Meet BIFF's Team
BOARD MEMBERS
Anna McNiven Maybury became the President of BIFF at the end of 2024. Anna is an Australian native and film producer, and has resided in Los Angeles working in the film industry since 2013. Anna began her career in the performing arts as a dancer which developed into theater and then working in the film and television industry in both Australia and the US. She has been an on-camera host for several music, entertainment and health channels. Companies Anna's worked with include Sony, Ghostly, and Universal Music, Live Nation and Insomniac. Anna has also worked with Live Nation and Insomniac as a field producer covering some of their biggest music events. Her love for the arts led her to join the BIFF board in 2015, and over the years has served as the social media director and secretary and is now honored to be the President.
Anna Maybury
President | Festival Director
Larry Thornton is an Alumnus of UCLA’s Doctor of Business Administration. Dr. Larry Thornton is currently CEO of the Accounting and Business Consulting Firm, Thornton and Associates and was a consultant and contracted with the Department of Energy, Department of Labor and the Department of Justice, in both Los Angeles and Washington DC. He has provided services for the Mayor of Los Angeles and currently consults for the LA City Council regarding veteran housing and drug and alcohol treatment centers. In addition, he sits on several business and non-profit boards and is CFO of Ridgeview Ranch Treatment Center, a drug and alcohol treatment facility on Altadena Ca and Pasadena California. Larry has received many awards and accolades from the Governor and Mayor’s office and was honored as businessman of the year in the San Fernando Valley. He is a Buffalo Soldier and National Treasurer for the organization overseeing financials for 45 chapters throughout 38 states. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, skeet and trap shooting, riding his horse throughout the San Fernando Valley and participating in the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.
Larry Thornton
Treasurer | Board Member
Kambra Potter is a TV, film & commercial actress, screenwriter, host and emcee who has been proudly involved with multiple facets of the Burbank International Film Festival since 2018. Kambra first pursued her passion for performance through pageantry, and was named Miss Oklahoma Teen and later, Miss Oklahoma. Most recently, Kambra portrayed the supporting-lead role of Sorority President, Steph in the Lifetime thriller "Sisters for Life.” She also played a pivotal role as the wife of a U.S. Marine with PTSD in the dramatic feature film "86 Melrose Ave," which found success in the festival circuit & is now available on a variety of VOD platforms. Kambra has also been selected as a contestant on “Let’s Make A Deal” with Wayne Brady. Holding a BA in Broadcast Journalism, Kambra has served as the on-camera host for dozens of celebrity red-carpet interviews and as the official Emcee for over 200 pageants across the U.S. She has also worked as an international event coordinator for high-profile corporations, and has garnered over $1.5 Million in revenue as a motivational speaker for a youth confidence organization. In 2023, Kambra began screenwriting and currently has several projects slated for development.
Kambra Potter
Secretary | Board Member
Kurt Patino grew up in Burbank, CA and runs Patino Management Company, a full-service Talent Management firm representing Film/TV actors. He produced the action-comedy feature film, “Double Threat,” starring Matthew Lawrence and Dawn Olivieri, which premiered in summer 2022. “Double Threat" was the sole indie feature amongst Hollywood blockbusters listed in the Amazon Prime “Top 10 in the US” category. He co-wrote & co-produced the comedy-adventure movie, "Tin Holiday," which was shot in London/Los Angeles and can now be viewed on Amazon Prime. He accepted an invitation to speak in Canada where he presented a TEDx talk on “How Fear Can Be A Four Letter Word For Success.” Kurt began his career as a Talent Agent and rose through the ranks to eventually become co-founder of the very successful Defining Artists Talent Agency. In his over twenty-year career as a Talent Representative, Kurt has guided the careers of well-known performers such as Rami Malek, America Ferrera, Kelly Stables, Nichole Sakura, Ayesha Curry, Molly Hagan, Barbara Niven, Kenneth Choi and former Oscar® nominee Patty McCormack. He’s a diehard sports fan and voracious reader who enjoys traveling with his wife and two sons.
Kurt Patino
Board Member
Lana Ford blends her experiences of civic, corporate and artistic talent to join the impressive team of BIFF Board Members. Following a ten year career with Fortune 50 company BellSouth Communications, Lana moved to LA to continue adding to her list of adventures, such as marketing manager for the Falcon Theatre (now the GARRY MARSHALL THEATRE) in Burbank, as an elected official serving 6 years on the Studio City Neighborhood Council, President of Phi Mu Alumnae-LA, President Southern California Council of Phi Mu Fraternity, Adviser to Phi Mu Sorority-CSUN, all while sprinkling area Theatres with performances in various roles, including KING ALFONSO in “The Tempest” and AMANDA in “For Whom The Southern Belle Tolls.” She currently works with independent casting director Aaron Griffith, is a Talent Executive for The Saturn Awards and served on the 2017 SAG Nominating Committee. She has written a civil war epic based on a true story.
