Paper ballots and golf pencils? To vote? In this digital age? With 54% of the world’s population owning a smartphone, I felt it was about time to digitize the voting experience for film festivals and their loyal audiences. A couple of years ago, a documentary film I had the immense pleasure of being an Associate Producer on was shining bright on the festival circuit, so I made the trip to Austin to help give it an extra dose of some good old boots-on-the-ground guerilla marketing. 

I chatted with some filmmakers and mused about a digital solution to the antiquated paper ballot method and limited marketing support for films, affectionately named FestiVote, because, hey, who doesn’t love a witty pun?

They were all for it! On the flight back to Los Angeles, I scribbled my ideas to share with my beloved confidant and wife, Anne-Mari. She loved the idea and vowed to push me to make this a reality. So, we teamed up and reached out to my best friend Uri, the tech brains behind it all, and together, we bring you, FestiVote! We’re delighted to share our creation with you.

Philippe Macridis
Founder