SXSW 2025 Film & TV Festival: Meet the Esteemed Jury Panel
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The 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival is set to celebrate another year of groundbreaking storytelling, bringing together industry professionals, emerging talents, and film enthusiasts. A highlight of the festival is the announcement of this year’s distinguished jury, who will evaluate and honor the best projects across multiple categories, including narrative and documentary features, shorts, music videos, poster design, and XR competitions.
The SXSW Film & TV Awards will take place on March 12, 2025, at 7:30 PM CST at the Paramount Theatre. The winners will be announced live on SXSW’s Instagram, and a complete list will be available on sxsw.com following the ceremony.
A Festival of Prestigious Recognition
As an Academy Awards® qualifying festival, SXSW provides a significant platform for filmmakers. Winners in categories such as Best Animated, Best Narrative, and Best Documentary Short Film gain eligibility for Academy Awards consideration. Additionally, British short films and animations screened at the festival qualify for BAFTA nominations, while select films may also be recognized by the Independent Spirit Awards.
The 2025 Jury: A Star-Studded Panel
This year’s jury comprises leading film critics, filmmakers, producers, and industry executives from some of the most influential entertainment companies, including Variety, IndieWire, Netflix, Disney, Crunchyroll, AMC Networks, and Columbia Records.
For the Narrative Feature competition, jurors include Clayton Davis (Variety), Rebecca Ford (Vanity Fair), and Ryan Lattanzio (IndieWire), all of whom bring extensive expertise in film analysis and industry trends. The Documentary Feature jury includes Tim Grierson (Screen International), Aisha Harris (NPR), and Jen Yamato (Washington Post), ensuring an insightful and critical evaluation of this year’s documentary selections.
The Narrative Shorts competition will be judged by Amy Beecroft (Verve Ventures), Jaycie Luo (MRC), and Sara Rastogi (HOORAE), while the Documentary Shorts jury features Chloe Gbai (Netflix), Corinne Gilliard Fisher (Producers Guild of America), and Amanda Spain (EverWonder Studio).
For Animated Shorts, the jury includes Brandon Bui (Disney Animation), Silvia Olivas (Emmy-winning writer), and Adam Zehner (Crunchyroll). The Midnight Shorts jury features Alayna Glasthal (Atomic Monster), Emily Gotto (AMC Networks Shudder), and David Lawson Jr. (independent film producer).
The Music Videos jury includes Britt Daniel (Spoon), Alexis Hodoyán-Gastélum (Remezcla), and Bryan Younce (Columbia Records), all of whom bring deep industry knowledge of visual storytelling in the music world. The Poster Design jury consists of Phoebe Joynt, Yen Tan, and Zuzu, each of whom has contributed significantly to the world of graphic design and visual arts.
Finally, the XR Competition will be judged by Christina Lee Storm (XR producer), Caspar Sonnen (IDFA), and Diana Williams (Kinetic Energy Entertainment), experts in immersive storytelling and emerging media technologies.
Don’t Miss the Action
With a reputation for launching innovative films and showcasing the best in independent cinema, SXSW continues to be a leading force in the industry. The awards ceremony on March 12, 2025, will highlight the year’s most outstanding creative works, judged by an exceptional panel of experts.