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OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES • Select a Category of Entry to continue.
| Seed&Spark Narrative Feature |
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.
Sponsored by Seed&Spark |
| Narrative Short |
| Any narrative work of fiction with a running time of 40 minutes or less. Shorts must be Austin premieres, although Texas Premieres are preferred. |
| Narrative Student Short |
| Any student narrative work of fiction with a running time of 40 minutes or less. Open to students ONLY and must include proof of enrollment. The film must be the work of a current student or completed 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. |
| POV Documentary Feature |
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.
Sponsored by POV, PBS's award-winning documentary series |
| IDA Documentary Short |
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.
Sponsored by the International Documentary Association (IDA). The IDA supports documentarians from around the world through education, funding, advocacy, and audience cultivation through public events. |
| Animated Short |
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.
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| Dark Matters Feature |
| 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. |
| Comedy Vanguard Feature |
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 Texas Premieres (prefer World/North American/US Premieres)
Open to anyone who wishes to enter. |
MISSION & OBJECTIVE
Austin Film Festival furthers the art and craft of filmmaking by inspiring and championing the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story.
Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the heart of the creative process of filmmaking and strives to uncover outstanding, emerging filmmakers; serve as a creative catalyst for legendary, contemporary and rising talent; foster their development through panels, workshops and master classes conducted by professionals; recognize, encourage, and challenge the skills of these new filmmakers and provide outreach opportunities to writers and filmmakers.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Known as the “Writers Festival” since its inception 23 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.
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, and Stephen Falk.
Each category is presided over by our A-list jurors, who in the past have included America Ferrera, Tom Skerritt, Ashley Miller, Scott Neustadter, Leigh Whannell, and representatives from The Weinstein Company, Sundance Institute, Oscilloscope Laboratories, and Gravitas Ventures.
Moviemaker Magazine recently named Austin the #1 city in which to be a moviemaker and continues to list AFF as one of the Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.
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 2015 panelists Norman Lear, John Singleton, David Wain, Nicole Perlman, Chris Cooper, Brian Helgeland, Carl Reiner, Gary Ross, Andrew Kevin Walker, John August, Shane Black, Kelly Marcel, Jack Burditt, Charles Burnett, Rodrigo Garica, , John Lee Hancock, Emily Best, Noah Hawley, Craig Mazin, Issa Rae, Jason Reitman, Terry Rossio, Dan Guando, Jeb Stuart, and Phil Rosenthal. 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.
ORGANIZERS
Barbara Morgan (Executive Director); Harrison Glaser (Film Competition Director)
GENERAL RULES
- Films must be narrative or documentary works only.
- Films must be submitted on DVD NTSC or PAL (please test before sending) or as an online screener and be available for screening as a digital file. Please note: we do NOT screen films on Blu-Ray, HD-CAM, or DCP. If you are unable or unwilling to provide us your film as a digital file, DO NOT SUBMIT your film.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: The Austin Film Festival is not responsible for the streaming quality of online screeners. If you choose to submit an online screener and would like to guarantee the quality of your submission, AFF strongly suggests you submit a DVD in addition to your online streaming submission.
- Films must have been completed after April 1, 2015. Films must be available for screening during the Austin Film Festival, October 13-20, 2016.
--Aside from minor post-production additions like color correction and sound mixing, we do not accept works-in-progress and will not update a submission with a more recent cut. Because owe focus on story, technical changes will not affect the judgment of a screener. If the film is screened during the festival, you will have ample opportunity to supply us with the most recent version beforehand.
- Narrative and Documentary films with U.S. distribution (obtained prior to being selected for AFF screening) or films produced, financed or initiated by a major film studio or television network are ineligible for competition, but may be considered for a special screening. Selection for screening will be determined no later than one month prior to the festival. Films that have screened on US network or cable television or distributed to theaters prior to the festival dates are also ineligible for competition.
- Short Films that have played in Austin in a theatrical setting to a public audience prior to October 13, 2016 are not eligible to be screened at the Austin Film Festival. This includes Shorts nights, public cast and crew screenings, or other festivals. The ONLY exception is that a short may play as part of a class screening for the UT RTF Program. We prefer shorts be Texas Premieres.
