Reno Comedy Film Festival Fall 2021

The 2nd edition of the Reno Comedy Film Festival will take place on Sunday September 19, 2021 at the Reno Little Theater 147 E. Pueblo St. Reno, NV 89502 presented by Film Festival Circuit. The official selection laurels are publicly available. (LINK) All film and series episode submissions were submitted via FilmFreeway. Please check out our FilmFreeway waiver code list and save 20% on future film festival submissions.

The official RCFF Shirts, Sweatshirts and clothing are now available in our online store. The Reno Comedy Film Festival is a great opportunity to network with others in the Film and Television Industry. This event is hosted by Director Mikel Fair, author of the Film Festival Submitter’s Handbook. If you are interested in attending the RCFF in the future, or to get updates, please join our emailing list. The screening schedule and tickets for this event are now available on Eventbrite.

Fall 2021 Event Schedule

All of the films and screenplays listed are official selections of the Fall 2021 event that takes place on September 19. Due to travel restrictions and scheduling issues, we are offering a free deferral to our March 2022 screening for no additional charge. Filmmakers, please check your acceptance email if you are interested in this option. Deferring your screening does not affect award eligibility for the Fall 2021 Season and does not require a re-application, re-submission or additional judging. Your selection status does not change.

• 2:30pm - Doors Open, Networking
• 3:00pm - Awards for RCFF Fall 2021
• 3:30pm - Film screenings
• 6:00pm - Wrap

Fall 2021 Winners Winners And Award Finalists

The following films are the official selections, which represent the top 30% of submissions rated. From these official selections, award nominations for each category are as follows.

Best Animated Film Award Finalists

• Undersea News, Directed by Noah Gleason (Virginia) - Winner!
• Broke Bond, Directed by Tim Allan (Washington, D.C.) 

Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists

• Born Again, Written by Daniel Schooling (California)
• How to Be DysFunctional After Divorce, Written by Erin Elizabeth Keefer (Florida)
• Scoot, Written by Joan Philo (Illinois)
• Tall, Dark and Handsome, Written by D.G. Stern (Florida) - Winner!

Best Comedy Film Award Finalists

• The Love Suckers, Directed by Jim Politano (Arizona) - Winner!
• Oldscool, Directed by Zack Hosseini (California)
• Once Beautiful Woman, Directed by Frankie Guerrero, Jr. (California)
• Kitchen Spaces, Directed by Patrick Brambert (Illinois)
• 60-WATT, Directed by David Carey (Minnesota)

Best Comedy Micro Film Award Finalists

• A Good Day, Directed by Austin D. Estrada (California)
• Bubbles, Directed by Michael Poole (California) - Winner!
• Mission FMK, Directed by Alexa Jaeger (Illinois)
• A Boat Time, Directed by Jim Ford (United States)
• Bran Bran! Cereal Commercial, Directed by John A Giaccone (Washington)

Best Comedy Series Episode Award Finalists

• Hot Snacks - Pilot, Directed by Anna Mae Gordon and M. Louis Gordon (New York)
• Suddenly Single in the Suburbs, Directed by Denise Parella and Eric Francis Melaragni (Pennsylvania)
• Adventure Brothers Web Series - Episode 2: "Adventure Brothers And The Mountain Of Fire", Directed by Paul Longley and James Longley (United Kingdom) - Winner!
• How We Do (Sketches Of The Species) : 3-Vignette Pilot, Directed by Pete Macnamara (New York)
• The Old Guards, Directed by Will Branner (North Carolina)

Best Comedy Short Screenplay Award Finalists

• A Vegan Love Story, Written by Desmond Ngai (Canada)
• Henching, Written by Jason Lor (California) - Winner!
• Luck of The Roll, Written by Levi Brandes (Montana)
• The Chickenator, Written by Max Lehman (New Jersey)

