Entry Requirements:

• Any narrative work of fiction 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.

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.