Jonathan has been on the KMF jury since 2020 and has been chair since 2023. Born in London but resident in Kendal, he is a graduate of the National Film and Television School and a screenwriter and educator. Recent credits include the award-winning 'At the door of the house who will come knocking' (Maja Novakovic, 2024) and 'Bring them down' (Chris Andrews, 2024), the former a ‘child of KMF,’ Jonathan having met Maja when presenting her an award for an earlier film in 2020. He is Programme Director for MA Screenwriting at University of Manchester.

Emma is an award-winning filmmaker and Creative Director at Coldhouse Collective, with fifteen years of experience working in the documentary film and outdoor sector. Emma works with international brands, leading and producing narrative-led multi-media campaigns, intersecting themes of adventure, nature, and our human connection to the land. Her latest film ‘Adra’ has won numerous awards at multiple international festivals, and her independent documentary ‘The Last English Poacher’ won the Community and Culture Award at Kendal Mountain Festival 2021 and was selected for the BAFTA qualifying Norwich Film Festival.

Patagonia Europe Trail Ambassador, Martin Johnson, is a father of two and ultra-runner from South East London. In 2020 Martin became an original community member of the newly formed Black Trail Runners (BTR), a community and campaigning group seeking to increase the inclusion, participation and representation of Black people in trail running. Martin featured in the 2022 Patagonia film ‘Run to the Source’ (Director Matt Kay), which picked up the Best Community & Culture Award at Kendal Mountain Festival that year. The film documented Martin's attempt to set a then fastest known time by running the 184-mile Thames Path whilst exploring the entangled history between Black people and the river.

Tanya Naville is a committed athlete and a leading figure in promoting gender diversity in mountain sports. A former ski mountaineering competitor (World Cup, Pierra Menta, French Championships), she has turned her athletic journey into a powerful tool for advancing equality. As a certified alpine instructor and founder of 100% women’s mountain groups for the French Alpine Club, she quickly became a strong voice for underrepresented female athletes. Today, she serves as the director of the Femmes en Montagne film festival, which she founded to spotlight new narratives in the mountains, promote female filmmakers, and encourage women’s creative work.

Veronica Melkonian is a British-Armenian photographer, writer, and presenter exploring identity, belonging and representation through visual storytelling. She began her career working with Oscar-nominated cinematographer, Bradford Young, to launch his cine lens brand TRIBE7, while honing her craft capturing high-angle rock climbing. With roots in action sports and outdoor media, she works across editorial and commercial platforms to challenge dominant narratives and amplify underrepresented voices, drawing on her perspective as a second-generation immigrant of mixed heritage.