About Orlando International Film Festival
Jennifer Evins is the president and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida, a nonprofit founded in 1989, with a mission to enrich the community through investing in arts, science, and history. United Arts is the local arts agency that serves Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. Jennifer currently serves on the boards of Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, Downtown Orlando Partnership, as well as on the Advisory Boards of 4Roots and the UCF College of Arts & Humanities. Prior to joining United Arts in June 2021, Evins was president and CEO of Chapman Cultural Center, Inc, the local arts agency in Spartanburg, South Carolina for ten years, preceded by a fifteen-year career in marketing and public affairs in the for-profit sector. As a volunteer and professional, Evins has secured more than $100 million in contributions and grants from the public and private sectors in developing new cultural facilities, endowments, annual campaigns, affordable artist studios and a new YMCA. Jennifer received an i4Business Magazine’s Women’s Inspired Leadership Award in 2022 and was named one of Orlando Magazine’s top 50 Most Powerful people in Orlando in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Orange Appeal has named Jennifer a woman of the year in 2025.
Kawachi A. Clemons, Ph.D. brings over twenty years of experience in higher education as an administrator, faculty member, composer, and conductor. He currently serves as Dean of the School of Arts, Entertainment, and Design at Valencia College. Prior to his appointment at Valencia College, he served as Vice Provost of Academics, Innovation and Strategic initiatives at Virginia State University, where he also held the faculty rank of tenured Professor of Music and Executive Director of the Center for Creative and Entertainment Arts. Clemons spent nearly a decade at Florida A&M University in numerous roles including Chair of the Department of Music, founding Director of the Institute for Research in Music and Entertainment Industry Studies, and Coordinator of Music Education. He scored music for the acclaimed Sony Pictures Entertainment animated series, The Boondocks with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Patrick “9th Wonder” Douthit. Clemons presents frequently on entertainment, arts, culture, and education in national and international platforms. He has been invited to speak at Kenyatta University (Nairobi, Kenya), Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s John Hope Franklin Symposium, Florida Music Educators Association, the American Institutes for Research, Steinway & Sons, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. His outstanding contribution in the field of educational leadership earned him the prestigious honor of the International Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, the highest form of recognition that embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism named after its founder
Smith is a member of American Film Institute, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences TV, Independent Feature Project, Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers, the Audio Engineering Society, and the prestigious National Association of Broadcasters. He serves on the Board of Directors of Women in Film/TV Florida. He has over 30 years of film/TV experience. As owner of his own production company, No Budget Movie Company, Art coaches new screenwriters and helps to produce their films at a low budget. He can credit teaching and mentoring over 390 individuals currently working in the television or film industry. Art's resume includes: "Standing Ovation", "Mysterious", "Bad Girl Island, "Survivor Island", "The Session," "Misguided," "Three," "Fashion News Live," "Mother's Day," "Ocean City," "Who Goes There?," "Didn't Say Goodbye," "Super Mario Brothers," "Good Morning Vietnam," "Causalities of War," "Soldier Boy's," "Angel Heart," "Snake Eyes," "Devil's Own," "Sweet Liberty," "Anger Management," and more.
Steven Williams presently serves as the President of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation having been personally mentored by Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., M.D. who founded the Organization in 1900. Juneteenth, or June 19, 1865, is recognized as the date when freedom was announced to some of the last slaves in America by General Gordon Granger, who arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order Number Three, almost two and one-half years after President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The event is associated with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. It was declared a state holiday in Texas in 1980. In June 2021, President Joseph Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth a national holiday to be observed on the third Monday in June. Prior to becoming the President of the Organization, Steven served as the Virginia State Director of the National Juneteenth Observance nonprofit from 2001 until he ascended to the head of the organization. He has served as a Chaplain for the Boys Scouts of America since 2013 and provided religious guidance for Troop 966 in Sterling, Virginia. He has been a Committee Member of the Internet Society since 1998. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Computer Science from the Colorado Technical University. His passionate spirit keeps alive the dream of a more equitable society promised by the hopes of Juneteenth.
Dr. Alzo Riddick earned his bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s degree in education from Florida A&M University, and a Doctor of Education degree from Nova University, His journey was shaped by the transformative power of education and fueled by unwavering determination and as a testament to the impact of dedicated mentors and the resilience of the human spirit. Following his service in the US Army, he acquired a position with Orange County Public Schools as a history teacher. From there, he became an assistant dean and adjunct professor at Rollins College. His next journey would take him to the University of Central Florida, where he founded the Defense in Transition (DTS) and Soldiers to Scholars (STS) programs. The Scholars in Scholars Program provided art and film production classes in its after-school program under the guidance of the Orlando International Film Festival staff. Simultaneously, Riddick served as a representative in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida. While serving for 18 years, he accomplished significant legislative milestones. Notably, he was pivotal in amending the Florida Constitution, allowing Black commissioners to be elected in single-member districts. He pursued initiatives like the Juneteenth legislation and visited close custody institutions to engage with incarcerated individuals. His life's work inspires future generations, urging them to find their talents and contribute to a more equitable and educated society.
Robert Curbeam graduated from the US Naval Academy. Curbeam commenced Naval Flight Officer training and reported to Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11) making overseas deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean Sea, the Arctic Oceans, and the Indian Oceans. In August 1994, he returned to the U.S. Naval Academy as an instructor in the Weapons and Systems Engineering Department. Selected by NASA in December 1994, Curbeam reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. He is a veteran of two space flights, STS-85 in 1997 and STS-98 in 2001. He logged many hours in space, including more than 19 EVA hours during three spacewalks. During the spring of 2002, he served as Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Assurance, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. He served as Director of Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance for the Constellation Program, and as Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations while in the Nation’s Capital. A veteran of three space flights, Curbeam has logged over 901 in space, including 7 EVAs (space walks) totaling 45 hours and 34 minutes. In November 2007, Curbeam retired from the Navy and NASA in order to pursue a career in the private sector
