Portland Comedy Film Festival

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A live event founded in 2016, the Portland Comedy Film Festival showcases films, series episodes, music videos, screenplays and more at the Clinton Street Theater near downtown Portland, Oregon. The state of Oregon is known for being a laid back, fun place, with lots to do outside. Whether it’s the nature experience, the arts or the wonderful food options, if you haven’t visited at least once, perhaps it’s time you came out here! The first event was held in 2017 and has been ranked in the FilmFreeway Top 100 with 80+ Five Star reviews. This event was founded by author and retired filmmaker Mikel Fair who worked on location in the Film and Television industry from 1999-2015 while based in Houston, Texas. Mikel and his wife Brooke moved to Portland in 2015 and have been hosting this independent film showcase twice per year. It’s fun to watch and enjoy this program of short comedy films in a "back to back" format. The Portland Comedy Film Festival has nearly 100 active judges. All types of comedy submissions are selected and screened including TV Pilots, Funny Music Videos, Web Series Episodes, Dark Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Mockumentary, TV Pilots, Commercials, Micro Films, Animated Comedy, Horror Comedy, Stand-up Comedy, Sketch Comedy, and any other type of Comedy that you can think of. The judges are looking for films that generate laughter in a fun, fast paced program at a great venue. Come laugh with us in Oregon.

Looking for filmfreeway promo codes or waiver codes?

https://filmfestivalcircuit.com/blog/filmfreeway-promo-codes

Portland Comedy Film Festival Award Categories.

Film/Video:

Best Animated Comedy Film
Best Comedy
Best Dark Comedy
Best Horror Comedy
Best Mockumentary
Best Romantic Comedy
Best Sketch Comedy Video
Best Stand-Up Comedy Video
Funniest Music Video Award

Best Acting Performance
Best Cinematography
Best Director Award
Best Editing Award
Best Ensemble Cast
Best Found Footage Film
Best International Director
Best International Film
Best Oregon Film
Best Picture
Best Proof of Concept Award
Best Series Episode Award
Most Original Concept Award

Screenplays & Teleplays:

Best Comedy Feature Length Screenplay
Best Comedy Short Screenplay
Best Dark Comedy Feature Length Screenplay
Best Dark Comedy Short Screenplay
Best International Screenplay
Best Romantic Comedy Feature Length Screenplay
Best Romantic Comedy Short Screenplay
Best Oregon Screenplay
Best Teleplay

All films are eligible, regardless if they have distribution or not. All films are eligible even if they have been accepted to other film festivals. All films and videos are eligible, regardless of when or where they were produced. Even if your film or documentary series is publicly available on YouTube or Vimeo, it is still eligible for submission.

Starting June 1, 2023. All film screenings at the Clinton Street Theatre require files to be delivered in DCP 2k or 4k format. If your film is not in DCP format, please reach out to our vendor AutoDCP.com for a quote. Film Festival submission fees and DCP conversion fees are separate. The cost of any potential conversions is not covered by our festival. Please budget accordingly.

The submission fee does not include an event ticket fee if selected. Submission fees and event ticket fees are separate. There are no filmmaker passes.

The judges read and rate scripts for this specific competition only. Submitting to this film festival does not affect the ownership or copyright your screenplay or teleplay.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Joseph Gamble

Top-notch festival! Having attended in May 2023, I found the festival organizers to be very professional and welcoming to all film makers. From submittal process to actual event, communication was excellent. I was fortunate enough to receive an award in my category for my film "Let's Go Daddy". Organizers utilize social media diligently for finalist film makers. I highly recommend this festival!

May 2023

Helpful
Steve Melone

Our team had a wonderful time at PCFF! Our film, "Canned," won Best Mockumentary at the festival. It was a great group of filmmakers. The fest is a great champion for Independent comedy. Zeami and the theater owner were incredibly welcoming. The event overall was excellent!

May 2023

Helpful
Suzy Stein

They really care about the art form and the artists. We felt very supported. This was our second screenplay entry and we will definitely submit our film !

May 2023

Helpful
Carlos Perez

A really friendly festival filled with people who have their act together.

May 2023

Helpful
Candace Egan

This festival is very well-run, with excellent communication throughout the process from being an official selection, to finalist to winner. A nice surprise was to be interviewed prior to the event and then be able to share that on my social media. Loved attending in person.

