15/09/2026
As the countdown towards the 15th Edition of the MINA Smartphone Film Festival continues, we would like to introduce you to some of the Judges who have helped make this Festival possible with our Judges' Spotlight!
Sonali Srivastav, Ph.D:
Sonali is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad, India. She has worked in the media production industry in various capacities such as a camera person, scriptwriter, editor and producer for documentaries, TV shows and news. For her Ph.D., she worked in the area of web narratology and market dynamics of OTT platforms in India and attended the Summer Doctoral Program at the Oxford Internet Institute on scholarship. Her film on female indie filmmakers of India, titled Rebel. Record. Repeat has screened at multiple film festivals.
Marcelo Lagreze:
Marcelo Lagreze is an Argentine director, editor and photographer based in Chile.
His work moves between documentary observation and poetic cinema, exploring memory, territory, time and the relationship between people and their environment. Often working with smartphones and small crews, he approaches mobile filmmaking as a creative language rather than a technical limitation.
His short films have received recognition at numerous international festivals.
Beyond the specific message of each film, his work seeks to leave the viewer with a lingering question, a sense of intrigue, or a personal reflection that continues beyond the screen.
Layne Scotland:
Layne Scotland is a creative producer and freelance filmmaker. Drawn to nuance, and the small, human details that make a story feel alive. She has a passion for people-driven stories and strong visuals that emotionally connect with their audience. Her background in both film and history means she approaches storytelling with curiosity and care: part researcher, part observer, part artist. She values authenticity above polish, connection above performance. The goal is to create work that doesn't just look beautiful, but feels true; stories that resonate long after the screen fades to black.
Stay tuned as we gear up to announce more information on the 15th MINA Smartphone Film Festival soon.
