For AFIN judges, 2027
Judging guide
Fair, consistent, and grounded in what is on the screen or the page.
Everything you need to judge for AFIN: how it works on FilmFreeway, what each score means, what to look for in films and in screenplays, and how we keep judging fair and confidential.
Every score you give decides who reaches that screen.
How judging works
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Accept your invitation
AFIN invites you to FilmFreeway by email. Follow the link and set up your account; once you are signed in you will see Submissions. Please read and accept the judge agreement first.
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Open your Submissions
Submissions lists the entries assigned to you. Sort by Date and judge oldest first: it keeps the festival moving. Your list, your scores and your comments are seen only by the festival directors.
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Watch or read it in full
Open an entry by its title, then Play Video or Download Script. Watch the whole film or read the whole script before you score. Where a screener needs a password, it is usually shown under the video.
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Rate Project
Give a score out of 10 for each area that applies to this entry, in whole numbers, and leave the areas that do not apply blank. Never set the Overall rating yourself: FilmFreeway works out the average.
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Write a comment
A comment on every entry: two to four lines is fine. Say what worked, what held it back, and why your scores are what they are. For a screenplay, also answer the two questions.
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Recommend and name performers
Choose a recommendation. If a performance deserves an award, write the performer's name in the lead, supporting or youth question: a score alone cannot say who it is for.
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Create Rating
Press Create Rating and the entry shows as rated in your list. You can edit a rating later. Please leave the Notes field unused.
The three screens you use
Your Submissions list, an entry, and the rating form. That is all of FilmFreeway a judge needs.
Drawn from the real screens with a made-up entry, so no entrant's details appear. The gold numbers are the steps above.
Three stages, then the vote
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Stage 1: First review
Each entry is scored by three or four judges. Together these first scores set the season's curve, so every later score is read against the whole field.
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Stage 2: Shortlist
The strongest entries go to more judges, to firm up their scores and settle the shortlist.
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Stage 3: Final review
Entries still ranking for at least one award are seen by the full panel. That decides the nominees: up to six in each award.
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The vote
For each award you rank your first, second and third choice from its nominees. The winners are announced at Awards Night.
- 1 Nov 2026Entries open, and judging starts as they arrive
- 27 June 2027The final deadline for entries
- 13 Aug 2027Nominees are told
- October 2027Awards Night in Brisbane
22 awards, up to 6 nominees in each
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Film3
- Best Feature Film
- Best Director
- Best Emerging Filmmaker
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Short film3
- Best International Short Film
- Best Australian Short Film
- Best Micro Short Film
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Documentary2
- Best Documentary Feature Film
- Best Documentary Short Film
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Performance5
- Best International Lead Performance
- Best International Supporting Performance
- Best Australian Lead Performance
- Best Australian Supporting Performance
- Best Youth Performance
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Screenplay2
- Best Feature Screenplay
- Best Short Screenplay
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Craft5
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing
- Best Production Design
- Best Sound and Music
- Best Visual Effects
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Genre2
- Best Comedy Film
- Best Horror Film
One best-film lane per film
- FeatureA narrative film over 40 minutes
- International shortA narrative film from outside Australia, over 10 and up to 40 minutes including credits
- Australian shortAn Australian narrative film, over 10 and up to 40 minutes including credits
- MicroA narrative film of 10 minutes or less, from anywhere
- ComedyA comedy of any length, as confirmed by the jury
- HorrorA horror film of any length, as confirmed by the jury
- Documentary featureA documentary over 40 minutes
- Documentary shortA documentary of 40 minutes or less including credits
- Feature scriptAn unproduced feature screenplay
- Short scriptAn unproduced short screenplay
- Every film enters one best-film lane, set by its length, its nationality and its genre. A comedy or horror film competes in its genre award, not in Feature, the Shorts or Micro.
- The jury confirms the genre. A film with two, such as a horror-comedy, is placed in one lane by the jury.
- Director, Emerging Filmmaker, the performance awards and the craft awards are open across the lanes, genre films included.
- Documentaries can win Emerging Filmmaker and the craft awards, but not Director, the performance awards or Production Design.
- Emerging Filmmaker is for a student film, or a director's first or second film. Student films also compete in their normal lane.
- International or Australian performance awards follow the film's country of origin. Youth is a performer under 18 at filming.
- Visual Effects counts only for a film that declared visual effects at entry.
What each score means
The same bands for films and screenplays. Score every area that applies to an entry, and leave the rest blank.
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9 to 10
Exceptional, or near nominee level. Strong craft, clear control and a memorable voice. A 10 should be rare.
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8
A strong contender. Clear strengths, strong execution, likely to stand out even with some fixable issues.
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7
Above average. Enough strength to stay in consideration, but not yet consistently exceptional.
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6
Competent but uneven. Some strengths, with notable weaknesses that limit it.