Lana Ford
Board Member
Dustin Richardson is an award-winning screenwriter, video editor, and online interviewer. His screenplays have placed in many screenwriting contests, film festivals, and industry lists, including Coverfly's TOP 1%, the Red List, Austin Film Festival, Launch Pad, PAGE, and Final Draft's Big Break. He currently has feature film projects in development. He is passionate about creating original stories that showcase younger generations' perspectives while invoking discussion on what it means to be human and staying true to yourself. He has a BA in Communications and Media Studies. He began working at BIFF in 2022 and loves helping, celebrating, and connecting with other creatives on their journeys. He hosts, produces, and edits BIFF's original online interview series, Reel Conversations and Beyond the Frame. ​Dustin also had the honor of working on Bumblebee (2018).
Dustin Richardson
Board Member
Alexandra is a social media manager with a passion for the entertainment industry. Originally from Houston, TX, she joined the marketing team at the Burbank International Film Festival in February 2023, where she has made a significant impact, including designing the 2024 official poster. Fluent in Spanish, French, and English, Alexandra brings a global perspective to her work in digital media. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies for Film and Media from the University of Houston and is dedicated to helping independent filmmakers and organizations thrive through innovative marketing strategies and digital engagement.
Alexandra Hayek
Board Member
Eric is thrilled to be joining the Burbank International Film Festival Advisory Board. He has taught hundreds of aspiring storytellers at the New York Film Academy (LA), the Writer’s Store, the Animation Guild and Starcoach – China. At NYFA, he’s interviewed dozens of entertainment professionals including Django Unchained producer Reginald Hudlin and John Wick director Chad Stahelski. He recently produced the feature length documentary Other Voices (Aswat Acherim), available on Amazon. His work has also been featured on the Howard Stern Show, On Demand Cable, Entertainment Tonight and Ranker.com. Eric is the current chair of the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission, first appointed to BCAC by the City Council in 2019. You may have seen Eric appear regularly on a Geekscape podcast, perform as plant victim Mr. Mushnik in Conundrum’s Little Shop of Horrors or share his true tale of being a woefully underprepared Santa Claus at JAM Creative’s Jingle Tales (the Colony Theatre). He’s also worked with HollyShorts for several years as a film judge and moderated multiple panels / Q&As at their annual festival. A rare native Delawarean, Eric lives in Burbank with his wife Lauren, sons Alex & Judah and their chaotic canines Fezzik and Iggy Pup.
Eric Conner
Board Member
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Michele Frances Ortmann began working with the Burbank International Film Festival in 2019 and joined the Board of Directors as Secretary in 2020. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA., Michele earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Management degree from Carlow University. Michele then moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to pursue a career in television and film production. Her passion for film and television led her to Hollywood to work as a producer. Michele has worked as an administrator for Disney Studios in the television programming department as well an executive assistant in the Business Affairs department for Warner Bros. in Burbank. Michele’s extensive business background has made her invaluable to producers who rely on her strong project management and organizational skills. Michele is the second Vice-President for the American Legion Post 43 Auxiliary in Los Angeles. In her spare time, Michele is a very talented dancer, experienced in a variety of dancing styles including jazz, salsa, swing, waltz, tango, Hawaiian and tap.
Michele Frances Ortmann
Advisory Board Member
Tony Muscio is a Los Angeles based writer. His TV series, HOTEL HORROR, is in development with Blumhouse Television, while another of his TV series, WALDORF ASTORIA, has Alfred Molina attached. Film credits include producer on ALL I WISH (Sharon Stone and Tony Goldwyn), and theater credits include, WORDS, produced at Actor’s Co-Op Hollywood and published in the U.K. by The Playwrights Publishing Co. Tony is a graduate of Cornell University where he studied hotel administration and playwriting.
Tony Muscio
Advisory Board Member
Selah Victor is best known for her work portraying the role of 'Chloe Bourgeois' on the hit Disney Plus animated series MIRACULOUS LADYBUG. She can also be seen on your favorite TV and Film comedies and performs stand-up comedy all over Los Angeles. She produced the feature film ALL I WISH, now on Netflix, starring Sharon Stone and Tony Goldwyn. Selah enjoys entertaining her audience with her “mom comedy” on Instagram and TikTok which you can find on her page: @selahvictor and www.selahvictor.com.
