David Sweeney - President and Former Executive Director
David Sweeney has a background in non-profit organizations, HIV Prevention and gay community building and has worked with a number of other HIV/AIDS Service organizations in Austin, and with the University of California, San Francisco / Center for AIDS Prevention Studies in projects both here, and in San Francisco.
David served as the Executive Director of aGLIFF from April 2008 to September 2009 and is widely credited to rebuilding the organization’s reputation as the premier LGBT film festival in the Southwest. In order to continue the work he began as Executive Director, David was asked to serve as the President of the Board of Directors and continues to help maintain the alliances he built during his tenure.
Deb Bryan - Vice President
An aGLIFF member for several years, Deb Bryan joined the Programs Working Group for the 2009 Season and was later asked to join the board.
Deb mixes her commitment to unite the LGBT community with boarder audiences throughout Austin with her love for film. She wrote, produced and directed the short film CLOSE ENOUGH (2009), winner of the My Queer Movie Award at aGLIFF22. She served as co-producer for NATALIE AT FIVE O’CLOCK (2006), a short that was selected by SXSW Film Festival. She is currently in the developmental stages on a documentary film.
She is also the real estate broker/owner of Bryan & Associates, REALTORS, and in her spare time she is a contemporary artist.
Kermit Johns - Treasurer
Kermit Johns joined the aGLIFF board after the 21st annual festival and brings with him a long history in film. Kermit is a partner in Funny Boy Films, and was the executive producer of LATTER DAYS (2003), ADAM & STEVE (2005), and NAKED BOYS SINGING (2007).
Kermit is also a partner of Johns and Wilkinson, an independent financial advisory firm. He is looking forward to continuing his work in promoting LGBTQI film, while also helping aGLIFF grow its financial base over the coming years.
John Livingston
John Livingston joined the aGLIFF board in 2008 after two years on the Programming Committee. He is excited to work with the Austin film community to make aGLIFF one of the preeminent film festivals in the nation. John’s day job can best be described as small-business financial advisor, although he prefers the titles bon vivant and philosopher fisherman.
When he’s not working, John is likely to be found shopping at Whole Foods, walking his dog Dobie around Lady Bird Lake or drinking coffee on South Congress.
Risa Puleo
Risa Puleo is Assistant Curator of American and Contemporary Art at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. Before thoroughly enjoying all the lovely perks of “institutionalization,” Risa
cultivated her DIY curatorial style while running a project space, The Donkey Show, out of her home in east Austin, and working at a number of non-profit and alternative art spaces and publications across Texas.
Risa joined the aGLIFF board in 2009, bringing her passion for queer and art community building with her. In her spare time, she serves on two other boards, is a member of the Femme Mafia, and sews elaborate clothes for herself and related pets.
PJ Raval
PJ Raval is more recently known as an award-winning filmmaker than he is an ex-scientist, ex-vegetarian, born on tax day.
Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s ‘25 new faces of independent film 2006′, PJ’s films have won awards such as Best Narrative Short at the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Int’l Film Festival, Best Screenplay at the Cinematexas Int’l Film Festival, the Betty Nowlin Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, and the Director’s Award at the Santa Cruz Film Festival. In 2004 PJ’s body of film work screened at the Artists’ Television Access (ATA) in San Francisco sponsored by the Alliance of Emerging Creative Artists (AECA), and then again in 2006 as part of aGLIFF’s Filmmaker Series.
PJ is also an award-winning cinematographer. His work has been showcased at both Sundance and Cannes and earned him awards such as the ASC Charles B. Lang Jr. Heritage Award as well as the Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography. PJ has been featured in American Cinematographer and recently completed shooting the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Grand Jury Award Winner TROUBLE THE WATER.
But you’ll probably know PJ best as the Producer/Director of TRINDAD, which screened as part of aGLIFF21 and was named “Best Feature Documentary.” He’s now ready to lead a filmmaker’s perspective to the programs of aGLIFF and help us grow for our next 22 years.
Heath Riddles
Heath Riddles is the Deputy Executive Director of Texas Advocacy Project, a statewide nonprofit organization offering free legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. He has also held leadership positions at AIDS Services of Austin and Equality Texas.
Heath studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma and has produced local television news casts for NBC and FOX networks. He currently hosts OutCast, a 30-minute public affairs radio program for Austin’s LGBT Community. Heath was appointed by Austin Mayor Will Wynn in 2002 to serve on the Austin Area Comprehensive HIV Planning Council.
Richard Williams
You all know Richard Williams…even if you’ve never met him. Responsible for planning all of our fabulous parties, Richard has been a volunteer with aGLIFF for several years and comes by his event planning experience through is business, Luna Park Events. He has coordinated events for LStyle GStyle, aGLIFF’s BLOOM, AIDS Services of Austin, and ModaVino.
We’re so happy to have Richard on the board as he brings not only his experience in event planning, but also his extensive network of contacts and relationships in Austin and throughout Texas.
