Frequently Asked Questions

What is HUMP!, anyway?

HUMP! is the best dirty little film festival in the world. Founded by Dan Savage in 2005, HUMP! is a DIY erotic film festival featuring short films made by real people celebrating sex, love, kink, humor, vulnerability, and creativity.

Every year, creators from around the world submit short films (no longer than 5 minutes). The HUMP! Jury selects the best of the best to build feature-length lineups that tour theaters across North America and Europe, and stream online.

The result is a joyful, sex-positive celebration of human sexuality and imagination.

  • HUMP! showcases DIY, sex-positive adult films and erotica created by people celebrating their bodies, identities, and desires with honesty and creativity. You’ll see a wide range of:

    • Bodies and body types

    • Sexualities

    • Genders and gender expressions

    • Relationship dynamics

    • Kinks, fetishes, fantasies and sexual expressions

    • Cinematic styles

    Anything goes at HUMP!. Well, almost anything. No Poop, No Animals, No Minors!

  • A lot of film festivals–and most adult entertainment–operate on a traditional industry model. HUMP! does things differently.

    • HUMP! is free to enter. Most film festivals charge submission fees, but HUMP! has always been free to submit. We believe cost shouldn’t be a barrier to sharing your creativity, sexuality or weird little idea with the world.

    • We pay our filmmakers. Filmmakers whose work appears in the festival receive a share of ticket revenue from in-theater screenings, as well as streaming. On top of that, HUMP! audiences vote for their favorites each season, and winning filmmakers take home $10,000 in audience awards each year.

    • HUMP! films are made by real people. Most films presented at HUMP! are made by everyday people experimenting with storytelling, humor, kink, fantasy and intimacy. Some have more experience making films than others. The result is something you won’t see anywhere else: inventive, surprising, funny, sexy films that celebrate real bodies, real desire, and real creativity.

    • We protect performer privacy.

    We respect our community. At HUMP!, we expect our audiences to respect performers, don’t be an asshole, etc. Check our Community Guidelines for more information.

  • Yes! HUMP! audiences award $10,000 in cash prizes to filmmakers each year. At the end of every screening, audience members vote for their favorite films. Awards typically include:

    • Best Sex

    • Best Kink

    • Best Humor

    • Most Creative

    • Best in Show

  • HUMP! currently tours almost 50 cities in North America and Europe twice per year, each tour with a unique lineup.

    Tour dates are announced throughout the year, and typically run for several months. You can find upcoming screenings and tour dates on the main page of our website.


    Can’t make it in-person? Check out our Streaming Collection to stream current and past lineups!

The Viewing Experience

So…I'm going to watch adult films in a theater full of strangers?

Yes, and that’s part of the fun. HUMP! screenings are lively, communal film festival experiences. Audiences laugh, gasp, cheer, and blush together. It’s less like quietly watching porn at home and more like attending a rowdy midnight movie.

If you’re shy at first, don’t worry. Within minutes, you’ll find yourself laughing and cheering along with everyone else.

  • Yes. We have two rules for our HUMP! theater audiences:

    • No phones. We promise our filmmakers that they can be pornstars for the night, not forever online because some asshole decided to film it in the theater. No phones are allowed out during HUMP! screenings. No photos, videos or texting whatsoever.

    • Don’t be an asshole. No asshole comments at anything you see on the screen. Period. We do not tolerate any disparaging of bodies, shapes, ages, colors, sexualities, genders, kinks, fetishes or sexual expressions. HUMP! filmmakers bravely bared it all to make a film for you. Don’t like what you see? Not what you’d click on watching porn alone at home? Close your eyes, and in less than 5 minutes, we’ll be on to the next film.

    Check our Community Guidelines for more information.

  • Not in theaters! At its core, HUMP! is a film festival and theater-going experience: audience members watch films together, but sexual activity and nudity are not part of the event. Think of it like attending any other movie screening, just with spicier content on screen.

    Now, if you’re streaming HUMP! at home and feel the urge to invite some friends over to play as you watch along, then we won’t stop you! Just remember to be safe, practice consent and have fun ;)

  • HUMP! has always existed to reflect the wide spectrum of human desire. Sexuality is not one single experience. It is a large pool of fantasies, curiosities, and kinks, and nearly everyone has that one unique thing that excites them. A core part of the festival’s purpose is to acknowledge that range and create space for many different expressions of sexuality to exist on screen.

    While the festival celebrates consensual adult sexuality, some films may include themes that viewers find intense or challenging. Over the years, HUMP! has platformed films that explore many different forms of kink and fetish. Some of these fall into what is commonly referred to as edge play, which can carry heightened risks when practiced without proper experience, training and communication. For example, rope bondage can lead to nerve damage if done improperly, fire play can cause burns, and blood or needle play carries health considerations when done outside of medical environments. These are all examples of kink practices that have appeared in HUMP! films as part of representing the diversity of sexual expression within the community.


    We encourage audience members to review our Community Guidelines to better understand the values and expectations around consent, safety, and respectful representation in HUMP! Films.

  • Sorry, sweetie. Keeping filmmaker and performer identities confidential is deeply rooted in HUMP!'s philosophy. In our filmmaker contracts, we promise that we will not give out any of their information.

    What we can do is pass on your email to the filmmaker, and they can respond if they wish.

    Contact us at info@humpfilmfest.com.

Submissions & Curation

  • Anyone over 18 years old can submit a film to HUMP!.

    Submissions come from everyday people across the globe: couples, singles, queer creators, kinksters, artists, seasoned filmmakers and curious first-timers. Many filmmakers have never made an adult film before. What all HUMP! filmmakers have in common is a willingness to celebrate authentic sexuality and creativity on screen.

  • Are you 18 or older? Are all of the performers in your film 18 or older? Then yes, you can submit a film, you hot slut!

    You don’t need professional equipment or filmmaking experience. Just an idea, a camera, and enthusiastic consent from everyone involved.  Anything goes at HUMP!. Well, almost anything. No Poop, No Animals, No Minors!

    Visit our Submissions page for deadlines, rules, and guidelines.

  • No. HUMP! films are uncensored and explicit. We do not blur, crop, or edit the films submitted by creators. What you see on screen is exactly what the filmmaker intended.

    HUMP! also does not require performers to meet traditional porn industry standards. Bodies, identities, and sexual expression of all kinds are welcome.

  • Every year, the HUMP! Jury reviews hundreds of submissions from around the world and decides which films will make it into the following year’s festival.

    The HUMP! Jury aims to select a diverse lineup of films that balance humor, creativity, eroticism, storytelling and representation. The goal is to create a program that reflects the full spectrum of human sexuality while remaining fun, surprising and inclusive.

    HUMP! lineups vary season to season and year to year and are a reflection of the films that were submitted. Don’t see yourself represented on the screen? Make a HUMP! film. Visit our Submissions page for more information.

  • HUMP! lineups are built from the films submitted each year. While we actively strive for diverse representation, each season ultimately reflects the work we receive.

    That said, inclusivity is central to how HUMP! is curated. Our Jury includes people with a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives, and we’re always mindful of representation when building each lineup.

    We take pride in showcasing films that celebrate body diversity, racial and cultural inclusion, queer and trans experiences, and a wide range of sexualities, identities, and kinks. Our goal each year is to create a program that reflects as many perspectives as possible, though no single lineup can represent everything.

    We strongly encourage creators of all backgrounds and identities to submit. If you or someone you know has a story, fantasy, or perspective to share, we’d love to see it. Visit our Submissions page for more information.

Any other questions? Contact us at info@humpfilmfest.com