To celebrate our 10th anniversary, our staff members have provided photos of themselves at 10 years old along with recreations/representations that best capture their individuality!

Rifka Roth is the Managing Director and Art Director for the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. As a senior double-majoring in film and communication studies with a minor in digital arts, Rifka loves pop-art, loud colors, old motel signs, dry humor, and early 2000s cartoons. Though she came to sunny Wilmington to study film, she found her passion in design instead and now works as a freelance designer, illustrator, and animator. She’s especially interested in brand strategy, packaging design, and 2D frame-by-frame animation. In addition, Rifka currently works as the Graphics Specialist for the Cucalorus Film Foundation, and previously worked for Visions 9 Film Festival & Conference in 2018 as the lead graphic designer. Her somewhat cliche dreams involve moving to New York City with her cat Goose and continuing work as a freelance designer or becoming a partner at a design co-op.

Erin Lyon is the Operations Director of Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. After growing up in California, she earned her cosmetology license and moved to Seattle, Washington. After four years, she followed her parents to North Carolina where she decided to go back to school to study Creative Writing. With a passion for book-to-movie adaptations and a desire to make them right, she decided to double major in Film Studies which solidified her decision to attend UNCW. As she prepares to graduate in the spring of 2021, Erin is looking at jobs in screenwriting, publishing, or pursuing grad school. While not studying or working on her first adaptive screenplay, Erin spends her time reading, watching tv/movies, doing arts and crafts, and cuddling her cat, Pixel. 

Lexy Krumm is the Assistant Managing Director and Marketing Director of the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Originally from Fredericksburg, VA, Lexy decided to attend UNCW to pursue majors in film and communication studies. While her love of film blossomed in high school and was influenced by the Twilight films and How To Get Away With Murder, her passion for marketing and social media strategy blossomed when she joined UNCW Campus Recreation as a marketing assistant. In previous years, she served as social media coordinator and co-vice president for Flicker Film Society. She also took on a challenge her sophomore year to co-direct the Reel Teal Film Festival in 2018. Currently, Lexy occupies her time by running long-distance around campus, watching new (old) movies, and binge-watching Friends. In the future, Lexy aspires to work within the marketing realm of the film industry or within the marketing department for a university. 

Abby Walker is the Assistant Managing Director and Development Director of the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Abby transferred to UNCW from Charlotte, North Carolina for her sophomore year, where she is now a senior majoring in Film Studies with minors in Criminology, Forensic Science, and German. Abby has loved film since birth, declaring her interest in acting by age 3 and using a weathered Macbook webcam and friends to make her own films by age 9. Nowadays, with an evolved craft and finalizing her directorial and screenplay debut short Rideshare, Abby is impassioned by all that is film. After graduation, she hopes to work on sets around the world, sell a script or two, and—as is natural to her—fall upwards. In her downtime, she eagerly consumes every true crime podcast and docuseries in existence, daydreams about traveling, and enjoys learning whenever and wherever she can.

Brielle Barozzini is the Operations Assistant for the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. She grew up in Glen Gardner, New Jersey and was constantly making music videos and short films ever since she was young. After creating documentaries in late middle school and early high school, Brielle realized that filmmaking was more than a passion for her and she knew that she wanted to pursue film in her future career. Brielle is currently a junior at UNCW majoring in Film Studies and she has loved getting involved in the Wilmington film community. She is the Co-President of UNCW’s Creative Arts Club and is working for UNCW’s Office of University Relations to produce an environmental documentary. Brielle is passionate about the environment, women representation in the film industry, good donuts, and traveling. Brielle always tries her best to spread good vibes and happiness to those around her!

Samuel Farance is the Assistant Managing Director and Programming Director of the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Originally from Rutherfordton, North Carolina, Samuel transferred into UNC-Wilmington’s film program after graduating from Blue Ridge Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in Film and Video Production Technology. Samuel is an active experimental documentary filmmaker whose focus is on the rural south, Americana, and automotives. After graduation, Samuel hopes to continue his outreach with the different film camps, workshops, and events in his home area of western North Carolina. When Samuel is not working on current films and schoolwork, he is working on classic cars and bikes. 

