2019 Festival Awards
2019 Awardees
Heart of Film Award
Daniel Petrie, Jr.
New Voice Award
Catherine Reitman


Outstanding Television Writers
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Polly Platt Award for Producing
Sarah Green
Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting
Ron Bass



Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Winners
DRAMA SCREENPLAYpresented by the Writers Guild of America, East Matthew Fantaci will be provided the opportunity to stay at the Capri Residency in Marfa, Texas for 2-3 weeks. |
COMEDY SCREENPLAYpresented by Sony Pictures Animation Rearranged By Zarna Garg & Greg Fortier |
ENDERBY ENTERTAINMENT AWARDService Animals By Christopher Corte |
SCI-FI SCREENPLAY AWARDService Animals By Christopher Corte |
HORROR SCREENPLAY AWARDDelirium By Alex D Reid |
AMC DRAMA TELEPLAY PILOT AWARDGhostrunner |
COMEDY PILOT AWARDGood Lord By Tillery Johnson |
SHORT SCREENPLAY AWARDYou are My Fish and I Will Keep You Alive By Em Frederick |
DRAMA TELEPLAY SPEC AWARDThe Crown: Heir Apparent By Lygia Gordon |
SCRIPTED DIGITAL SERIESpresented by Stage 13 Incoming By David Singer |
COMEDY TELEPLAY SPEC AWARDAtlanta: Ghetto Submarine By Kyra Rogers |
FICTION PODCAST AWARDOld Forks Inn By Rose Judson PLAYWRITING AWARDAfter the Fall By Miki Kim |
The Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship is an extension of AFF’s Script Competition and will provide a one-on-one mentorship with Barry Josephson and his team in Los Angeles for the writers of one feature screenplay and one teleplay pilot. The fellows were chosen from the pool of Finalists in this year’s competition and were selected based on the writers and scripts that imbue the most promise for development.
The selected fellows include:
Feature Screenplay: Service Animals by Christopher Corte
Teleplay Pilot: Faith Breaker by Sam Alper
Austin Film Festival (AFF) and HUMANITAS have joined forces to launch the inaugural HUMANITAS Originals Award. This joint initiative is a new addition to AFF’s Script Competitions and is open to both feature screenplays and teleplay pilots that reflect the kind of stories HUMANITAS has honored for over four decades. A classic HUMANITAS story examines what it means to be a fully realized human being in a world struggling with racism, sexism, ageism, anti-Semitism, poverty, religious strife, and a widening political divide. By deeply exploring the cultures, lifestyles, sexual orientations, and political and religious beliefs of people who are very different from ourselves, we can dissolve the walls of ignorance and hate that threaten our global community.
The winner of the HUMANITAS ORIGINALS Award is:
When a Flower Falls by Zoe Cheng
The Rooster Teeth Fellowship was awarded to the project that best fits Rooster Teeth’s voice by incorporating elements of comedy and genre filmmaking and accomplishing a low budget/high concept feel. Stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, coming-of-age stories, and other engaging journeys of self-discovery.
The winner of the Rooster Teeth Fellowship Award will receive a $5,000 prize along with a one-on-one mentorship. This will include a week-long mentorship in Austin. In addition to the Fellowship Award, Rooster Teeth will offer development deals to three (3) finalists, who will be given the chance to develop an original concept in conjunction with the Rooster Teeth team.
The winner of the Rooster Teeth Fellowship Award is:
The Daily Dowager by Jon Comulada
And the development deal winners are:
All The President’s Women by Naomi Brodkin
Fitter Families by Caitlin Scherer
Rearranged by Zarna Garg and Greg Fortier
Film Competition Jury Winners
NARRATIVE FEATUREThe Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, written and directed by David Midell |
DOCUMENTARY FEATUREFlannery, written and directed by Elizabeth Coffman & Mark Bosco |
COMEDY VANGUARD FEATUREThe Planters, written and directed by Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder |
DARK MATTERS FEATUREMacabre, written by Lucas Paraizo and Rita Gloria Curvo, directed by Marcos Prado |
NARRATIVE SHORTCall Connect., written by Indianna Bell, directed by Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen |
NARRATIVE STUDENT SHORTBlack Goat, written and directed by Yi Tang |
DOCUMENTARY SHORTThe Mortician of Manila, directed by Leah Borromeo |
ANIMATED SHORTThe Kite, written and directed by Martin Smatana |
PRODUCED DIGITAL SERIESpresented by Stage 13 Brothers from the Suburbs, created by Patrick Wimp |
YOUNG FILMMAKERSHearth, written and directed by Max Shoham |
Audience Award Winners
NARRATIVE FEATUREThe Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, written and directed by David Midell |
DOCUMENTARY FEATURECowboys, directed by John Langmore and Bud Force |
COMEDY VANGUARD FEATUREThe Planters, written and directed by Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder TEXAS INDEPENDENTS FEATUREWhen We Last Spoke, written by Joanne Hock and Rick Eldridge, directed by Joanne Hock |
DARK MATTERS FEATURENoise, written and directed by Jérémy Laval MARQUEE FEATURELast Week at Ed’s, directed by Meg and Lawrence Kasdan |
NARRATIVE SHORTThe President and the Crossing Keeper, written by Jean-Marc Peyrefitte & Marc Syrigas, directed by Jean-Marc Peyrefitte |
NARRATIVE STUDENT SHORTHoly Jail, written and directed by Maria Lavelle |
DOCUMENTARY SHORTDead Woman’s Pass, directed by Lali Houghton |
ANIMATED SHORTThe Fox and the Bird, written by Christophe Pagnon and Vincent Gessler, directed by Sam and Fred Guillaume |
PRODUCED DIGITAL SERIESpresented by Stage 13 Brothers from the Suburbs, created by Patrick Wimp |