AFI FEST Shorts Jury

Sophia Nahli Allison

A self-proclaimed black lesbian myth, Sophia Nahli Allison is an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker, self-portrait photographer and artist who explores the relationship between reality, memories and dreams. She was named one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 in 2024 and is a 2020 United States Artists Fellowship awardee. She has been an artist-in-residence at Black Rock Senegal, MacDowell, The Camargo Foundation (Cassis, France), POV Spark’s African Interactive Art Residency and The Center for Photography at Woodstock. Allison received a 2021 Academy Award® nomination for her short experimental documentary A LOVE SONG FOR LATASHA (2019), currently streaming on Netflix, of which she was the director, cinematographer, editor and a producer.

Nora Bernard

Spanning years of experience in various entertainment media roles, Nora Bernard brings a well-rounded approach to supporting emerging artists in independent film. Currently she is the Communications and Outreach Associate for Film Independent’s Global Media Makers program, a cultural exchange that connects international filmmakers and the U.S. entertainment industry. She is also a Senior Programmer for the Urbanworld Film Festival, as well as an Associate Programmer for the Tribeca Festival. She also has served on committees for the Telluride Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, IndieMemphis and Telluride Mountainfilm. Before transitioning to Programming and Artist Development, she worked in numerous logistic roles for SXSW, Sundance and the New York Film Festival. Bernard received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from Long Island University’s CW Post campus. She is a member of the Programmers of Colour Collective, also known as POC2.

Paul Scheer

Paul Scheer is a comedian, Screen Actors’ Guild Award-winning actor, filmmaker, podcaster and New York Times best-selling author known for his roles in film and television, including BLACK MONDAY, 30 ROCK, VEEP and THE LEAGUE. He also co-created and starred in HUMAN GIANT and NTSF:SD:SUV. He co-hosts the podcast HOW DID THIS GET MADE? alongside his wife, actor June Diane Raphael, and actor Jason Mantzoukas, as well as the podcast Unspooled with film critic Amy Nicholson. His memoir “Joyful Recollections of Trauma” was released on May 21 by Harper Collins.