Meet the judges for the 2025 Moonshot Film Challenge

These 2025 Moonshot Film Challenge judges are reading your samples, watching your reels and self-tapes, and reviewing your applications.

Here are the impressive bios of our Moonshot Film Challenge judges!

Hanelle Culpepper One of Indiewire's TV directors to know, the energetic and unflappable Hanelle Culpepper has credits ranging from superhero action adventures to thrillers to genre films to character-driven dramas. She became the first woman to launch a new Star Trek series in its 53-year history with Star Trek: Picard, earning an NAACP Image Award for her work in 2021. She was nominated again in 2022 for True Story starring Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes, and in 2023 for The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel L. Jackson. Recent work includes Paradise (Hulu), Star Wars: The Acolyte (Disney+), and Neuromancer (Apple+). In 2023, she was nominated for her work on Matlock (CBS) and Paradise.

Hanelle is an alum of AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, from which her short A Single Rose garnered recognition at film festivals worldwide. Her TV career took off after NBC Universal’s Directing Initiative, and her work since has spanned across a range of genres. In 2019, she earned a spot in the inaugural class of Sundance/WIF's ReFrame, and Variety’s Inclusion Impact honor.

Hanelle proudly serves on the TV Academy's Directors Peer Group Executive Committee, and as an alternate for the DGA's National Board and Western Directors Council. Hanelle is represented by Verve, manager Adesuwa McCalla at Metamorphic Entertainment, and lawyer Matthew Wallerstein of Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof + Fishman.

Jan Eliasberg’s directing career began when she was hand-picked by Michael Mann to be the first female director on his ground-breaking series MIAMI VICE and CRIME STORY. WISEGUY and 21 JUMP STREET soon followed, establishing Jan at the top of her field.

Eliasberg has nurtured performances in film and television from some of the finest actors of her generation: Frances McDormand; Michael B. Jordan; Michelle Williams; the late Natasha

Richardson; Tony Shalhoub; Stanley Tucci, Angela Bassett, Paul Giamatti, and John Turturro. She has directed hundreds of hours of award-winning television, including drama pilots for CBS, NBC and ABC, as well as multiple episodes of THIRTEEN REASONS WHY; PARENTHOOD; THE MAGICIANS; NASHVILLE, BULL, BLUE BLOODS, NCIS LOS ANGELES, DAWSON’S CREEK, PARTY OF FIVE, CRIMINAL MINDS and countless others.

Elaine Del Valle is a native New York, Puerto Rican Director and multi-hyphenate Storyteller. Elaine is a member of CSA and has provided Casting for high profile brands, agencies, and studios, including for Comedy Central and PBS Kids.

Her awards include the HBO Latinx Director award, the LALIFF | LFI | Amazon-MGM works-in-progress independent feature film post-production grant and from festivals including SXSW, Urbanworld, Catalyst Stories, Seriesfest and more.

Elaine’s feature film directorial debut is a genre dance-drama-thriller Tubi original, Midnight Hustle (now streaming.) Her second narrative feature, Brownsville Bred, which she wrote and directed, is currently in post-production. The YA family drama, and gritty slice of Urban American Latina life shares Elaine's personal coming-of-age story and was filmed in New York and Puerto Rico. The story is adapted from Elaine's award-winning short film, autobiographical novel and Off-Broadway one-woman show, Brownsville Bred.

Elaine is a WarnerMedia 150 Artist, Sundance Writer & Director Lab alumna, Shondaland Director finalist and two-time Lynn Shelton and Imagen Impact award nominee.

Satinder Kaur is a writer, director, and U.S. Army veteran. She was a writer on Trinity (20th TV/Netflix) with showrunner Jed Mercurio, and The Bondsman (Blumhouse/Amazon) with showrunner Erik Oleson. Kaur is a 2025 Film Independent Screenwriting Lab Fellow and an alum of the NBCUniversal/GTDI Feature Writers Program, where she developed projects with Colin Trevorrow and Sara Scott. Her short film Blood and Glory premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her documentary The Last Killing, about police brutality in India, won Amnesty International’s Best Human Rights Short award. She holds an MFA in Film Directing from USC and is a fellow of the Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Writing Project.

Desirée Proctor grew up in a multi-generational military family and lived all over the United States. Her TV credits include Lopez vs Lopez (NBC), Ultra Violet and Black Scorpion (Disney), and Just Roll With It (Disney). Interactive writing credits include Alien: Rogue Incursion VR Game (Survios, Disney), The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners VR Experience (Skydance), and The Walking Dead narrative game series (Telltale Games).