Megan Keel is the Programming Assistant for Visions 10 Film Festival and Conference concentrating predominately in papers and abstracts. She is an experimental documentary filmmaker focusing her work mainly on her own life experiences. She is a writer and an artist in many mediums outside of film. In her spare time she loves spending time with her dog Krug.  Her work and free time often involves her love of playing hockey, her Irish family and Boston.  Currently an undergraduate at UNCW she hopes to attend graduate school and one day teach film. While at UNCW she has worked as a projectionist on campus for Lumina theater, on a SURCA grant funded project, and worked on the Film Matters magazine. You won’t often find her without a cup of coffee in one hand and a hat of some kind on her head!  

Jocelyn Ratti is the Development Assistant for the Visions 10 Film Festival and Conference. She is a senior at UNCW majoring in film with a minor in business. She grew up in New Jersey before moving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina before high school. Her passion for photography, which has blossomed into a love for film, brought her to UNCW. There, she also found a love for the business side of art and film. This drew her to Visions, which offers not only the opportunity to watch amazing student films, but also helping the business side of organizing a film festival. In her free time she loves to travel, shoot photography, watch movies, and she is an avid thrift shopper.

Chenita White is the Social Media Coordinator for Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. A native of Flint, Michigan, she has found herself in the city of Wilmington to pursue a degree in Film Studies with a minor in History. She realized her love for film at an early age after seeing Mary Poppins as she became lost in the magic of the animation. Her intrigue of everything that encompasses cinema, both behind the camera and in front of the camera, has never waned. She would love to one day work as a camera operator in television and film to eventually become a professor of Modern History and Film Studies. Chenita is currently a senior and throughout her career as a scholar, she has been on the Dean’s List every semester and plans to graduate Cum Laude. When she is not hammering away on her studies, she enjoys community service, styling hair, watching stand-up comedy, and critiquing films. Chenita hopes to have a published thesis that will change the world!

Grace Meile is the Marketing Assistant for Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. From Brevard, North Carolina, she is a junior double majoring in Spanish and Film Studies at UNCW. She also works as a production assistant for the Office of University Relation’s Media Production Department. Her passion for film stems from her love of environmental documentaries and science-fiction. After graduation, she hopes to travel throughout the United States and live abroad before seeking out her master’s degree. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, playing piano, and rock climbing. She is most often found in the back of Randall Library hunched over a computer working on her latest editing project. 

Jessica Perry is the Lead Animator for the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. She is a senior at UNCW majoring in Film Studies with a minor in Digital Arts. She has had an interest in video production ever since watching Vampire Weekend’s music video for their song “Cousins” in 2009. Since beginning her journey at UNCW, she has found that she has a passion for post production, documentary filmmaking, and animation. At any given moment, Jessica is probably watching internet videos, trying newly released snacks from Trader Joe’s, or putzing around her house while listening to a podcast on Spotify. 

Dana Rossi is the Webmaster and Assistant Graphic Designer of Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Originally from Pennsylvania, Dana transferred to UNCW her sophomore year where she is now a senior double-majoring in Film Studies and Communication Studies with a minor in Digital Arts. Dana’s passion lies in graphic design as well as experimental and documentary filmmaking. After graduation, she hopes to travel around the country in a van before hopefully finding a job in documentary production and working freelance graphic design. When she’s not taking on more classes than she can handle, she enjoys time at the beach, making art, planning her next vacation, and improving her film photography skills. 

Morgan Edwards is the Hospitality & Outreach Director of Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Originally from Hickory, North Carolina, she is currently in her fourth year at UNCW and double majoring in Film Studies and French. Morgan has always loved film, but her interest turned into a possible career path when she was 16 after watching Pulp Fiction for the first time. Having never seen anything quite like it, this movie led her down a rabbit hole of films young and old that made it clear what she wanted to do with her life. After graduation, Morgan hopes to either pursue a career in film production in the camera department or work for a film festival. Whichever path she chooses, she wants to travel the world and use French as part of her job. In her downtime she enjoys cooking her Nana’s recipes, reading, and listening to music from the 70s.

