Filmmaker Resource
This page brings together everything you need to prepare, submit, and participate in the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. Explore submission guidelines, deadlines, rules, venue info, grants, and opportunities to connect with fellow filmmakers and industry professionals.
Networking & Filmmaker Events
Seattle BIPOC Filmmaker Meetup
We host Seattle BIPOC Filmmaker Meetups to create space for connection, collaboration, and community within Seattle’s film scene. These gatherings bring together BIPOC filmmakers and creatives at all stages, offering opportunities to meet peers, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships beyond the screen.
This event series is produced by Seattle Asian American Film Festival in partnership with Seattle Black Film Festival. Together, we are committed to uplifting BIPOC voices and strengthening our local filmmaking community.
Want to stay in the loop on upcoming meetups and events? Sign up for our e-news to be the first to hear about what’s next.
Featured here are flyers from our three most recent Seattle BIPOC Filmmaker Meetups.
Grants & Funding
Here are a few active Seattle-area grants available to filmmakers and artists.
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Opportunities
Discover current calls for artists and funding opportunities from the City of Seattle. This page lists open grants for individual artists, organizations, and community projects, as well as public art calls, creative awards, and other support resources for local creatives. You can explore funding for artistic work, public art projects, community events, youth arts programs, and more.
What’s Offered
• Grants for individual artists and arts organizations in Seattle, including film and media-related support opportunities.
• Public art calls, studio residencies, and space activation projects open for submissions.
• Funding for community arts events, youth programs, and cultural initiatives.
Who Can Apply
Seattle-based filmmakers, media artists, arts groups, and creative producers looking for local funding and project opportunities.
4Culture Grants + Artist Calls (King County)
4Culture is the cultural funding agency for King County, offering multiple grant programs and artist calls throughout the year to support arts, heritage, preservation, and cultural projects across the region. Their funding helps individuals, groups, and organizations bring projects to life that engage King County communities through creative work.
What’s Offered
• Project Grants for arts, heritage, and preservation work.
• Open 4Culture flexible funding for artists new to 4Culture, available year-round.
• Ongoing and rolling opportunities like heritage stipends, presenter incentive programs, and other cultural funding.
Who Can Apply
Residents, artists, groups, and cultural organizations based in King County. Projects must benefit the public and help create accessible cultural experiences.
King County Creative Arts & Culture Fund
The King County Creative Arts & Culture Fund is a county-led initiative that has provided significant support to the local creative economy by awarding grants to creative businesses, arts and cultural organizations, and independent creative venues throughout King County. Past rounds have supported arts, culture, and heritage groups, independent music venues, science organizations, and independent movie theaters to help with operational recovery, reopening, and community engagement.
What’s Offered
• Grants to support creative sector recovery and vitality in King County
• Funding investments to help creative businesses and cultural organizations stabilize, reopen, and employ creative workers
• Support for independent movie theaters and venues that contribute to local cultural life
Who Can Apply
Eligibility varies by cycle; past awards were open to creative organizations and businesses in King County, including cultural nonprofits, independent venues, and arts groups.
Washington Filmworks Production Incentive Program
Washington Filmworks is a statewide nonprofit that supports film and television production in Washington. Their Production Incentive Program offers financial rebates to eligible film, television, and commercial projects that shoot in Washington State, helping strengthen the local film industry and create jobs.
What’s Offered
• Cash rebates on qualified in state production spending.
• Support for feature films, television series, shorts, documentaries, commercials, and digital media projects.
• Access to local crew, vendors, and production resources across Washington.
Who Can Apply
Producers and production companies working on projects that plan to film in Washington State and meet program eligibility requirements. Projects must demonstrate local economic impact and workforce engagement.
Cascade PBS – Origins Documentary Grant
Cascade PBS has opened submissions for the next season of Origins, a regional documentary series grant for Pacific Northwest & Canadian filmmakers.
Origins funds documentary stories rooted in community, ancestry, culture, influence, and place — told by filmmakers who are part of the communities they depict. Each year, one project is selected through an online submission process and awarded $40,000 toward producing a short-form docuseries.
What’s Offered
• $40,000 production grant for a 5-part short docuseries
• Opportunity for a premiere event at SIFF Uptown
• Potential broadcast on Cascade PBS and on-demand platforms
Who Can Apply
Filmmakers from the Pacific Northwest & Canada telling stories about their own communities. Key requirement: the director/producer must be a member of the community featured in the film (e.g., Indigenous filmmakers telling Indigenous stories, Latinx filmmakers telling Latinx stories, etc.).
2027 Filmmaker Submissions
Submissions for the 14th Annual Seattle Asian American Film Festival (2026) are now closed.
Thank you to all the filmmakers who submitted their work this year.
Submissions for our 15th Annual Festival in 2027 will open later this year.