Nancy Schreiber ASC was the fourth woman voted into membership of the ASC

and the first woman honored with the ASC President’s Award for her contribution

to the art of cinematography and service to the industry. She paved the way as

the first female gaffer in New York’s NABET Local 15, gaffing the Academy

Award-nominated documentary, The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir for

Shirley MacLaine and Claudia Weill.

As Director of Photography, Schreiber earned an Independent Spirit Award

nomination for Chain of Desire, an Emmy nomination for HBO’s The Celluloid

Closet and was named one of Variety’s 10 Cinematographers to Watch. She

received the Kodak Vision Award at Women in Films’ Crystal Awards and Best

Cinematography at Sundance twice ,for My America...Or Honk if You Love

Buddha (shared) and for November, with Courtney Cox.Her additional narrative

feature credits include John August’s The Nines, Kevin Bacon’s Loverboy Neil

LaBute’s Your Friends and Neighbors, , and Ondi Timoner’s period film

Mapplethorpe.

Schreiber’s television cinematography includes HBO’s The Comeback, ABC/

Hulu’s The Rookie Feds with Niecy Nash Betts, FX’s Better Things, ABC/

Shondaland Station 19, and Starz: P-Valley. Schreiber was also the

cinematographer on the award winning documentaries Metallica :Some Kind of

Monster, and Linda Ronstadt: Sound of My Voice.

Schreiber taught advanced cinematography at the American Film Institute

and has guest lectured extensively worldwide. She also served on the

board of the ASC for seven years, was on the foundation board of

Women In Film, is a huge supporter and member of Film Independent,

The Gotham and IDA, and is a member of the TV Academy and the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Karen Janszen is a writer/producer with 25+ years of experience developing and writing for film studios, streamers, cable outlets, and network television. While she has worked on thrillers, comedies, historical epics, and animated films, she is best known for family dramas. Janszen’s theatrical writing credits include Netflix’s RESCUED BY RUBY and Warner Bros. films DOLPHIN TALE, A WALK TO REMEMBER, and DUMA. Janszen also wrote the indies GRACIE, DIGGING TO CHINA, and THE MATCHMAKER. For television, Janszen worked on FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, MARS, and most recently EARTH ABIDES now

streaming on MGM+ Amazon. Janszen studied at the University of California, Harvard, MIT, and the AFI as she made several transitions from anthropology to science journalism to publishing to series She also runs a story incubator for screenwriters at the American Film Institute.

Marley Schneier began her writing career at 16, when she somehow convinced

her town paper to hire her as a reporter. While working as a journalist in her

hometown of Boston, she covered a campaign event for then-candidate Barack

Obama, and was inspired to switch sides of press line, and go into public

service. She joined Teach for America, where her accomplishments include winning

Teacher of the Year, and surviving the dreaded middle school dance.

Marley next moved to DC to work in education policy, working on Capitol Hill for

Senator Ted Kennedy and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, and as a lobbyist and

political fundraiser. Exhausted from trying to convince Senators that kids actually

need to learn how to read, Marley left DC for Atlanta, becoming a producer at

CNN during the 2016 election.

At CNN, Marley worked as a writer for multiple shows across the Turner family.

She moved to LA to work in series development for BuzzFeed, and managed the

company's largest channel for women.

She transitioned into film when she was accepted to the prestigious American

Film Institute. During AFI, she worked as a writer's assistant for writer Danny

Strong, and was a T.A. for director Allan Arkush. Her first feature, POPULAR - a

biopic about GOP strategist Lee Atwater - was on the 2022 Blacklist. She also

won the Atlanta Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and a Humanitas Award.

After AFI, Marley worked with director Jay Roach developing a series for HBO

based on the best-selling book "Nightmare Scenario," which chronicles the chaos

within the White House during the pandemic. Most recently, Marley has been a

writer in the Dick Wolf multiverse, working for FBI and LAW & ORDER (dun dun).

Rosanne Welch, Phd, Executive Director of Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting, wrote for Beverly Hills 90210, Picket Fences, ABCNEWS: Nightline and Touched by an Angel. She edited When Women Wrote Hollywood (2018), runner up for the Susan Koppelman feminist studies award; co-edited Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia, named to Outstanding References Sources List and Best Historical Materials (2018). She wrote Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Popular Culture (2016). Welch is Book Reviews editor for Journal of Screenwriting; and on the Editorial Board for California History Journal and serves as the Chair of the international Screenwriting Research Network (SRN). You can find her TEDxCPP talk “The Importance of Having a Female Voice in the Room” here.

Neema Barnette is a prominent, innovative, and prolific director, writer, and producer whose

socially and politically charged work has redefined how African Americans are represented on

screen. With a career spanning over three decades, Barnette has made history multiple times and

earned widespread critical acclaim, along with numerous accolades for her groundbreaking

contributions to film and television.

