include CR Fashion Book, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Glassbook, Jejune, and Herring & Herring magazine.
As an actress, Jillian’s most notable role is playing ‘Maribel’ on the L Word Generation. Jillian has spent her off camera career actively fighting to advocate for more representation of people with disabilities and eradicate the enduring stigma they face in the fashion industry.
IMDb Founder and Executive Chair
Col Needham
Col Needham is the Founder and Executive Chair of IMDb , the world’s most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities. Born and living in the UK, Col has had a lifelong interest in both technology and movies. After starting a computer games software business at the age of 14, he went on to complete a computer science degree at Leeds University before commencing a career in technology research in Bristol, England.
IMDb grew out of a personal database of movie information which Col created as a teenager, combined with similar data collected on the internet in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Col published the first version of IMDb online in October 1990 and coordinated IMDb as a worldwide volunteer effort from 1990-1996. IMDb incorporated in January 1996 with the volunteers as shareholders and IMDb became a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon in April 1998. IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment professionals, launched in 2002 and continues to empower its members to launch and grow their careers.
Col continues in his original role to this day, working from an office in Bristol with IMDb staff members in countries around the world. Col is a board member of Into Film and Film Independent, and he received a 2014 Creative Coalition Independent Spotlight award for his work to support independent filmmaking. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol in 2018. Col has been a jury member for leading film festivals around the world, including the Mumbai Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and the Tribeca Film Festival.
To learn more about IMDb or Col Needham, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.
For headshots of Col Needham, click here.
Journalist, Writer & Documentary Filmmaker
Allison Norlian
Allison Norlian is a three-time Emmy-nominated journalist with almost a decade of experience in media who has covered major national stories.
Allison became a journalist to speak for the voiceless, like her severely disabled sister. She has used her platform to shed light on important issues impacting people with disabilities and other vulnerable and disenfranchised communities.
She won a Catalyst for Change award from the ARC of Virginia for the impact of her reporting and an Emmy nomination for an investigation exposing neglect and abuse at an assisted living facility.
Allison’s goal as a journalist is to leave the world a better place by spreading hope and ensuring the truth is always told, and wrongdoing is exposed.
Actress, As We See It
Sue Ann Pien
Nominated for Best Lead Performance in a New Series for both Film Independent’s Spirit Awards and the Gotham Awards for her role as “Violet” in Amazon Original’s critically-acclaimed As We See It, Sue Ann has been hailed as the “Next Big Thing” by The Hollywood Reporter, “One To Watch” by People magazine, and listed on Variety’s Dream Emmy pick for Lead Actress nomination.
As a neurodiverse director, she’s currently in post-production on her debut short film ONCE MORE, LIKE RAIN MAN produced by Oscar-nominated THE FLORIDA PROJECT’s and TANGERINE producer Darren Dean and indie-powerhouse producer Suzann Ellis written by and starring teenage autistic actress Bella Zoe Martinez. Sue Ann has worked for nearly twenty years as a SAG-AFTRA actor with Emmy and Academy Award-winning directors and producers and currently voices “June Chen” on Disney’s Emmy-nominated “The Ghost and Molly McGee”.
An avid rock climber of two decades, she enjoys sport climbing and adventuring around the globe. She’s also a passionate space lover coming from a family of aerospace engineers and was on the Mars One shortlist of colonists headed to the red planet. It’s now a docuseries being shopped by Ridley Scott Associates. Her dream is to film and act in space one day!
Actor, President, Little People of America
Mark Povinelli
Over his 20-year acting career, Mark Povinelli has appeared in over 50 films and television shows, 25 theater productions and dozens of national commercials, proving himself capable of spanning the entire range of medium, style and genre. Some of his work includes Water for Elephants, Mirror Mirror, and The Polar Express. Mark was also a finalist in the 2014 Disability Film Challenge for directing his short film entry “Close Up”.
Film Critic
Richard Propes
Since 1989, Richard Propes has traveled nearly 6,000 miles by wheelchair raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities worldwide in his nationally recognized effort known as the Tenderness Tour. A paraplegic/double amputee born with spina bifida, Propes is in his 30th year of the acclaimed event while also being the founder and publisher of one of the most popular film review websites, TheIndependentCritic.com and a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. Propes has been the recipient of one of Indiana’s highest honors, the Sagamore of the Wabash along with numerous other honors and in 2018 the Heartland International Film Festival established the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award in his honor.
