Entry Requirements:

• Any narrative work of fiction with a running time of 40 minutes or less.
• Shorts must be Austin premieres, although Texas Premieres are preferred.

Entry Requirements:

• Any student narrative work of fiction with a running time of 40 minutes or less.
• The film’s credited writer or director must be a current student or completed the film during the time the filmmaker was a student.
• Student Shorts must be non-animated, narrative works only. Documentary and Animated Shorts should be entered in their respective category.
• Shorts must be Austin Premieres, but Texas Premieres are preferred.
• Entrant must provide proof of enrollment in the form of an official transcript or signed letter from faculty on official letterhead. This can be sent to programming@austinfilmfestival.com.

Entry Requirements:

• Any animated narrative work of fiction with a running time of 40 minutes or less.
• Open to any form of animation. Animated Shorts must be narrative works only–no experimental pieces.
• Shorts must be Austin premieres, although Texas Premieres are preferred.

Entry Requirements:

• Any non-fiction film with a running time of 41 minutes or longer.
• Feature films must be at least a Texas Premiere, but US and World Premieres are always preferred.
• AFF specifically looks for documentaries that tell compelling and well-structured stories.

Entry Requirements:

• Any non-fiction work of film with a running time of 40 minutes or less.
• Shorts must be Austin premieres, although Texas Premieres are preferred.
• AFF prefers films with compelling and well-structured stories.

Entry Requirements

• Any narrative work of fiction with a running time of 41 minutes or longer and with a story that is easily identified as belonging to the horror or thriller genre and that embodies dark themes, unconventional subject matter, or suspenseful sensibilities.
• Films must be at least a Texas Premiere, but US and World Premieres are always preferred.

Entry Requirements

• Films must be feature-length, 41 minutes or longer.
• Must be original narrative films that encompass any and all forms of the comedy genre, where the only thing that outweighs the humor is the story.
• Films must be at least a Texas Premiere, but US and World Premieres are always preferred.

Entry Requirements

• • • Any narrative serial content designed for digital platforms.
    • Submission packages must total less than 30 minutes and can consist of the first one to three 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.
    • Have a web series? Submit on our Digital Series Competition page!

The Jury Advisory Program will facilitate opportunities for entrants across all nine of AFF’s film competition categories sourced from selected in-competition films.

Each Jury Winner per competition category and at least one additional selected in-competition filmmaker per category will have the opportunity to participate in advisory sessions with members of the AFF jury.

Members of the 2020 jury included representatives from notable companies such as ESPN Films, Participant, Powderkeg, Stage 13, Sony Pictures Animation, Rain Management Group, Writ-Large, and Verve.

Eligibility for the Advisory Program are as follows:

1. Only in-competition selected filmmakers are eligible for this program.
2. The Jury winner of each competition is guaranteed access to the Advisory Program along with at least one additional selected in-competition filmmaker.

The Enderby Entertainment Filmmaking Fellowship Award is open to short films entered under the Narrative Short and Narrative Student Short categories. Founded by Daniel Petrie, Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop, The Big Easy) and Rick Dugdale, the production company will provide airfare and hotel accommodations for a week-long trip to Enderby’s Los Angeles offices, guidance, and the opportunity to shadow executives and filmmakers on-site.

The winner will also receive a cash prize of $1,000, 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, and the AFF Typewriter Award.

• Consideration requires an additional $20 submission fee.
• The expenses of the writer(s) and the director(s) will be covered under the fellowship (at most 2 people). If only one writer/director, only one person will be covered.

 

We are pleased to announce the inaugural Ghetto Film School Fellowship Award in association with Ghetto Film School, an award-winning nonprofit founded in 2000 to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great storytellers.

The Fellowship Award is available to entrants between the ages of 18-34 to all Short Film Competition categories (Narrative, Animated, Documentary, Student, and Digital Series). The winner will receive airfare and hotel accommodation reimbursements up to $1,000 for the 2022 Festival and be placed in the Ghetto Film School Roster Program.

The Ghetto Film School Roster Program identifies, develops, and connects creative talent through curated resources and programming in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Benefits include access to member-exclusive job opportunities and referrals to leading media production companies, priority admission to GFS-exclusive industry events, and consideration for significant opportunities, including labs, fellowships, and competitions.

The winner will also receive a cash prize of $1,000, 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.

• Consideration requires an additional $20 submission fee.
• The winner will be announced at the 29th annual Austin Film Festival & Conference happening October 27-November 3.

 

We are pleased to announce the Texas Short Filmmaker Award Underwritten by Austin Movie Gear. Opened in 2013, Austin Movie Gear is a locally owned and operated rental house dedicated to providing low prices and excellent service to Austin filmmakers. The Texas Short Filmmaker Award is presented to a Texas-affiliated short film (writer or director who lives in Texas or the film was shot in Texas) submitted for competition under the “Texas Short Filmmaker” category. The short may fit into any category: Narrative, Animated, Documentary, or Student.

The Texas Short Filmmaker Award includes a $3,000 store credit good for any rental or purchase at Austin Movie Gear. The winner must redeem this credit no later than November 2024, and the winner must complete Austin Movie Gear’s standard new customer process, including proof of insurance. Austin Film Festival will not be responsible or liable for rental or gear associated with this store credit. Consideration for this award is an additional $20. The winner will be announced at the 29th annual Austin Film Festival & Conference happening October 27-November 3.

We are excited to launch this initiative and continue our mission to serve storytellers. Austin Film Festival is excited to partner with Austin Movie Gear to serve the dynamic community of Texas Filmmakers.

If you would like to be considered for this award in addition to your competition category, you can opt-in on our FilmFreeway or our official website submission page. Consideration for this award is an additional $20.

 

The Austin Film Festival is pleased to announce the inaugural Blackmagic Collective Emerging Filmmakers Initiative Award in association with Blackmagic Collective, a non-profit that offers unique opportunities to learn, network, and level up in your filmmaking career.

 

The Award is available for Narrative and Student Short Film competition categories.  Entrants may be considered for the add-on award as long as they are part of one of the following communities: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled Filmmakers, and Female-Identifying community. The winner will receive airfare and hotel accommodation reimbursements up to $1,000 for the 2022 Festival.  The Fellowship Award winner will receive a Blackmagic Design Pocket 6K Pro, a guaranteed screening slot at the BMC Film Festival in Los Angeles, and a guaranteed seat in the Emerging Filmmakers Initiative running from January 2023 to November 2023.  Furthermore, finalists (the top 10 films within the category) will receive exclusive automatic first-look consideration for remaining Fellowship slots.  The winner will be announced at the 29th annual Austin Film Festival Awards Luncheon on October 29th during the main event this Fall. 

 

Blackmagic Collective was founded with the belief that the art of filmmaking should be accessible to all and is designed to bring together filmmakers from all disciplines and experience levels to learn from, share with, and inspire each other. The Collective offers panels covering cutting-edge trends, hands-on training sessions, and accelerator programs for filmmakers.

We are excited to launch these initiatives and continue our mission to serve storytellers. Austin Film Festival is excited to have found a like-minded partner in Blackmagic Collective in championing underrepresented voices in storytelling and a diverse array of emerging filmmakers.

If you would like to be considered for this award in addition to your competition category, you can opt-in on FilmFreeway or our official website submission page.

Consideration for this award is an additional $20.