Barnette began her directing career in theater at the age of 24 before being accepted into the

prestigious Women’s Directing Workshop at the American Film Institute (AFI). She made

television history as the first African American woman to direct a sitcom—What’s Happening

Now—and later became the first African American to secure a three-picture deal at a major

studio, Columbia Pictures.

Over the course of her career, Barnette has directed more than 75 hours of television, 10

television movies, and three theatrically released feature films: Civil Brand (Lions Gate), Woman

Thou Art Loosed on the 7th Day, and Spirit Lost. Her honors include an EMMY Award & 3

nominations, multiple NAACP Image Awards and nominations, and a Directors Guild of

America (DGA) nomination.

Mary Oldham is a three-time Golden Heart Finalist with the Romance Writers of America, celebrated for her mastery in both Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. With fifteen published books and counting, Mary's compelling storytelling has garnered significant acclaim.

Readers consistently praise Mary's work, as evidenced by Amazon's AI-generated insights into her debut novel, The Silver Linings Wedding Dress Auction, which was adapted by Crown Media's Dooney Pictures. Mary Oldham co-wrote the screenplay based on the novel.

Customers describe the book as an "excellent, delightful read," highlighting the "stunning and spot-on" wedding dresses, the "enjoyable, old-fashioned, and captivating" romance, and her unique writing style and character development.

When she's not crafting her next captivating story, Mary splits her time between the vibrant city of Portland, Oregon, and the serene beauty of Yachats, Oregon – often found on her deck, drawing inspiration from the breathtaking Pacific Ocean.

Ellen Ancui is an award-winning WGA middlescent, neuro-diverse, bi writer for TV, film, theater and podcasts. Her special sauce, “traumadies,” is a mix of Catskills schtick blended with a feminist edge--an attempt to gut-punch you while you’re laughing. Most of her protagonists are headstrong women, who dig their own graves, then resist climbing out until the dirt is kicked into their faces. Raised on Long Island, Ellen’s Sicilian mom converted for her Jewish dad, but would sneak ham sandwiches to the kids in the garage, so it’s no wonder Ellen loves storytelling and food. Ellen supported herself in NYC as a private chef and cooked for Oscar-winning writer Horton Foote and other luminaries. Ellen also founded a theater, SOLO ARTS GROUP, and gave the original Upright Citizens Brigade (Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser & Ian Roberts) their first home. Ellen moved to LA after the success of 2, one-woman shows, ZEL REBELS! THE STORY OF A WOMAN IN A (1) MAN SHOW (Public Fringe) and JUMPING OFF THE FRIDGE (HBO Workspace). She was a staffed on the sitcom, MALCOLM & EDDIE and her play GLORY PIE was sold-out at the Coronet Theater with rave reviews from Variety. Other professional credits: BROWN & FRIENDS (Netflix), BONNIE SCREWS UP (podcast), SIZZLER (Next Stage Press) THE STORY OF DAVID (Braid Theater, LA.), and is the creator of the new podcast, FILTHY MILFS (September 2025). Ellen’s directorial debut film, SAVERIO, premiered and won the 2025 Audience Award for Best Short at The Phoenix Film Festival, The Mirada Corta Shortsfest, Woods Holde Film Fest, Best Editing, LIIFE, and won a special award for female director from New York Women in Film. She is developing the feature version of SAVERIO and seeking investors.

Kelly Park, director, is from Philly. She attended Quaker schools during her early years, influencing her life perspective. After launching her career as a marketer and project manager in the technology and advertising industries, she decided to switch things up. Inspired by her actress mother to listen to her "funny bone", she took a leap of faith, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy. She began studying at Second City and The Groundlings, which led to commercials, short films, and sketch comedies. However, she soon realized being in front of the camera wasn't what fed her soul, teaching was. This eventually would lead to teaching children and young adults the fundamentals of acting and improv. Kelly quickly became one of the most sought-after acting coaches in television, working on numerous pilots and television shows for Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Amazon, and Netflix. This led to her ultimate passion, which is directing. She debuted on the Emmy-nominated Netflix show ALEXA & KATIE and directed several episodes including the series finale. From there, she went onto direct numerous shows such as THE NEIGHBORHOOD, FAMILY REUNION, THE UPSHAWS, NIGHT COURT, FRASIER, GRACE & FRANKIE, THE GAME, STATION 19. It didn’t stop there for Kelly, she became a Pilot Director for COUNTRY COMFORT (Netflix), BLACK DON'T CRACK (ABC), LOPEZ VS. LOPEZ (NBC), and NON-EVIL TWIN (NBC).

She is also a writer and producer, currently developing several projects with her husband and producing partner. So far, they’ve sold shows to CBS and NBC.

Learn more about the film challenge and apply here!