Introducing the 2024 JASNA Young Filmmakers Contest Judges

The deadline for JASNA’s 2024 Young Filmmakers Contest is coming up fast (June 24), and we’re excited to announce this year’s panel of distinguished judges. Contest finalists will receive valuable feedback from these notable members of the academic, literary, and filmmaking worlds. 

• Simon Woods
  Actor and playwright Simon Woods is well known for his role as Charles Bingley in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, his portrayal of Gaius Octavian Caesar (Augustus) in the HBO series Rome, and his role as Dr. Harrison in the BBC series Cranford. His first play, Hansard, premiered at The National Theatre in London. His first short film, Such a Lovely Day—which he wrote and directed—was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2024. 
• Katherine Reay
  Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including Dear Mr. Knightley, The Printed Letter Bookshop, The London House, and A Shadow in Moscow. She has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books—especially Jane Austen —and brings that love to her works. Katherine has also written one full-length nonfiction work, Awful Beautiful Life. When not writing, Katherine hosts the “What the Dickens Book Club” on Facebook and weekly chats with authors and booksellers at “The 10 Minute Book Talk” on Instagram.
• Damianne Scott
  Damianne Scott is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash and an Adjunct Instructor at Cincinnati State, where she teaches English Composition. She has been a guest speaker, panelist, and presenter on Austen topics for numerous groups and podcasts, and is the founder of "Black Girl Loves Jane," a Facebook page aimed at encouraging diversity in Austen and other classic literature in all varieties and adaptations. “Black Girl Loves Jane” can also be found on Instagram and X. Damianne has published in JASNA’s journal Persuasions On-Line and is a featured essayist in the forthcoming book, Retelling Jane Austen: Essays on Recent Adaptations and Derivative Works (McFarland, September 2024).
• Linda Troost
  A professor of English at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, Linda Troost teaches courses in British literature, Austen, and professional writing. She co-edited Jane Austen in Hollywood, the book that established the field of Austen adaptation studies and serves on the board of the Oxford University Press journal Adaptation. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of London’s Institute of English Studies, and the University of Southampton-Chawton House Library.
• Maureen Lee Lenker
  Journalist and critic Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over eight years’ experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books and is the author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff." Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight, is now available and her second book, His Girl Hollywood, will be released in January 2025.
• Sayre Greenfield
  Sayre Greenfield is a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, where he teaches courses in British literature, Austen, and digital studies. He co-edited Jane Austen in Hollywood, the book that established the field of Austen adaptation studies and has won many awards for his teaching and scholarship. He has also received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of London’s Institute of English Studies, and the University of Southampton-Chawton House Library. 

About the Contest

JASNA's Young Filmmakers Contest is open to all amateur filmmakers age 30 or under who reside in North America. The deadline for 2024 entries is June 24. First- , second - , and third-place winners will receive cash awards and one year of membership in JASNA. In addition, the winning films will be premiered for attendees at JASNA's Annual General Meeting in October in Cleveland, OH, and will then be available for viewing by a global audience on this website.

• To learn more about the contest, visit our Young Filmmakers Contest webpage.
• To submit an entry, register and download the 2024 Young Filmmakers Contest Entry Form, which also contains full contest details and rules.