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

Short and Micro Film Awards

Best Acting Performance
Best Animated Comedy Film
Best Cinematography
Best Comedy Film
Best Dark Comedy Film
Best Director
Best Editing
Best Ensemble Cast
Best Found Footage Comedy Film
Best Horror Comedy Film
Best International Film
Best Mockumentary Film
Best Oregon Film
Best Picture
Best Proof Of Concept
Best Romantic Comedy Film
Best Sketch Comedy
Best Stand-Up Comedy
Best Series Episode
Funniest Music Video
Most Original Concept

Feature Screenplay and Short Screenplay Awards

Best Comedy Screenplay
Best Dark Comedy Screenplay
Best Horror Comedy Screenplay
Best International Screenplay
Best Oregon Screenplay
Best Romantic Comedy 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.

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 of your screenplay or teleplay.

DCP Screening Format and Requirements (for film and video submissions, not screenplays)

Our film festival screens films in a commercial theater that requires the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format. Please note:

DCP is not required for submission or evaluation. You can submit your film in any standard video format for review.
DCP is only required if your film is selected for screening. If selected, you must provide a working DCP file to ensure smooth playback in the theater.

To handle DCP files efficiently and reliably, we partner with AutoDCP.com for quality control and delivery. Here's how it works for selected filmmakers:

We will provide you with a Dropbox link to upload your DCP file directly to AutoDCP.com.

AutoDCP.com collects the files, checks them for integrity (to confirm they're complete and error-free), and tests playability.

They also generate a projection report that includes key details like frame rate, file size, runtime, and other relevant information to support the screening.

Costs and Trial
AutoDCP.com charges a fee of $10 for their e-delivery service.
First-time users get a 7-day free trial, which you can cancel after your file is delivered.

Why We Use This Process
Sending DCP files via email, shared links, or other methods often leads to issues like incomplete downloads, untested files that may not play correctly, or other workflow problems. Using AutoDCP.com ensures everything is verified and ready for the theater, avoiding last-minute surprises.

Encoding Your DCP
You do not need to use AutoDCP.com for encoding your film into DCP format, only for e-delivery and quality checks.
Free or built-in options for DCP encoding include:
DCP-o-matic (free software available at https://dcpomatic.com/).
Adobe Premiere Pro.
DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Converting your video to DCP is your responsibility as the filmmaker, and any associated costs are not covered by the festival.

If you are not comfortable with these requirements, including providing a working DCP if selected and using AutoDCP.com for e-delivery, please do not submit your film to this event. We want to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved. By submitting, you acknowledge that you understand and accept these conditions.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • William Donahue

    I had an amazing time at the Portland Comedy Film Festival this year! It was great to see and meet so many great filmmakers and industry professionals. The runners are always a class act, and I'm very appreciative of the win!

    March 2026
  • Emilie Martz

    Such sweet people running this festival. You can tell they really want to include as many filmmakers as possible of all shapes and sizes. Lots of good stuff in the program. It was a marathon- all in one day, so that's tough on the viewers, but we were so honored to have our short, Dog Daze, play alongside some other really funny films.

    March 2026
  • I’m incredibly grateful to the Portland Comedy Festival for awarding me Screenplay: Dark Comedy Short at the Winter 2026 edition.
    This was my very first prize as a screenwriter, which makes it truly special — and even more meaningful because it comes from a festival dedicated to comedy. I couldn’t be happier.
    Huge thanks to the team for creating such a welcoming space for storytellers and comedians. Long live the festival! I hope to be able to attend in person in future editions.
    To everyone thinking about submitting: do it. This festival really supports new voices and creative work.
    Thank you again!

    February 2026
  • Shari Hamrick-Grewal

    Was very fun to see so many amazing shorts and features in one day. So much talent, lots of laughs.

    February 2026
  • Brian Beesley

    Loved the theater, loved Portland, loved the festival. Thanks, Zeami.

    February 2026