Submission Rules
All submitting performers are required to read the following Submission Rules prior to submitting to the 3rd Annual Sixth City Comedy Festival.
ELIGIBILITY: The 3rd Annual Sixth City Comedy Festival is open to all comedians who are at least 18 years of age and reside on planet Earth at the time of submission. Any comedians submitting from outside of the United States (including its territories) must comply with any travel orders or restrictions in place at the time of the Festival.
DESCRIPTION: The Comedian (“Participant/Performer”) must complete a submission form and a processing fee (“Fee”) to “Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC” (“Festival”). Submission period (“Submissions”) begins at 12:01 AM EST on Sunday, January 1st, 2023, and ends at 11:59 PM EST on Friday, March 31st, 2023.
ENTRY: To enter, complete the submission form and include one (1) video link that depicts you performing a stand-up comedy routine. The video submitted as part of the Participant’s Entry (“Entry”) must be at least five (5) but no more than seven (7) minutes in play length. Any video that is longer than our guidelines request will be immediately disqualified. These are industry standards. If your best material is contained in a video of a longer set, please send us only the portion of the video in which you want to be judged. Any video taken prior to January 2021 will not be considered. Any videos with inactive links will be ineligible. All videos that are unable to be judged due to poor sound quality will be ineligible. Video submissions CANNOT be a “best of” highlight reel and MUST BE OF ONE CONTINUOUS SET. All submissions that are not of one continuous set will be ineligible. All submission forms must be complete and received by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, March 31st, 2023. Participants must provide all information requested to be eligible. Incomplete, illegible, or unintelligible entries will be disqualified. Videos listed as “private” will also be disqualified. It is the sole responsibility of the Participant to notify the Festival in writing if Participant changes their e-mail, postal address, or phone number during the Submission period. Each submission must include a payment. Participants/Performers are welcome to submit multiple tapes/submissions during the open submission process and will not be refunded for multiple submissions. Entry is not complete until all of the following tasks are performed. All fees are nonrefundable, except in the event that the Festival is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to your submission video, we will also require a headshot/press photo, a professional bio, and links to all social media accounts relevant to your performance. Any social media accounts submitted that are not public will be rejected. All of these materials are subject for use in festival advertising and any relevant marketing material related to Sixth City Comedy both prior to and after the festival. Please make sure you have copyright clearance for anything you submit.
MATERIAL: All items submitted will become the property of the Festival for judging and promotional material and will not be returned to Participant/Performer. (“Material”) includes to the extent applicable (a) any information (e.g., comedy routine, video, headshot) submitted by you or in connection with the Festival; (b) your name, likeness, voice, and image; and (c) all photographs, recordings, audiovisual, writings, biographical, statements, and quotations of you and furnished to the Festival by you in connection with your participation in the Festival. Do not submit any Material of anyone other than yourself. By submitting Material, you represent and warrant to the Festival that (i) the Material is wholly original and does not infringe upon or otherwise violate any copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other proprietary right of any person or entity, (ii) you have all rights necessary to submit the Material to the Festival in accordance with these Official Festival Rules, and (iii) no party other than you has any right, title, or interest in and to the Material or any part of the Material which would impair the rights granted to Festival hereunder. Material must not contain nudity, or any unlawful acts.
QUALIFYING NOTIFICATION: All Materials submitted during the Submission period will be reviewed by a committee (“Panel”) selected by the Festival. Material (33%), Stage Presence (33%), Originality (33%) and Wow Factor (1%).
FESTIVAL ACCEPTANCE: Acceptance emails will be sent out on or around Sunday, May 28th, 2023. Selected Performers will be required to respond to the notification attempt within fourteen (14) calendar days. Failure to respond by Saturday, June 10th, 2023 may result in forfeiture of participation in the Festival and, in such a case, the Festival panel will select an alternate Participant/Performer from among all remaining Entries submitted. Only accepted Participants/Performers will be notified by email.
FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION: Selected comics will perform in at least two shows during the festival. Comics will also be given the opportunity to perform in other shows in and around the NE Ohio area, so long as it doesn’t interfere with their performance schedule in the festival. If you're accepted and have a conflict on any of the days of the festival (Aug. 9th-12th, 2023), please let us know as soon as possible as we might be able to schedule around your availability. Performers are responsible for their own transportation and accommodations to and from the Festival unless otherwise specified; however, if you're chosen to perform at the festival and need help finding inexpensive lodging, please email submissions@sixthcitycomedy.com.
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION/RELEASES: By submitting, Participants/Performers agree to be bound by these Official Festival Rules, which shall be final and binding in all respects. The Released Parties shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, stolen, misdirected, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, garbled, unintelligible entries, communications or affidavits, regardless of the method of transmission; (ii) telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind resulting from acceptance, or from participation in the Festival; or (v) any printing, typographical, human, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Festival. Festival disclaims any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Festival. If accepted, you grant the Festival the right to record or photograph your performance, plus the right to use said recordings in any media; in whole or in part; for any purpose. Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Festival.
CAUTION: Any attempt to deliberately damage the Festival, the reputation of the Festival or undermine the legitimate operation of the Festival may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and will result in disqualification from participation in the Festival. Should such an attempt be made, the Festival reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorney fees) to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal prosecution.
PRIVACY POLICY: Any personal information supplied by you to Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC will be subject to the privacy policy. Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC will not sell, rent, transfer or otherwise disclose your personal data to any third party. Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC fully respects your right to privacy and will not collect any personal information about you on this website without your clear and explicit permission. Any personal information which you volunteer will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Acts. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of other websites. Any external links to other websites are clearly identifiable as such. Participants/Performers give Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC full permission to use submission photos, videos, and links for promotion and advertising on the website, social media, and in print.
ATTENDANCE & CODE OF CONDUCT: All Participants/Performers/Production Members are solely responsible for their actions while at Sixth City Comedy Festival in Cleveland, OH. Festival Participants/Performers/Production Members acknowledge that participation in Sixth City Comedy Festival is a privilege, not a right. All Participants/Performers/Production Members acknowledge that they not only represent themselves, but Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC and should not deviate from the rules of conduct set forth herein. Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC conducts business without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, or any other classification prohibited by law. Individuals are entitled to be treated fairly and with respect. Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC will not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination against anyone on any basis. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment and discrimination for race or religion. This includes a range of subtle and not so subtle behaviors and may involve individuals of the same or opposite sex. Additionally, Sixth City Participants/Performers/Production Members agree to refrain from participating in activities that violate state, federal and/or local laws or Sixth City policies. No use or possession of firearms, fireworks, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals. Violations of any of these rules may incur any or all of the following actions:
Immediate removal from activity/event.
Official charges being filed with local law enforcement.
Immediate eviction from festival accommodations.
SAFETY: Sixth City Comedy Festival is a 4-day event for individuals 18 years of age or older. Sixth City Comedy Festival is held in Cleveland, OH. If you cannot or are unable to travel to the festival safely, then please do not apply. Participants/Performers/Production Members are solely responsible for their health and safety while in attendance of Sixth City Comedy Festival and/or while traveling to, from, and during Sixth City Comedy Festival. Any damages, injuries, or incidents requiring monetary expenses or legal ramifications are the sole responsibility of the Participant/Performer/Production Member only. Participants/Performers/Production Members acknowledge and accept responsibility for their person and their actions while at Sixth City Comedy Festival. Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC reserves the right to remove Participants/Performers/Production Members from the lineup or Festival for any other reason, at any time.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC will have multiple staff photographers on site during the Festival. All photos taken during Sixth City Comedy Festival by Sixth City Staff, Interns, and Staff Photographers is property of Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC. All Participants/Performers/Production Members give full permission to be photographed at Sixth City Comedy Festival. Participants/Performers/Production Members also give permission to Sixth City Comedy Productions LLC and its employees, volunteers, and interns to use these photos for promotion and advertising through the website, social media, and print.
FESTIVAL LINE-UP: The Festival lineup will be announced on our website on Monday, June 12th, 2023.