The Broad Humor Film Festival features funny films written by and directed by women. Broad Humor's screenplay competition supports women screenwriters with feature and short categories. The Broad Humor Film Festival honors women who craft stories on film that put a grin on your face or a chuckle in your belly.

WOMEN WRITE. WOMEN DIRECT. EVERYBODY LAUGHS.

**2026 UPDATE!**
Is crazy just around the corner from you? Do you have rhythm, style and audience appeal? BHFF 2026 is honored to announce a brand new category. Stand-Up Comedians. We want the trashy, petty, observational, dark and personal with uncomfortable truths. Be Part of Broad Humor History! Send a link to your routine. Make us laugh!

**READ EVERYTHING**
The BROAD HUMOR FILM FESTIVAL mission is to honor Female Creators of Content. Born in 2006, Broad Humor was named in 2013 one of the top five festivals for women by MOVIEMAKER magazine. This niche film festival dedicated to comedic films written and directed by women highlights all the ways that women make other women and men laugh and to celebrate their power to do so. Projects submitted with exclusively male writers or directors will be not be selected.

In 2025, Broad Humor recognized 50% of the screenplay submissions, and 25% of films submissions were screened during our 4 - day event. We STRONGLY encourage women directors with feature films to submit their work. We Know you are out there! Send us your funny features.

Finalist screenwriters in attendance are treated to a stage reading by up to a dozen professional stage and film actors from the Los Angeles Area. Excerpts of their work are read before a live (Typically SOLD OUT) audience.

The subject matter of films and screenplays featured in the festival, if not strictly speaking a comedy, must include a healthy dose of humor. We are interested in showcasing all types of funny female voices. We strongly encourage female filmmakers and screenwriters of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds to submit their humorous works. Submissions make up 85% of the programming.
Submitters are encouraged to sign up for the monthly newsletter on Substack: Broad Humor Headliner. It will be the only way to learn about upcoming discounts and offseason meet and greet activities.

The judging takes into account both the quality of the finished film, the strength of the filmmaker's vision, and puts value on taking risks in style and narrative. A broad farce that only hits in places or a nonlinear absurdist experiment might be selected over a more traditional sitcom style short that is good but unexceptional.

...WHERE WOMEN TICKLE YOUR FUNNY BONE.

Awards & Prizes

Best Standup Comedian (NEW)
Best Short Short
Best Produced Screenplay
Best Mock or Doc Short
Best Feature
Best Episodic Film
Best Experimental Short
Best Director
Best Co-Ed Short
Best Animated Short
Audience Award!
Grand Jury Prize: Film

Best Short Screenplay
Best Episodic or Pilot Script
Best Feature Screenplay
Grand Jury Prize: Script

In Addition, Every Program includes a raffle giveaway preceding the event.

Broad Humor reserved the right to not recognize/award any listed category if there are too few qualifying entries in that category.

Rules & Terms

The 19th Annual Broad Humor Film Festival begins accepting submissions on January 17, 2026. Submitted works must be comedic films or screenplays written and/or directed by a woman. Works need not be strictly speaking "comedies" so long as they include a healthy dose of humor.

This is a festival for women creators. Either the writing or directing of the film MUST BE EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE. Films written by women but directed by men (or co-directed with men) are only eligible for writing awards. Best Film awards will go to films directed exclusively and entirely by women.

The jurists takes into account both the quality of the finished film, the strength of the filmmaker's vision, and puts value on taking risks in style and narrative. A broad farce that only hits in places or a nonlinear absurdist experiment might be selected.

1. CATEGORIES:

FILM SUBMISSIONS:

FilmFreeway online screeners is the preferred method of film submissions for those using the online service.

- animated and student films: under 10 minutes TRT
- short films: under 31 minutes TRT
- feature films: up to 120 minutes TRT

SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS:
Feature and short screenplays: pdf in standard industry format uploaded to FilmFreeway or emailed to thebroadhumorfilmfest@gmail.com.

- short scripts: under 31 pages
- pilots & web series scripts: under 45 pages
- feature scripts: between 75 and 115 pages

If your film or script does not fit the pages/TRT requirements, you may contact the festival to see if it is possible to make special arrangements.

