EXECUTIVE & PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

Among other things, Jillian is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and film curator born and raised in Puerto Rico, and based in New Orleans since 2017. They hold a Bachelor's Degree in Photography and a Master's in Arts Administration. As a film programmer and curator, they believe film is a powerful catalyst for social change and advocate for underrepresented stories that shake up the norm. As Executive & Programs Director at Court 13 Arts, they are eager to create community around filmmaking and film-watching.

FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Benh Zeitlin is a writer, director, and composer who began his career as an animator working under Jan Svakmajer’s team in Prague. In 2006 he relocated to New Orleans to make his first live-action short Glory at Sea which grew into the four-time Academy Award-nominated, Camera D’or winner Beasts of the Southern Wild. His second feature Wendy was created with a pack of wild children on a remote volcanic island in the Caribbean. His credits as a composer include Mediterranea, A Chiara, and Brimstone & Glory. He is also the founder of Court 13 Arts, our non-profit, devoted to supporting daring cinema, which produced films such as Burning Cane, Give Me Liberty, and No Kings.

PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR & PROPERTY LIAISON

Marion Forbes is a designer, filmmaker, educator, and artist currently based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Marion has a decade of experience in architectural design and now works in and teaches design, as well as documentary and narrative filmmaking.

GAP TOOTH CINEMA PROGRAMMING

Mélanie Akoka is a cinematographer based in New Orleans. Born and raised in France and of North African descent, Melanie studied philosophy before working at a post-production and film lab where she developed her skills as an editor as well as her comfort with celluloid. A recent MFA graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, her work has been shown at festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, TIFF and SXSW. She is the recipient of the 2021 Arri Volker Bahnemann award for outstanding cinematography. Melanie recently completed photography on her first feature, Basileia, director Isabella Torre, which premiered at Venice 2024.

EVENTS PRODUCER

Ben Matheny is a writer/director, and producer. He's produced five feature films, including the Sundance Audience Award-winner, MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY, and  EASY DOES IT (which Ben co-wrote), and has produced and/or directed content for Blumhouse, National Geographic, Adult Swim, Arcade Fire, GQ, and more.

BOARD MEMBER

FOUNDER & CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF LEROY’S PLACE

Illustrator Serene Bacigalupi has been world-building since 2009 when she founded Leroy’s Place, and now works collaboratively with a team across mediums. She has had solo exhibitions of her art in New Orleans and Austin, and has exhibited in Brooklyn, LA, Chicago, and San Francisco. She has curated immersive retail concept spaces in Brooklyn and New Orleans, co-directed two acclaimed short films in puppetry, and is the recipient of the Antenna Platforms Grant for live puppetry.

BOARD MEMBER

ATTORNEY & MUSICIAN

Max Hass is an entertainment attorney and working musician. He graduated from Tulane Law School in 2015 and immediately began working in the New Orleans music industry for the next 4 years, starting out of law school as an artist manager and booking agent. Since 2017, Max has focused his work on providing legal services to artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other creators and business owners, with an emphasis on contracts and intellectual property. To date, Max has advised hundreds of creators on how to best protect their creations, ensure they are paid for their work, and set up their businesses to ensure longevity and sustainability for their craft.

BOARD MEMBER

ACTOR & PRODUCER

Noah is an actor, director, and producer who has worked locally with Le Petit Theatre, the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival, Summer Lyric Theatre, and the National WW2 Museum; and nationally with the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the brand Girlfriend Collective. Look out for future iterations of his concert series, City Sounds; and his party meets immersive installation, Ghoul’s Ball.

BOARD MEMBER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KID smART

Elise Gallinot Goldman is the Executive Director at KID smART, a New Orleans, Louisiana-based organization that engages children in dynamic, creative, and relevant learning through the arts. She has been crafting and delivering imaginative and instructive arts-integrated collaborative artist residency and professional learning programs in New Orleans public schools for over twenty years. Elise works with schools, teachers, artists, and cultural organizations to further the field of arts education through the values of creativity, equity, collaboration, and sustainability. She has been on the faculty of Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero Classroom summer institute since 2013. She is an adjunct faculty member for the University of New Orleans’ Arts Administration Master’s program.

BOARD PRESIDENT

WRITER, DIRECTOR, COMPOSER

Benh Zeitlin is a writer, director, and composer who began his career as an animator working under Jan Svakmajer’s team in Prague. In 2006 he relocated to New Orleans to make his first live-action short Glory at Sea which grew into the four-time Academy Award-nominated, Camera D’or winner Beasts of the Southern Wild. His second feature Wendy was created with a pack of wild children on a remote volcanic island in the Caribbean. His credits as a composer include Mediterranea, A Chiara, and Brimstone & Glory. He is also the founder of Court 13 Arts, our non-profit, devoted to supporting daring cinema, which produced films such as Burning Cane, Give Me Liberty, and No Kings.