JOANNE HUDSON
RIFF TEAM
Founder/Executive Artistic Director/Board Secretary
Joanne is a playwright, director and filmmaker whose plays have been commissioned, developed and produced by Huntington Theatre Co., Boston Playwrights Theatre, HERE Arts Center, The Tank, The Marsh, Thrown Stone, East River Commedia, SIPA (School of International Public Affairs at Columbia University), Keeler Tavern Museum, Iceland Fulbright, Vestmannaeyjar Iceland Library and others. As a Fulbright Scholar in creative writing, she traveled to Iceland to write a play about a scientist who loses her ethics and finds her humanity, “unbidden,” now included in the literature of the Westmann Islands. She holds an MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University School of the Arts. Joanne founded RIFF in 2015 in order to be around filmmakers and learn the craft of filmmaking, and in the hopes of making the world a more compassionate place through the sharing of stories through cinema.
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GARY GIOVANNETTI
Program Diretor
Gary Giovannetti has spent his career scheduling both linear channels and non-linear platforms for HBO, Cinemax and WBTV. He has also curated stunts for the Max streaming service. In addition to a career in television, Gary is a published and produced playwright. He and his wife live in Norwalk.
LISA CAMBRIDGE-MITCHELL
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Moderator/Volunteer Coordinator/Board Chair
Lisa Cambridge-Mitchell founded Persist in Joy, a Personal Development and Leadership Coaching and Consultancy after 20+ years of heading publicity, artist development, and marketing for household names like TLC, P!NK, Usher, OutKast, Ciara, Toni Braxton, Snoop Dogg, CeeLo Green, Miguel, G-Eazy, Chris Brown, Tinashe and countless more. While building an accomplished and rewarding career as a senior music executive, Lisa found herself discouraged by the glass ceiling and patriarchal corporate politics. Asking, “Is this it?” she began re-evaluating her career. A long-term career as a senior executive in the music business is especially rare for women. Feeling underutilized and frustrated with the lack of clear advancement, in 2016, Lisa turned her frustration into an opportunity to serve by becoming a change agent for others that she had not experienced as a career professional. Boldly channeling her artist development talent, she formed Persist in Joy, LLC, determined to further her work of collaborating with exceptionally talented creative people and supporting their success. Lisa, a graduate of the University of Virginia and a certified iPEC Leadership Index Master Practitioner. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, young son, and very aloof rescue dog, Steph Curry. Other accomplishments rounding out her life include board membership and volunteering in the refugee resettlement space.
PAMME JONES
Festival Organizer/Board Member
​Pamme previously served as event coordinator and served on the artistic advisory board of RIFF, before joining the board as Secretary in 2022. Pamme has been Executive Director of the Ridgefield Theater Barn since 2017. Prior to being Executive Director, her service to the RTB included two years as President of the board of directors and two years as the box office manager. Her transition from a career in flowers and wedding/event planning into theater full time was natural. As a lifelong performer, the marriage of flowers and theater as a profession was a rare blessing where two passions could be served. Pamme took a 16-year break from both her career and performing to be home in Ridgefield with her husband, raising their three children. She is an appointed member of Ridgefield Arts Council, where she serves as co-chair of Make Music Day Ridgefield. She is an active member of the Western Connecticut Cultural Alliance and was named to Ridgefield Magazine’s “Ridgefield’s Top 25 in 2019.” Her commitment to the arts grows as an extension of her fierce belief that being able to incubate spaces where tolerance, inclusion, education and growth are fostered through participation in all art forms. To be able to do this in our culturally rich and idyllic town of Ridgefield, CT is icing on the cake.
DANIELLE DI VECCHIO
Board Treasurer
Danielle is a certified Daily Money Manager with a background in the arts. She spent 25 years as a working actress in New York City, best known for her role on "The Sopranos" as Barbara Soprano, Tony's (other) sister. Danielle lives in Fairfield County with her practice based in Stratford, and brings her many talents and contacts to share with the festival.