Enhancing Your Film Festival with Live Polling 

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Film festivals are not just about showcasing films. Any old movie theater can do that. 

Instead, modern film festivals are all about engaging audiences, fostering discussions, and creating memorable experiences for movie and art enthusiasts. 

In the digital age, incorporating live polling into your film festival can take audience interaction to the next level. Just take the Boston Jewish Film Festival, who made the switch from paper voting to Digital Joy Engage live polling and in doing so, transformed the experience for their audience and gained invaluable feedback. 

Whether you’re hosting an in-person event or streaming films online, live polling offers a unique opportunity to engage attendees, gather crucial feedback, and enhance the overall festival experience for your audience.  

In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of adding live polling to your film festival.  

1. Engage Your Audience 

Live polling transforms passive spectators into active participants, creating a dynamic and interactive atmosphere at your film festival. By posing thought-provoking questions related to the films being screened, filmmakers’ experiences, or audience preferences, you can stimulate discussions, spark curiosity, and engage attendees on a deeper level. 

2. Gather Immediate Feedback 

One of the primary benefits of live polling is the ability to gather immediate feedback from your audience. Whether it’s feedback on a specific film, the festival’s organization, or overall experience, live polling allows you to collect valuable insights in real-time. This feedback can be instrumental in shaping future festival programming, improving the attendee experience, and addressing any concerns or issues promptly. 

3. Enhance Programming 

Live polling provides valuable data on audience preferences, allowing you to tailor your festival programming to better meet their interests and expectations. By understanding which types of films resonate most with your audience, you can curate a lineup that caters to their tastes, ensuring a more enjoyable and satisfying festival experience for attendees. 

4. Foster Community Interaction 

Film festivals are not just about watching films; they’re about bringing people together and fostering a sense of community. Live polling encourages interaction and collaboration among attendees, creating opportunities for networking, sharing opinions, and building connections with like-minded individuals who share a passion for cinema. 

5. Enhance Q&A Sessions 

Live polling can enrich Q&A sessions with filmmakers by allowing audience members to submit questions in real-time. By soliciting questions from the audience via live polling, you can ensure that the Q&A session is engaging, relevant, and inclusive of diverse perspectives. This interactive format encourages active participation from attendees and provides filmmakers with valuable insights into audience reactions and interests. 

6. Create Memorable Experiences 

Live polling adds an element of excitement and interactivity to your film festival, creating memorable experiences that attendees will remember long after the event is over. Whether it’s participating in real-time polls, engaging in discussions with fellow attendees, or having their voices heard during Q&A sessions, live polling enhances the overall festival experience and leaves a lasting impression on attendees. 


Live polling is a valuable tool for enhancing your film festival experience. By engaging your audience, gathering immediate feedback, customizing programming, fostering community interaction, enhancing Q&A sessions, and creating memorable experiences, live polling can take your film festival to new heights. 

Digital Joy Engage can help your film festival –  take it from the Boston Jewish Film Festival organizers: 

“I would recommend the software to any other film festivals or programs with a live voting element. It makes a difference.” 

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