The Austin Film Society Announces the 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films is Now Open
AFS Will Accept Applications From August 1–September 12, Providing Support to Texas Filmmakers at a Crucial Point in their Careers
August 1, 2024, AUSTIN, TX— Today, the Austin Film Society announces that it will be accepting applications for the 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films, the annually renewed production fund for emerging Texas filmmakers. Applications can be submitted between August 1–September 12 at 6 p.m. CT. This year’s short-film grant cycle also includes an extended deadline for the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund, which supports undergraduate students in Texas. Filmmakers interested in learning more about the grant and application process can join AFS staff for a series of live webinars via Zoom, the first of which will take place Wednesday, August 13, 2024, at 6 p.m. CT. Application and submission guidelines can be found on the AFS website.
For more information about the 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films, click here or visit austinfilm.org.
Since its inception in 1996, the AFS Grant has awarded more than $2.6 million in cash grants and more than $340,000 in in-kind goods and services to more than 500 Texas filmmakers to date, creating life-changing opportunities for artists traditionally underrepresented in the film industry and working outside large industry centers. This fall, AFS will be giving out grants for short films (40 minutes or less) in any phase of production (pre-production, production, and post-production).
While the production of short films is essential to a filmmaker’s artistic and professional development, funding sources for shorts are extremely scarce. This makes the AFS Grant a unique resource that gives filmmakers access to new creative opportunities and the chance to further develop their artistic voices. The grant has been a critical source of structural support for our region’s filmmakers, and there are many success stories of Texas filmmakers who used the AFS Grant to develop shorts that served as a springboard to feature projects. The AFS Grant is funded through donations to Austin Film Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Many notable filmmakers were awarded AFS Grants for short work prior to completing their breakout feature films, including Kat Candler (13 Reasons Why, Queen Sugar, Hellion), David Lowery (A Ghost Story, The Green Knight, Peter Pan & Wendy), Patrick Bresnan and Ivete Lucas (Pahokee, Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Winners for Skip Day), David and Nathan Zellner (Sasquatch Sunset), Annie Silverstein (Bull, Cannes 2019) and Katherine Propper (Birds, Lost Soulz). Two of last year’s short film grantees, Nicole Chi Amen’s Los Mosquitos and Edna Díaz and Arturo Jimenez’s Sangre Violenta/Sangre Violeta, premiered at SXSW 2024.
The AFS Grant is open to all Texas-based filmmakers. AFS is dedicated to funding artistic voices from diverse backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the film industry and intends for the grant program to actively work against structural racism and sexism in the screen industries. Detailed demographic data for the 2023 grant cycle is included in the addendum below.
MORE ABOUT THE AFS GRANT
The AFS Grant is administered with two application periods and deadlines. Open today, the AFS Grant for Short Films application cycle is for short films, 40 minutes or under in length. The AFS Grant for Feature Films application cycle is for documentary and narrative feature-length film projects (over 40 minutes) in any phase of production or feature-length films in development. The 2024 AFS Grant for Feature Films is now closed, and recipients will be announced this September.
Applicants for the short film cycle can apply for cash support for any phase of production and in-kind production rental support in the form of a multi-day camera package from MPS Camera and Lighting Austin. Filmmakers applying for the AFS Grant for Short Films must apply online at austinfilm.org/afsgrant by Thursday, September 12, at 6 p.m. CT. The recipients will be informed in December with a public announcement to follow in January.
AFS Grant program staff will again offer a series of live info sessions via Zoom to share tips, answer frequently asked questions, and provide guidance for applicants. More information and registration details can be found on the AFS website. The first of these workshops takes place on August 13.
- Tuesday, August 13, at 6 p.m. CT — AFS Grant for Short Films General Webinar 1
- Tuesday, September 3, at 6 p.m. CT — AFS Grant for Short Films General Webinar 2
GRANT DETAILS
AFS Grant For Short Films — Cash Grant
Filmmakers may apply for up to $10,000 cash for pre-production, production, or post-production through the AFS Grant for Short Films. Total cash support from the AFS Grant will not exceed $10,000. However, applicants can apply to receive in-kind awards in addition to the $10,000 cash grant.
The Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund — Cash Grant
A $2,500 grant from the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund will be awarded to an undergraduate student making a short film that will complete a course or degree requirement. Students eligible to receive the grant must be incoming juniors or seniors and must be enrolled as full-time students in a four-year college or university located in Texas. The extended deadline for the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund is September 19 at 6 p.m. CT.
MPS Camera And Lighting Austin Award — In-Kind Award
The MPS Camera and Lighting Austin Award is given in the form of a multi-day camera package rental from MPS Studios with a value of up to $10,000. Filmmakers can only request this award if they’ve requested a cash grant as well. The camera package must be used by the awarded project and cannot be transferred or sold. Grantees must meet MPS’ minimum insurance requirements, and package rentals are subject to availability. MPS must be acknowledged in the film’s credits.
The AFS Grant is generously supported by grant partners Oak Cliff Film Festival, David Lowery, Ley Line Entertainment, the Warren Skaaren Charitable Trust, Kat Candler, Kyle and Noah Hawley, South by Southwest, MPS Camera and Lighting Austin and Stuck On On in addition to the City of Austin Economic Development Department/Cultural Arts Division and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
About Austin Film Society
Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS is committed to racial equity and inclusion, with an objective to deliver programs that actively dismantle the structural racism, sexism and other bias in the screen industries. AFS supports filmmakers from all backgrounds towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Media Contact
Will Stefanski
will@austinfilm.org
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NOTE: DIRECTOR DEMOGRAPHICS
The data we’re sharing has been provided to the Austin Film Society by the artists directly. Note that some artists choose not to self-identify.
Demographic Data
Grant Recipients: In last year’s cycle for the AFS Grant for Short Films, 18 directors were selected for funding across 16 projects. Of the directors receiving grant funds, 12 identified as female (67%) and 2 as non-binary (11%), 9 grant recipients identified as members of the LGBTQIA+ community (50%) and 12 recipients identified with a community of color (66%).
Total Applicants: Out of the 158 filmmakers that applied for funding through the 2023 AFS Grant for Short Films, 76 identified as female (48%) and 4 as non-binary (2%), 31 as members of the LGBTQIA+ community (19%) and 83 identified with a community of color (52%).
