AFS Grant for Short Films

AFS Grant for Short Films is sponsored by Austin Film Society. Grants supporting Texas-based filmmakers in pre-production, production, or post-production of short films, with updated eligibility and application requirements for 2026.

AFS Grants Applications | Austin Film Society The 2026 AFS Grant for Short Films is now open for submissions via Submittable and will close on August 27, 2026, at 6 PM CT. The AFS Grant for Feature Films is closed and will reopen in the spring of 2027. In order to continue to provide funding to Texas-based filmmakers outside of industry hubs, we require that applicants spend more than 75% of the year as Texas residents.

Applicants are no longer required to request funding for one specific stage; however, the AFS Grant for Short Films only grants funding towards expenses in pre-production, production, or post-production. Applicants will instead be asked to claim what stage of production they are currently in. (See Glossary for stages of production) There are new requirements for video samples.

Please see the AFS Grant for Short Films Instructions for details. Submitting incorrect samples could deem your application ineligible for review, as it is one of the most important parts of your application. If you have any questions regarding the grant, please email us at filmmakersupport@austinfilm.

org . Navigate to the drop-down menu below to find the application instructions and application form, downloads, and resources. AFS GRANT FOR SHORT FILMS (OPEN) The 2026 AFS Grant for Short Films is now open for submissions via Submittable and will close on August 27, 2026, at 6 PM CT.

If you are looking for the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund, our annual grant for undergraduates at Texas universities, the application is closed and will reopen in the spring of 2027.

AFS Grant for Short Films – Eligibility Requirements AFS Grant for Short Films – Instructions Additional Fundraising Resources Sample Treatment – Narrative: JUST MY LUCK Sample Treatment – Narrative: CYCLES Sample Treatment – Documentary: SANGRE VIOLENTA Sample Treatment – Documentary: TEDDY If you have any questions regarding the grant, please email us at filmmakersupport@austinfilm. org . Check out past grant recipients here .

AFS GRANT FOR FEATURE FILMS (CLOSED) The AFS Grant for Feature Films is now closed and will reopen in the spring of 2027. AFS Grant for Feature Films – Eligibility Requirements Optional Template: AFS Blank Detailed Budget Additional Fundraising Resources If you have any questions regarding the grant, please email us at filmmakersupport@austinfilm. org .

Check out past grant recipients here . HARRISON MCCLURE ENDOWED FILM FUND (CLOSED) The 2026 Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund is closed and will reopen in the spring of 2027.

Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund – Eligibility Requirements Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund – Instructions Optional Template: AFS Blank Detailed Budget Additional Fundraising Resources If you have any questions regarding the grant, please email us at filmmakersupport@austinfilm. org . Check out past grant recipients here .

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 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: American Film Festival (Wrocław, Poland) Annecy International Animated Film Festival Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) Cannes Film Festival (Film must be accepted in the Official Competition or Critics Week) *Short Film Corner is not eligible Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival Deauville American Film Festival FIND Screenwriters/Directors Lab Hamptons International Film Festival Independent Spirit Awards International Documentary Festival Amsterdam Los Angeles Film Festival MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight New Orleans Film Festival New York Latino Film Festival Palm Springs Short Film Festival San Francisco International Film Festival Seattle International Film Festival Thessaloniki Film Festival Toronto International Film Festival Toronto Inside Out Gay & Lesbian Film Festival In developing these lists, festivals and events were selected for the following criteria: Must occur outside of Texas 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 and make a case for how it may lead to career advancing opportunities.

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 and events will also not be given consideration.

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 make 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 2025 .

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.

OPEN: IN-KIND AWARD: MPS CAMERA & LIGHTING AWARD The MPS Camera and Lighting Award is granted to one filmmaker per application cycle in the form of a multi-day camera package rental from MPS Studios with a value of up to $10,000. The award must be used by the awarded project and cannot be transferred or sold.

Granting of the MPS Camera and Lighting Award is contingent upon the Grantee securing insurance that meets MPS’ minimum specifications. Because these requirements reflect professional-set standards, the cost of coverage may be higher than basic liability insurance. Make sure to factor this possible cost into the amount of funding that you are requesting.

Package rental is subject to availability and must be used within two years of receiving the award. MPS must be acknowledged in the film’s credits.

OPEN: IN-KIND AWARD: TBD POST COLOR AND CONFORM AWARD The TBD Post Color and Conform Award will give its recipient a finishing package that includes a color session with one of their professional, in-house colorists and a session to conform all final assets into festival deliverables, including a digital, unencrypted DCP. The award includes a final watchdown in a studio equipped with 5. 1 theatrical sound in their Austin facility.

The value of this package is $12,000. One award will be granted for the AFS Grant for Short Films, and TBD Post must be acknowledged in the film’s credits. Scheduling sessions will be dependent on TBD’s production schedule.

Please note that peak times at TBD Post are from November through March. OPEN: CASH GRANTS: AFS GRANT FOR SHORT FILMS Projects may apply for up to $10,000 cash for production or post-production through the AFS Grant for Short Films. Total cash support from the AFS Grant fund will not exceed $10,000.

However, applicants can receive in-kind support valued in excess of the $10,000 cash grant (in other words, applicants can apply to receive in-kind grants on top of $10,000 cash). CLOSED: CASH GRANTS: AFS GRANT FOR FEATURE FILMS AFS Grant for Features in Production – Filmmakers may apply for up to $20,000 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 $20,000. However, applicants can apply to receive in-kind grants in addition to the $20,000 cash request. Please note that we do not fund distribution as a separate stage.

Distribution costs can be requested as part of a post-production ask. CLOSED: CASH AWARD: HARRISON MCCLURE ENDOWED FILM FUND (UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS) The 2026 Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund is closed and will reopen in the spring of 2027. 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.

CLOSED: CASH AWARD: NORTH TEXAS PIONEER FILM AWARD $30,000 in cash grants will be awarded to emerging and established filmmakers residing in the North Texas region. Grants ranging from $10,000–$20,000 will be awarded to feature-length films (40 minutes or longer). The grant aims to fund emerging filmmakers with first or second feature films and filmmakers bringing new and underrepresented perspectives to filmmaking.

Funding is made possible by David Lowery, Ley Line Entertainment, and the Oak Cliff Film Festival. Filmmakers wishing to be considered for this fund must provide proof of residency in the North Texas region. For the purposes of this grant, AFS considers the North Texas boundary to be the area that is both north of Waco and east of Abilene.

If you have any questions about your North Texas residency, please email filmmakersupport@austinfilm. org . All other eligibility and application requirements for the AFS Grant must be met.

CLOSED: CASH AWARD: NEW TEXAS VOICES AWARD This grant is part of AFS’s commitment to funding Texas artists whose unique stories, identities, or heritage have found little support in the broader film industry. AFS offers a $15,000 New Texas Voices Award to filmmakers who are pushing the boundaries of filmmaking by bringing a new and underseen perspective to their first feature project (documentary or narrative).

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. All other eligibility and application requirements for the AFS Grant must be met.

CLOSED: IN-KIND AWARD: STUCK ON ON DCP AWARD Stuck On On awards theatrical digital cinema packages (DCPs) to two different AFS Grant for Feature Films applicants in post-production. The project may be a documentary or narrative feature up to 100 minutes in length. This award includes one 2K DCP file creation, to be redeemed within three years of receiving the award.

Hard drive and/or digital delivery costs are not included and vary depending on the time of request. Please keep in mind that January through May are peak times at Stuck On On. Stuck On On must be acknowledged in the film’s credits.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 AFS GRANT PARTNERS