All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival
Austin, United States
79
Tier BScreenings
Festival dossier
Austin Comedy Film Festival
Austin, United States · Est. 2015 · High structural score (80–100) for legitimacy and industry clout — not limited to Oscar-qualifying festivals
Tier ATrusted
Austin, United States
96
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Strong legitimacy signals
Tier A score for legitimacy and industry clout. Still confirm deadlines, fees, and categories on the festival site before paying.
- 11 years of verifiable history
- Physical screenings at Central Machine Works
- 3 verified pro signals
Overview
The Austin Comedy Film Festival is an Austin-based seasonal event dedicated to comedy filmmakers, series creators, and screenwriters from around the world. It is notable for showcasing a wide range of comedy formats, including short films, feature films, web series, pilots, sketch comedy, stand-up, animation, dark comedy, and mockumentary, and for serving as a niche platform for independent comedy on the film festival circuit. [1][8][10]
Last updated Oct 1, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+46 pts)
- 11 years of verifiable history
- Physical screenings at Central Machine Works
- 3 verified pro signals
- Verified trusted status
- Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (4 vs 0)
Red Flags (-0 pts)
No red flags found
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
- Documented history with archived programs
- Named venues with external verification
Festival Details
Founded
2015
Venue
Central Machine Works
Screenings
Physical screenings confirmed
FilmFreeway community
Avg. rating
4.8/ 5
Reviews
198
Synced 4 days ago
- Merissa MorinFeb 2023
So much fun and such an honor to win Best Romantic Comedy!! Thank you Mikel for this experience. The venue was fantastic and the fellow filmmakers were a pleasure to meet. I hope to be back again!
- Mike KearbyMar 2023
Mikel - I wanted to send a note of congratulations on presiding over an excellent event yesterday. The venue was perfect and the selections fun to watch. You did a great job!
- Courtney PapeMar 2023
Thank you to Mikel and Austin Comedy Film Festival for a warm and welcoming festival experience! The theater venue was beautiful and our team and support crew all loved it, until next time!
- Katie GoodmanApr 2023
We had such a good experience working with the Austin Comedy Film Festival, and were so honored to be part of this event! Mikel was very easy to work with and responsive to all of our questions throughout the process. A very professional and positive environment filled with tons of talent!
- Bill KelmanApr 2023
All I can say is that they have good taste. I wish I was there,
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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