How It Works

The rules of FilmDraft, from snake draft to final standings.

The Draft

Each season runs two drafts — one in spring, one in fall. Both use a snake draft format: first pick in round 1 gets last pick in round 2, and so on. Draft order is randomized for the first draft and reversed standings for the second.

You're drafting upcoming theatrical releases. Any movie with a confirmed release date in the current season window is eligible. Once someone picks a film, it's off the board.

Strategy matters. Do you chase the guaranteed blockbuster early? Bet on an indie awards darling? Grab the horror movie that might overperform on opening weekend? Every pick is a bet on the future.

Scoring Categories

Letterboxd Rating

Average user rating across the Letterboxd community. The people's vote.

Rotten Tomatoes

Critics consensus score. The professional barometer.

Metacritic

Weighted critic average. Harder to game, harder to ace.

Oscar Nominations

Total Academy Award nominations across your roster.

Golden Globe Nominations

Total Globe noms. Announced mid-December — an early-season shakeup.

Razzie Nominations

Yes, really. Razzies count. Draft a stinker, pay the price.

ISA Nominations

Independent Spirit Award noms. Rewards bold indie picks.

Opening Weekend

Domestic opening weekend gross. The hype check.

Domestic Box Office

Total domestic theatrical gross. Legs matter.

International Box Office

Worldwide gross minus domestic. The global play.

Head-to-Head Wins

Monthly matchups against other players. Win the month, earn the point.

Standings

In each of the 11 scoring categories, every player is ranked against the field. Rankings are converted to a composite score — a weighted average of your position across all categories.

The player with the best composite score at the end of the season wins. Simple in concept, brutal in practice. You can dominate box office and still lose if your critic scores tank.

Razzies are an inverse category — the fewer nominations, the better your rank. Drafting a critically reviled blockbuster is a calculated risk.

Head-to-Head

Every month during the season, you're matched up against another player. Your rosters go head-to-head across all scoring categories for that period. Win the majority of categories, win the matchup.

H2H wins are themselves a scoring category, so your monthly record directly affects your final standing. A bad month can haunt you all season.

Season Timeline

January
Season opens. First draft.
Monthly
H2H matchups scored as data rolls in.
June–July
Second draft. Mid-season reinforcements.
December
Golden Globe noms shake up the standings.
January (next)
Oscar & Razzie noms finalize scores. Champion crowned.
Questions? Complaints? Take it up with the commissioner.