Meet the Jury
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Jeff Beesley
Jeff, a Moose Jaw original, has received widespread acclaim for his extensive body of work in both feature films and network television. In his award winning films and series, Jeff embraces the unique nature of characters and combines that with consistently strong storytelling. His films’ festival screenings have garnered enthusiastic praise as well as numerous awards.
Jeff is also a prolific producer. His producing credits include Considering Love and Other Magic starring Eric McCormack, The Midnight Man with horror legend Robert Englund, and A Very Sordid Wedding directed by Del Shores. Many of his films have attracted big stars and critical success, such as JT Leroy, Look Away, and Siberia. -
Vanessa Esteves
Vanessa is an accomplished writer, director, executive producer, and content creator and has creatively overseen a wide range of projects across all genres.
Recently, she co-created and acted as showrunner for the animated series Super Wish and wrote and co-directed the short film Christopher & the Bug. Her leadership and creative vision have helped shape numerous successful children’s programs in the world of animation and family entertainment.
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Danica Jensen
Danica is a Danish-American stage & screen director, performer, & amateur ghost hunter based in NYC. Her work revolves around ghost stories and the things - physical or otherwise - that haunt us.
Danica is a graduate of NYU Tisch and an alumni of The Nine Muses Entertainment Lab, mentored by Bryce Dallas Howard. In addition to her own projects, she regularly works on television shows on HBO, Paramount+, Showtime & more. She is a proud member of WIF, Film Independent & FilmShop US, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Provincetown Film Society.
Past film work includes: A Life in a Day 2020 (Sundance 2021, co-director), Get You Better (Best Boston Short @ BSFF, World Premiere @ PIFF 2024), Burt’s Electronics (HUDSYtv), A Prayer (Music Video, Upcoming). Danica is currently in pre-production on her debut feature.
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Brandon J. Somerville
Brandon is an actor, producer, and writer across film, television, theatre, and interactive media. He recently completed a successful festival run for Happy Pals, earning 21 total wins with selections at award-qualifying festivals including LA Shorts and RIFFA.
Brandon stars in Death on Air (est. 2026), co-starring opposite Emmy-nominated Brian Huskey(Veep, Bob’s Burgers). He recently booked and filmed a supporting role in the upcoming feature Joy of Christmas, cast by Carla Hool.
A skilled voice and video game actor, Brandon is also featured in a major upcoming AAA video game, growing his presence in high-profile IP. His work includes collaborations with Mo Amer, Gary Dourdan, and Roger Guenveur Smith, as well as multiple productions with WordTheatre, performing acclaimed literary works by Tim O’Brien and John Edgar Wideman—placing him among a selective group.
Brandon’s short film Nativity—award-winning and multi-nominated—has since been developed into a series currently under consideration at multiple major studios. He is a graduate of Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts, with additional training from the Theatre Academy of London, Speiser/Sturges Acting Studio, Upright Citizens Brigade, and more.