Judges'
Bio's for the Judges' of the Magic Lantern Movie Festival

Mark Levy
Mark Levy is principal attorney at Hinman, Howard & Kattell and specializes in intellectual property law.

He has been producing amateur movies for over 30 years and served as president of the Amateur Movie Makers Association (AMMA). As a movie maker, Mark received dozens of awards at amateur movie festivals in the U.S. as well as in Canada, England, South Korea, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Russia.

Karen Kucharski
Karen is a visual artist and Tango dancer. She teaches and combines her love of the dance with her art, having exhibited larger-than-life-size paintings onstage at Barnes Hall and Statler Auditorium at Cornell University for performances that hosted such performers as Carolina Zokalski and Diego Di Falco, and the musical group, "New York Buenos Aires Connection." Her recent exhibitions include a solo show of her Tango paintings at the Roxbury Arts Group in the Catskills in 2006, and at the Waverly Opera House, in Waverly, NY in 2007. Karen is a Professor of Art, and has taught at Cornell University, Syracuse University, Hartwick College, and other places of learning. You can view her art online at www.artdance.us and keep current with Tango workshop information at www.tangomyheart.com.

Doug Robinson
For 30 years, Doug Robinson has had a diverse career of touring and session work as a vocalist, bassist, and guitarist with many world music, folk, country, pop, jazz, and blues artists. He has toured extensively with British guitarist Martin Simpson, and has appeared on several of Martin's recordings, most recently "A Nod to Bob" (Red House Records #CD154), the Bob Dylan tribute album. His recent projects include five consecutive seasons as staff musician at the famous "Festival D'Eté" World Music Festival in Quebec City, Canada, European tours with Latin bluesman Tino Gonzales, festival performances with Charmaine Neville and European gypsy-swing masters Stochelo Rosenberg and Romane, recordings and performances with Rounder recording artists The Burns Sisters Band, and the soundtracks to several PBS TV programs. Doug performed at Carnegie Hall in April 2003 with Central New York jazz virtuoso Johnny Russo and his East Hill Classic Jazz Group and is also a member of "Prairie Doll," an acoustic rock band led by award-winning songwriter Patti Witten, "Djug Django," the Ithaca-based gypsy-swing band, and the Molly MacMillan jazz trio. More information about Doug Robinson can be found at www.watershed-arts.com.

Daniel Aloi
Daniel Aloi is a writer and musician living in Ithaca, New York. As an arts and entertainment editor for more than 15 years, he has written cultural criticism on music, film, literature, and visual and performing arts for daily newspapers and national print and online publications. He is currently an arts and humanities writer at Cornell University.

David Weintraub
David is a Learning Specialist in the Math Lab of the Learning Assistance Center at Broome Community College. He has also been a professional tutor at Binghamton University, a teacher, tutor and mini-course Developer for the Upward Bound program. David has been the technical advisor and special effects engineer to Mark Levy in the creation of several award winning films

David is an inventor and longtime supporter and judge for the Invention Convention. His hobbies Include restoration of silent era film through digital methods. His summer activities this year will include co-teaching a Community Education class at Broome Community College with Mark Levy. Don't you wish you were he?

Ron Nogar
In the year 2000, entrepreneur and artist Ron Nogar purchased one of Waverly's historic buildings which had lain dormant. He then painstakingly set out to do what he had done many times before. The final product of Ron's passion resulted in yet another piece of architecture restored to the beauty of the days from which it was born. A work of art in itself. The building is as eclectic as Nogar himself. With his artist's eye for design and his practical knowledge of the era, he created a space unlike any in Waverly, yet reminiscent of the village's past. It was a labor of love, restoring the original tin ceiling in the theatre side, building a stage and balcony space to present musicals, movies, and concerts.

Patrick Johnson
Patrick Johnson is a film and video producer/editor who has worked on a number of feature films, music videos, and commercials. Most recently he produced and edited "Blood of the Hog" in Binghamton , NY. In Los Angeles, he produced/edited the independent horror film "Blackwater Farm" and "The Wayfarers" (Best Film at the 2006 SNOB Film Festival). Additionally, he has served as editor of independent horror film "Comedy Hell" starring Eric Roberts and Victoria Platt and documentary "The Treasures of Long Gone John" which premiered at the 2006 SXSW Film Festival. Patrick currently teaches at Broome Community College and produces television commercials for WBNG-12.

Amy Scolera
Amy Scolaro, 31, graduated in 2002 with a degree in fine arts photography, was the lead technician at an IMAX theater in Rochester and has her own photography business that uses chromakey technology. The business, Green Team Photographics, is home based, where she lives. After graduating from college, Scolaro chose to return to Greater Binghamton. She's hoping her efforts with The Art can help others to make that same choice.