The Usak Short Film Festival, started in 2014, which has been international since 2018, received way more film submissions each year and decided to make changes in the event structure. It started to organize three short film contest sections: international, national, and national student competitions. However, the main change in the festival was to create a new jury, named mid-jury. The main reason for this was to have more balanced jury levels while lightening the load on the pre-selection jury by replacing the duty of determining the films that will compete for the festival awards to another committee. Festival administration formed the mid-jury committee in 2019 for the first time. The mid-jury chooses finalists from the official selection list presented by the preliminary jury and assters the nomination category. Then, they send these categorized films to the main jury for reward. This research will examine the mid-jury committe’s requirements, operation, and results for Usak Short Film Festival. Questions will be asked to the members of the jury who have taken part in this committee so far and to the directors who have been finalists in the same years. The efficiency of the committee and its decision will be discussed from a critical perspective on Usak Short Film Festival and other film festival samples. Hence, considering the point short films have reached today, it will be explained why the committee of mid-jury is necessary to more fairly, unquestionably or equitably decisions on selections for the festivals.
Usak Short Film Festival, Short Length Movie, Mid-Jury Committee