Our Script Competition entry opens on December 7th.
2023 Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Deadlines
Feature Screenplay
Early Bird Deadline: March 23
Regular Deadline: April 18
Late Deadline: May 25
Short Screenplay & Teleplay
Early Bird Deadline: March 23
Regular Deadline: April 18
Late Deadline: May 25
About Us
For thirty years, Austin Film Festival has been catapulting writers into life-changing careers. With one of the most noteworthy competitions among Hollywood tastemakers, AFF consistently yanks newcomers from the isolation of their desks and ushers them into the bustling world of film and television. Whether your dream is to sign a contract, land an agent, learn from an industry icon, or take home the coveted Bronze Typewriter Award, it’s simple: you can’t win if you don’t enter.
The Best Around
Austin Film Festival’s Script Competitions stand a league apart. No velvet ropes, no VIP areas. In the words of Ed Solomon “there is no us and them” at AFF. Join AFF in demystifying the festival experience and instead participating in a one of a kind, world class event.
AFF’s Competitions aren’t just about the winner either! We’re here for you the entire way. All entrants receive registration discounts regardless of placement. Attendees of AFF’s world famous Writers Conference get access to over 175 panels, roundtables, pitch sessions, and workshops, covering every nook and cranny of the art, craft, and business of storytelling through film, television, and digital platforms.
However, unlike other screenplay competitions, your experience with AFF doesn’t end after making the first cut. Second Rounders, Semifinalists, and Finalists get larger discounts and have the opportunity to attend exclusive panels, intimate roundtable discussions, script reading workshops, and are afforded special access to industry professionals.
Invest in your career! The value for writers at Austin Film Festival doesn’t stop with our competitions. Buy your Badge now!
our foundation & process
At Austin Film Festival, story comes first and foremost above all else. We fully acknowledge the hard work and passion you put into your script, and rest assured, your story is in good hands. By submitting to our script competitions, you’re joining a community of story lovers who want to help you succeed; a community that was found at Austin Film Festival’s inception in 1994, which is incredibly generous and committed to helping fellow storytellers get their foot in the door. We find that same spirit of generosity among our readers, panelists, and partners, and it is what allows us to offer opportunities to those who place in our competition.
AFF is a nonprofit and as such, volunteerism is a significant part of our ability to fulfill our mission. Our team of readers are an integral group who volunteer their time each year to help launch the careers of many aspiring writers. Our readers are recruited through referrals from individuals closely associated with AFF, MFA programs, and writers groups throughout the country. Each reader undergoes a rigorous screening process. Once approved, readers are given strict guidelines and closely monitored throughout the duration of their participation. All readers are required to provide constructive notes for each script. Most importantly, they are also required to read each script in its entirety in order to give the full consideration that each writer deserves.
Though AFF is one of the largest script competitions around, every entrant receives personalized attention and multiple reads throughout the process. Each script is read in its entirety by a First-Round reader. If the script is given a “yes”, it will be read a second time by a Second-Round reader. If the script is given a “no” in the first round, another reader is required to read up to page 10. If by this page they think the script should not advance, they can give it a second “no”, which means the script will not advance to the Second Round. This second reader can read to the end and change the initial “no” to a “yes”, if they think it should advance.
AFF goes the extra mile to send both postal mail and e-mail notifications to ensure that everyone is aware of their placement in the competition.
We have discovered over a 28-year period that those who get involved with us are committed to AFF’s mission of championing writers. This communal resilience has guided our organization every step of the way and is what revitalizes the work ethic of our staff and those who choose to volunteer their time.
Script Categories
Drama Feature Screenplay presented by Writers Guild of America, East
Drama Screenplay Award presented by Writers Guild of America, East
The category is open but not limited to feature drama scripts in genres such as historical, western, family, romance, horror, thriller, etc.
Comedy Feature Screenplay
Comedy Screenplay Award
The category is open but not limited to feature comedy scripts in genres such as dark comedy, satire, family, animation, slapstick, horror, etc.
Enderby Entertainment Award
Enderby Entertainment Award
The Enderby Entertainment Award category is open to feature scripts in all genres with an original concept and distinctive voice that can be independently produced under $10 million. Co-founded by Rick Dugdale and Daniel Petrie, Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop, The Big Easy), the production company acquired the 2008 AFF Finalist script Stranded (now titled Dawn Patrol) which premiered at the 2014 Festival starring Scott Eastwood and Rita Wilson.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires an additional $25 entry fee
- Must first be entered in either the Feature Drama or Feature Comedy categories
Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship
Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship
Acclaimed producer Barry Josephson has been a longtime supporter of AFF since the very first festival in 1994 when he optioned the winning script from the Screenplay Competition. For the seventh year, Barry will present the “Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship” which will provide a one-on-one mentorship for the writers of two scripts – one feature script and one teleplay pilot – selected from the Final Round of the 2023 Screenplay Competition. Finalists will be invited to apply and AFF will select the top writers for Josephson Entertainment to further review. The selected fellows will be announced and presented by Barry Josephson at the Awards Luncheon on October 28, 2023. Each fellow will be flown to LA to be mentored by Barry and take meetings with various executives from Josephson Entertainment to take their writing to the next level.
