TTAFF March 14, 2026
Guest Speakers
AMC Sundial 12 - Theater 1
151 2nd Ave North, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701
Moderator: Miyoung Chong
Assistant Professor of the Dept. of Journalism and Digital Communication, USF
Panel Discussion: Impact of AI on Filmmaking and New Media
Time: 4:30pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Miyoung Chong Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida. Her research centers on the intersections of information, minority, and power in digital, social, and news media settings with a critical informatics approach. Her larger body of research is characterized by computational social science to investigate digital media and online community engagement. Her publication venues include Political Communication, Government Information Quarterly, and Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR). She received the SIG Social Media research award (runner-up) at the ASIS&T AM in 2021. She was awarded the prestigious Women Leadership & Philanthropy Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award at the University of South Florida and faculty research award at the 2024 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference.
Guest Speaker: Franklin Rivera
CEO; V2M2 Group, Inc./ ARP Visuals
Panel Discussion: Impact of AI on Filmmaking and New Media
Time: 4:30pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Franklin Rivera is a visionary creative strategist and the founder of ARP Visuals,
Tampa Bay’s first full-fledged AI filmmaking studio. With over 14 years of digital
marketing experience and three decades of video and photographic expertise, Franklin has built a system that empowers companies to fully own their brand’s visuals while optimizing costs through AI-powered cinematic storytelling. A West Point graduate, a decorated Army veteran, and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small business leader, Franklin combines discipline, innovation, and community impact in his work. In 2025, he was recognized as one of the top three videographers in Tampa Bay - the only AI filmmaker to make the list - cementing his role as a pioneer in the future of visual storytelling.
Guest Speaker: Professor Gregg Perkins
Professor & Chair; Film, Animation and New Media, The University of Tampa
Panel Discussion: Impact of AI on Filmmaking and New Media
Time: 4:30pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Gregg Perkins was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and now resides in Tampa, Florida. He earned a BA in philosophy and an MFA in New Media from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Using film, video, photography, digital media historical research, and AI, his work explores how fiction can shape the development of cultural and social narratives. He is a trailblazer in Virtual Production and the innovative use of Artificial Intelligence. His work has been showcased nationally and internationally, including exhibitions at the North Carolina Museum of Art and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts in Florida. His films have been shown at the Santa Fe International Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, Chicago Underground Film Festival, and Wisconsin Film Festival, among others. He is a professor and chair of the Film, Animation, and New Media department at the University of Tampa.
Guest Speaker: Professor Santiago Echeverry
Professor Film, Animation and New Media, The University of Tampa
Panel Discussion: Impact of AI on Filmmaking and New Media
Time: 4:30pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Santiago Echeverry is a Colombian-American New Media Artist and Educator, with a background in Video Art, Performance Art, Interactive Media, and Artivism. Participating since 1989 in some of the most important film and media festivals in the world, Echeverry is considered a pioneer in Net Art and LGBTQ+ Filmmaking in Latin America. In 1992, he graduated top of the inaugural class of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia's Film and Television School. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Grant to earn his Master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications at NYU. He started teaching at the University of Tampa in 2005, got tenured in 2009, and promoted to full Professor in 2022 as a founding member of the Film, Animation and New Media Department. His research is focused on front-end development, UI/UX, generative AI, and creative coding. All his projects are available online at www.santi.tv
Moderator: Alexander Honda
Prop Master
Panel Discussion: How to Fund Your First Film
Time: 5:00pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Alexander (Alex) Honda was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota to a Japanese American household. He came to Florida to study Film at the University of Tampa where he discovered his love and talent for the art of storytelling. He primarily works in the Art Department as a Prop Master but is always in pursuit of his dream to be a Writer and Actor.
Guest Speaker: Joshua Morgan
Filmmaker
Panel Discussion: How to Fund Your First Film
Time: 5:00pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Joshua Morgan is a Tampa-based filmmaker whose work includes the dark comedy short Tapioca and his debut feature Children of the Pines, which received the Audience Award at the 2024 Gasparilla International Film Festival. His sophomore feature, Blake Buried a Body, is currently being adapted from his short of the same name, which premiered on ALTER after screening at Gasparilla, Sunscreen, Central Florida Film Slam, and the Timucua Arts Foundation, where it was accompanied with a live score by the Mudita Orchestra. Outside of his narrative work, Morgan freelances as a Director and Editor, creating music videos and marketing content.
Guest Speaker: Tony Armer
Panel Discussion: How to Fund Your First Film
Time: 5:00pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Tony Armer is a film and entertainment industry professional with over 20 years of experience in film production, film commissions, and festival leadership. He is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Sunscreen Film Festival, which he has led since 2005 into an internationally recognized event now in its 21st year.
He is also the Vice President of Film USA, the national association of U.S. film commissions working to advance domestic production, workforce development, and federal-level advocacy for the industry.
Tony has also served as Film Commissioner for St. Petersburg–Clearwater (2014–2023) and Dallas Film Commissioner (2023–2024), and as a filmmaker has written, developed, and produced films distributed by Lionsgate, executive produced the Amazon Prime Video series Life’s Rewards, and created award-winning documentaries.
Guest Speaker: Michael Brown
Panel Discussion: How to Fund Your First Film
Time: 5:00pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Founder & CEO of shostak.tv
Master of Ceremonies: Mia Vanessa Prom
Event: Performances & Award Ceremony
Time: 5:30pm-7pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Bio
Mia Vanessa Prom, also known as Mia Fly Girl, is a Filipina-Cambodian-American storyteller, model, and youth leader from Tampa, Florida. She is a published author of self-help book called Finding Yourself, National and state award-winning broadcast journalist with SicklesTV, and President of multiple community initiatives including the BeYOUtiful, Be Fly and previously The Kind Mouse youth board serving for over five years.
Passionate about amplifying culture and creativity, Mia uses her platform to uplift diverse voices through media, performance, and community service. She is honored to serve as an emcee for the Tigertail Asian Film Festival, celebrating Asian storytelling, heritage, and the power of film to bring people together.
Moderator: Dr. Nyla Hazratjee
Filmmaker
Panel Discussion: How to Fund Your First Film
Time: 5:00pm
Place: AMC Sundial Theater 1
Run Time: 30 Minutes
Bio
Dr. Nyla Hazratjee is an American-Muslim filmmaker. As a first generation Pakistani American, her work focuses on the minority subculture experience in America. She is an award winning producer. Her filmography includes The Persian Version (winner Sundance 2023), The School Duel (starring Kue Kellen and Oscar Nunez) Six Star (starring Milo Machado-Graner). She recently directed a feminist film, American Fabric, with a female BIPOC crew with major impact. As the founder of NY/LA
Production, a nonprofit dedicated to changing the narrative of the Muslim, MENA and SAMA female community in film and television, she believes media can empower women to use their voice, and allies to advocate for, unseen and often overlooked minority cultures in America.