 |
[ Menu ]
Home
About
Awards
Rules
Entry Form
Judges
Past Winners
Rod Serling
Starting Tips
Conferences
Watch Videos
Contact Us
[ Press ]
JUDGES
 |
Elizabeth Cohen - A graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia and Columbia University in New York, Ms. Cohen has written for The New York Times, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, PEOPLE, Family Circle, and elsewhere. A reporter and weekly columnist for the Press and Sun-Bulletin, Cohen is the author of Impossible Furniture, a collection of poetry, the co-author with Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord of The Scalpel and the Silver Bear and the author of the forthcoming memoir from Random House, The House on Beartown Road. An active advocate for the rights of the elderly, she serves on a research committee for the Broome County Office for the Aging and has appeared on Good Morning America. She resides in Port Crane with her husband, artist Shane Van Pelt and their daughter Ava. |
 |
Cynthia Filetto - Cynthia Filetto graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Art Education. She did her graduate work at Binghamton University and has been an art teacher in the area for twenty years. Currently Ms. Filetto teaches Advanced Placement Art courses and Studio Art at the Rod Serling School of Fine Arts at Binghamton High School. In addition, Ms. Filetto has coordinated the Imaginative Images/Crayola Dreammakers Art Show, one of the largest annual student art shows (K-12) in New York State at the Roberson Museum. She has an avid interest in student’s creative endeavors. |
 |
Mark Levy - Mark Levy is an intellectual property attorney and has been an amateur movie maker for 25 years. Originally working in Super 8mm film and now using video, he has won awards in national and international competitions for his documentaries and short pieces. For the last 15 years, his articles have appeared in “Videomaker” Magazine covering subjects relating to movie making and the law of copyright, privacy and publicity. He also lectures on these topics at video conferences, college seminars and community service organizations. He is a member of an amateur movie making club and the Society of Amateur Videomakers and Cinematographers (SAVAC). |
 |
Gregory Keeler - Greg has been involved with media since he was little... making movies on silent Super 8 film including a silent five-minute version of The Invisible Man. His media interests led him to Ithaca College, where he was named "Freshman of the Year" by the IC chapter of the broadcasting honor society, Alpha Epsilon Rho... and he hosted "How Could You Forget?" a TV trivia game show on WICB-TV. He joined the staff of WSKG Public Broadcasting in 1985, and over the years has worked as a classical music announcer, production coordinator, operations manager, radio program director, TV program director, computer geek with a side of web, membership producer & pitchman, and a resident conductor of the "WSKG Swamproot Festival Singers", among other duties. Greg is often seen as EmCee for local non-profit fundraisers, including the Southern Tier Music Teachers' Association and the YWCA. He sings with the Madrigal Choir of Binghamton and performs Gilbert & Sullivan with The Summer Savoyards. Greg and his wife Pamela live in Binghamton with their cross-eyed cat, Cleo. |
 |
Howard Fisher - Howard has been teaching biological sciences for 37 years; 30 of them in the Binghamton City School District. Born and raised on Long Island, Mr. Fisher received his B.A. and M.S. degrees from the University of Bridgeport. In addition to teaching biology at Binghamton High School, he is National Honor Society advisor and coach to the high school's New York State Science Olympiad and High School Challenge teams. For ten years he coached Odyssey of the Mind teams and was actively involved in the Marine Studies Program at Montauk Point. Mr. Fisher is a member of the B.H.S. Crisis Response and Intervention team, The Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers, the the Binghamton University Institutional Biosafety Committee. During four summers, Mr. Fisher was a People to People delegation leader traveling through Europe and Australia for three weeks with 30 or more middle school students. In 1987, he was Binghamton City School District's Teacher of the Year. When not in the classroom, you can find him in a movie theater or riding his Harley. |
 |
Gary Ingraham - Gary Ingraham is a documentary producer/director for Cornell University's Educational Television Center and a freelance writer. He serves on the Art Mission and Theater Board of Directors, and he is chairman of the Art Theater Film Selection Committee. Gary lives in Endicott with his wife, Patricia, and their two dogs. |
 |
Jim Ehmke - Jim Ehmke studied independent filmmaking at Binghamton University in the late 1980's before starting a career in television news. He joined WICZ-TV in 1989 as a photojournalist. He became Chief Videographer at WIVT NewsChannel 34 in 1998 and subsequently News Director in late 2004. Ehmke has won numerous awards from the New York State Associated Press for his interviews and twice was named best photojournalist in the state. He also sits on the planning committee for the Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally and the marketing committee for Southern Tier Celebrates. Jim Ehmke resides in Binghamton with his wife Stacey and son Aidan. |
 |
