AFS Grants Overview | Austin Film Society

The AFS Grant makes annual grants to film and video artists in the state of Texas. Awards are provided to artists whose work shows promise, skill, and creativity. AFS is committed to fostering diverse and underrepresented voices in independent film. Special attention is paid to providing support to women filmmakers and those who identify with communities of color.

Since its inception in 1996, the AFS Grant has awarded more than $2.4 million in cash grants and more than $340,000 in-kind goods and services to 492 Texas filmmakers to date, creating life-changing opportunities for artists traditionally underrepresented in the film industry and working outside large industry centers. In addition to grants for development, production, post-production, and distribution, we provide cash stipends to Texas filmmakers traveling to prestigious film festivals through its AFS Travel Grant program. Check out past grant recipients here.

Awards are provided to artists whose work shows promise, skill, and creativity. Grant recipients have shown their films at renowned festivals like Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca, Venice, Rotterdam, and SXSW and have been nominated for Gotham Awards, won Independent Spirit Awards and Student Academy Awards. The Austin Film Society is proud to support these Texas filmmakers making their mark in the world.

For each cycle, an independent panel of esteemed professionals from the national film community convene to review applications and administer awards. Award announcements are posted on our website at the conclusion of the panel session and grant disbursements are made afterward.

Please email us at filmmakersupport@austinfilm.org if you have any questions regarding the grant.