We’re committed to making the Montclair Comedy Festival a vibrant, inclusive, and fair space for performers of all levels. To ensure a transparent and unbiased selection process, here’s how submissions will be reviewed:

1. Review Committee
A diverse committee of approximately 10 individuals—including comedians, producers, and community members—will review all video submissions.

2. Scoring System
Committee members will score each submission using a standardized rubric, rating factors like originality, delivery, stage presence, and audience engagement. All ratings will be submitted anonymously (so that ratings won’t be tied to specific committee members) and will be logged in a centralized spreadsheet. This is designed to help avoid bias and favoritism.

3. Data-Driven Selection
The compiled scores will allow us to sort and filter applications based on different metrics (e.g., average score, consistency across reviewers, etc.). This system ensures that selections are based on performance quality—not personal connections.

4. Final Review
After the initial scoring phase, the top-ranked submissions will be reviewed again to ensure diversity in style, background, and representation across shows and venues.

We know how much time and energy goes into applying and performing, and we deeply value every submission. Our goal is to make the selection process as fair, inclusive, and thorough as possible.