We’re proud to announce our Jury members for this year’s YVFF. ✨
The films selected for the 2026 festival will be reviewed by an exceptional group of film and media professionals, including members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, the Associated Press Hall of Fame and the PGA, along with Emmy and Telly winners, Oscar and Peabody nominees, and award winning filmmakers recognized at Sundance, TIFF, Tribeca, SXSW, Palm Springs and beyond.
We are honored to have secured such an exceptional level of talent, with people who have decided to dedicate their time and attention to Yucca Valley and to the filmmakers in our Official Selection.
The YVFF Jury was designed around a mix of perspectives. Alongside these major industry names, we have Gary Daigneault, a longtime and deeply invested member of the Hi Desert community, as well as past YVFF winner Joey Clift, who has now returned to the festival as a Jury member.
That combination of major industry experience, local knowledge and the perspective of someone who has previously been on the other side of the festival is exactly what we wanted for this year’s Jury.
Two of our Jury members, producers Ashla Soter and Shane Stanley, will also be key mentors for our mentorship session on Sunday, November 8, from 4 to 5 PM. The session is designed for filmmakers but remains open to the public.
And if you want to join: we are currently accepting self nominations from community members who would like to join the session as mentors. If you have experience, knowledge or expertise that could benefit an independent filmmaker, we would love to hear from you.