Sign up for our e newsletter to be the first to know when submissions open.
📆 Festival Dates: (TBD - Mid 2027)
📍 Seattle, WA (Venue TBD)
🗓️ Regular Deadline: (TBD - Late 2026)
⌛ Late Deadline: (TBD - Late 2026)
Submission Deadlines & Fees
| Categories | Regular Deadline | Late Deadline |
|---|---|---|
|
Narrative Short Films under 30 minutes with fictional storytelling |
$20 | $32 |
| Documentary Short Non-fiction films under 40 minutes |
$20 | $32 |
| Documentary Full Length Non-fiction films over 40 minutes |
$30 | $50 |
| Narrative Full Length Films over 30 minutes with fictional storytelling |
$30 | $50 |
*Pricing listed reflects 2026 submission fees and is subject to change for the 2027 festival.
Submission Rules
Asian American Connection:
This year, we are accepting short and full-length films by Asian American or diasporic Asian filmmakers, or about the Asian American or diasporic American experience.
Completion Date
Films must have a completion date of no earlier than 2023.
Technical Requirements
All non-English language films must have English subtitles or no dialogue.
Below are some of our key submission guidelines. Please review these before submitting your film, and visit our FilmFreeway page for the complete list of rules and eligibility details.
Questions About Eligibility?
Email us at:
We typically respond within 48 hours
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Please review the following rules before submitting. These guidelines apply to all filmmakers, and full details can also be found on our FilmFreeway page.
1. A separate entry and entry fee is required for each film submission. However, previous submitters to SAAFF can have a discount code. For the discount code, please email us at programming@seattleaaff.org for verification.
2. We accept films of all premiere statuses, including films that already have distribution and/or are available for streaming online.
3. All non-English language films must have English subtitles or no dialogue.
4. All accepted films must have full captions provided when sending final film files. If your film does not have captions yet, we may still be able to consider it.
5. All submissions must be digital, uploaded to FilmFreeway directly or link to Vimeo preferred. Please do not send DVDs. No exceptions.
6. Access to film screeners submitted through FilmFreeway must not expire until at least June 1, 2026.
7. After selection, notification letters and further correspondence will take place via email only.
8. Images from the film's website or social media properties may be used by SAAFF for publicity purposes for this year's festival as well as future events.
9. All selected films may be excerpted (up to 2 minutes) for publicity purposes for this year's festival as well as future events.
10. SAAFF does not pay exhibition fees.
11. Films must have a completion date of no earlier than 2023.
12. Do not submit works in progress.
13. Entry fees will not be refunded.
14. All press kits, publicity info, photos, etc. will be retained as part of the Seattle Asian American Film Festival's library.
15. Acceptance into the festival also releases the film for press review.
16. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker or submission contact to ensure that all requirements are met. The festival retains the right to disqualify an entry, with no refunded fee, if submission rules are not followed.
17. The festival retains the right to disqualify an entry with no refunded fee if the contact person for a selected film fails to respond to email correspondence from the festival.All selections will be announced in February 2026. Please no phone calls. If you have questions, please contact our programming team at programming@seattleaaff.org.
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By submitting your film to SAAFF, you acknowledge that:
I have read, understood, and complied with all eligibility requirements. All the statements in this document are true. In consideration for the opportunity to be selected into the Seattle Asian American Film Festival, I release and discharge Seattle Asian American Film Festival, its employees, agents, contractors, volunteers, licensees, successors and assigns from any and all claims, demands or causes of actions related to misappropriation or infringement of copyright or violation of any other right arising out of or relating to my submission hereunder. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless Seattle Asian American Film Festival from any claims that arise as a result of this submission or screening of my film (should it be selected) as well as from damage to or loss of any submitted materials en route to the festival.I have all rights necessary and am duly authorized to submit this film to the Festival. This film is not subject to any claims or litigation and is not threatened by any claims or litigation. I understand, as the authorized representative, any prizes will be awarded to the director(s) of the winning films.
Screening Locations
Discover screening venues in Seattle that we recommend for presenting your film. These locations are trusted partners and offer flexible spaces for community screenings, rentals, and festival showcases.
Wing Luke Museum
A cultural hub in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, the Wing Luke Museum offers dynamic event spaces for film screenings, performances, talks, and community gatherings.
Capacity size: Varies by event space (up to ~100)
Address: 719 South King St, Seattle, WA 98104
Northwest Film Forum
A cornerstone of the local film community, Northwest Film Forum supports independent cinema with two screening rooms and event spaces available for rentals.
Capacity size: Cinema 1 (~110 seats); Cinema 2 (~46 seats)
Address: 1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
The Beacon
A neighborhood single-screen cinema in Columbia City offering curated film programs and private rental opportunities for screenings.
Capacity size: ~50 seats
Address: 4405 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118