Alex Skinner is an actor, an alumnus of Pepperdine University and a former member of the Pepperdine Improv Troupe. Alex has traversed television appearing in Silicon Valley, Grey’s Anatomy, Never Have I Ever, and most recently on Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber on Netflix. He has simultaneously remained a faithful Phoenix Suns fan.

As a former Pepperdine Alum with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Film Studies, Alexandra is excited to stay involved in her Pepperdine community by serving as a judge. She currently works as a Post Production Coordinator in Unscripted/Documentary television for a production company here in Los Angeles, while also serving as the primary Development Coordinator for all projects in developmental stages. With a good eye for what makes something pop, she can't wait to see everyone's work and wishes you all the best of luck!

Christopher Jerabek is a theatre artist living and working out of Los Angeles. He was blessed to serve as the scenic designer for the world premiere of Davey Anderson’s The Abode, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and worked as the scenic and video designer for Pepperdine University’s 2020 TEDx event. His video design credits include Beloved and The Play You Want with the Road Theatre Company, Ayano with the Theatre Planners, and most recently Deaf West’s production of Oedipus at the Getty Villa. Christopher is currently a graduate student at Pepperdine University. See more of Christopher’s work at www.jerabekdesign.com.

Dimitri Smith is an LA-based composer and pianist whose scores can be heard everywhere from Netflix to virtual reality headsets. In 2023, he scored the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award Nominated hit political series The Diplomat (Netflix), starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. Dimitri has also written music for some of the most exciting streaming projects in recent years, including Carnival Row (Amazon), The Great (Hulu), Kate (Netflix), Hollywood (Netflix), which earned an Emmy nomination for its jazz score, and many others. Dimitri also co-arranged the Main Title for Hollywood, and was honored by the Television Academy for his contribution when it won the Emmy for “Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music” in 2020. Originally from Wenatchee, WA, Dimitri moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to attend Pepperdine University, where he earned a double major in Composition and Opera Performance. He now lives in Ventura, CA with his wife Molly and their dogs Dobby and Hedwig.

Writer, comedian, deluded Philadelphia sports fan — Emily S. Rauch is an underpaid triple threat. Prior to screenwriting, she worked in public service for six years, the last three of which were spent on Capitol Hill as a press assistant. In 2021, she received her MFA in screenwriting from Pepperdine University. She has featured on such podcasts as "Bach Made in Heaven," "Sorkin/Off," and "Why Not?". Her first comedy feature script "FRIEND FICTION" was a two-time semi-finalist at the 2020 Austin Film Festival.

Ifeanyi Ezieme is an award-winning writer/director based in Los Angeles, California. The sum of his Nigerian heritage and growing up as a Black American normalized a culturally nomadic childhood which has influenced Ifeanyi’s universal storytelling. Creativity has always been a part of his roots from stop-motion & 2D animation to picking up a camera and shooting his first short film all by the age of 12. Ifeanyi graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in Media Production before becoming a George Lucas MFA Scholar at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His student-produced films have gained international recognition; most recently being his USC capstone entitled “Ebezina” where he received the Jury Award at the 2023 DGA Student Film Awards. Since graduating, Ifeanyi has made strides as an independent artist while simultaneously merging into Hollywood as a director for Issa Rae’s Find Your People Program; a ColorCreative production.

J.J. Starr is a skilled photographer, videographer, FAA-certified drone pilot, and storyteller. He specializes in capturing journalistic images that tell the story of America’s neighborhoods. J.J. earned a B.A. in Media Production from Pepperdine in 2010 and won the "Grand Prize" and "Reel Cause Award" at the first ever ReelStories Film Festival. His first feature documentary The Dust on Our Feet, shot in Honduras, was purchased by Amazon in 2015. J.J.’s work reflects his love for building relationships with communities, seeing beauty in all places, and a belief that every individual has a unique story.

Kaitlyn Ryan (Seaver '16) currently serves as Communications Specialist in local government using communication, media, and storytelling skills to keep her City informed and engaged. Prior to government, Kaitlyn worked in the Los Angeles entertainment industry as a freelance Production Coordinator on an array of projects for nearly 5 years.

Katie Stjernholm is a documentary filmmaker, commercial producer and impact strategist. Her films have screened at over 50 film festivals, and she has produced work for the Smithsonian Institute, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Arc'teryx, Exposure Labs, the Winter Olympics, and Lonely Planet. Katie holds a B.A. from Pepperdine University (2010) and her M.A. from the University of Melbourne in Australia. She is a founder of the ReelStories Film Festival and is immensely proud that it continues to flourish.

