Leading voices in queer culture including TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Bobby Ashley, Mike Gauyo, and Dyllon Burnside will serve as festival judges
Film submissions open on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026 and Jack’d app to feature films from November 2 through December 3, 2026
Jack’d, the largest dating app for queer people of color in the US, today announced the inaugural Jack’d Film Festival, a new showcase and competition celebrating original films by queer creators, with a particular focus on films that center the experiences, stories, and/or perspectives of queer people of color. Jack’d is one of the world’s largest GBTQ+ social networking and dating platforms, serving millions of users across more than 180 countries. With over 15 million people in 2,000 cities and 180 countries, Jack’d is proud to be the largest dating app for queer people of color in the US.
Luminaries from across queer entertainment, including TS Madison (Outlaws with TS Madison podcast, Beauty in Black), Miss Lawrence (Fashion Queens, Empire), Bobby Ashley (The Ave, Single Man Problems), Mike Gauyo (Ginny & Georgia, Send Help), and Dyllon Burnside (Pose), will serve as festival judges, bringing a wide range of industry experience and creative perspectives to the selection of the Grand Jury Award winner.
Joining the Jack’d app and participating in the festival is free. To view films and vote, members need to download and install the Jack’d app from the Apple iOS App Store or Google Play Store, which they can do by visiting https://www.jackd.com/. Selected entries will appear only to users of the Jack’d app from Monday, November 2 through Thursday December 3, 2026. Both short and full-length films will be eligible for prizes from the $20,000 pool, with Jack’d members able to vote on their favorite films in-app to help select the winner of the Audience Choice Award. Films must be submitted on-line via instructions found at https://www.jackd.com/filmfestival/ by 5 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, October 21; instructions are provided on the Jack’d website. All films will be available for streaming from the app during the festival.
“Queer filmmakers have always created stories that challenge conventions, expand perspectives, and help people feel seen,” saidTyrus Townsend, Jack’d Film Festival Manager. “The Jack’d Film Festival enables a new crop of filmmakers to bring their stories directly to their audience, and gives audiences an active role in celebrating the filmmakers behind them.”
Through digital screenings, filmmaker programming, and community voting, the Jack’d Film Festival will give queer filmmakers a new way to share their work directly with the queer community of color exclusively on Jack’d.
FAQ
What is the Jack’d Film Festival?
The Jack’d Film Festival is a new showcase and competition celebrating original films by queer creators, with a particular focus on black filmmakers and filmmakers of color. Through screenings in the Jack’d app, the festival creates opportunities for queer filmmakers and audiences to connect through film, culture, and storytelling.
How can people watch films that are part of the festival?
Audience members must download the Jack’d App, set up a profile, and stream films directly through the app. Films also can be played via Apple TV or Chromecast. Throughout the festival, Jack’d members will be able to watch selected films and vote in the app for the Audience Choice Award.
How do interested filmmakers make a submission to the festival?
Submissions are open through Wednesday, October 21 via instructions found at https://www.jackd.com/filmfestival/
What are the prizes and how much will be awarded for each?
Grand Jury Award – $10,000
Audience Choice Award – $10,000
How will the prizes be awarded?
The Grand Jury Award will be selected with input from TS Madison, Miss Lawrence, Bobby Ashley, Mike Gauyo, and Dyllon Burnside. Additional announcements about the official film lineup, filmmaker conversations, and special programming will be shared in the coming weeks.
The Audience Choice award will be selected by tallying the verified votes from members of the Jack’d app. Members are allowed to vote for up to 3 films.
Winners will be announced on Friday, December 4th.
Who is eligible to enter the contest?
The Jack’d Film Festival is open to all filmmakers, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Submissions should center the experiences, stories, or perspectives of queer people of color.
Additional eligibility criteria may be found in the Official Festival Rules at https://www.jackd.com/filmfestival/
What if I have more questions?
Follow @jackdapp on IG for festival updates, or contact Jack’d at filmfestival@jackd.com
About Jack’d
Jack’d is a GBTQ+ social networking and dating platform connecting over 1M members each month globally. Built around authenticity, inclusivity, and community, Jack’d helps people connect while supporting initiatives that elevate queer voices across culture, storytelling, and community engagement. Jack’d has grown to become the most popular app for queer people of color in the US.
Jack’d is owned and operated by Perry Street Software, the largest independent publisher of apps for the GBTQ+ community. For more information, visit https://www.perrystreet.com/.
For more information about Jack’d, visit us online or on social:
- Website: https://www.jackd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackdapp/
- X: https://x.com/jackd
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jackdapp
