TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival has announced its 2018 jurors, and they’re all women. Now in its third year, the Toronto International Film Festival’s “tiniest film festival” is dedicated to celebrating emerging, diverse, and creative voices from the global film community. A press release emphasizes that the fest is “committed to meeting gender parity within its final selection,” and as such, TIFF has announced the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize.
This year’s jury includes “A United Kingdom” director and Share Her Journey Ambassador Amma Asante, #oscarssowhite creator April Reign, TCM and FilmStruck host Alicia Malone, “Ocean’s 8” star Awkwafina, and activist, artist, and actor Sarain Fox, who hosts Viceland’s “Rise.” Other jury members will be announced in the coming weeks.
Asante will choose the recipient of the Share Her Journey Prize. “Eligibility for the prize is based solely on a film’s direction by an individual who identifies as a woman,” the release details.
Former jury members include “A Wrinkle in Time” helmer Ava DuVernay, “Elle” star Isabelle Huppert, and “Quantico’s” Priyanka Chopra.
A five-year commitment, TIFF’s Share Her Journey is a campaign dedicated to championing women working on-screen and behind the scenes.
“In many ways, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is reflective of the ever-evolving nature of storytelling and digital media. The film industry is going through a period of change, and the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize reinforces our commitment to achieving gender parity,” said Malcolm Gilderdale, Director of Content, Creative, and Digital at TIFF. “With the support of our amazing partners at Instagram and the generous participation of our jury, we are grateful to have the opportunity to champion the brilliant work that we know will be presented during this year’s edition of the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.”
The deadline to submit to the fest is June 18.
To enter, filmmakers may submit a 60-second-or-less film on Instagram using the hashtag #TIFFxInstagram and complete the submission form here. Entries must be submitted from a public Instagram account that must remain open until August 21.
The winning shorts will be showcased on TIFF and Instagram’s digital channels, and the winners will receive a round-trip flight to Toronto, accommodation to attend TIFF this September, and the opportunity to network at the fest’s Industry Conference.
