2026 AMERICAS AWARD JURY
The Americas Award for this year's Short Films in Competition in the categories of Animation, Documentary, Experimental, & Fiction will be announced on Friday, October 9 @ 6PM at the National Museum of the American Indian as part of TAFFNY's Closing Night Ceremony
FICTION & EXPERIMENTAL JURY
Lorenza Bernasconi
Lorenza is a Peruvian actress based in New York, recognized for her work across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and independent film. She earned acclaim for her role in "Odd Man Out," winner of the Off Broadway Alliance Award and a Drama Desk nominee, and was named best leading actress at the Broadway World awards for "Good Cuban Girls." She was also the youngest Peruvian to debut in the Off-Broadway production "Evaluna" and has performed bilingually in Spanish and English throughout her career. Her experience spans boundary-pushing experimental theatre and independent film, giving her a keen eye for bold, unconventional storytelling. She now brings that perspective to the jury table, judging the Experimental and Fiction category.
Andrés Lopera Sánchez
Andrés Lopera Sánchez is a writer, creator, and producer, and a pioneer in new media and formats. His projects have earned numerous national and international honors, including the 2017 TAL Award for Best Educational Series in Latin America and four EFFIE Awards. His screenwriting credits include the feature films Guayabo, Yo Sí Maté al Portero, Aquellos Amores Imperfectos, Decembrina, and Seis, as well as several documentaries, including Vallenato: Del Valle de Upar para el Mundo.
Tomás Stiegwardt
He is an animation director, fiction filmmaker, digital artist, and faculty member at the New York Film Academy (NYFA), as well as the creator of the System.38 methodological framework. His work has been featured at numerous international festivals and has received multiple awards. In both academic and creative fields, he has led the visual development of original IPs and co-directs the research initiative The Heroine’s Journey at the University of Palermo, combining the rigor of cinematic language with contemporary hybrid storytelling.
ANIMATION & DOCUMENTARY JURY
Alvaro Baquero-Pecino
Álvaro Baquero-Pecino (PhD, Georgetown University) is currently an Associate Professor at The City University of New York where he teaches Spanish, Film, and Literature. He frequently collaborates with festivals such as the Chelsea Film Festival, and the Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY), among others. He is the author of the book "Sicarios en la pantalla. Familia y violencia globalizada en la era neoliberal" published by Iberoamericana-Vervuert.
Catalina Santamaria
Catalina Santamaría is an independent filmmaker based in New York, working as a director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. Her films have received international recognition, including her feature documentary Squatters/Okupas, which received awards at the Puerto Rico Film Festival and the Havana Film Festival New York. She has been a producer at CUNY TV since 2015.
Luis A. Rodriguez Cortés
Dr. Luis Alberto Rodríguez Cortés is an Assistant Professor of the Practice at Fairfield University. A scholar of contemporary Latin American and Latinx literature and film, his research focuses on how national identities are constructed, performed, and contested within the United States. His current project explores Latin American and U.S. Latinx campus novels and academic films. He holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from The University of Kansas and is originally from Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
