AFS Grant Applications

The 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films and Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund applications are now closed. The AFS Grant for Feature Films application will reopen in the spring of 2025.

AFS Travel Grant applications are open year-round.

Navigate to the drop-down menu below to find the application instructions, downloads, and sample applications.

AFS Grant

AFS Travel Grant applications are open year-round.

AFS Travel Grants are awarded to Texas-based filmmakers to assist with the costs of participation in competitive film festivals around the world. Independent filmmakers often have minimal access to financial support during this key moment for filmmakers to share their work with future stakeholders and develop relationships in the industry.

AFS Travel Grant guidelines:

Texas-based filmmakers with an official acceptance to a festival on the AFS Travel Grant list are eligible to receive grants in the amount of $500 (for festivals in North America) and $1,000 (for festivals outside of North America). Filmmakers must supply proof of travel. Filmmakers can receive a total of $1,500 in AFS Travel grants in the life of their film.

The following events are eligible for the AFS Travel Grant:

Academy Awards
AFI Docs
AFI Fest
American Film Festival (Wrocław, Poland)
Annecy International Animated Film Festival
Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival)
Berlinale Talent Campus
BFI London
CAAMFEST
Cannes Film Festival (Film must be accepted in the Official Competition or Critics Week) *Short Film Corner is not eligible
CineMart
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
CPH: DOX
Deauville American Film Festival
DocNYC
Edinburgh Film Festival
Emmy Awards
FIND Screenwriters/Directors Lab
Frameline Film Festival
Full Frame Doc Festival
Galway Film Fleadh
Gotham Awards
Hamptons International Film Festival
Hot Docs
IFP No Borders
IFP Filmmaker Labs
Independent Spirit Awards
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
Locarno Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight
New Directors/New Films
New Orleans Film Festival
New York Film Festival
New York Latino Film Festival
Outfest
Palm Springs Short Film Festival
Rotterdam Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
Sheffield Doc/Fest
Slamdance Film Festival
Student Academy Awards
Sundance Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
Thessaloniki Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto Inside Out Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Tribeca All-Access
Tribeca Film Festival
True/False Film Festival
Urbanworld Film Festival
Vancouver Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
Viennale
Visions du Réel
Woodstock Film Festival

In developing these lists, festivals and events were selected for the following criteria:

  • Must occur outside of Texas
  • Are highly competitive
  • May lead to distribution, influential reviews, industry connections, etc. for participating filmmakers

Other Festivals and Events

If a filmmaker has a project invited to a festival or event not on the above lists, they can still apply for a travel grant, but they will only be eligible for retroactive reimbursement at the end of the fiscal year (Aug. 31) if any Travel Grant funds are still available.

  • In addition to the regular requirements for application, the filmmaker should also provide a short profile of the festival or event.
  • If there are Travel Grant funds left over at the end of the fiscal year, the AFS Filmmaker Advisory Committee will review the applications to decide whether or not to provide reimbursement for any of these applications and whether or not that festival or event will be put on the “approved list” for the next fiscal year.
  • No consideration will be given to festivals or events that are non-competitive in nature, like the Cannes market and the American Film Market, or that aren’t primarily focused on film and video.
    These grants are intended to help offset costs for filmmakers traveling outside the state, so Texas festivals & events will also not be given consideration.

FAQS

Why is AFS only interested in traveling filmmakers who are already accepted into major film festivals?

The goal of the travel grant is to help filmmakers towards career leaps by supporting their travel to festivals and events that could make a significant impact on their film’s reach and their career in general. After spending most of their funds on completing the film, even filmmakers who are selected for major festivals have little to no funds remaining for festival travel. The AFS Travel Grant aims to assist Texas filmmakers during this critical moment.

What if I have a film shot in Texas, written by a Texan, produced by a Texan, but directed by someone who lives in New Orleans? Can I apply?

No, sorry, this grant program is designed to help directors from Texas follow their films outside the state.

My film premiered at one of those festivals on the “pre-approved list” in 2019. I spent a fortune at the festival. Can I get the grant?

Filmmakers are encouraged to apply for travel grants before the travel occurs. Unfortunately, we are unable to award travel grants outside of the current fiscal year.

My film got into SXSW and I live in El Paso. Gas is expensive!

At the moment, this program is designed to help filmmakers show their work outside the borders of Texas.

The festival I got into is flying me out and putting me up. Can I still get a travel grant?

Yes. If the festival is on the “pre-approved” list, it’s likely that travel expenses are perhaps only partially covered by the festival, as the support given by the festival was one of the factors in developing the list.

Is it possible to email in the additional documentation rather than mail it?

Yes. If you cannot upload all of your materials or any of your materials are over 4MB in size, you may email them to filmmakersupport@austinfilm.org.

What Can I Apply For

The $2,500 Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund goes to an undergraduate student for the making of a short film that will complete a course or degree requirement. Students eligible to receive the award 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 selected filmmaker must agree to include credit or thanks to the “Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund” in addition to the crediting requirements of the AFS Grant. Additionally, the selected filmmaker is required to supply a copy of the finished film to the Endowment donors and the parents of Harrison McClure, a promising Texas film student whose life and passion for filmmaking are memorialized by this fund. Those applying for Harrison McClure will only be considered for this special grant and will not be considered for other AFS cash grants. Please review all eligibility and required materials in our 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films Application Instructions.

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. Please review all eligibility and required materials in our 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films Application Instructions.

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. You can only request this award if you’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 MPS Camera & Lighting Austin Award is only available for filmmakers applying to the AFS Grant for Short Films. Filmmakers applying to the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund are not eligible for this award.

AFS Grant for Feature Films in Production – Filmmakers may apply for up to $15,000 cash for pre-production, production, or post-production through the AFS Grant for Feature Films. Total cash support from the AFS Grant will not exceed $15,000. However, applicants can apply to receive in-kind grants in addition to the $15,000 cash request.

AFS Grant for Feature Films in Development – Intended to support a pipeline of independent film production in Texas, the AFS Grant for Development will award two career artists a one-time, unrestricted grant in the amount of $10,000, to go towards any activity that advances a feature-length film project – either narrative or documentary – in development. 

Please note that we are no longer funding distribution as a separate stage. Distribution costs can be requested as part of a post-production ask.

$30,000 in cash will be awarded to emerging filmmakers residing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and surrounding region. Grants ranging from $5,000–$15,000 will be awarded for the development, production, or post-production of feature-length films (40 minutes or greater). The grant aims to fund emerging filmmakers with first or second feature films and filmmakers with backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in independent film.

Filmmakers wishing to be considered for this fund must provide proof of residency in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the surrounding region. All other eligibility and application requirements for the AFS Grant must be met.

Affirming its ongoing commitment to supporting diverse voices and growing new talent, AFS offers a $10,000 New Texas Voices Award to filmmakers who identify with a community of color traditionally underrepresented in independent film. This grant will be accompanied by specialized consultation for the awarded filmmakers. Filmmakers who wish to be considered must have a first feature-length film (narrative or documentary) in early to mid-production and must provide demographic data in the application. All other eligibility and application requirements for the AFS Grant must be met.

The Stuck On On DCP grant awards theatrical digital cinema packages (DCP) to two different AFS Grant for Features in Production applicants. The project may be a documentary or narrative feature of up to 100 minutes each. This grant includes one 2K DCP file creation. Hard Drive and/or digital delivery costs are not included and vary depending on the time of request.

Thank You to our 2024 AFS Grant Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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