MEET THE PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE

CHRISTIAN ACOSTA: Chris has been a member of the programming committee since 2021. A filmmaker and photographer, he has made a number of award winning short films in VT and internationally. In his free time, he practices B&W film photography, and acts for the Shelburne Players Community theater. He holds a BA for Filmmaking from Champlain College, now teaches at the college, and can be found bartending at Zero Gravity on the weekends.

LUKE BAYNES: Luke has been a member of the programming committee since 2014 and served on the VTIFF board of directors from 2012 to 2017. He works as an editor for a Seattle-based media company and has a soft spot for obscure film noirs and 1950s Westerns.

RYAN CHARTIER: Ryan is Associate Director of Philanthropy at Vermont Public. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in English and Film Studies from the University of Vermont. He has been a member of the VTIFF Board of Directors since 2018 and a member of the Programming Committee since 2019. He is also an avid music fan, hosting a weekly free-form show at WRUV on the UVM campus. A lifelong film lover; according to family legend, during his first visit to a movie theater as a child he exclaimed “Wow that’s a really big TV”!

GAIL CLOOK: Gail has been the associate director at VTIFF since 2020 and has been involved with VTIFF in various seasonal/part-time roles since 2009. Her previous experience includes being a box office supervisor at a performing arts center, and a general manager at a multiplex cinema. As associate director, her primary focus has been on operations, membership, and development.

HOLLY CLUSE: Cluse graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in photography. She has connections with local business owners and local artists. She’s been an educator and, to quote her: “I have some artistic moments. The best job I have had in relation to the restaurant was coordinating Penny Cluse art exhibits.

LECHELLE-ANTONIA GRAY: Raised in a family of artists, it was only natural for Lechelle-Antonia to find the magic of film at an early age. Lechelle-Antonia currently works for Hunger Free Vermont and is a Consultant with The Creative Discourse. She serves on the Board of Directors for Outright Vermont, is on the Farm to Plate Network’s Steering Committee, and she has served on the Pride Center’s Board of Directors as Board Co-Chair.

GRAYDON HANSON: Graydon Hanson is a senior Film & Media Culture major at Middlebury College. He has always been interested in the many aspects of film, and being a programmer at VTIFF has allowed him to explore a new side of the field. He hopes you enjoy all of the films at the festival this year.

GRACE LABICH: Grace worked part-time with VTIFF as administrative support, photographer, and on-site coordinator in 2024, before accepting a teaching position in Spain this fall. She graduated from the University of Vermont in May 2024, where she studied studio art, film, and psychology.

STEVE MACQUEEN: Steve is the Executive Director of VTIFF. Previously, he was the Executive Artistic Director of Circus Smirkus (2022-23) and Artistic Director of the Flynn, as well as the Discover Jazz Festival (2012-22). Prior to life in Vermont, he ran the Opening Nights festival at Florida State University and directed multidisciplinary programs in Atlanta, GA and Brevard, NC. He also had a prior life as a newspaper reporter.

ARNIE MALINA: Arnie served as Artistic Director and Chief Programming Officer at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts as well as Artistic Director of the Discover Jazz Festival, 1997- 2012. He was an enthusiastic film attendee in NYC where a major inspiration was the wave of European directors in the 50s and 60s. In 1976, he founded the Helena Film Society / Helena Series for the Performing Arts in Montana. He served on the Board of VTIFF from 2014 to 2023, and was President of the Board for three years.

OLIVER O’SULLIVAN: Oliver started as marketing manager for VTIFF in 2024, but he has helped VTIFF year-round since moving to Vermont in 2015, first as a volunteer then as a box office supervisor then as a marketing consultant. Before joining VTIFF full-time, Oliver worked at the Flynn in Downtown Burlington as marketing content manager for nearly five years. He has an MFA in Film and TV Studies from Boston University and writes about movies, especially horror movies, in his free time.

TRAVIS WEEDON: Formerly of Vermont, Travis is now based in Ojai, California. He manages festival bookings for Visit Films world sales and has been the program director for the White River Indie Films Festival since 2022. He has been with VTIFF since 2021 in various capacities in addition to the programming committee.

ORLY YADIN: Orly Yadin served as the Executive Director of VTIFF from Jan 2012 until June 2023. She stepped down from this role in June 2023 to focus on the Made Here Film Festival as Program Director, and to pursue her work as a filmmaker. Yadin is a filmmaker and producer of both documentaries and animation films and series. Prior to making films, she was a film researcher on historical programs and was also founder and Managing Director of Footage Farm – an archival footage collection. Orly has taught documentary film history and theory in Universities in England and at Burlington College. In 1995 she co-founded and ran Halo Productions specializing in animation films. Many of Halo’s short films won international awards at festivals, and one, Silence, was short-listed for the Academy Awards.