Awards
All our awards are presented during the Austin Film Festival Awards Luncheon. To buy tickets for the event please contact our offices at 512.478.4795. [Badge holders only.]
About Our Awardees
2017 Awardees:
Not yet determined, stay tuned! Follow our newsletter for updates.
About Our Film Competition Awards
All awards will be presented to the Writer of the winning films, with the exception of the Documentary awards, which will be presented to the Director. The Jury Awards will be presented on Saturday, October 28, 2017, during the Austin Film Festival Awards Luncheon. Awards are based on overall merit of the entries. Jury members reserve the right not to grant an award.
AUDIENCE AWARD
All films screening are also eligible for an Audience Award in their respected categories. Award winners are announced within one week following the Festival. The Audience Award is based solely on audience voting at the film’s screening(s).
JURY AWARDS
Prizes
Each Competition Filmmaker receives two film screenings, October 26- November 2, 2017; five complimentary tickets to each of the film’s screenings; one ticket to the AFF Awards Luncheon (if in attendance, it is the preference of AFF that the writer be provided this ticket); the film featured in the 2017 AFF Program Book; and two complimentary Producers Badges to the 2017 Austin Film Festival, October 26- November 2 (if in attendance, it is the preference of AFF that the writer be provided one of the complimentary Producers Badges).
Feature Films
1st Place Winners in both the Narrative Feature Category and Documentary Feature Category receive a cash prize of $2,500; reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend the 2017 AFF; reimbursement (up to $500) for stay at an AFF hotel during the 2017 Festival; and the AFF Typewriter Award. The 1st Place Winner in the Dark Matters and Comedy Vanguard Feature Category receives a cash prize of $1,000; reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend the 2017 AFF; reimbursement (up to $500) for stay at an AFF hotel during the 2017 Festival; and the AFF Typewriter Award.
Comedy Vanguard winners will also receive a Video on Demand Distribution Deal from Gravitas Ventures!
Short Films
1st Place Winners receive a cash prize of $1,000 (Narrative Short Category only) or $500 (Narrative Student Short, Documentary Short, Animated Short Categories); reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend the 2017 AFF; reimbursement (up to $500) for stay at an AFF hotel during the 2017 Festival; and the AFF Typewriter Award. In addition, the winning films in the Narrative Short and Animated Short category are eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award®.
About Our Screenplay Awards
All Awards are presented during the Austin Film Festival Awards Luncheon*. Those advancing to the Semifinalist level or beyond will have the option to attend exclusive panels hosted by participating panelists. They will also be included in the Producers Book, distributed to competition judges and other industry professionals.
SCREENPLAY COMPETITION PRIZES (ONE WINNER/CATEGORY)
- The Drama Award Winner Receives: $5,000 cash; reimbursement of round-trip airfare (up to $500 per script, excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement (up to $500 per script); and AFF Bronze Typewriter Award.
- The Comedy Winner Receives: $5,000 cash; reimbursement of round-trip airfare (up to $500 per script, excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement (up to $500 per script); and AFF Bronze Typewriter Award.
- The Enderby Entertainment Award Winner Receives: $2,500 cash; reimbursement of round-trip airfare (up to $500 per script, excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement (up to $500 per script); and AFF Bronze Typewriter Award. In order to be considered for this award, you must be entered in the Drama or Comedy categories.
- The Horror Award Winner Receives: $2,500 cash; reimbursement of round-trip airfare (up to $500 per script, excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement (up to $500 per script); and AFF Bronze Typewriter Award. In order to be considered for this award, you must be entered in the Drama or Comedy categories.
- The Sci-Fi Award Winner Receives: $2,500 cash; reimbursement of round-trip airfare (up to $500 per script, excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement (up to $500 per script); and AFF Bronze Typewriter Award. In order to be considered for this award, you must be entered in the Drama or Comedy categories.
- The Short Screenplay Winner Receives: $1,000 cash; reimbursement of roundtrip airfare (up to $500 per script excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement at the Film Festival (up to $500 per script); and the AFF bronze typewriter award.
TELEPLAY COMPETITION AWARDS (ONE WINNER PER CATEGORY)
- The Sitcom Spec Winner Receives: $1,000 cash; reimbursement of roundtrip airfare (up to $500 per script excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement at the Film Festival (up to $500 per script); and the AFF bronze typewriter award.
- One-Hour Spec Winner Receives: $1,000 cash; reimbursement of roundtrip airfare (up to $500 per script excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement at the Film Festival (up to $500 per script); and the AFF bronze typewriter award.
- The Sitcom Pilot Winner Receives: $1,000 cash; reimbursement of roundtrip airfare (up to $500 per script excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement at the Film Festival (up to $500 per script); and the AFF bronze typewriter award.
- The One-Hour Pilot Winner Receives: $1,000 cash; reimbursement of roundtrip airfare (up to $500 per script excluding frequent flyer miles); hotel reimbursement at the Film Festival (up to $500 per script); and the AFF bronze typewriter award.
Finalists in All Categories Receive: one complimentary Producers Badge to attend the Austin Film Festival and Conference (value $675).
All Semifinalists may purchase a Producer’s Badge at the discounted price of $200.
*Awards Luncheon tickets are only available to Producers and Conference Badge holders.
About Our Digital Series Awards
The winner of the Scripted Digital Series Competition will receive a $1000 cash prize; AFF’s bronze typewriter statue; reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend the 2017 AFF; reimbursement (up to $500) for stay at an AFF hotel during the 2017 Festival. Additionally, all filmed series finalists will be screened publicly at the 2017 Festival.
About Our Playwriting Awards
Three finalists from the Playwriting Competition will have staged readings during the festival which will be performed in front of an audience including the industry professionals already in attendance at the Conference. One winner will be selected and will receive a $1000 cash prize, AFF’s Bronze Typewriter Award, and reimbursements of up to $500 for travel and up to $500 for lodging if used during the 2017 Festival.
About Our Fiction Podcast Script Awards
The Fiction Podcast Script Competition Winner receives: a $1000 cash prize, AFF’s Bronze Typewriter Award, reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend AFF, reimbursement (up to $500) for stay at an AFF hotel during the Festival.
About Our Audience Awards
Directly following each screening, viewers will be given a Hiscox Insurance Audience Award ballot in order to judge each film on its overall quality and courage. Audience Awards will be awarded to Best Marquee Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Comedy Vanguard Feature, Best Dark Matters Feature, Best Texas Independent Feature, Best Stories From Abroad Feature, Best Heart of Film Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Student Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Animated Short, and MOST COURAGEOUS FILM. Don’t forget to vote!
It takes courage to tell a great story, because without risk, nothing great can happen. This is why Austin film Festival and Hiscox Insurance are proud to present the Courage Award
The Hiscox Courage Award will be presented to the film that best showcases the most courageous story.
Selected by the audience, the Hiscox Insurance Courage Award will be presented to the one film that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who best embraced the risk to tell the story.
Austin Film Festival had a great staff and were very gracious hosts across the board. You could sense a genuine passion for films and filmmakers, combined with a healthy dose of rocking parties, Texas barbecue, and a dash of red carpet glamor. Overall it was an awesome experience and it was truly an honor to be invited.”
– Adam Cornelius, director/producer of Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, 2011 AFF Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature
Check Out Our Competitions
The top-notch quality of the films at the festival and the caliber of professional talent on the panels at the conference provided an experience that was both informative and inspiring. And, okay, fine, the bar – there I said it – my time in the Driskill Hotel bar was pretty memorable, too.”
– Tony Glazer, writer/director, JUNCTION, 2012 Narrative Feature Competition
