Festival seeks judges for People’s Choice Award
Organisers of the new international film festival being launched in Surrey this year are looking for ten local film buffs to join the judging panel of award-winning industry professionals.
SATISFIED EYE International Film Festival (SEIFF) already has hundreds of submissions from filmmakers representing 30 countries and is expecting hundreds more before submissions close in the late summer. The inaugural three-day festival will take place in the Epsom and Ewell area in October and will be open to anyone who wishes to attend.
Award-winning jury
The judging panel is currently made up by Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy award winners who have worked on films and TV series such as Interstellar, Star Wars, Thor, and Game of Thrones. The ten local people invited to join will be responsible for deciding the SEIFF People’s Choice Award.
Multi-award winning writer and film director Chris Hastings, who lives in Epsom, is the festival’s artistic director. He said: “We’re looking for real film enthusiasts of all ages. Applicants need to have a broad love of film and a fair amount of free time! There will be hundreds of new films to watch, including feature-length and short fiction, animation, and documentaries.”
VIP invitations
All the films being judged will have been completed in 2017 or 2018 and will not yet have been screened in local cinemas or on TV networks. Judges will be able to watch the films in their own time via a password-protected internet channel and will be able to award points and write comments that will only be seen by festival organisers.
Those invited to become judges will receive full festival passes, and VIP invitations to the closing ceremony at Epsom Downs Racecourse and a private event for award winners and jury. Trophies will be presented by a combination of top film industry names and key local community and business leaders at the festival’s gala red carpet awards ceremony.
Worldwide promotion
Mr Hastings said: “We’re already joining up with local people and businesses to turn the festival into a truly global, world-renowned event. We’ll be promoting it to millions of people, throughout Surrey, London, across the UK, at Cannes and internationally. We’ve got some very exciting things scheduled and a few big surprises.” He added: “The festival will be a celebratory, inclusive and fun event with something for everyone.”
Also attending will be some of the best up-and-coming filmmakers around the world who will take part in Q&A panels and workshops and a range of fun events for families and children.
Popular favourites
There will be a chance for festival goers to watch some popular favourites alongside undiscovered gems and connect directly with those responsible for making them.
The SEIFF awards will recognise the best talent in front of and behind the camera with a ceremony open to anyone who wishes to attend. As well as the People’s Choice Award there will awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Woman Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and a special trophy for the best film submitted by a Surrey-based filmmaker.
