Jack'd Film Festival Offers $20,000 to Queer Filmmakers of Colour
The first Jack'd Film Festival runs entirely in the dating app from 2 November to 3 December, with $20,000 in prizes and a judging panel including Dyllón Burnside and TS Madison.
A new film festival celebrating queer filmmakers of colour will open on Monday 2 November 2026, but audiences will not need to visit a cinema to attend. The inaugural Jack'd Film Festival is taking place entirely inside the Jack'd dating app, giving independent directors a way to show their work directly to viewers and compete for a share of $20,000 in prize money.
The festival runs until 3 December and includes short films, documentaries and feature-length projects centred on queer people of colour. Its combination of digital screenings and audience voting is unusual in a film sector where festivals traditionally depend on physical venues.
How does the Jack'd Film Festival work?
Viewers can watch the selected films through the Jack'd app, with screenings and filmmaker programming taking place throughout the festival period. The organisers say the format is designed to connect filmmakers with audiences who may not otherwise encounter their work at conventional festivals.
Submissions closed on 21 October. Filmmakers were not required to identify as people of colour themselves, but their entries needed to centre queer experiences and perspectives, particularly those of queer communities of colour.
Who is judging the films?
The five-person judging panel includes Pose actor Dyllón Burnside, performer and television personality TS Madison, actor and singer Miss Lawrence, screenwriter Mike Gauyo and filmmaker Bobby Ashley. Their careers span television, cinema and independent queer storytelling.
Two major awards divide the prize fund. The Grand Jury Award carries $10,000, and the Audience Choice Award offers another $10,000, with the latter determined by verified audience votes. Jack'd says eligible viewers can vote for up to three films.
Why is this festival different?
Hosting a film festival inside a dating app is a deliberate departure from the usual model. Jack'd is best known as a social and dating platform, but the festival extends its community focus into creative work that can be difficult to place in mainstream distribution.
There are also limits to the format: anyone interested in watching must use the app, and the filmmakers are dependent on that platform to reach the audience. Those practical considerations make this a distinct experiment rather than a guaranteed replacement for established film festivals.
When can people watch?
The festival opens on 2 November and closes on 3 December 2026. Confirmed screenings and voting details are available on the official Jack'd Film Festival page, which should be checked for the final programme.
Image credit: Jack'd Film Festival