Best Comedy Teleplay Award Finalists

• Crankey Village, NM, Written by Alaina Warren Zachary (New Mexico)
• Deadline, Written by Phil Valentine (Tennessee) - Winner!
• Family Tree, Written by Leor Zinati (California)
• What We Do in the Shadows "Mummy's Curse", Written by Jessica
  Sproge and Andrew Sproge (California)

Best Dark Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists

• Art Appreciation, Written by Jennifer Titus and Mark Provencher (California) - Winner!
• Aw, Dammit!, Written by Jer Moran (Texas)
• Screw The Cow, Written by Frank J. Avella (New Jersey)

Best Dark Comedy Short Screenplay Award Finalists

• 2001, Written by Jagger Waters (California)
• When the donuts hit the fan..., Written by Richard Stirling (California) - Winner!

Best Dark Comedy Film Award Finalists

• Mister Fantastic - Ep 4 "The Audition", Directed by Patrick Saad (Canada)
• Kill Martin Scratch, Directed by Drew Bialy (New York) - Winner!
• Harpoon, Directed by Yuri Yarushnikov (Russia)
• My Dinner With Werner, Directed by Maverick Moore (Texas)
• Date Prep, Directed by Chezdan Mills (United Kingdom)

Best Dark Comedy Micro Film Award Finalists

• Third Date, Directed by Michael Kellman (California) - Winner!
• Knock Knock, Directed by Cole Blackamore (California)
• Space Dust, Directed by Jon Mancinetti (California)
• Bladders Burst - And All That, Directed by Pernille Kjærsgaard (Denmark)
• Like Father, Like Son, Directed by Jeff Walsh (Texas)

Best Dark Comedy Teleplay Award Winner

• Little Poison, Written by Chad Solomon (Oregon)

Best Director Award Finalists

• Diviner 3000, Directed by Dave Penner (California)
• Farewell Mr. Baker, Directed by Kathryn Schott (California)
• Death Stone, Directed by Margina Sisson (California) - Winner!
• The House, Directed by Liang-Chun Lin (California)
• Alice in Somnia, Directed by Emma Debany (California)

Best Ensemble Cast Award Finalists

• Don Garbaggio, Directed by Steve Alleva (New York) - Winner!
• How Not To Get Away With Murder, Directed by Tom Walsh (New York)
• Fork, Knife, & Chainsaw, Directed by Hudson Flynn (New York)

Best Horror Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists

• BFFs Never Say Die, Written by K. Jennifer Ilagan (Connecticut) - Winner!
• The Moron, Written by Kevin J. Howard (Washington)

Best Horror Comedy Film Award Winner

• The Virus, Directed by Lorinda Hawkins Smith (California)

Best Horror Comedy Micro Film Award Winner

• Don't F**k With Dogs, Directed by Kiirstin Marilyn and Kevin Kenny (New York)

Best International Film Award Finalists

• The Ball of Light, Directed by Nick von Schlippe (United Kingdom)
• Surgeons, Directed by Craig Talbot (United Kingdom)
• Vane, Directed by Anton Filipenko (Finland/Russia) - Winner!

Best Mockumentary Film Award Winner

• Zoom Legend, Directed by Ali sultan (Minnesota/New York)

Best Romantic Comedy Film Award Finalists

• Pussie Control 2: Night at the Drive-in, Directed by Bryan Bostic (California) - Winner!
• On A List, Directed by Lee Foster, Tito Guillen and Nicole Simone (Canada)
• Airbnboom, Directed by Chozy Aiyub (Georgia)
• Elephants & Donkeys, Directed by David J. Green (New York)
• The First Bonfire of Spring, Directed by Ruben Wallgren (Sweden)

Best Romantic Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists

• 2nd Date, Written by Jaik Andino and Vincent V Shade (Illinois)
• Flash and Stretch, Written by Jim Norman (Florida)
• Forever Young, Written by Jason Lor (California)
• TESStosterone, Written by Erin Elizabeth Keefer (Florida) - Winner!

Funniest Music Video Award Winner

• Garbage Island (Trash Beneath My Feet), Directed by Damon Cirulli (California)