Jury

Jury President

Félix Manuel Lora

A film journalist across multiple media, Félix Manuel Lora directed the documentary “Un rollo en la arena” (2005), which gathers key reflections on the development of cinema in the Dominican Republic. He is the author of “Encuadre de una identidad audiovisual” (2007), “Cine Dominicano en la Mira: Catálogo 1963-2014” (2015), and “Las Salas de Cine de la República Dominicana” (2020). He has lectured on Dominican cinema in the Dominican Republic and abroad, and has served as a jury member at national and international festivals. He is currently Coordinator of the Audiovisual Communication and Cinematic Arts program at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, and works as a film critic for El Despertador, acento.com.do and his own Dominican cinema portal, Cinemadominicano.com.

Jury

Jeury Frías

Dominican journalist with a master’s degree in Advanced Integrated Communication and Digital Marketing from Madrid. He currently works as senior writer at Diario Libre and as film editor for the program “Despierta con CDN.” His career includes national and international coverage, representing the Dominican Republic at events in South Korea, Mexico and Spain. He has also served as a jury member for film-related events, including the Fine Arts Film Festival, Hecho en RD.

Jury

Desirée Reyes

Her production credits include around 25 feature films, several successful television programs and hundreds of commercial film pieces. She has been a speaker and jury member for respected competitions, markets and funds for national and international cinema, as well as festivals including Huelva, Veracruz, Costa Rica, Global, Fine Arts and Santiago. She is president of Ebribari Audiovisual, a company focused on the development and production of international audiovisual formats, and Associate Executive Producer at Panamericana Films. Her recognitions include the “Lidia Bastos” award from the Dominican Global Film Festival and the Cinematographic Merit Award from the Santiago International Film Festival in the Dominican Republic.

Jury President

Hugo Pagán

Hugo Pagán Soto is a film critic, cultural journalist and film distribution specialist with more than 15 years of experience in the audiovisual industry. He is the founder and editor of Cinemaforum, an independent platform dedicated to film criticism and outreach, where he has published reviews, interviews and international festival coverage. His career includes collaborations with distributors, exhibitors and film festivals, as well as teaching film appreciation and consulting on marketing strategies for the entertainment industry. He currently combines his work as a critic with the development of film distribution and promotion projects in Canada and Latin America.

Jury

Omar Reyes

Since the late 1990s, Omar Reyes has devoted his career to film analysis and dissemination, becoming one of the specialized voices in Dominican cinema. His media career began in 1998, and with a background in advertising he founded the video club Videozone. He later strengthened his film knowledge at Cineclub Lumière under critic Arturo Rodríguez. His work combines criticism, cultural journalism and specialized content production. He wrote the film column for Revista Ahora, founded and edited Promonews and Popcorn, and has worked in television and radio. He has served as a jury member and curator in Dominican film showcases and festivals, belongs to ADOPRESCI, and leads @cinemasrd, one of the country’s key film-information platforms on social media.

Jury

Camila Santana

A Dominican actress with more than twelve years in film and over twenty credits in her career. Her work has had a strong presence on the international festival circuit, with productions selected twice by the Berlinale, as well as Sundance, SXSW, FICCI and BFI Flare, consolidating her as one of the figures of contemporary independent cinema. Among her recent work is “Marga en el DF,” a short film she stars in, which won Best Live Action Short Over 15 Minutes at the Palm Springs International ShortFest and became Oscar Qualified for Best Live Action Short Film.

Jury President

José Enrique Rodríguez

A documentary heritage manager, José Enrique Rodríguez has served for six years as director of the Cinemateca Dominicana, the national archive of Dominican audiovisual memory. From that institution he has helped drive a decade-long modernization process that has positioned it as a reference in Central America and the Caribbean for preservation, film archives and cinematic outreach. He has more than 17 years of experience in archival work, document conservation and audiovisual heritage management. He holds a master’s degree in Archival Studies and Document Management from the Instituto Global de Altos Estudios en Ciencias Sociales, and previously directed the Conservation and Technical Services Department of the General Archive of the Nation in the Dominican Republic.

Jury

Erika Santelices

Erika Santelices is a Chilean photojournalist and documentary filmmaker based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She worked as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse (AFP) from 2007 to 2023 and has collaborated with Reuters since 2024. She directed the documentaries “El Fotógrafo de la 40” and “Carne de cañón” (in development), and created and directs the Dominican Republic’s National Photojournalism Award. Her work has involved organizations and media such as the Pulitzer Center, The Washington Post, Getty Images, USAID, The Economist, the United Nations and Amnesty International. Her images have appeared in leading international outlets, and she has also led training initiatives for photojournalists, journalists and young people, including projects focused on human rights and news verification.

Jury

Orlando Barría

A photojournalist born in Chilean Patagonia, Orlando Barría has worked since 2002 as a correspondent for Agencia EFE in the Dominican Republic. He has documented events including the war in Ukraine, the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Pan American Games, papal visits in Cuba and Colombia, Caribbean hurricanes, humanitarian crises, Fidel Castro’s funeral, earthquakes in Haiti, President Obama’s visit to Cuba, Haiti’s presidential assassination and other major events. In the audiovisual field, he is co-director of “El fotógrafo de La 40” and is currently working on his second documentary, “Carne de Cañón.” His recognitions include awards from POY Latam, Premio Luis Valtueña, Px3 Paris Photo Prix, Salón de Fotoprensa, the Santo Domingo Visual Arts Biennial and AMI in Spain. In 2022 he was nominated for the Gabriel García Márquez Award.

Jury President

Willy Fabián

Communicator, television and film producer, public relations strategist and executive director of ARFAD Group Publicidad & Marketing, a firm specializing in image positioning, press campaigns and corporate communication for companies, institutions and public figures in the Dominican Republic and the diaspora. With a broad career in the audiovisual industry, he has worked as a film casting director on national and international productions, and as host of Bajo el Lente, a program dedicated to the film industry. Throughout his career he has led communication campaigns for entrepreneurs, artists, writers, doctors, municipalities, legislators, embassies, consulates and national and international organizations, becoming one of the country’s leading specialists in public relations and media positioning.

Jury

Raquel A. Ureña

Film and television producer, author, life coach and founder of NYC Latin Media. With a strong career in the entertainment industry, she has dedicated her work to creating and promoting projects that amplify Latino voices and talent. Her work includes films, documentaries, television programs and digital content, positioning her as a promoter of Hispanic cinema and storytelling. Passionate about stories with human impact, Raquel combines her audiovisual production experience with a mission to inspire others to discover and develop their creative potential. Through NYC Latin Media and her training initiatives for actors and filmmakers, she continues to create spaces for new generations of artists and producers.

Jury

Miguel Oniel

Miguel Oniel is a Dominican journalist, actor, film director and theater director. His work explores memory, migration and dissident identities. His audiovisual perspective was strengthened at the Central American Audiovisual Laboratory, organized by the Cultural Center of Spain in Nicaragua and Cinema Regional, an experience that led to his documentary short “El Camino” (2021), selected for the traveling exhibition “Paréntesis.” In 2024 he premiered the documentary “También se migra por ser” at the Dominican Film Festival in New York, within the Dominicans in the Diaspora section. In 2025 he was a finalist at the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival for “Americana,” a story about migration and identity tensions in the diaspora, consolidating a creative profile that moves naturally between journalism, film, theater and literature.