Rainbow Roll Fest exists to celebrate and honor innovation and achievements in the field of TTRPG Actual Play, with a particular focus on shows led by LGBTQIA+ people. We are an online festival that aims to showcase a wide variety of Actual Play content.

Your show is a good fit for our audio track if:

1.The show is based primarily around voice performance

2. If hosted on a video-based platform like YouTube or Twitch, the show may have static or dynamic overlays as a complement to voice performance

3. The show is available on at least one major podcast player

Your show is a good fit for our video track if:

1. The show is based primarily around video capture of performer’s faces and/or bodies (including v-tubers)

2. The show features actors filmed in-studio or captured remotely via online recording (Zoom, OBS, etc.)

3. The show features detailed animation sequences

We do require that your show choose one track to compete in, and we reserve the right to decline your choice if it does not fall within the above guidelines.

All shows entering the fest are automatically considered for our awards, with the exception of Outstanding Player (Audio, Video) and Outstanding Original Music. Shows must self-nominate for those awards using our application form.

We strongly recommend you read over our FAQs before submitting: https://www.rainbowrollfest.com/faqs.

If you have a question that is NOT answered by our FAQs, please reach out to us at rainbowrollfest@gmail.com. We'll do our best to help! Please note that individual Fest volunteers will not be able to respond to emails, DMs, messages, etc. sent to their personal accounts. Questions directed to Rainbow Roll Network's Bluesky DMs will be redirected to our Fest email account.

Outstanding Depiction of LGBTQIA+ Themes
Outstanding Show (Audio)
Outstanding Show (Video)
Outstanding Player Performance (Audio)
Outstanding Player Performance (Video)
Outstanding GM (Audio)
Outstanding GM (Video)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast (Audio)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast (Video)
Outstanding Sound Design (Audio)
Outstanding Sound Design (Video)
Outstanding Editing (Audio)
Outstanding Editing (Video)
Outstanding Original Music
Outstanding Visual Design
Outstanding Costuming and Makeup
Outstanding Use of System
Creative Use of System

We have the following minimum expectations:

1. Your screener must be Actual Play. We define "Actual Play" as any show where the hosts or cast members roleplay a story together using any game system, including just improvising. Actual Play shows that contain non-AP segments, such as reviews or discussion, are eligible as well.

2. Your screeners, web presence, and social media presence (show, cast, and crew) must align with our values of respect, inclusion, and care for marginalized communities.

3. Screeners must be between 30-45 minutes long. We have a minimum length requirement of 30 minutes for screeners. Screener material that exceeds 45 minutes will not be screened at the fest or reviewed by our judges.

4. Audio or visual material must be accompanied by an accurate English-language transcript for our accessibility requirements. Captions are strongly encouraged, but not required. If your show is primarily played in a language other than English, we welcome transcripts in that language as well! Because we broadcast to an audience composed mainly of English speakers, we do require an English-language transcript. You may email it to us at rainbowrollfest@gmail.com with the subject line ["YourShowName Transcript"].

5. Audio-only files must be accompanied by cover art or a still image while audio plays.

6. Screeners must include content warnings. For your convenience, here is a database of common content warnings: https://triggerwarningdatabase.com/masterlist-tw/

7. Screeners must include credits detailing featured cast and crew, artists, musicians, etc.

8. Your submission must have been released after January 1, 2024.

9. Your show does not use generative AI for art, performances, scripted performed content, or music.

10. We require a logo and 1-minute trailer for each show/screener. You can upload these to your FilmFreeway page or email them to us at rainbowrollfest@gmail.com.

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We STRONGLY recommend you read over our FAQ before submitting: https://www.rainbowrollfest.com/faqs

We also strongly encourage you to submit a festival cut of your show. Festival cuts can be a selection of clips which tell a story, and/or which you feel highlight the best parts of your show, or one long segment of an episode. Festival cuts should demonstrate the qualities of your show that make it unique, enjoyable, and innovative.

We do not accept screeners edited so that the audience primarily experiences a sequence of very short clips in rapid succession for a significant duration of the screener. Clips under a minute in length generally fall into this category; clips that last only a few seconds each definitely do.

Applying to Rainbow Roll Fest does not guarantee automatic acceptance to the Fest. We reserve the right to decline your submission.