2. PRESS KIT

Press kit information will be requested upon acceptance to the festival. Timely receipt within two weeks of notification is required for participation in the festival.

Submitted materials will not be returned.

3. FEES

All deadlines are are for completed submissions and must include payment of the appropriate fee.

4. QUALIFYING MINIMUM SUBMISSIONS

Submissions must have been completed after December 31, 2022. This includes all films and scripts. Film Submissions completed prior to December 31, 2023 may be accepted for screening, but are not eligible to win the Jury Grand Prize.

When entering submitting produced web series, a minimum of two (2) episodes must be submitted for review. Tied or a link provided where more episodes can be viewed. web series entries that consist of only one episode or web series pilots will be judged within the short films category.

5. WORKS-IN-PROGRESS

We strongly discourage works-in-progress. By their very nature, works-in-progress require multiple viewing by multiple jurists to finalize selection for screening. Because staffing is limited, we do not guarantee films can be review beyond established protocols.

6. PROMOTIONAL USE

Participants agree that all materials related to their film may be published in the Festival Program, Web page and all other promotional materials or property and in all media. Posters and images of the film may be used independently as well as in combination with images from other films to promote the film and Broad Humor Film Festival.

7. CLEARANCES

It is the responsibility of the filmmakers to be sure they have proper clearances, as needed, for copyrighted material appearing in their entries. The filmmakers remain entirely liable for any claims that may occur in result of screening the entries.

7. CLOSING CREDITS

It is the philosophy of this festival to screen as many noteworthy films as possible. To this end, Broad Humor reserves the right to edit end credits for any film submitted. Edit does not mean exclusion. Edit means shorten for time or abridged to just Above-The Line players. This is for exhibition only. All films are watched from beginning to end during the judging process.

PLEASE NOTE: As with all submissions to Broad Humor, a woman must either be the sole writer or sole director. On film submissions, men can serve EITHER as director OR writer. However, if a male is a collaborator in both or either categories, the film will be either disqualified, or screened "out of competition". On screenplay submissions, only scripts for which ALL WRITERS ARE FEMALE will be considered. A male writer or male co-writer WILL disqualify the submission.
112 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Genna Reed

    Such a fantastic festival! So sad we couldn't make it in person, but the communication was excellent and the programming was top notch

    November 2025
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  • Sneaky Pineapple Productions

    I had such a wonderful experience being part of the Board Humor Film Festival screenplay competition! The festival hosted a fantastic table read of our script — the actors it was phenomenal to hear our work read by actors and all the other scripts were really strong.
    After the read, there was a cocktail hour with incredible snacks and drinks, I was blown away by the experience, I felt so fancy. I also attended the Filmmaker & Writer’s Brunch, which was equally lovely. Their guest speaker, Lee Jessup, was incredibly informative and inspiring — her insights into screenwriting and the industry were top-notch.

    Overall, this festival was welcoming, well-organized, and genuinely supportive of writers and filmmakers. Highly recommend submitting!

    October 2025
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  • Ally Young-Price

    This festival exceeded my expectations. This was my first personal festival run, so I had been to some but not IN them. There was SO much love and hard work put into this it was palpable. The women running it were so unbelievably kind and generous, not to mention the filmmakers I met were incredible. Saw some unbelievable films here that were so inspiring. Absolutely recommend this festival.

    September 2025
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  • Olivia Stoker

    Wonderful festival, very supportive programmers, as a filmmaker I felt taken care of and the other films I saw were high quality. I would definitely submit to the Broad Humor Film Festival again:)

    September 2025
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  • Jacquie Scott Lynch

    This is THE best festival for screenwriters. Having my screenplay table-read by brilliant actors at the ScriptLab, which allowed me to hear where the laughs hit, was a huge honor and so helpful and affirming. The Screenwriters' Brunch was another top highlight -- and both of those events were held at super-posh Santa Monica hotels, loved that. And the quality of the screenplays and films was humbling.

    Honestly, the 2025 Broad Humor Film Festival was one of the best weekends of my life. I am deeply thankful to Michelle and Angie and the whole crew. I hope to return to this festival annually, because everyone was so supportive and smart and inspiring. And of course, funny.

    September 2025
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