Selah Victor
Advisory Board Member
Michelle Alexandria, an LA native, President of Light Year Pictures is a respected film producer and distributor of many years. She has produced a wide range of independent films, including faith and family, romantic comedies, and action thrillers. Her recent work has featured notable actors such as Sean Patrick Flannery (Boondock Saints), Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction), Adrian Paul (Highlander TV series), Mario Cantone (Sex and the City) Kelly Stables, Jennifer Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Jaime King (Hart of Dixie), Martin Kove (Cobra Kai), and Denise Richards (007 The World Is Not Enough). Currently, Michelle is working on several new films, including a family film horse theme, a time-travel sci-fi adventure starring Chase Coleman (The Originals) and Bruce Locke (Mortal Kombat), and an art-house film that is set in Tuscany, Italy starring acclaimed Hungarian actress Lili Bordán. ​ In addition to film production, Michelle has spent over two decades in film distribution, attending major film markets and festivals such as Cannes, AFM, Berlin, Buenos Aires, UniFrance, and Sundance. As Head of Acquisitions and International Sales, she has acquired and distributed hundreds of films worldwide.
Michelle Alexandria
Advisory Board Member
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Originally from Kansas, Katie Amanda Keane received her BFA and MFA in acting. After graduation, she appeared regularly with Shakespeare Orange County, starring in The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, and Measure for Measure to name a few. Soon after making the transition from stage to screen, she landed the series regular role of “Audie Gallagher” on ABC Family’s, Ruby and the Rockits.. A working actor for over fifteen years, she has recurred and guest starred on many TV shows including: How I Met Your Mother, Agents of SHIELD, Criminal Minds, See Dad Run, Notes From the Underbelly, The Exes, NCIS, and Without a Trace. Most recently she appeared in the Blumhouse feature The Manor, opposite Barbara Hershey, on Amazon. While shooting a pilot with Tom Lennon and Ben Garant, she discovered her talent and passion for writing. She has since developed projects with Tom Lennon, Ben Garant, Eric Tannenbaum/CBS Studios, Nat Bernstein, William Shatner, Tom Bergeron, and Linda Wallem. Her feature, Rosé All Day, starring Jenna Ushkowitz, Briana Cuoco, and directed by Marla Sokoloff, recently won “Best Comedy” at the Sunscreen Film Festival, and has received distribution through Vertical Entertainment. Her feature, Pony Up, is set to start pre-production with Red Bud Studios (EP Tom Brady). Currently she is co-writing a feature with Marla Sokoloff for Village Road Show, produced by Shatner, Bergeron, and Bernstein.
Katie Keane
Advisory Board Member
Dionisio Tafoya is a multi-disciplined media visionary working in traditional cinema and developing digital immersive experiences for entertainment, educational and enterprise applications. He is the founder and President of Dionysus Creative, LLC, a creative media solutions company, co-founding board member of the Alliance of Entertainment Designers; Artists; Board Member, Trustee and Chair of Professional Development for the Art Director’s Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 800. He also sits on the advisory boards of the Burbank International Film Festival; California Department of Education’s Animation, Media and Entertainment Board; as well as the San Gabriel Valley K-12 Education Development Consortium.
Dionisio Tafoya
Advisory Board Member
Leslie Alvarado
Advisory Board Member
I started my career in the entertainment industry in college radio -- I was a radio DJ and Music Director at KUCI Radio where I was the point of contact for record labels, radio promoters, venues, artists. I moved to Los Angeles to study Communication Management with a focus in Marketing & Organizational and Strategic Corporate Communication at USC Annenberg. I received my Master's Degree in 2019. During my second year of graduate school I started working at Ticketmaster in Artist and Promoter Relations. I managed and facilitated Ticketmaster’s music marketing campaigns across North America - in addition to music ticketing project management.
During my time there I executed over 150 music marketing campaigns successfully from development, launch, day-to-day operations, and completion, and managed a variety of relationships with partners including venues, promoters, record labels, artist teams.
Most recently I was on the Content Partnerships and Social Media team at FOX Entertainment where I spearheaded the delivery and communication of assets for our shows to our external partners. I had the opportunity to brainstorm and develop marketing initiatives and campaigns for our shows alongside the team. Currently I am the President of USC’s Trojan Entertainment Network and have been serving on the board since the end of 2022. We connect USC entertainment alumni through the planning and execution of monthly social, educational, and career-oriented events ranging from 20 to 300 attendees per month.
Prenny Yaghobi
Advisory Board Member
Prenny Yaghobi became a member of the Advisory Board for the Burbank International Film Festival (BIFF) in January 2025. She holds an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Woodbury University, a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Loyola Marymount University (LMU), and a paralegal certificate from UCLA Extension.
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Prenny's journey with BIFF began as a volunteer during the 2024 festival, and she now serves on both the Marketing and Volunteer Committees. Fluent in Armenian and English, she is passionate about gaining hands-on experience across various areas of the film industry to strengthen her understanding of its many facets.
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Based in Los Angeles, Prenny is also a member of The WICT Network, where she has expanded her professional network and gained valuable insights into media and entertainment.