STAFF
Melissa Simpson - Executive Director
Melissa Simpson is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Film Impact Georgia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of independent filmmakers in Georgia. Born and raised just north of Atlanta, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Film & Digital Media from the University of North Georgia.
Melissa's passion for film is reflected in her extensive experience within the industry. She was a founding director of the Georgia Film Festival and served as Creative Director for the TERMINUS Conference + Festival. Her diverse roles at various film festivals include the prestigious Atlanta Film Festival, the Rome International Film Festival, the WIFTA Short Film Showcase, and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Additionally, she spent two transformative years at Eventive, a virtual streaming platform for independent film, where she collaborated with filmmakers and film festivals worldwide.
Currently, Melissa is the Education Director at the Atlanta Film Society, where she works to uplift the next generation of storytellers. She remains actively engaged in the Georgia film community, producing independent projects such as Come Correct, Wokman, and Christmas with Jerks. She was recently named one of the 200 Most Influential of Georgia’s Creative Industries by Georgia Entertainment.
Melissa also has a house full of rescue animals and won a hula hoop contest when she was eight.
Charles Judson - Creative Director
An Atlanta native, Charles is a veteran film festival organizer and programmer with over a decade of experience. He was the programming director for TERMINUS Conference + Festival, a film and gaming event for emerging creators. Before that, he was Artistic Director for the Atlanta Film Festival, where he was on staff for seven years. In 2014, he created and launched Film Bar Mondays, a weekly event for filmmakers in Atlanta, now with sister events in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chuck Thomas
Screenwriter & host of Atlanta Film Chat
Karen Ceesay
Actor, Writer & Producer
Madison Hatfield
Actor, Writer, & Comedian
jynxx Johnson
CEO/Creative Director, Creative Edge
Emily Best
Founder & CEO of Seed&Spark
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Molly Coffee
Co-Founder & Past Creative Director
LISA FERRELL
GSU Creative Media Industries Institute
GENEVIEVE LEDOUx
Producer
Nancy C. Prager, Esq
Prager Law
Raymond Carr
Ninja Puppet Productions
autumn bailey-FORD
Autumn Bailey Entertainment
drew sawyer
Moonshine Post Production