Flyover Film Festival

Jenna Cavelle is a producer, entertainment executive, and AI strategist with over 15 years of experience across studio and independent filmmaking. She has served as a creative producer on dozens of feature films and hundreds of shorts that have premiered at top-tier festivals globally, including Sundance, TIFF, Tribeca, and SXSW. Most recently, she produced two Hulu Original features shot in Kentucky—MR. CROCKET and CARVED—as part of a larger slate of narrative content.

Cavelle previously held executive vice president roles at Walt Disney Television and at No Label, the studio founded by NBA player Baron Davis. She now oversees production and business operations for a slate of Hulu Originals and leads OneWomanShowAI, a consulting firm that helps filmmakers integrate emerging technologies into their creative and operational workflows. She has taught creative production classes at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and for numerous film fellowships.

Jamie Buckner is a New York–based producer, production manager, and founder of the independent content collective Derby City Productions. A Louisville native, he built his career from the ground up, gaining early experience on both indie and studio productions while learning from filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Nora Ephron, and Martin Scorsese. His recent executive producer credits include ABSOLUTION (starring Liam Neeson), BRAVE THE DARK (with Jared Harris), COMPANION (with Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid), and ASPHALT CITY (with Sean Penn), which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Other credits include THE MORNING SHOW, THE VIGIL, DRIVEWAYS, RUST CREEK, and CATCH THE FAIR ONE. He also directed SPLIT, the world’s first romantic bowling comedy.

Fitzgerald Junior is an Austin-based writer, filmmaker and multi-disciplinary artist. He is currently a MFA candidate in the Film & Media Production program at the University of Texas at Austin.

Fitzgerald Junior is a programmer with Hyphen Film Center, whose mission is to engage and educate diverse audiences through innovative, enriching cinematic arts exhibition, while reducing social barriers to participation.

He is a disabled veteran and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Coury Deeb is a filmmaker, photographer, and entrepreneur driven by a deep passion for storytelling and adventure. As the founder of Nadus Films, he has produced three feature-length documentaries that span continents and spotlight powerful narratives, often captured in high-risk environments. Coury’s work goes beyond filmmaking—he’s also a digital design firm owner, real estate investor, and committed philanthropist, using his creative pursuits to raise awareness and spark change.

Whether dining with gang members or documenting life in conflict zones, Coury pursues stories that inspire action and hope. With an infectious optimism and a life full of bold choices, he challenges others to live stories worth telling—stories fueled by courage, compassion, and a relentless drive to make a difference.

Jennifer Sims is a seasoned producer with over 20 years of experience spanning film, documentary, television, and new media. Her diverse credits include acclaimed series such as WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?, THIS GIANT BEAST THAT IS THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, SURVIVING R KELLY, THE PEOPLE VS. THE KLAN and SECRETS OF PLAYBOY. Most recently, she served as story producer on Netflix’s THE SEAT and line producer for HBO’s SURVIVING OHIO STATE, which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. After spending 2024 producing an indie feature with the team behind THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS, she is currently producing and developing a diverse slate of projects exploring themes of identity, justice and culture. A proud Kentucky native, Jennifer continues to bring compelling, socially resonant stories to the screen.

Lauren is a 6th generation proud Louisvillian. She left a Social Work career to start Production Assisting 13 years ago. Flash forward to 2025, she is now producing content around the world for Discovery Channel.

In 2022 Lauren teamed up with fellow Louisville producer Laury Christensen to launch Kentucky's first Women In Film chapter. Together the WIFKY board and loyal supporters are progressing towards a more equitable future for Kentucky women.

Bruce Marshall Romans is a writer from Louisville, KY. He continues writing and developing film and television projects in LA, and his film credits include producing the independent film BLACKBIRD for writer/director Adam Rapp, as well as writing and starring in the independent film HOW YOU LOOK TO ME featuring classmates Kevin Butler and David S. Jung, and actors Laura Allen and Frank Langella.

His television credits include a variety of original projects and contracted work. Bruce has sold a number of drama pilots to networks such as ABC, NBC, Fox, Lifetime, and FX. Most recently he wrote and developed a one-hour drama for Fox centering on the self-made patriarch of a Kentucky bourbon empire and his family. He wrote and produced for four seasons of HELL ON WHEELS on AMC, Steven Spielberg’s FALLING SKIES on TNT, and season 2 of MARCO POLO on Netflix. He is also Supervising Producer/Writer on season 1 of Marvel’s THE PUNISHER for Netflix.

Dakota Diel is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer and seven-time sports Emmy Award winner. Originally from Nashville, he studied at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and built his career across music videos, commercials, narrative, and documentary. He brings a sharp visual style and deep storytelling instincts to every project and is proud to serve as a judge at this year’s festival.

Art Brainard is a Los Angeles–based 1st Assistant Director with a strong foundation in independent filmmaking. While still in film school, he was one of four writer-directors on the feature DOOMSDAY COUNTY, which was later distributed by Troma Entertainment. His work as 2nd Assistant Director on the acclaimed film PARIAH (2011) marked the beginning of a career that blends creativity with on-set leadership.

In 2011, Art was asked to join the prestigious Sundance Directors Lab, a workshop for filmmakers put on by the Sundance Institute and a program he continues to support annually as a dedicated collaborator. Since relocating to L.A., he has contributed to a wide range of projects—including shorts, features, and commercial work—and is now excited to return to the director’s chair for several upcoming ventures.