It’s very gratifying to get to a point in a film/TV career that you are invited to be on a screening jury for a film festival or industry competition. What a wonderful opportunity to see new work from all over the world while playing a part in helping talented filmmakers find their way in the world.
All the glitter and hoopla aside, what does it entail and are all selection committees equal?
There are hundreds of film festivals and competitions out there so before you proceed with serving on any juries or screening committees, please do your due diligence in researching the particular festival, what their mandates are, and how they align with your own strengths and talents as a filmmaker or viewer. See if you can find out who’s served on their committees previously, and try to reach out to see what kind of experiences previous jury members have had. Their stories can run the gamut from absolutely wonderful to somewhat abusive and frustrating.
I’m not going to name names due to confidentiality agreements but believe, me anything is possible when it comes to juries.
The one common element that all screening committees have is they are a LOT of hard work. From large and well known to small and seemingly insignificant, film festivals all receive thousands of submissions (it’s big business for them -all those submission fees ;)), and it takes an army of volunteers to get through the screening process, give helpful notes, and rate the submissions fairly so that (in most cases), the actual best films will win.
Reasons to do it?
Don’t consider it a gig. They are mostly volunteer but occasionally you will receive an honorarium or gift certificate, depending on the size and budget but you will never be compensated fully for the countless hours you spend viewing and/or reading.
The real compensation is having the ability to screen films (often from around the world) from emerging or experienced filmmakers that you would otherwise never get to see. Even though you must always be exercising your critical faculties, it is an amazing opportunity to learn about new cultures, points of view, and different filmmaking styles. And if you’re a filmmaker who’s interested in submitting to a particular competition in the future, it’s a great way to learn the criteria of that particular festival.
It’s also a wonderful feeling to know that you can impact the (always) struggling lives of talented filmmakers who can really use the leg up in shark-infested distribution waters (those laurels on posters mean a lot). And if feedback is required, you are able to provide constructive feedback to someone who can really benefit from your point of view. For filmmakers on either side of the screen, it is a win-win situation for sure.
What am I Getting Myself Into?
I always ask a lot of questions before I take on any kind of jury or screening duties. Number 1 is what kind of festival is this?
- Does it focus on screenwriters like the Austin Film Festival? Or short films like the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts?
- What skills/experience do I bring to the table in order to help raise the filmmaking bar for this focus?
- What kinds of films or screenplays do they focus on? If you’re going to be a doing a LOT of screening and/or reading, make sure the subject matter is of interest to you. If you love comedy and are skilled at creating it, do you want to spend your precious time reading/watching intense drama? Fantasy? Action thrillers?
Time is Precious
Before you agree, make sure to ask what the time commitment has been in previous years. It will always vary but try to get a sense of how many days/hours you’ll have to be glued to your computer, slaving away into the middle of the night. PS Don’t believe everything they say. Chances are they will underestimate your time commitment in case it will scare you off. If at all possible, see if you can get a list of past jurors/readers and reach out to them enquiring as to their time spent.
Who are these people anyway?
Every festival or competition has its own kind of process. Make sure to get as much information about the people who are asking you to serve. Most often, people are very nice and appreciative of your time and effort. From time to time, I’ve found folks who, are used to doing things in an unusual kind of way. If they are able to communicate that way to the newcomers, then great. If not, then they can become defensive and difficult to deal with and things can get off to a rocky start. This is difficult to recover from.
So make sure your vibes and ways of functioning align well from the start. I know people who have sensed too much drama/trauma down the road and pulled out before jumping in and I believe I have learned some important lessons from them.
Recusing Yourself
You may find that you know some of the filmmakers who are being judged. It’s usually on an honor system, but most competitions appreciate it if you recuse yourself from that category, or just ask that another juror watch that particular film.
Most competitions ask you to never divulge any information about the vote or process but even so, lean into your highest self when approaching a situation that could impact a filmmaker’s life and career positively or negatively, depending on that vote.
The Devilish Details
Make sure the system of reviewing films or screenplays is going to work within your schedule and bandwidth for screening brand new projects every few hours/days/weeks.
It may seem obvious, but make sure to learn the judging criteria from the festival and how quickly they need your responses. What their goals are, how tough they want you to be, and the kinds of award-winners they are looking for. One of the bigger festival competitions I juried on gave me a sample short documentary to judge and then critiqued my responses. I was vetted several times and given feedback on my critiques at the beginning. This particular festival gets thousands of entries so they need to weed out as many as possible as quickly as possible. They need you to be tough.
But (and it’s a big but), Just because you have to be tough, make sure you’re coming from a place of knowledge and helpfulness, not doing it to show off how smart you are or because you’re trying to please the festival. Just because you don’t tend to like a particular filmmaking style or genre, or even have a grudge against a filmmaker whose path you might have crossed in the past, every entry deserves a fair shot and it’s up to you to give it its due.
Okay, so you’ve checked everything out, have decided that the ways and means of the system will work for you, and you are ready to jump in. Now what?
Check Your Ego at the Door
If you’re a filmmaker, being exposed to so many films (and a lot of them very good), can tend to set off triggers for you as a jury member because as we all know, most filmmakers are always struggling to make ends meet and/or finding resources to make a film. My advice is to relax, sit back, and enjoy seeing some of the many films/scripts that you have the privilege of seeing. Keep an open mind, and, especially if you’re a filmmaker, keep learning from how others are doing things.
Process
Some competitions are happy to set you up with their criteria, start sending you films/scripts, and let you get on with things. They will have told you how many films to expect so you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed. And if that does happen, make sure to discuss the situation with your supervisor so they know what the situation is. There’s nothing worse for them than if you just grin and bear an untenable situation, which can lead to you dropping out in the future, if your own scheduling needs have changed. Speak up and make sure you are communicating well with the people in charge. They have been through it before and will often have good suggestions.
Some competitions are happy for you to submit your responses and won’t need to hear from you again. Others want you to keep checking in and giving your updates on how things are going.
Others result in a coming together with all of jury/committee members to discuss their favorites and why you feel this or that project should win. Although this will be based on a numbering system set up off the top, this is where things can get interesting (did I say tense?). If every jury member has a different favorite and their ratings are close, an agreement has to be struck so that eventually only one winner emerges. Yes, this is very similar to the criminal juries you see on TV, where everyone gets together and keeps pitching their ideas and why they think so and so should be a winner. This is where there is usually a festival founder or supervisor who can jump in to smooth out the arguments and guide the jury towards a decision that is in keeping with the goals of the festival and what kind of filmmakers they are currently wanting to support.
Worth It?
Serving on a festival jury or screening committee is an excellent way to traverse the broad spectrum of filmmaking offerings from around the world. It’s a chance to assist other filmmakers while continuing your own growth in our ever-changing industry. Even though some of the situations have been challenging, I still highly recommend the experience. Just try not to do too many in a row so you can, indeed, stay fresh and helpful.