Indie Film Festival Juror — Remote, IMDb Credit

Jury Call:
Judge a New Festival in CA – Job Post by Yixin Zhang

Looking for indie filmmakers, and post pros to judge a new festival in Silicon Valley.

Hey Stage 32 family, I’m an indie filmmaker currently locking in the Grand Jury panel for the inaugural DOCA Film Festival (running Nov 13, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027, in San Jose, CA), and I need a few awesome industry peers to help me judge.

If you’re a director, pudecer screenwriter, editor, or sound designer, I’d love to have your eyes on these films.

• No endless screening:
  You won’t be digging through hundreds of raw submissions. I’ll only ask you to watch and score a curated shortlist of 3 to 5 short films in your category of expertise.
• 100% Online:
  The judging happens remotely in late October / early November. Watch them on your own couch, at your own pace.

A bit about the festival: I founded DOCA as an independent festival built around connecting filmmakers with massive audiences. During the San Jose Holiday Lights event in downtown San Jose, it’s a huge, immersive outdoor experience.

I’m looking for judges across all categories, from traditional narrative/doc shorts to experimental, mobile filmmaking, and AI‑assisted creations.

Since this is my very first year, I’m running on a true grassroots indie budget, so I cannot offer a cash honorarium
. What I can give you is massive appreciation and visibility: your bio and work will be highlighted across our official platforms to our massive holiday crowd, you’ll get an official IMDb festival juror credit, and if you’re locally in the Bay Area, VIP passes to the whole holiday lights experience are on me.

If you’re down to help me champion some great indie talent, shoot a quick email to with your IMDb, website, or just a quick note about your background.

Let’s build something cool together.