Wait. What? Are you serious?
Yes. The Comedy Film Festival (tCFF) takes place in Austin, TX and helps to fill the void of independent comedy films in the film festival world.
tCFF is made by comedy film lovers for comedy film lovers. We understand the growing need in the festival circuit for a festival where comedy films are highlighted and put on a pedestal.
Who started The Comedy Film Festival & why?
The Comedy Film Festival was started by Eric Alan Rousseau. After submitting his movie, Lucky Doug, to over 50 film festivals between 2020-2022, he then took the same movie around the festival circuit between 2021-2023. Eric visited a dozen film festivals around the United States and the film won a number of awards. All the while, both in attending festivals and talking to fellow filmmakers at festivals and at home, he found that comedy films were not a genre well represented in the festival circuit and were instead usually shoehorned into a film festival somewhere.
Who is The Comedy Film Festival for?
Simple — it’s for people who love comedy.
If you’re a filmmaker who specializes in comedy, or even just happened to make a comedy film, then this is your dedicated festival.
If you’re a lover of comedy films — then, great news. We’ll have some for you.
How can I submit my film(s)?
And yes, you can submit more than one project.
Do you have student discounts?
Yup! All categories have a student discount. All pricing is listed on FilmFreeway.
Rules & Terms
Each time you submit content to The Comedy Film Festival for consideration and/or selection, you will be confirming your acceptance and agreement to be bound by all Comedy Film Festival Terms and Conditions, including, without limitation, this Agreement.
Email us BEFORE submitting if you have any questions. That being said, DO NOT email us asking for a waiver code.
See individual categories for descriptions.
We will not be responsible for lost, damaged, unusable, or unreadable content.
All screenplays submitted for competition MUST be in standard screenplay format and as a PDF from a program such as Celtx, Movie Magic, Final Draft, etc. Word Docs with improper formatting will be disqualified without a refund. Your cover page should ONLY have the title of your script.
By submitting, you agree that you own all copyrights and intellectual properties to your work. Any violations of that agreement will result in immediate disqualification from the festival.
The Comedy Film Festival does not accept rough assemblies but will accept work-in-progress cuts (picture lock with temporary sound, color, etc.). Please be aware that we will NOT screen multiple updates/versions of your film for programming consideration. Therefore, consider submitting your application only when you think your film is in the most complete and finished form possible.
The Comedy Film Festival reserves the right to use any part of your submission for promotional purposes regarding the festival itself. This includes social media, local advertising, promo trailers, and other related venues.
Submitting to The Comedy Film Festival does not guarantee selection. We reserve the right to disqualify anyone based on violation of rules & regulations, objectionable content, rude behavior via email or social media, poor sound and/or video quality, or if we consider your film/screenplay to be not funny — because, ya know, this is THE COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL.
International films not in English MUST be subtitled in English. Films dubbed in English will be considered as well, though not preferred, but hey, that's your call.
All submissions must be made by a person 18 years or older.
Upon entering into this agreement, you agree that the The Comedy Film Festival reserves the right to sell event tickets, advertising, and gain outside sponsorship in connection with your content. You also agree that The Comedy Film Festival may use email communication as a form of contact in regards to your film, as well as for additional communications regarding this festival, future festivals, and related promotions. Upon request, you have the right to unsubscribe from any form of communication with The Comedy Film Festival.
Again, if you're not sure about something, please email us BEFORE you submit. We'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
By submitting you agree to:
Be kind and respectful to the Film Festival staff, volunteers, venues, festival attendees, and participating filmmakers.
Be graceful if you are not selected or do not win an award.
Be supportive of independent comedy films.
Most of all — be funny.