Entry Requirements:
Must be entered in: Comedy or Drama Feature, or TV Pilot categories.
The Rooster Teeth BIPOC Fellowship
The Rooster Teeth BIPOC Fellowship seeks scripts from underrepresented writers in the industry. While open to any genre, submissions should generally align with Rooster Teeth’s voice: an emphasis on comedy concepts that feature ordinary people in extraordinary situations, coming-of-age stories, or other engaging journeys of self-discovery.
The winner will receive a $2,500 prize and will be flown (travel-expenses covered) to Austin for a three-day-long mentorship with Rooster Teeth’s team. The winner will meet with Rooster Teeth executives and their development team.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires an additional $25 entry fee
- This category is only open to writers who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). To submit to this category please select one of the options within the Demographics section in this form. Applicants from underrepresented communities are highly encouraged to apply.
The Rooster Teeth Women & Animation Fellowship
The Rooster Teeth Women & Animation Fellowship seeks scripts from women looking to enter into the field of animation. While open to any genre, animation scripts should generally align with Rooster Teeth’s voice: an emphasis on comedy concepts that feature ordinary people in extraordinary situations, coming-of-age stories, or other engaging journeys of self-discovery.
The winner will receive a $2,500 prize and will be flown (travel-expenses covered) to Austin for a three-day-long mentorship with Rooster Teeth’s team. The winner will meet with Rooster Teeth executives and their development team.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires an additional $25 entry fee
- This category is only open to writers who identify as female. Applicants from underrepresented communities are highly encouraged to apply.
Horror Award
The Horror Award is open to any feature horror script including dark suspense, thriller, sci-fi and macabre themes.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires additional $20 entry fee
- Must first be entered in either the Feature Drama or Comedy categories
Sci-Fi Award
The Sci-Fi Award is open to science fiction, fantasy, horror, surrealism, myth/legend and fantastical storytelling.
Entry Requirements:
- Requires additional $20 entry fee
- Must first be entered in either the Feature Drama or Comedy categories
Short Screenplay
Entry Requirements:
- Open to any narrative short script in all genres 5 to 40 pages in length.
Drama Teleplay
Open to spec scripts for any currently airing television program AND original pilot scripts (no bibles or treatments will be accepted).
Drama Teleplay Pilot
Open to any pilot script written in the one-hour or half-hour format for an original drama television series.
Drama Teleplay Spec
Open to any spec script for a current drama television show in the one-hour or half-hour format.
Comedy Teleplay
Open to spec scripts for any currently airing television program AND original pilot scripts (no bibles or treatments will be accepted).
Comedy Teleplay Pilot
Open to any pilot script written in the half-hour or one-hour format for an original comedy television series.
Comedy Teleplay Spec
Open to any spec script for a current comedy television show in the half-hour or one-hour format.
Scripted Digital Series
Open to short-form episodic scripts intended for the web. Writers can submit 1-3 episodes of their series totaling no more than 30 pages.
Have a web series you want to submit? Want more information? Check out our Digital Series Competition page!
Playwriting
Open to full-length stage plays 60-90 pages or that could reasonably be performed within 90 minutes on stage.
Have a play you want to submit? Want more information? Check out our Playwriting Competition!
Fiction Podcast
Open to ongoing, original, serialized stories designed for the podcast medium.
- Writers can submit up to three episodes 3-30 pages in length
- Include a series outline, detailing the events of the remaining episodes in the series
Have a podcast script? Want more information? Check out our Fiction Podcast Script Competition!
SCRIPT COVERAGE
Every good writer has a good reader. For established screenwriters, it’s often a producer, a spouse, or a fellow screenwriter. Whoever it is must be objective and fluent in the language of screenwriting.
Those coverage readers put scripts into the right hands, using an industry method so consistent you can give your own script a significant head start by applying their evaluation and rewrite techniques before sending your work into the world. The Austin Film Festival Coverage Program gives you that strategy and helps you to implement it.
Questions?
For general questions our FAQ can be read here and our Rules can be viewed here.
Still in need of assistance? The AFF Screenplay Department is happy to help!
For questions regarding submissions and special inquiries, please email our new Screenplay Department Manager: Alyssa Alvarado – scriptdirector@austinfilmfestival.com
For questions regarding reader inquiries and opportunities, please contact our new Script Competitions Manager: scriptmanager@austinfilmfestival.com or call at 512-478-4795.