Austin Film Festival will be October 26- November 2, 2023!
Included in MovieMaker's Top 50 Festival's Worth the Entry Fee for 2022!
At Austin Film Festival, it is our ongoing mission to champion the work of writers and filmmakers, and this goal has never felt as urgent as it does today. Our film competition has grown year after year and so have our efforts to serve as an avenue into the ever-evolving entertainment industry.
Submit to one of the Academy Award-qualifying short film categories - Narrative, Documentary, or Animated - for the chance to have your work reviewed by industry professionals and to be entered into the Austin Film Festival Jury Advisory Program!
The 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 a member of the AFF jury. The 2022 jury included representatives from notable companies such as MGM, Netflix, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Anonymous Content, Adult Swim, Vertigo Entertainment and Participant Media.
Eligibility for the Advisory Program are as follows:
I. Only in-competition selected filmmakers are eligible for this program.
II. The Jury winner of each competition is guaranteed access to the Advisory Program along with at least one additional selected in-competition filmmaker.
We are excited to partner with legendary horror Producer Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment (The Ring, Barbarian, IT) to present a special award for the Dark Matters Features category! The finalists will have their films reviewed by Roy Lee and his team, with the winner set to receive a six-month mentorship in 2024. This mentorship includes monthly guidance sessions with Roy Lee providing advice and insight on networking, in-depth feedback, and the potential to pitch your next film to Roy himself!
We’re excited to continue these initiatives as a continuation of the legacy of our Festival and competition credo. Our partners and jurors are excited as well, “We are continually impressed with the level of talent AFF attracts and are excited to connect with the selected filmmakers to help them crystallize their vision and further define their voice,” said Kesila Childers, VP of Development for Powderkeg. Feel free to visit our website for further details. We look forward to helping you share your story!
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Known as the “Writers Festival” since its inception 30 years ago, Austin Film Festival recognizes the importance of narrative at the core of filmmaking. By celebrating the work of storytellers; those committed to crafting intricate worlds, fully-formed characters, and diverse perspectives, AFF bolsters its reputation as a champion for the creator.
5 REASONS TO SUBMIT TO AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
1. THE CONFERENCE: Accepted filmmakers have access to AFF's Screenwriters Conference, the largest writer's conference in the world. The Conference attracts groundbreaking producers, agents, managers, and development execs, as well as countless working screenwriters and filmmakers. Many conferences are footnotes to festivals; the AFF Conference is worth the trip alone. The lineup is interactive, raw, and fun – you’re destined to leave with a notebook full of strategies and the inspiration to start your next project.
2. THE SELECTION PROCESS: We take to heart the amount of work put into each film. Therefore, we are careful to ensure that each movie is reviewed at least twice. We like to be transparent in our process and judge the story over the production value. The screening team is made up of filmmakers, industry professionals, and AFF staff members who all carry a deep passion for the art of filmmaking and craft of storytelling.
3. THE CITY: There's a reason why Moviemaker Magazine consistently names Austin one of the best cities to live and work as a moviemaker. Perhaps one of the only cities where you can eat authentic BBQ, go to chicken shit bingo and try vegan ice cream in the same night, Austin is rich with culture and renowned for its hospitality and it supportive and innovative film community.
4. THE INDUSTRY PRESENCE: Each year we have a plethora of distributors, agents, producers, and industry insiders that attend and participate in the Festival, excited to meet new faces. Many films are picked up for distribution and many important introductions are made each year in our movie theaters, conference halls, and party venues. In addition, Jury Award winners are decided each year by esteemed and celebrated judges, including executives from Sony Pictures Animation, MGM, Netflix, Roadside Attractions, Anonymous Content, Walt Disney Animation, Showtime, CBS Films, POV, Seed&Spark, Oscilloscope Laboratories, and Gravitas Ventures.
5. THE AFF HUB: We can guarantee that AFF isn’t your average fest. Yes, there’s incredible barbecue. Yes, the margaritas can’t be beat. But what's most apparent is the hub of filmmakers and supporters that continues to grow around the Festival. There are no velvet ropes here, and registrants and filmmakers are known to rendezvous with the best of them. At our parties, relationships are made and subsequent babies are created (in this metaphor the babies are films. Or babies. We don't judge).
More info below:
AFF provides filmmakers an invaluable platform among industry professionals and film-lovers. We’ve helped launch the careers of countless filmmakers including Jason Reitman, Cary Fukunaga, Jeff Nichols, Ray McKinnon, Chase Palmer, and Stephen Falk.
Each category is presided over by our A-list jurors, who in the past have included America Ferrera, Chuck Hayward, Lisa Freberg, Roy Lee, Tom Skerritt, Ashley Miller, Scott Neustadter, Leigh Whannell, and representatives from CBS Films, Sundance Institute, Netflix, MGM, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Roadside Attractions, The Orchard, Showtime, Sony Pictures Animation and Gravitas Ventures.
Keep in mind that the Jury Award winners of our Narrative, Documentary and Animated Short categories officially qualify for an Academy Award.
In addition to the films, our annual Screenwriter's Conference draws high profile Hollywood talent like 2022 Nicole Pearlman, Edward Neumeier, Sean-Collins Smith, Ashley Edward Miller, Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez, Samuel D. Hunter, Beau DeMayo, Chris Fedak, Sarah Polly, Elgin James, Stephen Merchant, Nikyatu Jusu, Marc Bernardin, Holly Hester, Rebecca Ewing, Elegance Bratton, Liz Hannah, Michael Starrbury. The AFF Film Competition gives every filmmaker the chance to hear from and network with filmmakers and industry insiders like these, all of whom come to Austin looking to meet fellow artists.
Bottom Line: At Austin Film Festival, we pride ourselves on building a unique and powerful hub for filmmakers. By submitting your work to AFF, you’re entering into this welcoming and dynamic community where new visions and untapped talent can flourish. Beyond production value, budget, and stars, we value the power of a well-told story.
We can’t wait for you to tell us yours.
Narrative Feature: $2500 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award.
Documentary Feature: $2500 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award.
Dark Matters Feature presented by Vertigo Entertainment: $1000 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award. Six-month mentorship with Vertigo Co-founder Roy Lee.
Comedy Vanguard Feature: $1000 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award.
Narrative Short: $1000 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), and the AFF Typewriter Award.
Narrative Student Short: $500 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award.
Animated Short: $500 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award
Documentary Short: $500 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award.
Produced Digital Series: $1000 Cash Prize. Reimbursement (up to $500) of round trip airfare to attend AFF, reimbursement of hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500), the AFF Typewriter Award.
Enderby Entertainment Filmmaking Fellowship Award: Airfare and hotel accommodations to visit Enderby Entertainment in LA for one week for the opportunity to shadow executives and filmmakers on-site. 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. Only films entered into the appropriate Enderby Categories will be considered. Consideration requires an additional $20 fee.
Texas Short Filmmaker Award presented by Aduro Studios & Film: Two Texas-affiliated short films will be selected as a finalist and winner for the award. There is no additional submission fee. The winning filmmaker will receive:
• A $2,000 “Gear Grant” toward any rental or purchase at Aduro Film.
• 12 hours in the large 2,1000 square-foot studio space with 14-ft tall Cyc Wall, sound treated walls, and an overhead lighting grid
The finalist will receive:
• A $1,000 “Gear Grant” toward any rental or purchase at Aduro Film.
• 12 hours in the small 1,4000 square-foot studio space with a 14-ft tall Cyc Wall, sound-treated walls, and an overhead lighting grid