May 2023

Helpful

Add to List

Dates & Deadlines

April 8, 2023
Opening Date
April 30, 2023
First Deadline
May 31, 2023
Early Deadline
June 30, 2023
Regular Deadline
July 31, 2023
Final Deadline
September 15, 2023
Notification Date
October 15, 2023
Event Date

Categories & Fees

Animated Comedy Film
This category is reserved for funny cartoons, 2D animation, 3D animation, clay animation, sand animation, Anime, Computer Graphics, Puppetry Animation, Stop-Motion, Flip Book Animation, Experimental Animation and any form of animated films that may exist, but we haven't listed. Comedy Films that have a mixture of animated elements and live action characters are eligible for this category as well.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $40
Submit Now
Comedy Film
This category is reserved for films that make people laugh. The judges are looking for films that have funny moments, comedic situations, fun dialogue, humorous acting, and great characters. This event has screened great musicals, sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, family comedy, silent comedy, slapstick comedy, romantic comedy, action comedy, student comedy, fake commercials and more at our past events.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for a single comedy web series episode that is currently running, or is soon to be released on YouTube, Funny or Die, Vimeo, or another streaming service. Would you like to earn accolades and increase exposure to new fans for your Comedy Web Series? Please do not submit more than one episode per submission fee. We will not play a collection of episodes based on the contents of one episode. Each episode is judged individually.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Dark Comedy Film
This category is reserved for films that are on the darker side of the comedy genre. Sometimes referred to as “Black Comedy” these films have a sick sense of humor and may not be suitable for mainstream festivals. Often times these films end with the death of a character or have some strange gruesome scenes. Dark comedy films can make you laugh and cringe at the same time. If your audience laughs and then says “that’s messed up,” then you’ve probably produced something pretty dark. This event has screened dark comedy films that feature strange cruelty, or feature characters that are trying to get rid of a dead body, or they accidentally poison the wrong person, or even dream of murders, dark situations and revenge with strange dark comedic elements.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Dark Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for an episode or pilot that is on the darker side of the comedy genre and is a part of an ongoing series. Sometimes referred to as “Black Comedy” these films have a sick sense of humor and may not be suitable for mainstream festivals. Oftentimes these stories end with the death of a character or have some strange gruesome scenes. Dark comedy shows can make you laugh and cringe at the same time. If your audience laughs and then says “that’s messed up,” then you’ve probably produced something pretty dark. This event has screened dark comedy episodes that feature strange cruelty, or feature characters that are trying to get rid of a dead body, or they accidentally poison the wrong person, or even dream of murders, dark situations and revenge with strange dark comedic elements. Some examples include "The Boys" on Amazon Prime or "Russian Doll" on Netflix.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Found Footage Comedy (Film or Video)
This category features a fictional recording of events that is made to look it was created from old video camera tape, phone recordings or film that was discovered. Mysteriously it isn’t always clear when or where the events happened to the characters involved. The point of view in the story sometimes comes from multiple characters that happened to be recording while action and events took place. The overall production is sometimes shaky, partially lit or out of focus to improve realism and build tension. Blockbuster films have screened in this format have come from all genres like The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield & Paranormal Activity. Archive 81 is a Netflix series that is about a character that is restoring found footage to solve a mystery. If you have created a found footage film of any genre, this is the right category for your film. In our 4 comedy film festivals (Portland, Houston, Georgia and Austin) we are looking for the funniest films that will generate laughter.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Funny Music Video
This category is reserved for music videos that are meant to make the audience laugh. Do you have a funny concept, lyrics and story for your music video? Have you completed a fun parody of a popular song, film or person? The judges are impressed by good stories, great acting, excellent cinematography, and cool editing that sync really well with the music. If your music video is publicly available on Vimeo, Vevo or YouTube, your submission is qualified for entry. Official selections, nominations or awards on the Film Festival Circuit may help your video get exposure. The time limit for the Funny Music Video category is five minutes and fifty nine seconds (05:59) including all credits.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Horror Comedy Film
This category is reserved for comedy films in the horror film genre, that are full of jokes? Is it a Slasher parody? Is it a reality show about Vegetarian Vampires or cigar smoking Zombies? Is your film full of 80's era bad one-liners, full of nudity for no reason? You know if your film is a Horror Comedy Film, the question is, are you going to send it to us?
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Horror Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for episode or pilot in the horror film genre, that are full of jokes and humor. Is it a Slasher parody, is it a reality show about vegetarian Vampires or breakdancing Zombies? Is your film full of 80's era bad one-liners, full of nudity for no reason?
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Micro Film (Less than 6 minutes)
