Filmmaker – Professor – Telly Awards Judge
Tom Seymour is an award-winning American independent filmmaker, professor, and Silver Council Judge for the Telly Awards. Celebrated in The New York Times, he has earned over 70 awards across the independent film and television industry.
He is best known for the acclaimed documentaries VHS Massacre (2016) and VHS Massacre Too (2020), and his latest film Video Dreams—currently screening at top genre festivals including Cine-Excess and Spirit of Independence (a BIFA-qualifying festival). His other works include American Expendables and Exorcism of Fleete Marish (2022).
Seymour’s films, spanning both narrative and documentary, explore themes of independent cinema and cult film culture. His work has reached global audiences through platforms such as Peacock TV, Mubi, Netflix, Screambox, Troma, Cineverse, Tubi, Prime, and Vinegar Syndrome.
How many years have you been a judge?
5+ years
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
CBS News Editor/Camera Operator/Playback. To endure high pressure live television environments with hard deadlines. It was trial by fire.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
Video Dreams: A VHS Massacre Story is currently on the film festival circuit, recently accepted into Cine-Excess, one of the UK’s top genre film festivals. My earlier documentary features, VHS Massacre and VHS Massacre Too (which explore the video store era and have streamed on major platforms including NBC Universal’s Peacock TV, Mubi, Tubi, and Screambox). In 2023, both films were highlighted in The New York Times as part of a “streaming gems” article
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
Constantly trying to create and release feature films to remain relevant in an ocean of content.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
Merit based film festivals and award competitions that allow independent films to be submitted. This is why I appreciate the Telly Awards
How do you unwind from work mode?
Spending time with my friends and family. Also movies, video games and exercise.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to fuel your creativity?
Ice coffee.
When did you know that this career is what you wanted to do?
When I discovered as a child, that you could use your VCR at home to edit video. That when it all clicked for me.
What inspired you to join the field and create the kind of work you do?
The power of video editing. The ability to improve things that have already happened. It’s like magic to me.
What’s a work tool you use every day and what’s one that is obsolete that you wish still existed?
Well, I’m a fan of VHS, DVD and video store era. I’ve made some of the most popular documentary features on the subject. VHS Massacre VHS Massacre Too and Video Dreams. The first two were part of a New York Times streaming gems article in 2023.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
The movies studios essentially being bought and run by Silicon Valley and the rise of Independent news media.
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
Senior New Media Technologist and Adjunct Professor. I teach college students how to use design, editing, VR, and video game development software/hardware.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
Video Dreams is my latest film. “From Blockbuster dreams to streaming screens: A filmmaker’s journey through a vanishing world.” This feature-length documentary is currently in film festivals with a release planned for late 2026. The film follows a man’s thirty-year quest to become a direct-to-video filmmaker and see his movies on the shelves of Blockbuster Video and beyond.
