Jack’d, the dating app, is putting on a film festival, and the screen is your phone.
The first Jack’d Film Festival streams inside the app from Nov. 2 to Dec. 3, according to Jack’d. There’s no theater. To watch you download the app and make a profile. iPhone users can AirPlay the films to a TV.
The $20,000 prize pool is split evenly between a Grand Jury Award and an Audience Choice Award. Jack’d says the audience winner will be chosen by tallying verified votes. Members can vote for up to three films.
Who’s Judging the Jack’d Film Festival
The five judges:
- Dyllón Burnside, the Pose actor and filmmaker
- TS Madison, actor, TV personality and host of the Outlaws podcast
- Miss Lawrence, actor and singer
- Mike Gauyo, a writer on Insecure and Ginny & Georgia and founder of Black Boy Writes Media
- Bobby Ashley, a writer, director and producer who makes Black LGBTQ+ films
Which Films Qualify
Submissions closed Oct. 21. Filmmakers of any race, gender or sexual orientation could enter, with films expected to center queer people of color. The festival accepted shorts, documentaries and features.
“Queer filmmakers have always created stories that challenge conventions, expand perspectives, and help people feel seen,” festival manager Tyrus Townsend says on the festival’s official page.
The festival extends Jack’d’s focus on queer people of color into film. Its announcement appeared first in Variety.
