WorldFest Houston

WorldFest’s getting crafty at the Bayou City Art Festival. 🖌️🎨
Make sure you stop by and say hi, or make your very own thaumatrope with us! We’ll be stationed in the Active Imagination Zone, surrounded by many other fun arts & crafts activities.

Check out the festival! Shop for some cool new art and festival merchandise, or have a photoshoot at several selfie stations. It’s sure to be a weekend full of fun, creativity, and community.

Get Tickets at bayoucityartfestival.com

We can’t wait to see you there!

HoustonCreatives SupportTheArts

To every juror who has ever given a filmmaker's work the time and attention it deserves, thank you. People like Lon Fairchild make WorldFest what it is: a screenwriter, WorldFest award winner, and for 32 years, a Special Agent with the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, serving at embassies and consulates worldwide.

That's the kind of life experience our jurors bring to every frame. For nearly 60 years, WorldFest entries have been evaluated by filmmakers, writers, educators, and film lovers who show up with real perspective and genuine care for the stories in front of them.

We're always looking to grow that circle. Jurors get full festival perks and a front-row seat to next year's best independent films.

WorldFest60: April 30 to May 8, 2027, Houston. Submit your juror interest form, link in bio.

Meet Dogus Ozokutan, director, screenwriter and longtime member of the WorldFest family, and one of the many jurors who give their time to help us discover exceptional independent film.

Her films blend dark comedy with explorations of fate, death and human absurdity, a voice that's unmistakably her own. Now a WorldFest alumna, she's bringing that same eye to our jury, and we couldn't be more grateful for jurors like her who make this festival what it is.

Love discovering independent film? We're always looking for more jurors like Dogus. Filmmakers, writers, educators, artists and industry veterans all welcome, plus you get festival perks and passes.

WorldFest60 runs April 30 to May 8, 2027 in Houston.

🎬 Submit your juror interest form, link in bio.

This is exactly why we do what we do. 🌟

Filipino actor Jake Vargas won a WorldFest Houston Rising Star Award for a bold, compelling performance. Now he's signed with Maja Salvador's Crown Artist Management, and Inquirer Entertainment named his WorldFest win as part of the story.

Our jurors, working industry professionals, saw it first. Sixty years in, we're still spotlighting tomorrow's international stars today.

Your performance could be next. Discover 60 years of international cinema and submit your work.

🎬 Link in bio

🎬 Grateful doesn't begin to cover it. Hakan Ünal brought his eye for stories about memory, repression, and identity to the WorldFest59 jury, and independent filmmakers were better for it.

As an award winning Turkish screenwriter and creative director, Hakan knows what it takes to build a narrative that stays with an audience long after the credits roll. That's exactly the kind of perspective our jurors bring to the table, and exactly why their evaluations carry weight with filmmakers and programmers alike.

Now we're building the WorldFest60 jury, and we're still looking for voices like his.

🎥 Filmmakers, writers, educators, artists, and film lovers are all welcome
🏆 Festival perks included
📅 60th Anniversary, Houston, April 30 to May 8, 2027

Want a seat at the table? Apply to join the jury. Link in bio.

Rejected? Or just not programmed?

At WorldFest, those are two different things, and understanding the difference changes how you see the submission process.

Every eligible entry is evaluated for Remi Award consideration by at least two jurors. That evaluation determines award eligibility. Theatrical programming is a separate process, shaped by runtime, thematic balance, premiere status, and the realities of building a festival schedule. A film can win a Remi without ever being programmed theatrically.

This isn't a loophole. It's how we protect artistic recognition from the limits of screen slots and scheduling.

We built this carousel because filmmakers deserve to know what's actually happening behind the scenes when they hit submit. Transparency is part of what we owe the work you trust us with.

Your story matters. Thank you for trusting WorldFest with your work.

Grateful doesn't begin to cover it. Miguel Nogueras Jr. brought 20+ years of brand and storytelling expertise to our WorldFest59 jury, spending countless hours discovering bold, independent voices alongside our panel of filmmakers, writers, educators, and artists.

Jurors like Miguel are the backbone of what makes WorldFest work. They show up for the craft, for the filmmakers, and for the belief that independent cinema deserves a real seat at the table.

Now we're building our jury for the 60th Anniversary festival, and we want you on the panel. Whether you're a filmmaker, writer, educator, or just someone who loves discovering great independent film, there's a place for you here.

Jury members receive WorldFest goodies and festival passes, plus a front row seat to next year's best storytelling.

🎬 Apply to join the jury, link in bio.