FAQs

The Rainbow Roll Fest is a 3-day festival celebrating LBGTQIA-led Actual Play podcasts and streams brought to you by the Rainbow Roll Network. Shows will be selected and given a 45-minute block of time to showcase themselves!

Rainbow Roll Fest will take place over the weekend of June 23rd-25th.

Currently, we are expecting to have 24 shows in the festival, but this may change based on demand.

We are defining "Actual Play" as any show where the hosts or cast members roleplay a story together using any system, including just improvising. Shows that contain non-AP segments, such as reviews or discussion, are eligible as well.

Our volunteer screeners will listen to your submissions. Their first goal is to make sure the things on your application (like, for example, the content rating) are accurate. Their second is to decide whether they think it will be a good fit. 

Two screeners will listen to every sample. 

Then, we’ll fill the schedule with the top rated podcasts based on the screeners’ suggestions.

Applications are open from March 1 through April 1.

First, we need to pay our event staff so that the festival can take place. Any funds after that has been taken care of will be going to our charity as a donation. 

Shows in the festival will be given a 45 minute chunk of time that they can spend on a clip reel, a pre-recorded episode, or a live episode (with staff approval). It’s your time to show off your podcast in the way you feel is best. 

We are defining "LGBTQIA+ led" as any podcast with hosts or cast members who identify as any part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

If your cast isn't LGBTQIA+, you are still welcome to apply! However, we will be prioritizing LGBTQIA+ led shows.

Streams and podcasts are both welcome to apply!

We will announce the accepted shows by May 1, 2023.

Rainbow Roll Rally is an awards program for LGBTQIA+ led Actual Play podcasts and streams that takes place during Rainbow Roll Festival.

To apply to the Rainbow Roll Rally, all you need to do is respond "yes" to "I would like my show to be entered into the Rainbow Roll Rally awards" on the standard Rainbow Roll Fest application.

No. Participation in the Rainbow Roll Rally is entirely optional.

Yes. This extra $5 fee allows us to pay the Rainbow Roll Rally judges.

The Rainbow Roll Rally is judged by a panel of creators and experts in the LGBTQIA+ led AP scene. These judges are not affiliated with the Rainbow Roll Network to ensure that judging is as fair as possible. A list of judges will be made publicly available after awards are announced.

Any show that is applying to Rainbow Roll Fest is eligible except for shows that have access to the list of judges before nominations are announced (i.e., event staff).

During the Rainbow Roll Fest screening process, the screeners will listen to each submitted 15-minute demo and nominate shows for each category. Once the shows have been nominated, the judges will listen to an additional 30-minute submission for each nominated show and pick the winner based on the overall quality of the show and how well they fit the given category.

No. Rainbow Roll Network members are automatically accepted to Rainbow Roll Fest but are nominated and judged for awards using the same process as non-network shows.

We will announce the nominated shows by May 1, 2023. 

The Rainbow Roll Rally winners will be announced on the final day of Rainbow Roll Fest - June 25, 2023.