Meet the Judges of the 2019 Festival
FEATURE FILM JUDGES
John Borowski
John Borowski is an award winning filmmaker, author, and entrepreneur whose film works have garnered international acclaim and are distributed internationally on dvd, television, and streaming. Borowski’s “historical horror” trilogy of documentary films focus on late nineteenth and early twentieth century serial killers. site: johnborowski.com
Mark Majewski
Mark Majewski is an 18 year veteran of the movie theater industry. From 12 screen multiplexes to small independent one screen theaters, Mark's passion for movies has shaped his career in more ways than one. Mark currently co-hosts the “Off the Rails with Tom and Mark” podcast, featuring a spinoff podcast called “Movies with Mark” were Mark and his fellowship continue their never ending quest scouring the major streaming services for past and future cult classics. From art house features to underground zombie flicks, Mark will watch anything once. Mark's “turn-ons” include heady sci-fi and Bruce Campbell, his “turn-offs” include that movie his Mom saw last week and she can't remember the name “but has that guy... you know that guy from that other thing, you should review that on your podcast.”
Max Groah
Max Groah was born in 1982 and has been making movies ever since. His award-winning (including 2018 Twisted Dreams Audience Award) feature film Bong of the Living Dead recently completed a successful festival run and is now being distributed by Scream Team Releasing.
SHORT FILM JUDGES
René Ashton
René Ashton is a woman of multiple talents and interests. Her passion for acting has landed her more than 100 commercials and dozens of network television shows.
Not only does René act, she writes her own material. Her first film, the romantic comedy, BE MY BABY starring herself and Lacey Chabert is available on DVD and television worldwide. In 2010 she had three features optioned which lead her to form her own production company, Abundant Media, LLC. Since then René has joined the WGA and written and produced three spec television pilots. MILF MONEY, starring herself and Missi Pyle, won 10 out of 13 festivals entered. SPERM DONOR stars Alan Thicke, Missi Pyle, David Liesure, Simon Rex, and René. ACTORS ANONYMOUS, stars herself, Sally Kirkland and Lorenzo Lamas, it won the 3 festivals entered, including an offer for a development deal w/VH1. Her romantic comedy, SHRINK-ISH was just optioned and René will star in the film in 2018. But wait, there's more...her comedic drama, BOY’S NAME, is next in the pipe line.
Her film The Candle won the Jury Award for Best Short Film at the 2018 Twisted Dreams Film Festival.
Not only does René act, she writes her own material. Her first film, the romantic comedy, BE MY BABY starring herself and Lacey Chabert is available on DVD and television worldwide. In 2010 she had three features optioned which lead her to form her own production company, Abundant Media, LLC. Since then René has joined the WGA and written and produced three spec television pilots. MILF MONEY, starring herself and Missi Pyle, won 10 out of 13 festivals entered. SPERM DONOR stars Alan Thicke, Missi Pyle, David Liesure, Simon Rex, and René. ACTORS ANONYMOUS, stars herself, Sally Kirkland and Lorenzo Lamas, it won the 3 festivals entered, including an offer for a development deal w/VH1. Her romantic comedy, SHRINK-ISH was just optioned and René will star in the film in 2018. But wait, there's more...her comedic drama, BOY’S NAME, is next in the pipe line.
Her film The Candle won the Jury Award for Best Short Film at the 2018 Twisted Dreams Film Festival.
Alice Wilson
Alice Wilson appeared in a cornfield in Marion, IN on December 26, 1974, providing comedic interludes ever since. In August 1994 she hopped a train to Milwaukee after serving time...in the military at Ft. Jackson & Ft. Sam Houston. She earned her Bachelor’s in Theatre Performance from The University of WI-Milwaukee in 2004. During her time there and beyond she has appeared in numerous shorts and feature films including NEW DAY directed by Jason Williams, ZOMBIE FRAT HOUSE directed by Ross Bigley, HELL directed by Glenn Buettner & most recently LESSER BEASTS by Casey T. Malone. From 2013-2015 she produced a horror themed festival & variety event called Horror-O-Rama. She subsequently hit stages around Milwaukee as a horror/geek/cosplay burlesque performer under the name Colleen Gore which she looks forward to reviving in 2019. Currently she travels all over the US and even to Edinburgh, Scotland doing her 33 different living statue characters. She is super EXCITED about getting to watch all these horror movies!!
Tom Klein
Tom Klein is a comedy podcaster and hosts Off the Rails with Tom and Mark, and also cohosts Movies with Mark. Within a year the podcast grew from being in an extra bedroom with one microphone to podcasting at the Marcus during Summerfest and having their own video studio at the Northshore Academy of the Arts in Grafton. Tom graduated summa cum laud with his bachelor’s degree in neuropsychology from UWM and has a background in physical therapy. In his schooling he has dissected over 30 cadavers and will beat anyone in a human skinning race. In the past, he has been a president of an Phi Theta Kappa honor society, a semi pro soccer player, and a 3-time state champion arm-wrestler. Besides creating a campus movie night program at UWWC, cohosting a movie podcast, and being “considered” to host the 2019 Oscars, he has seen Ghostbusters over 400 times.
WISCONSIN SHORT FILM JUDGES
Hannah Christensen
Hannah Christensen is a film editor in Milwaukee. She had her directorial debut in 2017 with her short film “Adopted,” which had the honor of showing at this very festival (and won the Jury Prize for Best Wisconsin Short Film), and in late 2018 completed her editorial work on the short web series, “I Hate LA.” Since then, she has worked on several commercials and documentaries and is excited to share more morbid tales in the future.
Oliver "The Caretaker" Collins
Wisconsin horror host Oliver "The Caretaker" Collins
Horror Host of “Spine Chilling Cinema”
A musician (guitarist of The Fiendish Phantoms)
www.etsy.com/your/shops/CaretakerCreations
A fan of all things horror and the macbre
Horror Host of “Spine Chilling Cinema”
A musician (guitarist of The Fiendish Phantoms)
www.etsy.com/your/shops/CaretakerCreations
A fan of all things horror and the macbre
Danny Villanueva Jr.
Danny Villanueva Jr. is a Mexican-American film writer/director born on April 6, 1989 in Chicago, IL. He studied Digital Filmmaking/Video Production at the Art Institute of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI. In 2012, he launched a horror-themed web channel, How Bizarre, which featured segments such as short films, mini-documentaries on destinations with eerie or haunted history, and bite-sized horror themed cartoons. Danny is currently in production on his first feature-length film, a supernatural drama/horror anthology which is expected for a 2019 release under How Bizarre Pictures.