Any film, video or series episode that is 6 minutes or less in the comedy genre: Animated, Comedy, Dark Comedy (Black Comedy), Found Footage Comedy, Horror Comedy, Mockumentary, Romantic Comedy, Sketch Comedy, Spoof Commercial, Stand-Up Comedy, Stop Motion or anything else that will make our audience laugh out loud.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $40
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $40
Submit Now
Mockumentary Film
This category is reserved for comedy films that are presented in a documentary or testimonial format. This is a fun category for our judges to review, which frequently has the most creative concepts. There are few film festivals in the world with a dedicated Mockumentary category, but this event has had one since the beginning.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Proof Of Concept (Film or Video)
Is your film or video a proof-of-concept for a feature length film or ongoing series? We give additional award consideration and public recognition to submissions that are created in a form that is 30 minutes or less, but are intended to show investors, distributors and production companies a sample of a larger project. Please understand, we are giving recognition to submissions that are a proof-of-concept, but this film festival is not your personal sales agent. We do not sell your work and negotiate business deals on your behalf.. You represent your own creative content at all times. Submitting to multiple categories is optional and makes your submission eligible for more awards. Make sure to apply the promo code for this festival in order to save money on your submission fees. https://www.filmfestivalcircuit.com/en-us/filmfreeway-waiver-codes
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Romantic Comedy Film
This category is reserved for romantic comedy films with a storyline about relationships, love, dating or romantic situations. Romantic comedies have funny moments, but may have some dramatic elements to them as well. Strong acting, good stories and funny situations are what the judges are looking for.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Romantic Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for a single romantic comedy episode with a storyline about relationships, love, dating or romantic situations. Romantic comedies have funny moments, but may have some dramatic elements to them as well. Strong acting, good stories and funny situations are what the judges are looking for. Submissions to this category must be a part of on ongoing episodic series, pilot or series in development.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Stand-Up Comedy
This category is reserved for Stand-Up comedy stage performances that are 30 minutes or less.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Sketch Comedy (Film or Video)
This category is usually performed live with funny scenes and situations referred to as sketches or skits. In this format, not every action spoken follows a script in the same way that cinematic productions are structured. There are plenty of ad libbing and performance adjustments that are made on the fly. Made popular by shows like Saturday Night Live, Mad TV and House of Buggin’, the sketches are improvised by actors and comedians in the form of a dramatized series of jokes and situations that are oftentimes related to current news events and cultural activities. The Portland Comedy Film Festival, Austin Comedy Film Festival, Houston Comedy Film Festival and Georgia Comedy Film Festival have all added this category.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $50
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $55
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $55
Submit Now
Screenplay: Comedy Feature (more than 60 pages)
This category is reserved for screenplays that are funny, engaging and make people laugh. The judges are looking for screenplays that have great character development, funny moments, comedic situations, smart dialogue, humorous personalities, and a storyline that is easy to follow. Most genres of comedy screenplays fit into this category. General comedy, musicals, sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, family comedy, slapstick comedy, action comedy, student comedy, fake commercials and even mockumentary screenplays. Please note that we also have separate screenplay categories for Dark Comedy, Horror Comedy, Romantic Comedy and Comedy Series Teleplays. All feature length screenplays must be 60 or more pages in length, delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $45
Submit Now
Screenplay: Comedy Short (1-60 pages)
This category is reserved for screenplays that are funny, engaging and make people laugh. The judges are looking for screenplays that have great character development, funny moments, comedic situations, smart dialogue, humorous personalities, and a storyline that is easy to follow. Most genres of comedy screenplays fit into this category. General comedy, musicals, sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, family comedy, slapstick comedy, action comedy, student comedy, fake commercials and even mockumentary screenplays. Please note that we also have separate screenplay categories for Dark Comedy, Horror Comedy, Romantic Comedy and Comedy Series or Television Episodes. The maximum number of pages allowed for our Short Screenplay categories is 60 pages delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Screenplay: Dark Comedy Feature (more than 60 pages)
This category is reserved for screenplays that are on the darker side of the comedy genre. Sometimes referred to as “Black Comedy” these films have a sick sense of humor and may not be suitable for mainstream festivals. Often times these stories end with the death of a character or have some strange gruesome scenes. Dark comedy films can make you laugh and cringe at the same time. If your audience laughs and then says “that’s messed up,” then you’ve probably written something pretty dark. This event has selected dark comedy screenplays that feature strange cruelty, or feature characters that are trying to get rid of a dead body, or they accidentally poison the wrong person, or even dream of murders, dark situations and revenge with strange dark comedic elements. All feature length screenplays must be 60 or more pages in length, delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $45
Submit Now
Screenplay: Dark Comedy Short (1-60 pages)
