Judging Process

The Lightbox Film Festival is evaluated by a diverse and independent panel of industry professionals, each bringing experience in filmmaking, acting, writing, production, and creative media.

Our judges for the 2025 season are:

• Paul Jones

• Jason Williams

• Emma Taylor

• Susan Brown

• Diane Evans

• Mark Johnson

• Christopher Roberts

• David Walker

These judges work independently and are solely responsible for the evaluation and final decisions regarding nominees and winners.

1. Independent Review

Each submission is assigned to members of the judging panel.
Judges view entries privately and score them against our official criteria.
Festival organisers and technical staff do not participate in judging or influence the outcome.

2. Scoring Criteria

Judges evaluate each project using the following core elements:

• Storytelling & Structure

• Directing & Artistic Vision

• Cinematography & Visual Style

• Editing & Pacing

• Performance Quality

• Sound & Music

• Originality & Creativity

• Emotional or Dramatic Impact

Screenplays and acting showreels are assessed using tailored criteria relevant to their form.

3. Confidential Evaluation

All judging is conducted independently.
Judges do not discuss submissions with organisers or other judges unless part of a structured review session.
Scores remain confidential and are used solely to determine official selections, nominees, and winners.

4. Final Deliberation

Once judging is completed, scores are compiled.
Winners are chosen based on the combined evaluation of the panel.
Judges may withhold awards in categories where submissions do not meet festival standards.

5. Integrity & Fairness

To ensure a transparent and ethical process:

• Organisers have no involvement in determining awards

• Judges must declare conflicts of interest

• Any conflicted judge is removed from scoring that project

• All decisions by the panel are final

This structure ensures that every filmmaker is judged fairly and on merit alone.

Official 2025 Judging Panel

How the Judging Works

Selection Announcement

Official selections, nominees, and winners will be announced on the festival website and social platforms on the published event date.
Only projects that have completed the judging process are eligible for awards.

Commitment to Filmmakers

Lightbox Film Festival is dedicated to providing a professional, fair, and unbiased evaluation process.
Our goal is to recognise outstanding work, support new and established filmmakers, and highlight creativity across all genres and formats.