Ever dreamt of living the life of a film festival judge? Watching hundreds of films and picking the best of the best? Now’s your chance at the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival (BOFA) for their 2014 Short Film Competition.
In a first for Australian Film Festivals, BOFA will let film buffs from all over Australia be the online judges of their 2014 Short Film Competition.
Festival Director, Owen Tilbury, says that this new feature of the festival was based on the belief that audiences, rather than ‘experts’, are ultimately the judges of a film’s success or failure.
“BOFA embraces all kinds of new screen technology so we thought it was time to get the judging process out of a theatrette and onto computers and iPads throughout the country,” Tilbury said.
“The Judging Panel is open to anyone, apart from film makers entering the competition, and panel members can rate as many of the films as they like – the most highly rated film will be the winner.”
Tasmania’s only major annual film festival, BOFA will hold its fifth annual festival in Launceston from November 6 to 9 this year.
Potential judges for BOFA’s 2014 Short Film Competition will pay a fee to join the Judging Panel, with the proceeds used to run the competition, provide the prizes, and run screen industry master classes at the 2014 BOFA Festival.
As short films from around Australia are entered into the festival competition, panel members will be sent the exclusive online links to view them and will be asked to rate them on two criteria: quality of storytelling and quality of filmmaking.
For their keen eye and discerning taste in film, judges will be rewarded generously. The bundle of benefits that members of the judging panel receive includes passes, exclusive viewing, and even a set of judges laurels. Perhaps most importantly, judges will get extra access to the opportunity to mingle, glass of bubbly in hand, with film industry notables at the industry only BOFA Devil Awards event on Saturday, November 8th.
To apply to be a part of the panel – go to You be the Short Film Judge at www.bofa.com.au/2014/.
COMPETITION DETAILS
Judging Panel membership fee: $104
All judges will receive:
• An 8-pass to BOFA 2014 (transferable and usable by a group) worth $104
• A 6-month digital subscription to FilmInk worth $25
• Entry into a draw for one judge to win full BOFA 2014 film festival privileges and $1,000 cash contribution to travel and accommodation
• Exclusive viewing of all short film entries via web
• A set of judges laurels for your use
• An invitation to the BOFA Devil Awards function (Saturday, November 8th) where you will mingle with fellow judges, as well as filmmakers and screen industry guests
• Concessional accommodation rates at the 4 star Grand Chancellor Hotel, two blocks from the festival venues.