Austin Spotlight Film Festival puts the spotlight on indie filmmakers! ASFF is an international film festival held at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX. We accept all types of short films, screenplays, features, music videos, & even trailers.

5 years & 16 showcases, ASFF is listed as one of the "TOP 100 BEST REVIEWED FESTIVALS ON FilmFreeway"!
As featured in the Austin Chronicle, "Austin Spotlight is not intended as the antidote to festivals, but to complement them, and provide more immediate, opportunities."

The international judge panel selects a wide array of films & screenplays for our annual showcase. All selections are promoted on our website & social media. Those films are also showcased at Southwest Theater Lake Creek, where audience members will vote for the top film to be featured on our website for the following year!
Following the screening, there will be an Award Ceremony - where we acknowledge the incredible efforts with over 30 awards & 2 plaques to give out.

Awards & Prizes

The biggest awards go to the "AUDIENCE CHOICE OF THE YEAR" & "JUDGE'S CHOICE OF THE YEAR" - In addition to personalized plaques, the winners are highlighted on our website & social media all year.
We give several other awards, including:
BEST SCREENPLAY
BEST NARRATIVE (film & screenplay)
BEST COMEDY (film & screenplay)
BEST HORROR (film & screenplay)
BEST ANIMATION
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST MICRO-SHORT
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
BEST ENSEMBLE
BEST EDITOR
BEST WRITER
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST CHILD ACTOR/ACTRESS
MOST ORIGINAL CONCEPT (film & screenplay)
BEST SCORE
& MANY MORE...

Rules & Terms

No waivers or discounts!
All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted.
Films must be original works.
By submitting the material, the applicant hereby agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the festival & its employees from any liability, claims, and damages in connection with the submission and from any fees and expenses, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees, that any of them may incur in connection therewith.

I/We understand that failure to adhere to the competition rules and regulations will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee.

I/We agree to hold the Austin Spotlight Film Festival harmless from and defend them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any film submitted to the Festival.
103 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Miriam Pinedo

    The work put into Austin Spotlight is impeccable. Every aspect of the festival is well thought out and executed with extreme professionalism. It's been a pleasure and an honor to be part of this festival. A wonderful experience I hope to repeat again. Thank you to the whole team at Austin Spotlight for the positive experience. Your hard work and professionalism are spot on and greatly appreciated.

    October 2020
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  • Matt Rosenblatt

    Austin Spotlight has always been a great time. They do a great job of communicating and always get a good crowd out for the screenings.

    October 2020
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  • Meik V. Fischer

    A great festival for any writer. There's a lot of communication so you're always "in the loop". Plus, they put a lot of effort in being present on social media. This enables a certain amount of exposure for the artist which is always a good thing. You also get to meet fun and interesting people. Thank you Austin Spotlight for this great experience.

    October 2020
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  • Jonathan Zarantonello

    Very pleasant communication with the director Ali, great festival, thanks!

    October 2020
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  • Erica Bock

    Great people! Very welcoming! Fun location!

    October 2020
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