THE PEOPLE
THE FACES BEHIND THE FESTIVAL
THE NCFF STAFF
JEFf Clark
PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS & Festival co-founder
One of the original founders of the Nevada City Film Festival, Jeff has been the captain of the festival’s ship since 2001. In that same year, Jeff took ownership of the Magic Theatre (now called the Onyx Theatre), which has established itself as one of the premier arthouse theatres in the region. Jeff lived in Los Angeles until 1996 when he headed north and settled into the Sierra Nevada foothills. Jeff lives by the quote by writer Henry Miller: “Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life.”
Jesse Locks
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jesse has been at the helm of the Nevada City Film Festival since 2009. With a journalism-heavy background, Jesse established herself as a creative force while writing for sports publications such as Thrasher, Heckler, and ESPN. She would go on to work for the Seattle Weekly and Arthur magazines. In the off season, Jesse works for the Presidio of San Francisco. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Nevada County Arts Council, Sierra Gold Parks Foundation, and Community Foundation of Nevada County.
Rich Good
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Currently residing deep in the Mojave desert, Rich still considers Nevada City his home. Good moved to the area from his native London in 1997 and has since led a life packed with design, music, and unrestrained creativity. As art director he’s helmed projects for clients as diverse as Airstream, How So Records, Amy’s Kitchen, the LA Public Defenders Union… and of course; this very festival. When off-duty you’ll find him on-duty playing guitar for a certain British new wave band. He also recently opened the Very Very shop in 29 Palms.
Zach Haller
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Zach is a techie by day and a vinyl aficionado by night. His background in event production and interest in electronics and information technology has led him to a perfect role here at the Nevada City Film Festival.
Thanks to his quiet expertise, NCFF has raised the bar of film screening and presentation in our historic little town.
Jess Swigonski
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Originally from Erie, PA, Jess found her new home in the Sierra Nevada back in 2014. Equipped with a degree in Video Production, an excitement for event production, and a lifelong passion for film, Jess began her career with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, spending over seven years connecting local audiences with top notch environmental film and opportunities for activism. In addition to now programming the Nevada City Film Festival, you can find her at the Onyx Theatre, continuing to foster independent cinema in Nevada County. If she’s not slinging popcorn or watching movies, she is likely hanging out with her cat Charlemagne, taking long hikes in the woods, SUPing in the summer or snowboarding in the winter.
ROMERO ALVES
ONLINE PROGRAMMING DIRECTOR
From his native Brazil, Romero set sail for many adventures, which eventually led him to Nevada County. In addition to a career creating motion graphics for films, video games, commercials, and his day job at Adobe, Romero also teaches film and animation at Sierra College in Grass Valley.
Gloss & Co
DIGITAL MEDIA TEAM
Gloss & Co is a graphic design firm co-founded by Bee McKenzie and Lorrin Bertoli, specializing in digital and social creative. The powerhouse duo have a passion for film and music and love working with their talented clients in the field.
THE 2024 JURY
Kelly Pike
WRITER / DIRECTOR
Kelly Pike is a writer/director who is a recipient of the DGA “Award of Outstanding Directorial Achievement”, included on Austin Film Festival’s “25 Screenwriters to Watch” list, and a graduate of the AFI Directing
Workshop for Women (DWW+).
With an established career in the fine arts she first expanded her practice into filmmaking by working with documentarian Albert Maysles. She then went on to earn her M.F.A in Narrative Film & Television from UCLA.
Her short films have screened at festivals around the world, winning awards from the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Savannah (SCAD) Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Bahamas Film Festival, and many more. Her latest short film, PICTURE DAY, is currently qualified for the 2024 Academy Award for Live Action Short Films.
Other than festivals, her work has also earned recognition from PBS, Vimeo, NATO, and the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors, the Puffin Foundation, and Short Of The Week.
For more information please visit:
www.kellypikefilm.com
Lívia Campos de Menezes
festival DIRECTOR
Born and raised in Brazil, Lívia is deeply passionate about the transformative power of cinema.
With a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a master’s in History from São Paulo State University, she dedicated six years to operations and market research before embarking on a career shift toward film.
In 2014, Lívia earned a certificate in Screenwriting and discovered her joy in crafting her own narratives while helping others bring their creative visions to life. With this in mind, she pursued an MFA in Creative Producing at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, graduating in 2018. Lívia then ventured to California, where she contributed to renowned festivals such as MVFF, UNAFF, and NALIP, to name a few. As festival director of WSFF from 2021 to 2024, she played a pivotal role in reviving the event by reintroducing it to theaters post-pandemic.
Recently relocating to New York, Lívia continues her impactful work with creatives and film festivals, culminating in her curation of the 47th season of IWFF in Missoula, MT. In her free time, Lívia enjoys road-tripping with her husband, exploring National Parks, or reading a novel.
JEFf Clark
PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS & Festival co-founder
One of the original founders of the Nevada City Film Festival, Jeff has been the captain of the festival’s ship since 2001. In that same year, Jeff took ownership of the Magic Theatre (now called the Onyx Theatre), which has established itself as one of the premier arthouse theatres in the region. Jeff lived in Los Angeles until 1996 when he headed north and settled into the Sierra Nevada foothills. Jeff lives by the quote by writer Henry Miller: “Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life.”
SAV RODGERS
WRITER / FILMMAKER
Originally from Kansas, Sav Rodgers is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and pop culture documentarian whose feature directorial debut CHASING CHASING AMY (Tribeca ‘23) explores the complicated legacy of Chasing Amy (1997) and its profound impression on his life.
The TED Talk he gave in 2018 kickstarted this filmmaking journey, and spurred the writing of scripts that center on highly specific, surprising stories about queer people. His screenplays have been recognized by GLAAD, Outfest, ScreenCraft, among others.
Named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Media List in 2024, Sav is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Transgender Film Center, a nonprofit aiming to help trans creators bring finished films to audiences around the world. Sav is a proud University of Kansas graduate and still sports KU baseball caps wherever he goes.