Public Vote Categories: How They Sit Alongside the Academy

Alongside professional evaluation and Academy voting, certain categories may open to a public vote, letting any registered user cast a vote for a favourite among that category's nominees. It does not replace expert judging. It runs on its own track and is announced as its own award, such as an Audience Choice or Children's Choice award.

Which categories open to a public vote is decided each year. A category can be open one year and jury-only the next, depending on what suits it. A technical craft category, for instance, is less suited to open voting than one with broad audience appeal.

For filmmakers, a public vote is a chance to bring an existing audience, such as family, school or community, into the festival. To keep it fair, each account has one vote per category.