- Feature Films must be at least a Texas premieres. AFF will not screen features in competition that have played at other Texas festivals or screened publicly in a theater in Texas (including a one night only screening in a rented space). We prefer World, North American and US Premieres and all things being equal, will often opt to program the film that has not yet had a release over one that has played several festivals.
- Filmmakers who are unsure whether to enter their film into the Narrative Feature Category or one of the genre categories (Dark Matters or Comedy Vanguard) should select the genre category so the film will be watched with that in mind. Austin Film Festival reserves the right to switch the entry category to fit programming needs and interests and films WILL NOT BE penalized for the original submission selection.
- Once an entry payment has been processed we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.
- You MUST include your physical address either in your entry or in your cover letter. Please do not submit a film without giving us your address, which we need for our records.
- Please include in your cover letter if your film was SHOT IN TEXAS (include locations) or made by TEXAS FILMMAKERS. We have special Out-Of-Competition categories for which your film may be eligible if it is not selected for the competition, and we don't want to miss your film!
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
NARRATIVE FEATURE REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be feature-length narratives, 41 minutes or longer.
- Films must be Texas Premieres (prefer World/North American/US Premieres).
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
NARRATIVE SHORT REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be short narratives of 40 minutes or less.
- Films must be Austin Premieres. We highly prefer the short be at least a Texas Premiere.
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter
NARRATIVE STUDENT SHORT REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be short narratives of 40 minutes or less.
- Films must be Austin Premieres. We highly prefer the short be at least a Texas Premiere.
- Open only to students (must include proof of enrollment from
accredited university or college in the form of an official transcript or signed letter from faculty on official letterhead. Students can send proof of enrollment to programming@austinfilmfestival.com).
- The film must be the work of a current student or completed
during the time the filmmaker was a student.
ANIMATED SHORT REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be animated short narratives of 40 minutes or less. Please note: Animated films over 40 minutes should be entered in the Narrative Feature category.
- Open to any form of animation. Animated Shorts must be narrative works only, no experimental pieces.
- Films must be Austin Premieres. We highly prefer the short be at least a Texas Premiere.
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be Documentaries, 41 minutes or longer.
- Films must be Texas Premieres (prefer World/North American/US Premieres).
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be Short Documentaries, 40 minutes or less.
- Films must be Austin Premieres. We highly prefer the short be at least a Texas Premiere.
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
DARK MATTERS FEATURE REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be feature-length narratives, 41 minutes or longer.
- Films should have stories that are easily identified as belonging to the horror or thriller genre and that embody dark themes, unconventional subject matter, or suspenseful sensibilities.
- Films must be Texas Premieres (prefer World/North American/US Premieres).
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
COMEDY VANGUARD FEATURE REQUIREMENTS:
- Films must be feature-length narratives, 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 Texas Premieres (prefer World/North American/US Premieres).
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Austin Film Festival does NOT waive entry fees. AFF believes waiving entry fees hurts the integrity of the competition. The same rules and entry fees should apply to all applicants so no one film is favored over another. In a similar respect the AFF does NOT invite films to be in competition, ONLY films submitted will be considered for competition.
We understand the financial constraint of filmmaking and costs of submitting to Festivals and we still hope you can find it in your budget to submit your film.
RETURNS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
DVDs and press materials will not be returned under any circumstances. Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for each submission if you wish acknowledgment of the receipt of your entry.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
COMPETITION CERTIFICATION
I/We have read all of the Austin Film Festival (a.k.a. Festival) rules. I/We understand and have complied with these rules.
I/We warrant the submission of my/our original work and there are no disputes regarding the ownership of the submission. I/We also warrant the submitted material does not defame or invade the rights of any person living or dead and I/we fully indemnify the Festival against any claim made for such violations of law.
To the best of my/our knowledge, all of the statements herein are true and correct.
I/We understand that failure to adhere to the Festival rules will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee.
I/We agree to hold the Austin 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. I understand that the festival projection format may change and I will be notified of the required format once my film is accepted.
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