Ken Harris - Upon receiving his B.A. in Mass Communications from Buffalo State College in 1977, Ken worked in industrial video production shooting and editing projects for a number of major corporations. In 1983, his focus shifted to cable production where he managed the local production facility in Binghamton, NY for Time Warner Cable. In this role, Ken was responsible for the production of numerous local commercials. He was also Producer/Director of various local programs including professional sports, college sports, high school sports and music events, political debates, parades as well as many other local events and special programs. Ken is currently an active free-lance cameraman involved with the coverage of professional a sporting events and entertainment programming for ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX Sports, The Golf Channel, USA, MTV and other regional sports networks around the United States. |
 |
Eric Long - Eric serves as the Director of Video Production for the Binghamton Mets minor league baseball team. Prior to coming to Binghamton, he spent time on the video production staff of the Reading Royals ECHL hockey club and the Lancaster Barnstormers Atlantic League baseball team. Eric graduated from Penn State University with a B.A. in Film & Video, and resides in Binghamton with his fiancee Courtney and his dog, Randall Cunningham. Eric is responsible for the creation and production of all video content for the B-Mets, scripting the game night entertainment, and directing the show on a nightly basis at NYSEG Stadium. |
 |
Naima Kradjian - Naima has performed Off-Broadway in shows such as The Bald Soprano and Rachel's Gifts and in several regional theaters. Naima appeared on the soap opera All My Children as the gossip columnist Audrey Wilson for five years, and in national TV commercials. While in Manhattan, she performed her one-woman cabaret act at Freddie's Supper Club, and as the opening act for Eartha Kitt. Naima was an Emmy judge for Children's Programming. She holds a BFA from the University of Florida in Performance and Theatre History, and attended Penn State University's MFA Program. Since 1988, Naima has devoted her efforts to making a difference in the Broome County arts community. Naima is the former CEO of First Night International and one of the founders of First Night Binghamton. She is now the Executive Director of The Goodwill Theatre, Inc. |
 |
Doug Mosher - A native of the southern tier, Doug’s love for music started at the age of 4 when he could be found sitting in a corner spinning 45’s on a coke bottle. The love affair(Radio) started in the 80’s and his still going today. Doug has worked for several radio stations in the Binghamton Market over the past 20+ years, WAAL, Q102, WNBF and WHWK in 1987. In 1996 he helped put a new radio frequency on the air WYOS (Oldies) where he was Ops Manager and morning personality (as The Mojo Man) and 1998 introduce another new frequency WBBI (Today’s Country 107.5). He is currently the Morning show host on 1075 The Bear Pure Classic Rock and Program Director for WINR AM 680 while handling Public Affairs for Clear channels 6 stations in the Binghamton market. Doug is a big fan of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, and directors Hughes, Carpenter and Spielberg. Doug is also a local musician and has played in several bands as well as solo performances. |
 |
Christina Rockhill - Christina Rockhill has a degree from Syracuse University in Journalism and Communications. She is the Creative Services Director at WBNG-TV and oversees the commercial production for the local CBS affiliate. Rockhill has been a journalist for more than eight years and has been the editor of four publications. Before moving back to Binghamton, she was a broadcast journalist and covered Operation Iraqi Freedom II in Baghdad, Iraq. She was awarded the national Thomas Jefferson Award as producer of the Best Local Television Newscast. While in Baghdad, Rockhill shot video footage that was used by CNN, Fox News and other international media. She currently resides in the greater Binghamton area with her husband Chris and cat. |
 |
Lawrence Kassan - [Founder & Director] Mr. Kassan served as Instructor and Assistant Technical Director at Adelphi University on Long Island, NY, before moving north to Greater Binghamton. His theatrical credits include Production Stage Manager for The Prop Trunk Players and Technical Director for the Fine Arts Committee of the XIII Winter Olympic Games held in Lake Placid (1980). Professional associations include Ice Follies Holiday On Ice, Dorothy Hamill ABC-TV Special, and residencies with Long Wharf Theatre, and John Houseman's The Acting Company. He holds a degree in Theatrical Technology and Design from SUNY, Plattsburgh, and is currently the Director of Special Projects for the Binghamton City School District. He also serves as Managing Director for the Carousel Artist Series, Production Manager and Designer for the Rod Serling School of Fine Arts, and Founder and Director of the Rod Serling Video Festival founded in 1995 (www.RodSerlingVideoFest.com). Mr. Kassan has produced numerous promotional and educational videos for the Binghamton City School District, and has coordinated video location projects with PBS American Masters and Court TV's Your Turn. Mr. Kassan served on the Opening Ceremony Organizing Committee for the New York Empire State Games 2000, and as Technical Director and Production Manager for the 2004 games. Mr. Kassan is a member of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology and First Night International, having been named First Night International's New York State Volunteer of the Year for 2001. He has spoken at First Night International's annual conferences in Atlanta, Boston, Saratoga Springs, Binghamton, Del Ray Beach, and Charlottesville conducting workshops on the transformation of non-traditional space for performance. Mr. Kassan lives in Binghamton, has a daughter named Deni and a dog named Shadow, and may have the largest PLAYBILL collection west of the Hudson River! |
