The Broad Humor Film Festival

About the festival

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.

The BROAD HUMOR FILM FESTIVAL aims to honor Female Creators of Content. Begun 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 disqualified without refund.

In 2017, Broad Humor recognized 50% of the screenplay submissions, and 1 in 4 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 films.

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 95% of the programming.

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 ceremony always takes place immediately following the Staged readings, and before the closing night party. Winners will receive software prizes from Write Brothers, makers of Movie Magic and Dramatica screenwriting software. Cash Prizes TBA.

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

About

WOMEN WRITE. WOMEN DIRECT. EVERYBODY LAUGHS.

...WHERE WOMEN TICKLE YOUR FUNNY BONE.

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

Terms and rules

The 14th Annual Broad Humor Film Festival begins accepting submissions on January 15, 2019. 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.

1. CATEGORIES:

FILM SUBMISSIONS:

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

- short films: under 20 minutes TRT
- long shorts: 21-30 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 info@broadhumor.com.

- short scripts: under 35 pages
- pilots & web sereis 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.

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 co-writer WILL disqualify the submission.

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Animated Short Film

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $25

Regular (25th April, 2020) $40

Late (23rd May, 2020) $45

Description

Animated films under 10 minutes in total running time. The subject matter, if not strictly speaking a comedy, must include a healthy dose of humor. Writer or Director MUST BE EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE.

Music Video

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $25

Regular (25th April, 2020) $40

Late (23rd May, 2020) $45

Description

Music videos and musical parodies welcome! The subject matter, if not strictly speaking a comedy, must include a healthy dose of humor. Writer or Director MUST BE EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE.

Short Film

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $35

Regular (25th April, 2020) $55

Late (23rd May, 2020) $65

Description

Comedic narrative and documentary short films under 30 minutes in total running time. The subject matter, if not strictly speaking a comedy, must include a healthy dose of humor. NOTE: Shorts longer than 18 minutes are super hard to program - so make sure its GREAT! Writer(s) or Director(s) MUST BE EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE.

Web Series

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $35

Regular (25th April, 2020) $55

Late (23rd May, 2020) $65

Description

Up to 3 Episodes of web series or content with a total running time under 30 minutes in total running time. The subject matter, if not strictly speaking a comedy, must include a healthy dose of humor. Writer or Director MUST BE EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE.

Feature Film

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $40

Regular (25th April, 2020) $55

Late (23rd May, 2020) $75

Description

Comedic narrative and documentary films between up to 110 minutes in total running time. Writer(s) or Director(s) MUST BE EXCLUSIVELY FEMALE.

Short Screenplay

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $35

Regular (25th April, 2020) $55

Late (23rd May, 2020) $65

Description

Short unproduced screenplays should be under 30 pages. All writers must be female.

PIlot or Web Series Script

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $35

Regular (25th April, 2020) $55

Late (23rd May, 2020) $75

Description

Submissions in this category should be under 45 pages (including title page). This category includes original UNPRODUCED sitcom pilot scripts, short film scripts, and web series scripts. Web series scripts can cover multiple webisodes, so long as the total number of pages submitted does not exceed 45. ALL WRITERS MUST BE FEMALE.

Feature Length Screenplay

Entry fees

Early Bird (1st February, 2020) $35

Regular (25th April, 2020) $55

Late (23rd May, 2020) $75

Description

Eligible feature comedy scripts must be unproduced and written exclusively by a woman or women. All writers must be female. Feature screenplays should be at least 75 pages and no more than 115.