The New Orleans Comedy Film Festival’s mission is to promote and preserve the impact of comedy as a back channel to poignancy and human connection by getting a group of people in the same room and then making them laugh together.

2020 is a good year to start a brand new comedy film festival. Capitalizing on this science, the New Orleans Comedy Film Festival will mount its inaugural festival with bright, shiny optimism and sensible, realistic goals. We believe the result of bringing creative minds together to exhibit their work and collectively experience comedy is a powerful one. We aim to nurture the relationship of filmmaker to audience, and commit to fostering a space where artists can feel appreciated and filmgoers can leave with a light heart and full brain.

New Orleans is one of the most magnetic cities for art of all kinds, and it is our goal to include comedy films into the mix. As we begin this Adventure of a Lifetime, we know there are many facets of the event that will evolve, grow, and sometimes be a matter of trial and error. But one tenant that we will hold sacred throughout the process is transparency and open communication. The learning process can be improved when we work together, and we welcome any feedback.

NOTE: we are only issuing a very limited number of waivers on a case by case basis for special circumstances, but we do have a discount code for Louisiana and especially New Orleans residents, and there is a lower fee for student films. For the locals discount code, please send an email to info@nocff.com.

Audience Choice Awards for both Shorts and Features!

Rules for Submitting to the New Orleans Comedy Film Festival:

All Films must be in the genre of COMEDY.

All Films are or will be available to be screened in accepted format at the time of acceptance, January 10. And that required materials including a digital copy of the Project, must be distributed to the Festival no later than January 20.

Submissions must be made through FilmFreeway found at www.filmfreeway.com, unless special arrangements are made with the festival.

Foreign language films must be subtitled in English.

Multiple entries are permissible, but each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry and fee.

All fees are nonrefundable.

Submission and payment of the submission fee to the festival is not a guarantee that your film will be screened.

Exceptions to the festival regulations must be authorized by one of the Festival Directors.

Terms & Conditions

I or we, the undersigned authorized representative(s) of the project being submitted to the New Orleans Comedy Film Festival (the "Festival”) for consideration, hereby agree to the following Terms and Conditions:

I am 18 years old or older in order to enter into this contract, accepting these terms and conditions.

Upon submission, the filmmaker consents to allowing their screener material to be shared in its entirety with appropriate Festival staff, including programming staff, volunteer screeners, and other appropriate members of staff; shared with press outlets in efforts to secure press for the film; with final jury members; and with select individuals representing community partners who may be interested in supporting the film’s screening or taking part in a panel or q&a associated with the film.

The festival is hereby also granted the right to utilize image(s) and/or biographical information of the filmmakers for promotional purposes. The festival reserves the right to fill in any information not supplied by the filmmaker from whatever source available and will not be responsible if incorrect information is entered.

If your film is chosen as an official selection, Festival does not compensate for travel, accommodations, or appearance fees unless otherwise offered.

Festival reserves the right to schedule changes and may at any time revoke a film screening, festival passes, accommodations, and any other filmmaker agreements for any reason.

ONLINE SCREENERS ONLY. The executive committee reserves the right to rescind any screening engagement if the film is not delivered on time. The Festival holds your screeners in a secure fashion and takes the filmmakers rights very seriously. Please note that technical glitches will not be adjusted during the screening of your film. Your screener must be in final format upon acceptance and filmmakers will not be allowed to have private technical meetings with the projectionist.

The undersigned warrants that they are authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless the Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

If the Festival not hear from a film within 7 days of acceptance and do not receive the film's screener we can no longer accept or screen the film.

If a film no longer intends to screen and does not notify the festival of this change prior to January 31st, 2020 a $50 (US) fee will be charged back to the main point of contact provided in the submission form.