Film festivals across the globe are in constant pursuit of more audience-centric solutions to refine their Audience Awards selection process and bolster audience engagement. Traditional approaches, often reliant on manual or paper-based systems, are not only tedious but markedly inconvenient for both organisers and festival attendees, as well as not eco-friendly. This landscape is where innovative digital solutions like Votemo make a significant impact.
Votemo's audience engagement platform is specifically designed for film festivals, featuring capabilities that facilitate quick setup, real-time monitoring of results, and data export. Notably, during the festival, Votemo operates autonomously, releasing the appropriate polls in alignment with the festival's schedule. This functionality enables festivals to delineate exact timeframes for voting, thereby enhancing security measures.
Moreover, Votemo augments the festival experience by fostering interactivity among the audience, offering sponsors heightened visibility, and building a sense of community through the collection of audience contact information for subsequent communication.
Highlighted below are film festivals that have effectively utilised Votemo for their Audience Awards, underscoring best practices in organising communication and call-to-action messages to amplify vote counts and enhance sponsor impressions.
Hot Docs: Streamlining Audience Awards with Innovation
A premier destination for top-tier documentary content globally is undoubtedly the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. The integrity of the prestigious Audience Awards hinges on receiving an adequate volume of votes, necessitating a solution that not only adheres to high-security standards—ensuring one vote per viewer, per film—but also offers straightforward access, a user-friendly interface, and clear communication across various audience touchpoints.
“Audience voting has always been an important facet of our festival, and Votemo made it easy to bring online voting into the cinemas.” — Communications Team, Hot Docs
Hot Docs, Photos by Taku Kumabe
From 27 April to 7 May, Hot Docs employed Votemo to monitor audience preferences daily, culminating in the identification of the year's Audience Award recipients, including the Rogers Audience Award and the Hot Docs Audience Award winners. As a non-profit, Hot Docs is committed to promoting and celebrating documentary art while forging production opportunities for filmmakers.
FilmFest München: Celebrating 40 Years with Audience-Centric Awards
In its landmark 40th year, FilmFest München (23 June–1 July 2023), the largest summer film festival in Germany, offered all attendees the opportunity to vote for Audience Awards contenders via the Votemo platform. Annually, the festival showcases around 200 films, with numerous filmmakers converging in Munich to debut their creations and engage with audiences in a convivial, summery atmosphere.
FilmFest München, Photos by Bojan Ritan
"Votemo facilitated a seamless transition of the Audience Award voting process directly to cinema locations during this year's FILMFEST MÜNCHEN. Previously, our website-based tool posed an additional obstacle, so the shift resulted in an uptick in voting. Votemo's backend was notably user-friendly, saving us considerable time, particularly during evaluations. Their team provided invaluable, prompt support, and we eagerly anticipate future collaborations, including the upcoming FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH in November." — Communications Team, FILMFEST MÜNCHEN
Nantucket Film Festival: Diversity in Storytelling Honoured by Audience Awards
Each June, the Nantucket Film Festival in Massachusetts, USA, celebrates the rich tapestry of human experiences through the art of screenwriting and storytelling.
In support of this commendable mission, the Festival team collaborated closely with Votemo, empowering audiences to vote for their favourite films across multiple categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, and Documentary Short.
Images by Nantucket Film Festival
HÕFF: Audience Awards Spotlight on Fantasy and Horror
The 18th Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HÕFF, 28-30 April 2023) bestowed its audience award on "Sisu," a Finnish action thriller by Jalmari Helander. Audience voting was conducted via the Votemo platform throughout the festival duration, with each film represented by a distinct QR code. Posters featuring these QR codes and voting instructions were strategically positioned at the venues, simplifying the voting process for attendees. HÕFF, a remarkable and widely popular film festival, operates under the auspices of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
HÕFF, Photos by Jaan Leppik
Conclusive Takeaways:
The integration of Votemo into these diverse film festivals illuminates its versatility and effectiveness in enhancing audience engagement and streamlining operations. For festival organisers, key takeaways include:
Digital Transformation: Embracing innovative solutions like Votemo not only simplifies the Audience Awards voting process but also enriches the overall festival experience, encouraging higher audience participation.
Enhanced Security and Integrity: Implementing platforms that enforce one-person-one-vote policies and secure data management instills confidence among stakeholders and maintains the awards' credibility.
Sustained Engagement: Engagement shouldn't conclude post-festival. Harnessing tools that collect audience data can nurture an enduring community, facilitating ongoing engagement and providing priceless insights for successive events.
By acknowledging these pivotal factors, organisers can profoundly elevate their festival experiences, forging memorable, engaging, and seamless events for all participants, whilst upholding the esteem and integrity of Audience Awards.