Meet the Judges
Each year, a panel of judges from across Appalachia is assembled to help Mtn Craft determine which films walk away with their exclusive awards. These professionals spend countless hours to sifting through each entry and managing quality control. We’re endlessly grateful to the work of these entities and the dedication they prove to our program. Get to know them below:
Clint McElroy has fooled numerous bosses into providing him with a 45-year career in Broadcasting. He has fathered three children (Justin, Travis and Griffin), and when it comes to bringing new life into this world, is pretty sure the barn door is shut behind that horse. He co-hosts The Adventure Zone with his sons, which has been adapted into a New York Times Best Selling graphic novel series six times over, and has written comics for Marvel such as Journey Into Mystery and Marvel Team-Up – so retired life has been going pretty well so far. Most recently, he wrote the children's book, Goldie's Guide to Grandchilding, from First Second Books.
Justin is a West Virginia native, originally hailing from Kanawha County and now residing in Harrison County. Throughout his career, he has created hundreds of videos for clients across a diverse array of industries and sectors. With his filmmaking training, he's lensed many films and overseen data management and DIT workflows for multiple television shows, films, and commercials. Under his new company, Back Porch Pictures, Justin is currently working on several creative projects, including a spooky short film and a feature-length experimental documentary.
Sociologist turned Documentarian, Beth Davison (PhD) is a faculty member and Co-Director of App Docs at Appalachian State University. Her documentary projects have screened in film festivals, museums, and on PBS. She works ongoing with many community partners including the National Park Service to produce short historical tourist videos. She is also lead organizer for the Boone Docs Film Festival, celebrating life in Appalachia.
Clara and Jonathan co-founded the creative studio, Coat of Arms in 2010 and serve as its directors and producers. Coat of Arms works with Fortune 100 and 500 brands and is a Webby, Telly, Emmy, Cannes Lion-awarded studio. The directing team completed their first documentary, Born in a Ballroom, in 2019. Their second documentary, O Pioneer, received a Cinequest Film Festival Audience Award, the Appalachian Studies Association 2024 Jack Spadaro Documentary Award, and the Rome International Jury Award. They wrote and directed the multi-award-winning animated series entitled Lullaby Theories. Their work has played at over 50 film festivals world-wide, including Cannes, Doc Edge, DOC NYC, SXSW, and Tribeca. They live in Helvetia, WV and balance their filmmaking with community service.