BIPOC Director Waiver Application

We firmly believe that representation matters. If you are a BIPOC Director and have a horror film to submit, please complete our waiver application to submit your horror film to us for free. Upon approval, you will receive instructions for submitting your film to us through FilmFreeway.

What is BIPOC?
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Pronounced “bye-pock,” this is a term specific to the United States, intended to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous groups and demonstrate solidarity between communities of color. 

The term “BIPOC” is more descriptive than people of color or POC. It acknowledges that people of color face varying types of discrimination and prejudice. Additionally, it emphasizes that systemic racism continues to oppress, invalidate, and deeply affect the lives of Black and Indigenous people in ways other people of color may not necessarily experience. Lastly and significantly, Black and Indigenous individuals and communities still bear the impact of slavery and genocide.

BIPOC aims to bring to center stage the specific violence, cultural erasure, and discrimination experienced by Black and Indigenous people. It reinforces the fact that not all people of color have the same experience, particularly when it comes to legislation and systemic oppression.

    BIPOC Filmmaker Waiver Application

    The director of this film is: (required)

    Short filmmaker bio (required)
    Please provide a concise biography of the Director. This is not for public use or publication purposes, and only the directors of the festival will see this, so include any details that will help us recognize that this film belongs in this submission fee waiver program, like affiliations with specialized filmmaking organizations or previous works that we might be familiar with. It's just an opportunity for you to tell us more about yourself than a checkbox can.

    Is the film a horror film? (required)
    It takes a lot of time for multiple judges to review your film for possible selection, so please do not submit films that are not legitimately of the horror genre (see our genre guidelines).

    Notes: Horror can legitimately also be comedy (like "What We Do In The Shadows"), drama (think Hereditary), and even Sci-Fi (like Alien), but the horror itself will always be there in a legitimate horror film, just as it is in those examples. If you're struggling with whether or not your film is horror, or leaning too heavily on calling it a psychological "thriller" (for example) instead of psychological "horror", your film probably doesn't qualify. If you've gotten to this point, and you already submitted your film on FilmFreeway, but you think your film does not actually belong to the horror genre, you can easily withdraw it in FilmFreeway. No harm, no foul, and it'll save everyone time, and make sure that this grant remains available to other BIPOC horror filmmakers.

    Short detailed synopsis (required)
    Please provide a concise detailed summary of the film, including spoilers. This is not for public use or publication purposes, and only the directors of the festival will see this.

    Please select the sub-genre that best fits your film (required)

    If selected, to the best of my knowledge, my film will be a Portland, OR premiere (required)


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