Shirin Barghnavard is one of the judges at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards. Photo credit: Nahal Khaknegar.
The Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards is an annual online festival established in 2010 by Filmservice International. The Awards are dedicated to corporate and documentary storytelling, and recognise a wide range of work.
Candidates compete in five categories: Corporate Films and Videos, Corporate Online Media, Documentaries and Reports (TV, Online, Cinema), Production Arts Crafts, and Students.
Entries are open internationally, and the submissions are received from creative agencies, production companies, broadcasters, organisations, brands, and institutions across different industries.
This year's entries were received from more than 50 countries.
The Awards jury consists of experts in the film industry, corporate media and brand communication, and includes Oscar® and Emmy® winners. Shirin won a place through her expertise as a filmmaker and researcher, with the themes covered by the documentaries resonating with those of her own documentary films. She was the only jury member from Australia.
Jury members come from different countries and professional backgrounds, bringing diverse perspectives to the evaluation process. Depending on their expertise, jurors may assess works across different categories. For this award, the jury is generally divided into three main groups covering Corporate Films, Online social media, and Documentary, as well as Production Art Craft. Shirin was involved in voting within the Documentary category.
Exploring critical social issues through documentary filmmaking
Due to the large number of jurors, the jury process relied on individual deliberation rather than collective discussion or debate. Shirin noted that this allows jurors to work at a time and pace that best suits their concentration and judgement, which can significantly influence the quality of their evaluation. It encourages a more independent and, at times, more decisive and radical approach to assessment. In that context, decisions are shaped more directly by each juror's own artistic, cinematic, and professional sensibilities.
"To me, the strongest works are those in which content, form and aesthetics work together in a coherent and meaningful way. When a film achieves this balance, it has the greatest impact on me. In addition to the festival's official evaluation criteria, another characteristic that strongly influences my decisions is the sense of conviction behind a work. I am often impressed by films where the motivations, concerns and commitment of the filmmaking team are clearly felt in the final product."
Almost all the documentaries she viewed critically explored themes like war, governmental and structural corruption, women's rights, poverty, discrimination, forgotten histories, and the transformation of urban landscapes through gentrification.
"As always, I was inspired by many of these films and learned about the subtleties and realities of global socio-political and cultural issues. For me, this is one of the most valuable aspects of serving as a jury member."
The second round of jury deliberations is set to take place in mid-August, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in Cannes in September.