Kayla graduated from Pepperdine in 2012 with a degree in film and a minor in graphic design. From there she went on to work in freelance film production around Los Angeles, and ultimately landed at WME talent agency where she worked as an assistant to a television agent. Kayla ultimately left Hollywood to travel the world (26 countries in 12 months!) in 2015, and relocated to Denver after that trip. She now works in philanthropy, but maintains a strong interest in the creative arts, and loves supporting current Pepperdine students in their filmmaking endeavors!

Mark Arbitrario is an award-winning television producer and director in the USA and Asia. He was the Executive Producer and Director for "Asia's Next Top Model 4" in Singapore and was the Show Director for Character Media's "Unforgettable Gala Awards." Mark has also edited the Emmy award winning American series "The Voice," "Survivor," "The Celebrity Apprentice," "The Contender." For Fremantle Media Asia, he Directed Jeannie Mai's "How Do I Look Asia?", "Canon Photo Face-Off,"" and was Supervising Story Producer on"Asia's Got Talent" which won the Best Format Adaptation at the 20th Asian Television Awards. In China, Mark created a series for Elite Model Management: "Elite New Face: China" for the prestigious Elite Model Look World Final. Mark also directed the TV Broadcast of "Look of the Year China" an international modeling competition held in Xi'an, China for Star Fashion World. Mark was most recently the Director and Executive Producer for Naver Webtoon's reality series, "Money Game." He also recently was the Director of the Gala Awards for the Manila International Film Festival in 2024.

Natalie Haas (’19), is a scripted assistant editor and active member of the Motion Picture Editor’s Guild (IASTE Local 700). After graduating from Pepperdine, she began her career as a Post PA at NBCUniversal, where she assisted the VP of Post with their scripted shows. One year later Natalie earned her MPEG union hours working as the lead Assistant Editor for Mother LA, a commercial editing house. While working at Mother LA, Natalie worked on brands such as Sonic Drive-In, Postmates, Propel, Beauty Counter, and Panera. In 2021, she returned to scripted content as a Post PA and later Apprentice Editor on the feature film Chevalier. Now, as an Assistant Editor, Natalie has worked on several scripted TV shows including Shrinking starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, Wolf Pack starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, and St. Denis Medical, a pilot that was recently purchased for series. Currently, Natalie is working as an Assistant Editor for Superbloom, a commercial house, and worked as an Editor for three short films over the last several months. She will soon begin work as an Assistant Editor on a feature film in March.

Omid Heidari is a proud graduate of Seaver College (Class of 2010). During his time at Pepperdine, he was heavily involved in the arts on both stage and screen: serving as host for two Songfests, and as a filmmaker and founding director of the first Reelstories Film Festival. Omid’s passion for genuine stories and independent film led him to work on two award-winning documentaries: HAPPY and TRUST ME. Simultaneously, Omid found a home in teaching music, theater, and film at a private K-8 school in Pacific Palisades. He chairs the school’s Performing Arts department and spends many of his days writing original content and performances, working tirelessly to inspire the next generation of artists. Omid endeavors to live a life that is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling and the enduring impact of an enthusiastic educator.

Paige is a 2010 Pepperdine alumna and founding member of ReelStories Film Festival. Upon graduating, she started her career at Red Bull, traveling globally to build the Corporate Social Responsibility department and relationships with IGOs, including UNEP, EU, and EPA. Paige has built and led the Global Shopper and Trade Development Team for FIJI Water and JUSTIN Wines for the past 5 years, earning recognition as a 40 under 40 marketer and peer-selected Woman of Excellence. A breast cancer survivor, she counts her husband, Eli and her family and friends as the greatest support system and team anyone could have.

Smile Juneja is an emerging marketing professional who has worked at The Walt Disney Company for 3 years. She’s a proud Seaver college alum who's thrilled to return to Pepperdine as a judge for RSFF15.

Susie began her career in the film and television industry, in production departments for studios like MGM, Lionsgate, Warner Brothers and DreamWorks. She then transitioned to work in the new media and digital content space when social media advertising and content creation started to reinvent the way we consume content and storytelling. Susie was most recently at MasterClass as the Head of Content Production Operations, creating educational content with some of the world’s most talented professionals such as Gordon Ramsay, Stephen Curry, Bob Iger, Bill Nye, and Aaron Sorkin. Today, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three kids – Grey, Winter, and newest addition, Kaia (4 months old!).

An original founder of the Reel Stories Film Festival, and a Pepperdine University Alumni (2010), Tanner has been captivated by the world of filmmaking and storytelling from a very young age. Having spent his entire professional career at Sony Pictures Imageworks, Tanner has been a part of countless films and projects spanning from live-action, blockbuster hits such as "Guardians of the Galaxy" to the Oscar-winning animated feature "Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse." He is currently the Senior Producer on an exciting new partnership with Dreamworks Animation. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Tanner now lives in Orange County with his wife Alyssa and his two young sons Hudson (3) and Ford (1) who keep his life teetering on the brink of insanity.