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5
Mid-range or underdeveloped. The idea is there, but execution limits its competitiveness.
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4
Weak execution. Major problems in craft or clarity, despite isolated strengths.
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3 or below
Substantially deficient. Serious problems with technical quality, coherence or completeness.
15 areas, scored where they apply.
Judging a film
The 15 areas on the 2027 rating form, in its order. Score only what the film uses: a film with no visual effects has no Visual Effects score, and only a comedy has a Comedic Execution score. Each best-film award ranks on the average of the areas you score; the people, craft and genre awards rank on their own area.
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Direction
The control of tone, performance, staging and rhythm: whether every element is working towards the same film.
- A consistent tone
- Performances pitched to the same world
- Staging and blocking that tell the story clearly
Counts towards Best Director
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Writing
The story as written: its shape, its characters and its dialogue. For a documentary, the shape of the argument and how the material is ordered.
- A clear dramatic or emotional engine
- Setups that pay off
- Dialogue that reveals rather than explains
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Lead Performance
Where the film has one
The truth, specificity and range of the leading performance. Name the performer in the lead question if they deserve an award.
- Believable behaviour under pressure
- Specific, unforced choices
- Listening as well as speaking
Counts towards Best International Lead Performance and Best Australian Lead Performance
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Supporting Performance
Where the film has one
The work of the supporting cast: how it shapes the story and the lead around it. Name the performer in the supporting question.
- A full person, not a function
- Strength in a smaller role
- Chemistry with the lead
Counts towards Best International Supporting Performance and Best Australian Supporting Performance
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Youth Performance
A performer under 18 at filming
Performances by young actors, held to the same standard of truth and specificity as the adult cast. Name them in the youth question.
- Natural, unforced work
- Emotional truth
- Holding their own with the adult cast
Counts towards Best Youth Performance
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Cinematography
Composition, lighting, camera movement and colour, and whether the images carry the story rather than decorate it.
- Purposeful framing
- Lighting that sets mood and reads clearly
- Movement that is motivated
Counts towards Best Cinematography
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Editing
Rhythm, continuity and structure: the choices of what to keep, from performance takes to scene order.
- Cuts that serve rhythm and meaning
- Setups and payoffs placed where they land
- Scenes that end when they should
Counts towards Best Film Editing
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Production Design
Narrative films
The world on screen: locations, sets, props and dressing, and whether that world feels real and purposeful.
- A coherent world
- Detail that tells us about character and place
- Design that serves the story, not only the look
Counts towards Best Production Design
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Sound Mix and Foley/Sound Effects Design
Clarity of dialogue, effects, Foley, atmosphere and mix. Poor sound limits a film more than almost anything else.
- Clean, intelligible dialogue
- Atmosphere that builds the world
- A balanced mix
Counts towards Best Sound and Music
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Music and Composition
Score and songs, and whether they support tone and emotion without telling the audience what to feel.
- Music that fits the film's world
- Restraint as well as presence
- Cues that land on the story's turns
Counts towards Best Sound and Music
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Visual Effects
Only where the film uses them
The craft and integration of visual effects. AI-generated elements are not considered here.
- Effects that sit inside the world
- Craft that holds up on a big screen
- Effects in service of the story
Counts towards Best Visual Effects
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Comedic Execution
Comedies only
How well the film makes you laugh: timing, escalation, character comedy and whether the jokes come from the story.
- Timing that lands
- Comedy that builds rather than repeats
- Laughs that come from character
Counts towards Best Comedy Film
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Horror Execution
Horror films only
How well the film frightens: dread, tension, release and whether the fear means something.
- Dread that builds
- Scares that are earned, not only loud
- A fear with something underneath it
Counts towards Best Horror Film
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Originality and Creativity
How fresh the idea, the voice and the approach are: whether the film shows us something new, or something familiar in a way we have not seen.
- A distinct point of view
- Choices that feel deliberate rather than borrowed
- Ambition that is carried through, not only announced
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Pacing
Momentum, and whether the film earns its running time: how fast it ignites, whether the middle escalates, and whether it ends when it should.
- A strong opening
- A middle that builds rather than circles
- No scene repeating another's job
Your recommendation
- PassNot for AFIN this year.
- RecommendStrong work that belongs in the selection.
- Award WorthyA contender for an award. Keep it rare.
- MaybeYou are unsure: say why in your comment.
- Recommended ScreenerFilms only: one you would put in front of a cinema audience.
Red flags in films
- Poor soundUnclear dialogue or an unbalanced mix pulls the audience out of the film.
- A slow startThe story takes too long to begin.
- A passive protagonistThe central character only watches, waits or reacts.
- Repeated scenesSeveral scenes do the same job without escalating.
- Explaining instead of showingDialogue or voice-over tells us what the images should.
- Inconsistent tone or performanceThe film cannot decide what it is, or its cast are in different films.
