Ever dreamt of being a judge at a film festival? I mean, you get to spend days on end watching a rigorously curated pre-selection of some of the world’s greatest films, then at the end of the whole ordeal you get to dramatically point your finger toward a chosen film and say – slowly, deliberately – “You are the one.” Of course, the whole part with the finger might do little more than bother the person sitting next to you in the theater, but the basic idea is that your opinion actually matters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2t4Zfafaa8
Well, now all your dreams can finally come true. Or at least the part of being a film festival judge. To mark the 13th edition of Mexico’s venerable Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), currently running in Michoacán’s grandiose capital city, the festival organizers have brought us a little something called the Online Mexican Short Film Award, which will be granted to one of 35 short films currently available on the festival’s website. And the cool part is that you, me, and anyone with access to the Internet, will determine who takes the prize.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziLrv2ZtDd0
But don’t be fooled: judging is hard work, and these 35 films add up to well over six hours of audiovisual stimulation, so get grinding. Thankfully, with a program featuring everything from lighthearted animations to family dramas to murder mysteries, you’re bound to find something that tickles your pickle. So instead of inviting your crush over to Netflix and chill this weekend, try asking if they want to help you judge a film festival. Believe us, it’ll go over a lot better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=67&v=TNXwu5ZZY-w
Click here to check out the films and cast your vote. Voting will close on Friday, October 30, at 5 p.m., but the shorts will remain available for streaming until Sunday, November 15, 2015.