We know that it's been a long road for this short film festival to come to a conclusion, and we greatly appreciate all of your patience. Without further ado, we are pleased to announce our illustrious panel of judges for the 2008 TriggerStreet.com Short Film Festival! Good luck to all of the nominees!



Jeff Goldblum (actor/teacher) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and has served as a Member of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. His films include, The Fly, Jurassic Park, Independence Day and the Trigger Street Production, Mini’s First Time. Goldblum has also appeared in numerous Broadway and Television productions and received an Emmy nomination for a cameo appearance on the hit NBC series “Friends.� Goldblum’s upcoming film Adam Resurrected, set for release later this year, is an adaptation of the Yoram Kaniuk novel about a former circus clown who becomes the ringleader to a group of Holocaust survivors in an asylum after World War II. In his life off-screen, Goldblum teaches acting at Playhouse West in North Hollywood and plays piano in a jazz band called “The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.�

Sam Mendes (director/producer) is one of the industry’s most talented director/producers. Mendes made a name for himself as the director of American Beauty, earning Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. Mendes continued directing hit films including Road to Perdition and Jarhead. Mendes’ impressive producing resume includes The Kite Runner, Things We Lost in the Fire and the recently completed Revolutionary Road, which he also directed, starring his wife Kate Winslet opposite her Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. Prior to directing and producing blockbuster films, Mendes began his career in the Theatre directing for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also once directed Judi Dench in The Cherry Orchard, for which he won a Critics Circle Award for Best Newcomer. Mendes currently has several exciting projects in the works, including an untitled documentary about fellow judge, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.

Dave Stewart (musician/songwriter/manager) is considered one of the foremost minds in the music industry today. Stewart has collaborated with Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan. How’s that for a list of past collaborations? He won the Critics Choice Award for “Best Song� and the Golden Globe Award for “Best Original Song - Motion Picture� in 1995, for the song “Old Habits Die Hard� recorded by Mick Jagger. He also received 3 Grammy nominations for his work as a member of the British musical duo, Eurythmics. Stewart made his directorial debut in 2000 with Honest, a black comedy set in Swinging London in the late 1960s, which was hailed by the New York Times as a "cult classic." Stewart currently hosts the HBO series “OFF THE RECORD� which highlights song writing and features interviews with prominent musicians such as Bono and Ringo Starr. Billed as “Dave Stewart and His 30-Piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra,� Stewart will embark on a full-scale North American tour this August. The show will include songs from Stewart’s vast catalog of classic hits performed in one-of-a-kind arrangements.

Rufus Wainwright (musician/songwriter) is a Canadian-American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He is best known for his operatically inspired music, and uses a mixture of solo piano, guitar and orchestral elements often described as “Popera� or pop-opera. Wainwright has appeared in the films The Aviator and Heights. He has also recorded tracks especially for films, including Brokeback Mountain, I Am Sam, Moulin Rouge!, Shrek, Meet the Robinsons and Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man. He was named "Best New Artist" by Rolling Stone Magazine in 1999 and won Canada’s prestigious Juno award for “Best Alternative Album� in 1999 and 2002. Upon finishing his wildly successful “Release the Stars� world tour earlier this year, he has begun writing his first opera. The opera has been commissioned by Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb and is called “Prima Donna.�

Roger Waters (musician/songwriter) of Pink Floyd fame, is known for his vital contribution to the rock and roll music scene. Waters’ influence helped produce Pink Floyd hits such as “Money�, “Comfortably Numb�, “Time� and “Wish You Were Here�. Waters won the “Best Original Song� BAFTA Film Award in 1983 for penning the Pink Floyd hit “Another Brick in the Wall.� His first major solo album, “The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking,� has been certified Gold by the RIAA, and his opera Ça Ira reached #1 on both the UK and U.S. Classical Charts. Waters has also been inducted into the U.S. and UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd, and received a "Media Event of the Year" award for mounting The Wall Live in Berlin.

Robin Williams (actor/comedian) is an Academy Award Winning actor (Good Will Hunting, Best Supporting Actor) known not only for his many cinematic achievements, but also for his successes as a stand-up comedian. Using the hit television show "Mork & Mindy" as a launching pad, Williams embarked on a successful stand-up career with performances like "An Evening With Robin Williams" (1982), "Robin Williams: Live at the Met" (1986) and "Robin Williams Live on Broadway". His wild, fast-paced improvisational skills coupled with an amazing array of voices and accents make him one of the most unique comics in the industry. He was voted 13th on Comedy Central's list "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time" in 2004. Williams also starred in such films as Good Morning Vietnam, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Patch Adams.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner of the 2008 Triggerstreet.com Online Short Film Festival Award!