- An unearned endingThe resolution does not come from the characters' choices.
- Overlong for its storyThe running time is not earned.
Judge what is on the page.
Judging a screenplay
8 areas, every one scored. The question for each script: does it work on the page as a finished piece of screen storytelling?
- What worked well in this screenplay?Required
- What areas could be improved?Required
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Concept
Strength, originality, clarity and screen potential of the core idea, and whether it supports a clean professional logline.
- A premise you can pitch in a sentence or two
- A dramatic promise the script keeps
- Freshness without confusion
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Structure
Overall shape: act progression, escalation, turning points, setup and payoff, climax and resolution, in a form that suits the length and type.
- A clear spine
- Escalation rather than repetition
- An ending that resolves the central question
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Plot
Cause and effect: protagonist action, conflict, stakes, obstacles, reversals and coherence.
- A protagonist whose choices drive events
- Meaningful opposition
- Stakes that matter
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Pacing
Momentum, page economy, scene length, rhythm, and whether the script earns its page count.
- A quick ignition
- No repeated beats
- Scenes that turn
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Characters
Depth, specificity, agency, development, relationships and emotional credibility.
- Characters who want different things in the same scene
- Agency rather than reaction
- Complexity in every major role
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Dialogue
Purpose, subtext, distinct voices, tension and economy, without exposition dumps.
- Subtext
- A distinct voice for each major character
- Information hidden inside conflict
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Genre Alignment
Understanding of genre conventions, tonal control and delivery of the experience the script promises.
- Genre executed with craft
- Conventions refreshed or subverted with control
- A clear audience promise
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Theme and Message
Depth, resonance and moral complexity, dramatised through character and consequence rather than declared.
- Theme felt through choices
- Complexity rather than sermon
- An idea the story earns
Red flags in screenplays
- Delayed ignitionThe script takes too long to begin its active story.
- Passive protagonistThe central character mostly reacts, observes or waits.
- No clear goalWe cannot say what the protagonist wants.
- Weak stakesFailure does not appear to matter enough.
- Exposition-heavy dialogueCharacters explain information instead of pursuing wants under pressure.
- Unfilmable proseThe page tells us thoughts or history that cannot be seen or heard.
- Excessive shot directionThe page directs the camera instead of telling the story.
- Theme stated too plainlyThe script tells the audience what to think.
Fair, and useful
- Judge the work, not the maker. Identity, reputation, location, earlier entries and biography do not move a score.
- Watch or read the whole entry before you score it.
- Important subject matter can strengthen a work when it is dramatised well, but it does not replace craft. Genre, comedy and commercial work are not lesser for being so.
- Use the same scale for every entry. A run of weak entries should not inflate the next score, and an exceptional one should not deflate it.
- Whole numbers only, and keep the top scores rare enough to mean something.
- Check that your scores and your comment agree before you save.
- Extreme scores, such as 1 or 10 in every area, are reviewed, and we may ask you about them. The festival director watches the panel's scoring as a whole.
Writing your comment
Name what works, then what limits it, in the language of the craft. Firm and professional, never personal.
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Instead ofThis is boring.
WriteThe pacing slows because several scenes repeat the same beat without escalation.
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Instead ofThe dialogue is bad.
WriteThe dialogue often explains information rather than revealing character through conflict.
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Instead ofThis could be amazing with a reshoot.
WriteThe concept has potential, but the current execution is not yet strong enough on screen.
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Instead ofThe theme is important, so it scores high.
WriteThe theme is meaningful, but it needs stronger dramatisation to fully earn it.
Tips
- Pace yourself: a few entries at a time beats a long session.
- Recognise creativity and effort, even where the execution falls short.
- Keep the score bands open beside you and use them every time.
Confidential, and free of conflicts
Confidentiality
- Your scores, comments and nominations are seen only by the festival directors.
- Do not discuss entries, scores, deliberations or results with anyone outside the AFIN judging panel, before or after the festival. AFIN announces every result itself.
- Never share a screener link or password, and never download, copy or record an entry.
Conflicts of interest
- A judge may not have work in competition this season in any producing, directing or writing role. If such a work is entered, you step down from the panel for that season and the work is judged like any other entry.
- You may not judge a work in which you held any creative or decision-making role.
- If you appear in a submitted film as an actor or in a non-creative role, tell us at once; you are recused from viewing or scoring it.
- If you know a filmmaker or screenwriter well enough that it could affect your judgement, or seem to, declare it and we will reassign the entry.
AI in entries
- A project created entirely by AI is not eligible for awards.
- AI-generated elements such as visual effects or storyboarding are permitted, but they are not considered in the matching award areas.
- Everything not generated by AI is judged on the standard criteria.
Before you start, please read and accept the judge agreement. Questions about an entry, a conflict or the platform? Write to Peter at afinfestival@gmail.com.