Austin Film Festival’s Filmmaker Fiscal Sponsorship Program
Austin Film Festival has dedicated the past 30 years to advancing the art and craft of storytelling by encouraging and advocating for the efforts of writers, filmmakers, and all creators who utilize the written and visual language to convey their stories. Our Fiscal Sponsorship initiative directly aids independent filmmakers in securing funding and producing exceptional projects that can then be viewed by audiences. This program is available to independent filmmakers of all levels, irrespective of their education, background, or previous credits. Whether you are embarking on your initial project or have been creating films for as long as we have been providing assistance, if you possess a vision and a strategy, we are here to assist.
What is Fiscal Sponsorhip?
Fiscal sponsorship refers to a formal agreement whereby a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as the Austin Film Festival, agrees to sponsor a project that advances their mission. The primary objective is to enable fundraising through donations, and it provides an alternative option to creating your own nonprofit. Through this arrangement, you can seek tax-deductible contributions for your film project, while receiving oversight, support, and endorsement from a long established and reliable film organization.
Apply for Sponsorship for your film
Fiscal Sponsorship applications are accepted on a project by project basis. Applicants must submit the following materials for consideration:
You will only be considered for the program if you are an AFF Member in good standing at an Extra level or higher. Please visit the below link to join AFF or to renew your AFF membership.
Complete the below Application fully in order to be considered for sponsorship. Submit your application here.
The application fee for our Fiscal Sponsorship Program is US $40.00. This must be paid at the time of submission and is non-refundable. Please make your check or money order payable to Austin Film Festival. If you rather pay via PayPal, we can issue you an invoice via email.
Give your support to filmmakers!
By donating to the independent filmmaker projects sponsored by Austin Film Festival, you are supporting emerging artists and innovative storytelling. Your contribution helps bring unique and diverse perspectives to the screen, promoting creativity and new voices in the film industry. Additionally, your donation is tax-deductible, allowing you to make a positive impact while benefiting from potential financial advantages.
*On Donation Page, select the film you are sponsoring in the REASON FOR DONATION dropdown.
Current Supported Films
I’LL BE THERE
Director: Andrew Shea
Screenwriter: Cindy McCreery
When Grace’s older brother, AJ, undergoes life-threatening surgery, she ends up becoming his unlikely caregiver. These estranged adult siblings reconnect under stressful, emotional circumstances where they realize, no matter how distant they have grown, they’ll always be a part of each other.
Based on real events, You Are Not Alone is set in the days after Michael Jackson’s death in the summer of 2009. In true L.A. fashion, the hospital where AJ is being treated for an aggressive bladder cancer happens to be right next to the L.A. Coroner’s Office where the King of Pop’s body is being autopsied.
As the youngest of six children, Grace’s blended family was never easy to explain to her friends. As soon as graduation came around, she left the confusion and rawness of her home life behind. When the film finds her more than a decade later, she has built a new life for herself in another state and cemented her place as the outsider of the family. But her new life is upended when she learns that her brother has cancer. When her now estranged family comes to town to support AJ, including Grace’s biological parents Felicia and Clint, she is forced to confront her siblings and her former role as the family’s “Golden Child.” The story takes place in 2009, with flashbacks to Grace’s childhood, as we unravel the family’s traumatic past, the pivotal role AJ played as Grace’s protector, and the chasm that now exists between them as adults. As emotionally raw hospital days unfold and AJ teeters on the brink of death, Grace comes to terms with the complicated ghosts of her past and… the hundreds of MJ fans who are dealing with a complicated history of their own outside the hospital’s front doors.
You Are Not Alone is about the ties that bind and burden family, as well as the difficult nature of closure. In this age of the pandemic, as we see Grace break down in a hospital stairwell, You Are Not Alone speaks powerfully to the heart-wrenching difficulties surrounding illness and caregiving.