xHamster for Women — Frequently Asked Questions

Since we first announced the xHamster for Women Fund, we’ve gotten lots of questions about how it works. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions, as well as a more detailed schedule of how funds will become available.


The link to the contest?

xHamster Porn For Women Fund

What does Porn for Women mean?

We define Porn for Women in the broadest sense possible. “Porn made by women, for an intended audience of women.”

We think that should be determined by the filmmakers themselves, and the audience itself. For too long, women have been consuming content intended for men. While women may enjoy much of it, it also may not be what women would create.

As time goes on, we may have additional criteria or guidance, but to kick it off, we think the simplest definition is the best. We want to see what these filmmakers create, and how they define the category.

And how do you define women?

We don’t. If you identify as a woman, you're a woman.

How do I submit to xHamster for Women monthly contest?

Currently, we are only accepting submissions for the xHamster Porn For Women Fund monthly award of $500. Later in the fall, we will issue more detailed guidelines for $1K grants and $10K co-productions.

The best way for you to submit a video for the monthly award is to upload the video file to a service like Vimeo (set to private) or Dropbox, and email the link and any password to [email protected]. If you are a registered xHamster member, you can upload it as a password protected video (see below.)

We will take video submissions from September 1st through midnight on the 14th of the month (or, if it falls on a weekend, the previous Friday). All qualifying videos will be uploaded on the 15th of each month (or, if it falls on a weekend, the Monday prior). Each video runs for one week on the site. The five videos with the most views will be sent to the judging panel, who will rank them.

We expect to announce the winner of the previous contest on the 1st of the next month.

Can I just upload it to my xHamster account?

If you are a registered member of xHamster, you can upload the video with us, using the password protected feature, and send us the link and password.

Does xHamster own the content?

No, the content belongs to you, the producer. After the contest, you’re welcome to take that clip and sell it, or to put it on your own website, or to upload it to xHamster separately. We know that $500 isn’t a lot of money, we just want to reward and encourage people who might want to try their hand at making adult film for women.

Can I Make Revenue Sharing income on the Content?

Yes. If you are a content partner of xHamster, and have a revenue sharing affiliate program with yours or another website, contact us at [email protected] and we’ll walk you through the process.

Do I have to be an amateur to submit a film to the monthly award?

No, not at all. We’re hoping to encourage all enthusiasts to submit, but we realize that most established adult filmmakers won’t want to submit a film for $500. But we do hope that a filmmaker who is interested in trying something new, focused at women, might be enticed.

Most of the industry only considers the male consumer. We wanted to give an incentive to women filmmakers to try something new.

But it costs much more than $500 or even $1K to make a film!

We know. This is a pilot grant program, and we can’t finance a full film each month. The money is only meant to help filmmakers improve their budget.

Independent filmmakers, and particularly women filmmakers making content for women, face structural disadvantages and hurdles that those making traditional male-intended content don’t. When you’re working outside the existing market, it’s harder to get funding, distribution deals, or coverage.

We’re working with other networks as well, to help give any prize or grant winner access to additional contracts and deals. This is a long-game for us, and we’ll announce those soon.

Why do the co-productions and grants submissions start later?

This is an experiment for us, and something that we’d like to grow and build. Rather than claim we know what women need, we wanted to start small, get feedback and evolve. We aim at growing partnerships with women directors and women consumers.

Can I promote my video?

Certainly! We think that filmmakers are their own best advocates, on xHamster or any form of social media. We only ask that you avoid soliciting, tagging, or involving the judges.

Who are the judges?

The contest will have a rotating panel of women-identified judges, the first set of whom we’ll be announcing in early September. Our goal is to have the judging panel as diverse as possible, and to change frequently. We don’t want this contest to define “what women want,” we want it to showcase the broad diversity of what different women want.

What’s next?

After we launch this first phase of the xHamster Porn For Women Fund, we’ll move on to give guidance and submission guidelines on the grants and co-productions.

Have additional questions? Email us at [email protected], or tweet @xhamstercom.