London Web Fest, an international online film festival celebrating everything short, today announced that BAFTA-nominated director Shona Auerbach will be joining its team of judges as a guest judge. Previous guest judges have come from all film industry sectors and are at the top of their professions. Guest judges have included Nick Coupe, Producer for the BBC, Channel 4, and Sky Arts; Phil Lee, sound designer for Paramount, Fox Searchlight, and Universal; and Kristin Atherson, actress for RSC, the National Theatre, and the BBC.

�We've quickly gained momentum and attracted fantastic guest judges from the film industry,� said Festival Director Saul Marron. �Each month, we�re amazed by the breadth of storytelling possible in the films and web series we receive. Shona�s amazing work as a director and cinematographer form a perfect match to judge the high bar set by the filmmakers in our festival.�

Auerbach is a British film director and cinematographer. She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Director (Dear Frankie, Path�), the Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Award, the High Falls Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature Film, and the Jackson Hole Film Festival Cowboy Award for Best Feature Film.

Guest judges review submissions and provide feedback. The online festival culminates with a Live Screening and Awards event in Londons beautiful Arcola Theatre, showcasing the year's monthly winners. �I am passionate about the short film format,� Auerbach said. �I started out my career by making a short film, and for me personally, it allowed real expression of thought and embraced storytelling in a concise, liberating way. We have found that blending online and live screenings is a great way to share films with the broadest possible audience.�

London Web Festival also hosts monthly Q&As with panel members from the �Official Selections,� with topics ranging from Directing, Cinematography, sound design, and International Acting.

Saul Marron is the festival director as well as an award-winning writer, producer, and director. �After being on the festival circuit myself in the past and seeing how many faceless festivals there were out there, I set up the festival for filmmakers to have their work seen by legitimate professionals that run the gamut of the industry,� Marron said.

London Web Fest is an IMDb qualifying festival. January winners included Best Web Series Loving Captivity, Best Short Film Holestepper, Best Student Film heart whispers, Best Documentary Going Deeper, and Best Animation yuluu.

Each month, the guest judge donates their fee to a charity of their choice. Auerbach has chosen Orangutan outreach. Orangutan Outreach's mission is to protect orangutans in their native forests of Borneo and Sumatra while providing care for orphaned and displaced orangutans until they can be returned to their natural environment. They seek to raise funds and promote public awareness of orangutan conservation issues by collaborating with partner organizations worldwide.

For more information or to submit a film or series, visit www.londonwebfest.co.uk