Meet the Jury for the 2nd Edition of the Napier Student Film Festival
The Napier Student Film Festival (NSFF) returns for its 2nd edition from 5th to 7th November 2025, primarily to be held at Craiglockhart and Merchiston campuses. The festival continues its mission of celebrating student creativity, storytelling, and cross-cultural exchange between filmmakers from Edinburgh Napier University and the rest of the world.
This year’s festival, themed “Bridging the Gap,” promises to be even more exciting, with screenings, workshops, networking opportunities, and increased industry engagement. After receiving over 150 short films from universities in 35 countries, we are delighted to introduce our exceptional jury panel, who will bring their expertise to evaluate the films on showcase.
Our jury is composed of distinguished professionals, each an alumnus of Edinburgh Napier University, who now occupy significant roles within the global film and creative industries. Their diverse experiences and unique perspectives will help ensure that the shortlisted films are judged fairly, celebrating the diverse voices of student filmmakers from across the globe.
Evan Eghan
Evan Eghan is a Ghanaian filmmaker with a diverse background in acting, directing, and producing across film, television commercials, and music videos. His creative portfolio includes high-profile projects such as Good Morning America Live From Ghana with ABC News, Family Feud Africa with Steve Harvey, and music videos for renowned artists like Stonebwoy, Burna Boy, Popcaan, and King Promise.
He is the founder and executive director of Accra Indie Filmfest (AiF), one of Africa’s leading international short film festivals, launched in 2019 and now in its 8th edition. Evan is also the founder of the Napier Student Film Festival, creating a growing platform for student filmmakers and academic-industry collaboration.
As a Chevening Scholar and Edinburgh Napier alumnus, Evan holds an MSc in Marketing with Festival and Event Management and is currently serving his second term as President of the Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA), championing initiatives around student empowerment, diversity, and international engagement.
Hannah Byers-Brown:
Hannah Byers-Brown is a globally experienced producer whose career spans award-winning television, international film, and high-profile commercial campaigns. After studying Photography and Film at Edinburgh Napier University, she completed the prestigious Producers Program MFA at UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television.
Hannah went on to join Paramount Television Studios, working on acclaimed series such as The Haunting of Hill House, Catch-22, Jack Ryan, and The Alienist—distributed across Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and major broadcast networks. She has also collaborated with Netflix and Lionsgate, further expanding her global portfolio.
Currently, she serves as Global Head of Production at Steelworks, a boutique CGI powerhouse, leading campaigns for international brands including Meta, Bose, and Hoka. Her career is defined by her ability to merge creative vision with large-scale execution across global markets.
Bjorn Hanson
Bjorn Hanson is a BAFTA-winning scripted producer at Black Camel Pictures in Scotland. He produces FLOAT (BBC Scotland), a queer drama series whose first season won Best Short Form Series at Series Mania 2022 and the RTS Scotland Award for Best Writer, while the second season earned a BAFTA Scotland Award for Television Scripted.
He also produced AN T-EILEAN / THE ISLAND (BBC Alba), the UK’s first high-end Gaelic language drama, which premiered in 2025 and won the Grand Prix at the Circom Awards. Bjorn is currently in post-production on GIFTED (CBBC/ARD/NDR) and is associate producer on Black Camel’s crime hit ANNIKA (UKTV/PBS).
Bjorn holds degrees from Sciences Po Paris, the Kinoeyes Erasmus Mundus programme, and an MFA in Advanced Film Practice from Edinburgh Napier University, where he was named Young Alumnus of the Year in 2022.
Esiawonam Adisenu
Esiawonam Adisenu is a Ghanaian filmmaker and producer with a BFA in Television Production from NAFTI (Ghana) and a joint Master’s in Film Producing from the Kinoeyes Erasmus Mundus programme, which took her across universities in three Universities: Edinburgh Napier University, Universidade Lusófona, and the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School.
She has worked as a consulting writer and producer on impact-driven projects for institutions such as the World Bank, Stanbic Bank Ghana, IFC, Goethe-Institut Ghana, and the Ghana Ministry of Health. Her television credits include content produced for M-Net in Ghana and Nigeria (Gina’s Date Night, A Baby for You and Me, Oga Festus).
Currently, she is developing her short film Fine Flowers for Veronica, which won at AiF Talent Connect 2025 and will be pitched at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Market 2026. She is also developing her original series A Boo for Binta. Her work focuses on amplifying African voices through storytelling that resonates on a global stage.
Matt Jones
Matt Jones graduated with a 1st Class BA Honours Degree in Television from Edinburgh Napier University in 2018 at the age of 51, following a career serving in the HM Royal Marines Commandos. His filmmaking journey has since focused on military charities and events, capturing stories of injured veterans, strategists, and international officials.
His work has been showcased at the National Museum of Scotland and the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2021, Matt won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Director and Best Film in the Futures 48 Film Challenge for That Wasn’t Meant to Happen. He also won Best Film at the BFBS Film Competition (2020).
Matt’s upcoming project is a BBC commission documenting Elizabethan lutenist John Dowland’s 1596 journey from England to Denmark. The documentary will recreate this voyage aboard a tall ship across the North Sea, capturing history through both film and lived experience.
The 2nd edition of the Napier Student Film Festival brings together a powerful and diverse jury panel whose journeys from Accra to Los Angeles, Edinburgh to global stages exemplify the very spirit of “Bridging the Gap.” Their expertise, achievements, and passion for storytelling will not only shape the outcomes of this year’s competition but also inspire the next generation of student filmmakers to dream bigger, create fearlessly, and share their voices with the world.