This category is reserved for short screenplays that are on the darker side of the comedy genre. Sometimes referred to as “Black Comedy” these films have a sick sense of humor and may not be suitable for mainstream festivals. Often times these stories end with the death of a character or have some strange gruesome scenes. Dark comedy films can make you laugh and cringe at the same time. If your audience laughs and then says “that’s messed up,” then you’ve probably written something pretty dark. This event has selected dark comedy screenplays that feature strange cruelty, or feature characters that are trying to get rid of a dead body, or they accidentally poison the wrong person, or even dream of murders, dark situations and revenge with strange dark comedic elements. The maximum number of pages allowed for our Short Screenplay categories is 60 pages delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Screenplay: Horror Comedy Feature (more than 60 pages)
This category is reserved for comedy screenplays in the horror film genre, that are full of jokes? Is it a Slasher parody, is it a reality show about vegetarian Vampires or Redneck Zombies? Is your film full of 80's era bad one-liners, evil blood oranges or face eating waffles? You know if your screenplay is a Horror Comedy screenplay, the question is, are you going to send it to us? All feature length screenplays must be 60 or more pages in length, delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $45
Submit Now
Screenplay: Horror Comedy Short (1-60 pages)
This category is reserved for comedy screenplays in the horror film genre, that are full of jokes? Is it a Slasher parody, is it a reality show about vegetarian Vampires or Redneck Zombies? Is your film full of 80's era bad one-liners, evil blood oranges or face eating waffles? You know if your screenplay is a Horror Comedy screenplay, the question is, are you going to send it to us? The maximum number of pages allowed for our Short Screenplay categories is 60 pages delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Screenplay: Romantic Comedy Feature (more than 60 pages)
This category is reserved for romantic comedy screenplays with a storyline about relationships, love, dating or romantic situations. Romantic comedies have funny moments, but may have some dramatic elements to them as well. Well written characters, good stories and funny situations are what the judges are looking for. All feature length screenplays must be 60 or more pages in length, delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $45
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $45
Submit Now
Screenplay: Romantic Comedy Short (1-60 pages)
This category is reserved for short romantic comedy screenplays with a storyline about relationships, love, dating or romantic situations. Romantic comedies have funny moments, but may have some dramatic elements to them as well. Well written characters, good stories and funny situations are what the judges are looking for. The maximum number of pages allowed for our Short Screenplay categories is 60 pages delivered in .pdf format.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Teleplay: Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for screenwriters that are presenting their creative comedy ideas in a sitcom, web series or episodic format. Screenwriters are able to submit an episode for an existing television series like Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory, Blackish, Portlandia etc ... Or you can submit something completely original. Well written characters, good stories and funny situations are what the judges are looking for. Please limit one episode per submission. Submissions to the Teleplay: Comedy Series Episode category must be less than 60 pages in length.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Teleplay: Dark Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for short teleplays that are on the darker side of the comedy genre. Sometimes referred to as “Black Comedy” these films have a sick sense of humor and may not be suitable for mainstream festivals. Often times these stories end with the death of a character or have some strange gruesome scenes. Dark comedy films can make you laugh and cringe at the same time. If your audience laughs and then says “that’s messed up,” then you’ve probably written something pretty dark. This event has selected dark comedy teleplays that feature strange cruelty, or feature characters that are trying to get rid of a dead body, or they accidentally poison the wrong person, or even dream of murders, dark situations and revenge with strange dark comedic elements. Submissions to the Dark Comedy Teleplay Episode category must be less than 60 pages in length. Some examples include "The Boys" on Amazon Prime or "Russian Doll" on Netflix.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Teleplay: Horror Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for comedy series episodes in the horror film genre, that are full of jokes? Is it a Slasher parody? Is it a reality show about Vegetarian Vampires or cigar smoking Zombies? Is your series episode full of 80's era bad one-liners, full of nudity for no reason? Funny jokes and references to the Horror genre with funny situations and great characters are what the judges are looking for. The format should be written as a pilot or a part of an ongoing series. Please limit one episode per submission. Submissions to the Teleplay: Horror Comedy Series Episode category must be less than 60 pages in length.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now
Teleplay: Romantic Comedy Series Episode
This category is reserved for romantic comedy teleplays with a storyline about relationships, love, dating or romantic situations. Romantic comedies have funny moments, but may have some dramatic elements to them as well. Well written characters, good stories and funny situations are what the judges are looking for. The format should be written as a pilot or a part of an ongoing series. Please limit one episode per submission. Submissions to the Teleplay: Romantic Comedy Series Episode category must be less than 60 pages in length.
- First Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Early Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $35
- Final Deadline
- Standard: $35
Submit Now

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Joseph Gamble

Steve Melone

Suzy Stein

Carlos Perez

Candace Egan