The Black Auteur Film Festival is Austin's only Black film festival, proudly partnered with AFS Cinema. Our mission is to preserve, elevate, and celebrate Black auteurs. Along with year-round screenings, workshops, and events, our annual festival showcases short films by Black filmmakers living in Texas. This one-day event also features special guest speakers, panels, networking mixers, and a repertory screening of a Black film classic followed by a Q&A with our BAFF Artist of the Year.

All selected filmmakers who attend the festival will receive a monetary stipend of $100 or more. Additional stipends are listed below:

Best of Fest: $1,000
Runner Up: $750
Logo Contest Winner: $500

FILM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

1. Films must be directed by an auteur who identifies as Black and is of African descent.
2. Films must be directed by a Black auteur who lives in Texas.
3. Films must be under 20 minutes.
4. Films must not have had commercial distribution, been showcased online, or screened publicly in Central Texas prior to the festival date.
5. Films must have been completed after January 1, 2023.

FOR PROOF OF TEXAS RESIDENCY ADD ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TO THE STILL PHOTOS SECTION OF YOUR FILM PAGE:

1. Up-to-date driver’s license.
2. Recent Texas voter registration card.
3. Current enrollment at a Texas college.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. All submitted films must be provided via an accessible online link. If a password is required to screen your online link, we must receive the password via your submission.
2. All selected films must be submitted as an Apple ProRes 422 HQ file.
3. All selected films must be emailed to ryan@blackauteurfilmfestival.com by June 9, 2025.

FESTIVAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. All selected filmmakers must provide 1 movie poster.
2. All selected filmmakers must provide 1-3 movie stills.
3. All selected filmmakers must provide 1-3 headshots.

DISCLOSURES:

1. BAFF may attempt, but is under no obligation, to contact the applicant to gain access to the provided film links or fix films who do not meet our technical requirements.
2. We reserve the right to disqualify, without refund of any or all submission fees, any film link, file, or password that does not work correctly.
3. We also reserve the right to disqualify, without refund of any or all submission fees, any film that does not meet any of the above requirements.
4. While filmmakers are not required to attend the festival, films who do not have filmmakers in attendance may be moved to an online only screening. Our priority will be to screen films directed by Black auteurs attending in person in the AFS Cinema theater.
5. Submission fees and festival tickets are non-refundable.