Austin Film Festival’s Digital Series Competitions
About
The climate of storytelling is changing. Scripts are no longer bound to the confines of a feature length movie or 42 minute television episode. With the emergence of online content platforms, digital series, webisodes, and everything else you can find on the world wide web, barriers have been broken and the doors are wide open for new media and innovative formats. And with more opportunity comes more talent and more stories ready to be celebrated.
This competition accepts both filmed and written submissions in an effort to find talented voices who can adapt their vision to emerging digital platforms. AFF will select a winner in both the written and produced categories that display the strongest voice and greatest potential for establishing a digital series.
The winners of the Digital Series Competition will receive a $1000 cash prize, AFF’s bronze typewriter statue, and reimbursement for travel and lodging. Additionally, all filmed series finalists will screen publicly as part of the Festival.
Scripted Series Information
Applicant can submit 1-3 scripted episodes, totaling no more than 30 pages in length. Each script must be submitted as part of the same PDF file.
The Scripted Digital Series Competition is only open to writers who do not earn a living writing for film or television.
Digital series scripts must not have been optioned or sold prior to October 30, 2026.
Scripts that have previously reached the Semifinalist level and beyond within the Scripted Digital Series Competition or Screenplay & Teleplay Competition are not eligible for submission.
No revisions or missing pages will be accepted once an entry has been submitted.
We strongly suggest that applicants register their screenplays/teleplays with the Writers Guild of America, East or Writers Guild of America, West and/or file for copyright registration.
FORMAT:
Digital series scripts must be 3-30 pages in length.
Scripts should be formatted according to current industry standards.
Font size must be 12 point and in Courier type.
Pages must be numbered in the top right-hand corner.
Scripts must be in PDF format under 5MB.
Only the TITLE of the screenplay should appear on the front cover page.
The author’s name must not appear anywhere in the script in order to preserve anonymity in the judging process.
Produced Series Information
Entry Requirements
- Any narrative serial content designed for digital platforms with a total runtime of no more than 30 minutes.
- Submissions may either be a proof-of-concept pilot or the pilot with the subsequent 1-3 episodes of the FIRST season.
- Entrants that advance to the Semifinalist level will be asked to provide a treatment of their vision for the series and how subsequent episodes will unfold.
Award
1st Place Winners in the Produced Digital Series Category receive a cash prize of $1000; reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend the 2026 Austin Film Festival & Conference; reimbursement (up to $500) for stay at an AFF hotel during the Festival; and the AFF Typewriter Award.
AFF Scripted Series Competition Rules
The following rules govern all screenplay submissions to the Austin Film Festival (“AFF” or the “Festival”)
AFF Produced Series Competition Rules
The following rules govern all screenplay submissions to the Austin Film Festival (“AFF” or the “Festival”)
Deadlines
Scripted Digital Series
Early Bird Deadline ($45): March 27
Regular Deadline ($55): April 24
Late Deadline ($65): May 27
Produced Digital Series
Early Bird Deadline ($50): March 27
Regular Deadline ($55): May 20
Late Deadline ($60): June 19
Extended Deadline ($65): July 1
All deadlines happen at 11:59 PM Central Daylight Time
Categories
Entry Requirements:
- Open to short-form episodic scripts intended for the web.
- Writers can submit 1-3 episodes of their series totaling no more than 30 pages.
Entry Requirements:
- Any narrative serial content designed for digital platforms with a total runtime of no more than 30 minutes.
- Submissions may either be a proof-of-concept pilot or the pilot with the subsequent 1-3 episodes of the FIRST season.
- Entrants that advance to the Semifinalist level will be asked to provide a treatment of their vision for the series and how subsequent episodes will unfold.