Long an advocate for weaving together arts and activism, Propes is the author of the award-winning “The Hallelujah Life” and in 2017 produced his first short film, writer/director April O’Donnell’s “Edmund Evans is a Rapist” about one woman’s efforts to seek justice after a campus sexual assault. He has also produced the benefit CD “Give a Girl a Chance,” an IndyFringe show, and just this year is executive producer for “Straight Outta Cowan,” a comedy DVD featuring Indiana-based comic Rick Garrett. Richard serves as the Waiver Support Community Liaison for the State of Indiana’s Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services and is a lifelong resident of Indianapolis.
Journalist and Producer
Cara Reedy
Cara Reedy is the Media Narrative Director at Disabled Journalists Association (a member organization of Storyline Partners). She is a journalist and producer who spent ten years of her career at CNN producing documentaries as well as writing for various verticals including Eatocracy and CNN Business. In 2019, she produced her most recent short doc for The Guardian entitled Dwarfism and Me, which was an exploration of the treatment of Dwarfs in American society.
President of the African American Film Critics Association
Gil Robertson
As an author, Robertson has specialized in books that empower his readers, beginning first with the self-published Writing as a Tool of Empowerment (2003), a resource guide primarily aimed at young people interested in journalism. From there, he edited the groundbreaking 2006 anthology Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American Community where he gathered a diverse mix of voices that include Oscar winner Mo’Nique, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, legendary singer Patti LaBelle and former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, all addressing one of the most pressing public health and social challenges of our time. His subsequent anthologies—Family Affair: What It Means to Be African American Today (2008) and Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African American Community (2013)—ignited a national conversation about identity and love and relationships in the 21st century. In addition, Robertson has been a regular contributor to The African American Almanac (Gale Press). Accolades for his work include “Pick of the Week” selection by Publisher’s Weekly for Family Affair and a NAACP Image Awards nomination for Not in My Family.
Book of Black Heroes: Political Leaders Past & Present, his latest from Just Us Books, is a full circle moment for Robertson who began the first phase of his career in politics. The collection of biographies on game-changing elected political leaders like former President Barack Obama, pioneering Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, current U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and Reconstruction era governor Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchbank is intended to introduce young readers especially to not only dynamic personalities but to the concept of individual and political leadership.
Never one to sit on the sidelines of any pressing issue, in 2003, Robertson rolled up his sleeves and got to work as the cofounder of the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the largest collection of Black film critics in North America. As its president, Robertson oversees the annual AAFCA Awards, which has become a recognized fixture of the Hollywood awards season. In addition to highlighting African American achievement behind and in front of the camera, AAFCA works with the industry to usher in and support African Americans in the Hollywood community, uniting consumers, creators and gatekeepers. Robertson also serves as a public ambassador for diversity within the industry, appearing on numerous shows on networks like CNN.
Robertson earned a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State Los Angeles and is a professional member of the National Press Club, National Association of Black Journalists, The Recording Academy, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Motion Picture Association of America. He is also a national lecturer who speaks on such issues as fostering diverse representation in the entertainment industry, as well as personal and communal development.
For more information visit www.robertsontreatment.com
Founder of Slamdance UNSTOPPABLE
Juliet Romeo
Juliet Romeo, a writer, director, and founder of the acclaimed Slamdance Film Festival’s Unstoppable program, champions disability inclusion and diversity in the film industry. With her unique perspective as a disabled filmmaker, she also serves as a programmer for Doc NYC, ReelAbilities, PBS, and various other film festivals, where she critiques films and offers constructive feedback. As a first-time judge for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, Juliet is thrilled to support such an impactful initiative.
Actor, Choreographer, Deaf advocate
Shaheem Sanchez
Shaheem Sanchez is an actor, choreographer, dancer and creative director. Becoming deaf at the age of 4, Sanchez started dancing at 11. Sanchez even mentored his little brother Lil Kida who went on to win So You Think You Can Dance. Coming from a family of dancers Sanchez uses his craft to bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf world by pulling down barriers and doubts. Sanchez also played Shaheem in the Academy Award-winning movie Sound of Metal. A movie about a drummer who begins to lose his hearing. Sanchez has pushed Deaf and hearing alike to move their body and dance as a creative outlet.
Writer, Producer & Founder of TheRetaility.com
Lindzi Scharf
Lindzi Scharf is a writer, producer, and the founder of TheRetaility.com. She has worked with the Los Angeles Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair Italia, InStyle Magazine, Glamour, TV Guide Magazine, Angeleno, C Magazine, Yahoo, and PopSugar. She is also a proud advocate for CureARS.org, a parent-founded non-profit that raises funds for ARS gene-related mitochondrial disease research.
