Brief
Jack’d Film Festival Debuts with Celebrity Judges and $20,000 Prize Pool
The inaugural Jack’d Film Festival will run Nov. 2–Dec. 3, offering $10,000 grand jury and audience awards.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Jack’d, the largest U.S. dating app for queer people of color, announced the inaugural Jack’d Film Festival, a competition for original films by queer creators.
What happened
The festival will showcase short and feature‑length entries from Nov. 2 through Dec. 3, with all films streamed inside the Jack’d app. Submissions must be uploaded by 5 p.m. PT on Oct. 21. A $20,000 prize pool will be split between a grand jury award and an audience‑choice award, each worth $10,000.
What the reports add
Variety reported that the judging panel includes TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Bobby Ashley, Mike Gauyo and Dyllón Burnside. The article notes that participation in the app and the festival is free, and that Jack’d members will vote in‑app for the Audience Choice Award.
What was said
“Queer filmmakers have always created stories that challenge conventions, expand perspectives and help people feel seen,” said Tyrus Townsend, Jack’d Film Festival manager, according to Variety.
How it came about
Jack’d’s launch of a film festival follows its growth as one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ social networking and dating platforms, extending its community focus into content creation and curation.
Key facts
- Jack’d Film Festival runs Nov. 2–Dec. 3 (variety.com)
- Submission deadline is Oct. 21, 5 p.m. PT (variety.com)
- $10,000 awarded for grand jury and audience choice each (variety.com)
- Judges include TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Bobby Ashley, Mike Gauyo, Dyllón Burnside (variety.com)
- Participation and voting are free for Jack’d members (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “Queer Dating App Jack’d Launches Film Festival With Judges TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Bobby Ashley, Mike Gauyo and Dyllón Burnside (EXCLUSIVE)”