Nate McCarthy is the Hospitality & Outreach Assistant for the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. After receiving an associate degree, Nate moved to Wilmington to pursue a major in film. He is currently a junior at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. His interest in film initially grew from skateboarding by being a videographer for team riders from a local skate shop. After meshing skateboarding and music for years, he recognized that his true passion was creating music videos. In his free time, Nate focuses on progressing his skills in videography and editing by being an experimental filmmaker for various clients in the U.S. and the U.K. In the future, Nate aspires to continue expanding his business by promoting, directing, filming and editing films for many genres of music. He also aspires to utilize his knowledge of street culture from skateboarding to be a videographer or editor in the film industry to market for companies by making stylized advertisements.

Carly Carter is the Video Race and Lounge Co-Coordinator for the Visions 10 Film Festival and Conference. As a senior film studies major, Carly’s passion lies within creating documentary, essay, and experimental film dealing with topics such as existentialism, climate change, and the human experience. Carly also has a passion for broadcast TV, being the Studio Director for UNCW’s student-operated TV production unit, TealTV. Carly’s love for film and the arts blossomed at a young age, putting on tons of plays and skits for family members and making movies with an old digital camera. After graduation, Carly plans to become a Teaching Artist in New York City where she will teach young kids about her passion for filmmaking whilst proving that anyone can become a filmmaker. In her free time, Carly enjoys traveling, skateboarding, painting, and tending to her house plants.

Taylor Clarkin is the Hospitality & Outreach Assistant for the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Taylor’s love of the beach and film lead her to Wilmington. Her interest in filmmaking began when she got a hold of the family camera at age eight to take pictures and film epic music videos with friends. Currently, she is a junior at UNCW double majoring in Film Studies and French and minoring in Business. Taylor hopes to combine her love of film and French. After graduation, she wants to continue her journey into the world of narrative TV and environmental documentaries. A love of art and design means Taylor is constantly painting, drawing portraits, and working on digital illustrations. Listening to music is a must while being creative and side passions include photography, reading, stargazing, studying mythology, and eating lots of chocolate.

Shannon Silva is a filmmaker and Associate Professor in the UNCW Film Studies Department. With a BFA from Texas State University and an MFA from the University of Iowa, her films often focus on giving voice to women’s stories and have screened at film festivals internationally. In 2013, her feature documentary, It's A Girl Thing: Tween Queens and The Commodification of Girlhood, was awarded Best Social Documentary at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. In 2016, she was awarded a prestigious North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship to complete the narrative short, Baby Oil. The film was nominated for Best Writing and Best Actress at the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival. Most recently she completed the short narrative roller skating film, Shoot the Duck. She is currently in production on an experimental documentary, To Live and Die in the Shadows, about fern genetic modification. With a special interest in applied learning, her teaching includes hands-on film production courses, as well as supervising UNCW’s student run Visions Undergraduate Film Festival and Conference.  

Bill Hughes was the Programming Assistant for the Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. He is originally from Cary, NC. After a career in Atlanta for several years, he now lives in Wilmington. Currently, he is studying as a Film Studies major. As a non-traditional student, he came to UNCW for the specific purpose of studying film. Attention to detail is a skill that served Bill well in his career and is a skill that will definitely prove invaluable to him moving forward, as he will focus on planning and producing documentary films. He appreciates all genres of cinema and has a particular affinity for the ingenuity of classic Hollywood film.

Tatyana Williams was the Social Media Coordinator & Marketing Assistant for Visions 10 Film Festival and Conference. From Raleigh, North Carolina, she had her sights on creating creative content since she was a little girl. Now a senior at UNC-Wilmington, she is majoring in Film Studies & minoring in Journalism. Her school involvement includes being a 2nd-year Resident Assistant and a Student Government Senator. After she graduates, she hopes to either attend an MFA in Film/TV Production program or get a job working for a digital media company. Her ultimate career goal is to create & produce television shows then return to a university to teach film production.

Elena Hernandez was the Operations Director and Programming Assistant of Visions 10 Film Festival & Conference. Currently in her senior year at UNCW, she is majoring in Film Studies with a minor in Art History. Elena grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and has been watching movies for as long as she can remember. She knew she wanted to study film at UNCW and have a career in production since her freshman year of high school. After taking an art history class on films about artists, she discovered her love for the subject and decided to work towards a minor in Art History. Elena is very interested in how art and film intersect and the influence each has on the other and loves everything related to cinematography. In her free time, Elena likes to draw, paint, watch football, and play the violin.