Filmmakers who tell LGBTQIA+ and MVPFAFF+ stories are invited to submit entries for the 37th Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival.
Submissions are open through April 30 for the 2026 festival, which will take place July 10 to 12 at the Hawaiʻi Theatre Center in Honolulu.
Presented by the Hawaiʻi LGBT Legacy Foundation, the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival ranks among the longest-running queer film festivals in the country. The annual event features films from Hawaiʻi, across the United States, and around the world that highlight diverse experiences of LGBTQIA+ and MVPFAFF+ (acronym for Pacific Islander gender-diverse and sexual minority identities).
“Queer storytelling is so important because it provides representation for LGBTQIA+ people and helps wider audiences better understand what it means to be part of this community,” said film festival director Jonathan Enos. “That kind of storytelling helps build empathy and challenge stereotypes that often lead to harmful policy decisions.
“The Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival is a space for stories that haven’t always had the opportunity to be told, but are essential to building a community where inclusivity and authenticity are encouraged and celebrated.”
The festival is accepting entries in four film categories:
- Narrative Feature: 40 minutes and over
- Documentary Feature: 40 minutes and over
- Shorts: under 40 minutes
- Episodic: web series, webisodes and multi-episodes storylines
Entries must be submitted online at filmfreeway.com/HonoluluRainbowFilmFestival, where filmmakers can review full submission requirements.
A fee waiver is available for filmmakers based in Hawaiʻi. Eligible entrants may contact event organizers at info@HawaiiLGBTLegacy.com to request a waiver code.
Festival selections will be announced to all entrants by May 15. Tickets for the festival will go on sale at a later date. To learn more about the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, visit hrff.org.
