Compete to win $100 and extra prizes for our Short. Sweet. Acting Competition. 10 actors will perform a 60-90 second Dramatic monologue of their choosing and 10 actors will perform a 60-90 second Comedic monologue of their choosing.
Trophies will be awarded to the top 3 actors in drama and top 3 actors in comedy. The winner of drama and the winner of comedy will each receive a check for $100.
Actors will be judged by 3 industry professionals. It is $15 to sign up in advance or $20 at the door. Actors will perform their monologues in the order they sign up.
The Short. Sweet. Acting Competition will be held on Sunday, March 7, 2027 at Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square.
Meet the Judges
Dr. Scott E. Brosius
The Short. Sweet. Film Fest. is beyond thrilled to welcome Dr. Scott E. Brosius, MBA, to our 2026 judging panel! With an incredible 26 years of filmmaking experience, Dr. Brosius is a true titan of the independent film community. His prolific career includes Producing and Directing 4 feature films and a staggering 136 short films. His work has been celebrated globally, appearing in 60 international film festivals and earning over 182 awards, including top honors for Directing, Cinematography, and Best Film.
In addition to his directorial vision, Scott is a master of the technical craft, with extensive experience as a Director of Photography, Editor, Sound Engineer, and Colorist. The Short Sweet Film Festival is incredibly grateful to have a veteran of his caliber helping us celebrate and elevate our performers this year. We are so honored to have you, Scott!
Mary Manos
The Short Sweet Film Fest. is absolutely delighted to welcome a very special face to our judging panel this year—our very own 2025 Acting Competition Winner, Mary Manos-Mitchem!
With an incredible career in theatre spanning over 20 years, Mary brings a deep, seasoned understanding of the performing arts to our festival family. Her transition from the stage to the screen has been equally impressive, with featured roles in 4 feature films and appearances in over 30 short films.
Beyond her brilliant work in front of the camera, Mary is a powerhouse leader in the industry as the Co-Owner of Hooliganz Productions. Her dual perspective as both an award-winning actress and a production executive gives her a unique and invaluable eye for talent. We are so incredibly proud of her success and beyond grateful to have her returning to the festival to help us crown this year’s winners. Welcome back, Mary!
Past Judges
Robert C. Banks Jr.
Robert C. Banks Jr. was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966, and has attended Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland State University, and has also served in the U.S. Air Force. Inspired by his father, Banks is an experimental filmmaker, cinematographer, and teacher of filmmaking and photography at numerous colleges and universities. Banks’ films have been screened at numerous prestigious film festivals and art institutions, both domestically and abroad, such as Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Film-Music Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Museum of Modern Art, The Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, Chicago Underground Film Festival, and Ann Arbor. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including Filmmaker of the Year at the Midwest Filmmaker’s Conference, and his film retrospectives have been featured at The BBC British Short Film Festival, The Cleveland Cinematheque, and The Walker Center for the Arts. One of Banks’ best-known works is the 1992 short film “X: The Baby Cinema”, which chronicles the commercialization of Malcolm X’s image and legacy. Some of his other films include “Motion Picture Genocide”, “My First Drug, the Idiot Box”, “Outlet”, “Goldfish and Sunflowers”, “AWOL”, “Autopilot”, and “Don’t Be Still”, all of which were shot and edited on 16 and 35 mm film. Several of his short films have been added to the private collections of institutions such as The Yale University Film School and The Walker Center for the Arts. Most recently, Banks has completed his first 35 mm feature film, “Paper Shadows”, which was seven years in the making.
Ellen Rooney, PhD
As an actress Ellen Rooney has worked in many commercials, films, and stages—from Greg, The Bunny's Mom for 20th Century Fox Television to Oedipus The King, in the first English speaking performance in the ancient theater of Epidaurus in Greece. She teaches acting at Cleveland State University, School of Film and Media Arts and has also taught at Baldwin Wallace University, Conservatory of Music, Bowling Green State University, University of Akron, and through many art organizations such as Beck Center for the Arts, Center for Arts Inspired Learning, and others. Her book Memory Acting: Memory Technique for Actors is being published by Innovative Ink Publishers. Dr. Rooney holds a PhD in Theater from Bowling Green State University where she served as the Department Fellow. From Tisch School of the Arts, NYU she earned a MFA in Dance and MA in Performance Studies. As an undergraduate she was a Vail Arts Scholar at Denison University.
Johnny Wu
A native Clevelander raised in Central America, Johnny K. Wu is, a veteran award-winning producer, director, editor (over 25 years) with an MBA (from Cleveland State University) specialization in marketing and branding. Fluent in Chinese, Spanish and English, Johnny is well known and respected within the Asian Pacific American community in Ohio, he is one of the co-founder of the Cleveland Asian Festival, as well as recognized by ethnic cultural groups as the Producer for Cleveland Cultural Gardens’ World on Stage (since 2023), One World Day since 2015. His media/event production company Media Design Imaging (mdifilm.com) was founded in 1998 with a combined of 60+ years of experience, providing video and event producing to non and for profit corporates, small businesses and filmmaking community.
Wu is one of the few pioneers in engaging talents/skills in Cleveland’s independent filmmakers’ industry. In October 2003, he founded the monthly Cleveland IndieClub to provide a voice for local visual artists to showcase their work and visions, IndieClub was a national movement with meet up at numerous cities, and Cleveland is now the oldest running group.
As a filmmaker, Wu has 14+ feature films successfully distributed worldwide since 2005. He has given workshops and talk about filmmaking, marketing, branding, producing and distribution at several conventions including Wizard World Cleveland, FanExpo Cleveland, Horror Hotel Film Festival and Convention IndieGathering Film Festival and Convention for over 10 years, also provided lectures at CES and NAB in Las Vegas. He has provided insights and consultation in branding and marketing to nonprofits and small businesses as well as a known film/producing figure in social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse. Wu owns a YouTube channel where he does product reviews and interviews with many prominent producers in the country. (youtube.com/mdifilm). Wu also has done numerous speaking engagements at universities, conventions and festivals on topic related to Asian culture, and diversity.
Johnny’s recent action thriller feature Bullets, Brothers and Blood, signed for distribution while still winning awards (over 24). He’s latest documentary History of Cleveland’s Chinatown garnered awards like Telly, and shown at WKYC and WVIZ. Wu currently in pre production of several shorts and another feature. In his spare time, he loves to watch movies, eat different cuisines and sleep.
Wu currently sits as member of the International Task Force for Cleveland Museum of Art, WKYC Community Council Member, City of Cleveland Consumer Affairs Community Board, VP of Communications for OCA Cleveland Chapter, to name a few. He is an inductee to Ohio State Civil Rights Hall of Fame, three Martial Arts Hall of Fames, Class 2024 of Cleveland International Hall Of Fame, and an inductee of the International Indie Filmmakers Hall of Fame.