Executive Director - leslie [at] aafilmfest.org

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Leslie Raymond joined the Ann Arbor Film Festival as its executive director in August 2013. In September 2019, Raymond’s leadership role expanded to include festival programming. Prior to her position with AAFF, as a teaching artist and educator, she founded the New Media Program at University of Texas at San Antonio and served as an assistant professor of art in digital video and new media art at Oakland University, where she was recognized with an Innovations in Teaching award. Raymond is a Film Festival Alliance board member, and a third-generation American of Chinese and Jewish descent. She holds a BFA in film/video from the Rhode Island School of Design, MFA in new genres from the University of Michigan School of Art & Design, and also studied film, video, and new media art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Listen to a 2021 conversation with Raymond on MAKE IT: The Indie Film Podcast

Technical Director - tech [at] aafilmfest.org

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Tom Bray has been the Tech Director since 2006, bringing the festival from analog film and video formats to be well positioned in the digital age.  He has a broad and deep understanding of the production, aesthetic and IT aspects of event staging, media integration, and related technologies. This enables him to spark any project to excellence through knowledge, experience, and insight. He is a Converging Technologies Consultant at the University of Michigan Duderstadt Center; an adjunct assistant professor at the U-M Stamps School of Art & Design; and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters, New Media Centers, and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, where he has been the Chair for the past two years. Bray received a Research Technical Staff Recognition Award for providing technological support for U-M faculty research and artistic projects for more than 25 years, effectively bridging the gap between academics across campus and the technological resources they need to enable research and programmatic goals.  And he is often heard saying: “I have been father to only a small number of creative projects, but midwife to thousands."

Deputy Director - vicki [at] aafilmfest.org

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Vicki Joling joined the Ann Arbor Film Festival as the Deputy Director in August 2024. She brings a wealth of experience, having previously directed a2Tech360 at Ann Arbor SPARK, where she managed program development, event logistics, marketing, fundraising, budgeting, and staffing while enhancing event content and execution with fresh ideas each year. Prior to her role at SPARK, she led the Membership team at Destination DC in Washington, DC. Originally from the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area, Vicki also holds both a bachelor’s degree University of Michigan in Psychology and Organizational Development and a master’s degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development from Eastern Michigan University. Her lifelong connection to the area and commitment to nonprofit service fuel her passion for supporting the arts and enhancing the vibrancy of the Ann Arbor community.

Operations Manager - kailey [at] aafilmfest.org

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Kailey Radwan joined the Ann Arbor Film Festival as its Operations Manager in June 2023. Having lived in the Plymouth-Canton area all her life, Radwan remained connected to her roots while pursuing an education at Eastern Michigan University as a Presidential Scholar. With a Bachelor of Science in Digital Media Production and Psychology, and minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, she has developed a varied skill set in audio-video production and editing, screenwriting and storyboarding, behavioral analysis and quantitative reporting, and socio-cultural awareness. Prior to her position with AAFF, she served as a Senior Creative for the Marketing and Design team of EMU Campus Life, collaborating with a wide array of campus-wide departments in promoting a variety of student-centered events