Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP) presents the International Queer Women of Color Film Festival every June, two weekends before Pride Sunday in San Francisco. The Film Festival screens films created through our award-winning Filmmaker Training Program, in addition to films by independent filmmakers from around the world.

QWOCMAP will present the 21st annual International Queer Women of Color Film Festival (QWOCFF 2025) on June 13-15, 2025 at the historic Presidio Theatre in San Francisco’s Presidio National Park. Admission is free, and as part of QWOCMAP's commitment to disability justice and accessibility the festival strives to be a place of safety, welcome, belonging, and joy for all minds and bodies.

Building on the success of the 20th anniversary, QWOCFF25 promises another powerful lineup of films by LBTQIA+ BIPOC filmmakers. The festival bridges communities, bringing together a theatre full of friends and family who gather not only to watch a film together, but to experience something new, think differently, build community, and participate in deep, lasting social change.

Founded in 2000, QWOCMAP is the first film and media arts organization in the world for, by, and about/of LBTQIA+ BIPOC: queer women of color (cisgender and transgender), and nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and transgender people of color (of any orientation).

In 2003, the first free screening of QWOCMAP films drew standing-room only crowds to the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. In 2005, the free annual one-night screening expanded into the Queer Women of Color Film Festival. In 2007, the Film Festival moved to the Brava Theater which doubled our seating capacity, yet we still turned away hundreds of people. In 2020, we presented our first-ever virtual Film Festival, and live-streamed screenings to an international audience of over 3,000 households. Since 2022, the Film Festival has been hosted in-person at the historic Presidio Theatre in San Francisco's Presidio National Park. In 2023, QWOCMAP made MovieMaker's list of 20 Fantastic LGBTQ+ Film Festivals. In 2024, the milestone 20th anniversary Film Festival drew record-breaking attendance.

Rules & Terms

----- ELIGIBILITY -----

The International Queer Women of Color Film Festival accepts films of any length, genre, and subject matter that are created by LBTQIA+ BIPOC directors between 2022 to 2025.

FILMMAKERS
Films MUST be created by an individual that identifies as LBTQIA+ BIPOC: African Descent/Black; Native American; First Nations & Indigenous; Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander; Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern, Arab, North African, South Asian; Asian, Southeast Asian, Central Asian; Chicanx & Latinx, including indígena and afrodescendiente; and multi-ethnic lesbian, bisexual, asexual, queer women of color (both cisgender & transgender), and Two Spirit, intersex, and nonbinary, agender, gender nonconforming, and transgender people of color (of any orientation).

Submissions from allies are not accepted at this time.

FILMS
- Year of completion 2022 to 2025
- Any length: shorts, features, or episodic
- Any genre: narrative documentary, experimental, or mixed
- Any subject matter

----- SUBMISSION GUIDELINES -----

SUBMISSIONS
- FREE submissions ($0 - no cost)
- Submissions via FilmFreeway or qwocmap.org/festival/submit/
- If your submission is incomplete, your film will NOT be considered for QWOCFF

SCREENERS
- Digital screener required: 1920x1080 HD .mp4 or .mov preferred
- Screeners must at least be a rough cut

EXHIBITION COPY
- Final exhibition copies of selected films are due March 12, 2025.
- Format: Apple ProRes 422 HQ
- Container: MOV
- Resolution: 1920x1080p
- Open Captions: English, burnt into the file

FILM FREEWAY PROJECT DETAILS
When you create a film project in FilmFreeway, there is a long list of questions you can answer about your film. For QWOCFF, the following information is REQUIRED and you MUST fill out QWOCMAP's custom form for your submission to be considered complete:

- Project Information
Project type (MUST be a film/video)
Project Title
Brief Synopsis
Website/Social Media Links (optional)

- Submitter Information
Email
Phone
Address
Gender

- Credits
Producer
Director

- Specifications
Project Type (eg, experimental, documentary, feature)
Genres
Runtime
Completion Date
Country of Filming
Language (spoken in film)

- Screenings/Distribution
List previous screenings & awards

- 3 high-resolution (300 dpi) film stills uploaded to FilmFreeway OR emailed to festival@qwocmap.org

----- ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS -----
Upholding QWOCMAP's long-standing commitment to disability justice, all films are required to have English Open Captions for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. Additionally, we work with filmmakers to have selected films Audio Described for the Blind and Low Vision. This comprehensive approach ensures that all attendees can fully participate in and appreciate the cinematic experience.

OPEN CAPTIONS
- Films must be submitted with English Open Captions
- This is the responsibility of filmmakers
- Open Captions, also known as Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, are written text that appears on-screen describing the sounds of a film. Open Captions include spoken words, identify speakers, and describe other sounds. If a film has no dialogue, the Open Captions describe music and other ambient sounds or sound effects. Open Captions are embedded into a film; they are always displayed on screen and cannot be turned off.
- We do NOT accept .SRT files.

AUDIO DESCRIPTION
- If you have an audio description file, please include it in your submission
- If your film is selected and you do not have an audio description file, QWOCMAP will cover this cost. Filmmakers must fill out an audio description form about their film.
- Audio Description is the verbal narration of key visual content in a film; it allows people who are Blind and Low Vision to hear what is seen on screen. Audio Description is timed to fit between the film's dialogue and may describe the location, characters, meaningfully important visuals and actions, and symbolism or cultural traditions.

IMAGE DESCRIPTIONS
- Submissions must include image descriptions for film stills
- All photos and graphics on QWOCMAP email blasts, social media posts, and website pages include image descriptions for people who use screen readers and/or are Blind and Low Vision. Image descriptions describe the essential information that appears in a still image, including any text on a graphic.

----- SELECTION CRITERIA -----

Films MUST be created by LBTQIA+ BIPOC in order to be considered.

Films will be selected based on originality, artistic quality, and relevance to QWOCMAP’s mission of uplifting the stories of queer women of color (cisgender and transgender), and nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and transgender people of color (of any orientation).

Priority is given to films that address social justice issues, challenge dominant narratives, and present authentic, nuanced depictions of LBTQIA+ BIPOC experiences.

All decisions made by the selection committee are final.

Filmmakers will be notified of festival selection by late February 2025.

----- RIGHTS & CLEARANCES -----

Filmmakers are responsible for securing all necessary rights and permissions for music, images, and content featured in their films.

By submitting, filmmakers grant QWOCMAP the right to use clips, stills, and information from the film for promotional purposes.