Judges 

Meet the Judges for the 2024 Festival

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala is a broadcast journalist, documentary filmmaker, impact producer, and cancer patient advocate. She co-founded Storytellers International Inc; she is a contributing producer to CNN International, ARD German TV, and ARD German Radio, and she is the Founding President of the Filipino Documentary Society (FilDocs). Ms. Magsanoc-Alikpala produced the multi-awarded and Emmy nominated "Delikado". Her other critically acclaimed work includes the documentary “Batas Militar,” along with documentary productions for the History Channel, ARD German Television, the Australian Broadcasting Company, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Probe Team. Ms. Magsanoc-Alikpala has also reported for the Public Broadcasting Service, Voice of America, and ABS-CBN News Channel. Lastly, she has also been on the jury at the Emmy Awards in the News and Documentary category since 2000.


Ricky Orellana

Enrique (Ricky) Orellana is an actor, director, animator, film editor, sound recordist and art director on short and full length feature films.  Previously a teacher of experimental animation and screenwriting for animation at De La Salle -College of Saint Benilde, he is now the Audiovisual Archive Head at MOWELFUND (The Movie Workers Welfare Foundation).  He has directed documentary films on Philippine artists Arturo Rogerio Luz and Maestro Lucio San Pedro and  his work "In Manila" won the Best Documentary Award at the 3rd Gawad CCP para sa Alternatibong Pelikula in 1989 and Best Student Film Documentary at the 8th FAP STudent Motion Picture Awards in 1990. 

Meet the Judges for the 2023 Festival

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala is a broadcast journalist, documentary filmmaker, impact producer, and cancer patient advocate. She co-founded Storytellers International Inc; she is a contributing producer to CNN International, ARD German TV, and ARD German Radio, and she is the Founding President of the Filipino Documentary Society (FilDocs). Ms. Magsanoc-Alikpala produced the multi-awarded “Call Her Ganda” film which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Hot Docs in 2018. Her other critically acclaimed work includes the documentary “Batas Militar,” along with documentary productions for the History Channel, ARD German Television, the Australian Broadcasting Company, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Probe Team. Ms. Magsanoc-Alikpala has also reported for the Public Broadcasting Service, Voice of America, and ABS-CBN News Channel. Lastly, she has also been on the jury at the Emmy Awards in the News and Documentary category since 2000.

Monster Jimenez is a Philippine screenwriter, director, producer and editor best known for her work on Big Time (2005), Kano: An American and His Harem (2010), Apocalypse Child (2015), Respeto (2017), and the Sundance winner Leonor Will Never Die (2022).

Jimenez' directorial debut, 2010's Kano: An American and His Harem, won the best Documentary Award at the 2010 Cinemalaya International Film Festival and the 2011 Gawad Urian Awards, and the Award for Best First Appearance at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.