Founder and CEO of Suncatcher Productions
Annalisa Shoemaker
Annalisa Shoemaker (she/her) is the founder and CEO of Suncatcher Productions, a production and distribution company offering audiences intentional, representative stories that awaken – especially about women, people with disabilities, and the environment. In 2024, Annalisa was the Executive Producer of the feature film GOOD BAD THINGS. She released the film in 50+ theaters before licensing it to Music Box Films. In 2023, Annalisa was selected for the Film Independent Producing Lab and also led the theatrical strategy for TO KILL A TIGER, an Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary Feature. Prior to Suncatcher, Annalisa spent over a decade working on theatrical distribution campaigns at Amazon Studios (SOUND OF METAL, THE BIG SICK, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA) and Focus Features (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, MOONRISE KINGDOM).
Nominations Manager, Film Independent
Jennifer Wilson
Jenn Wilson joined the staff of Film Independent in 2007. She is the co-manager of the Film Independent Spirit Awards nomination process, and a programmer for the year-round screening series, Film Independent Presents and for the Future Filmmakers program – a curated day of screenings and programs for high school filmmakers. She also programs with the Bentonville Film Festival, AFI Docs, and Outfest. Jenn got her MA in Film Studies from Chapman University, and her BA in theatre from Illinois State University.
Entertainment Journalist
Stacey Wilson Hunt
She recently served as Fortune magazine’s key entertainment correspondent and Hollywood Editor for New York magazine and Vulture. Previously she spent more than five years as The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards & Special Projects Editor during which she produced and hosted SundanceTV’s Emmy nominated interview series, Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter. She also oversaw THR’s copious “power lists,” awards coverage and film-festival interview lounges; wrote numerous cover stories; executed dozens of special issues honoring Hollywood luminaries; and spent her favorite day of work ever interviewing Oprah Winfrey at her Montecito home while sipping passion-fruit iced tea.
Wilson Hunt was raised in Portland, OR by Illinois-native parents (Italian mom; farm-bred dad) and earned a B.A. in Professional Writing/Spanish from the University of Puget Sound, after which she started her editorial career at Microsoft and then earned an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University in 2001.
Prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2010, Wilson Hunt logged six years as a Northwest correspondent for People magazine. She’s also written for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, IndieWire, Variety, TV Guide, The Oregonian and Portland Monthly and has earned numerous commendations, including Society of Professional Journalists and Los Angeles Press Club awards.
Wilson Hunt also has spent much of the last decade becoming a sought-after host for industry events, including for Emmy and Oscar “FYC” panels; the WGA, PGA and SAG-AFTRA’s “Conversations” interview series; San Diego Comic Con; and at film festivals, including TIFF, Sundance, Napa, Bentonville, New York and Tribeca, most recently for Reality Bites’ 25th anniversary reunion in 2019.
She is currently the host of National Geographic Channel’s The Making Of: A Nat Geo Podcast, which has allowed her to scratch “Zoom with Dr. Jane Goodall” off her bucket list.
Wilson Hunt lives just down the hill from the Hollywood sign with her Texan-screenwriter husband Kris Hunt and a Shih-Tzu named Buddy.
The Making Of: A Nat Geo Podcast
https://apple.co/3jZJXj4
Interview Reel
https://bit.ly/3mhW39a
Portfolio
https://bit.ly/2Rjp867
Photo Gallery
https://bit.ly/3bNwhEU
Veteran Character Actor
Danny Woodburn
Danny Woodburn is a veteran character actor who has acted in over 100 tv shows and movies including Seinfeld, Watchmen, and the new Ninja Turtles. He is also on the Performers with Disabilities Committee. Unchanged: Danny Woodburn is a veteran character actor who has acted in over 100 tv shows and movies including Seinfeld, Watchmen, and the new Ninja Turtles. He is also on the Performers with Disabilities Committee.
Learn more: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940173/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Disability advocate, Entrepreneur, Content creator
Tiffany Yu
Tiffany Yu is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, an award-winning entirely disabled-run and led social enterprise to elevate disability pride, and a content creator with 200k+ followers across platforms. She is a 3x TEDx speaker and has been named a TikTok API (Asian & Pacific Islander) Trailblazer, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy, and a Well+Good Changemaker. Her first book, The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, will be published by Hachette Go in Fall 2024.
Tiffany has helped to invest over $170,000 in disability initiatives through the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter and the Disability Empowerment Endowed Fund at Georgetown University. She has been featured in Marie Claire, the Guardian, and Forbes. She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and has also worked at Bloomberg and Sean Diddy Combs’ REVOLT Media & TV. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s from the London School of Economics. At the age of 9, Tiffany became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father.