Announcing New EDU Staffers

We are proud to announce the addition of two Assistant Directors to the festival staff.

Jaki Velez has been involved in the EDU Film Festival since she attended high school at MTS' Digital Media Academy. Currently a student in IPR's Music and Entertainment business program, Jaki is also an active member of the BrandLab Alumni program and works as a member of the Soundset Street Team - a part of the Rhymesayers Entertainment Organization. For the last three years, Jaki has served the festival as a social media intern and a digital asset manager and is now elevated to the position of Assistant Director.

In high school, Jaki participated in the professional/student collaborative music video for Atmosphere's single "Became," which received national recognition and critical acclaim along with millions of views from all over the world.

As a student in the BrandLab program, an organization whose mission is to guide and prepare underrepresented young people to careers in marketing and advertising, Jaki was awarded a prestigious scholarship and internship package. She served her internship with Target Inhouse, where she worked with the art department and assisted in talent acquisition.

At EDU, Jaki will work with event coordination; manage the social media accounts; and receive, organize, and prep the hundred plus short films that are digitally transferred to the festival each year.

PJ Mack is a double graduate of IPR in the Sound Design for Visual Media and Digital Video & Media Production programs. He is a busy freelance videographer and serves as a digital media educator for Apple as well as a video and film instructor for young artists at Olsen Middle School. We are excited to bring PJ aboard as an Assistant Director.

As a military veteran and an active family man, PJ has learned to prioritize. He balances an active freelance career - working on commercial projects and more recently, a gig on an upcoming feature film - with his work in education. 

At EDU, PJ will deal with school outreach, technical direction, and event coordination.