AFS MAKE members can submit their projects for fiscal sponsorship. If approved, the filmmaker can use AFS’s 501 (c)(3) status as an “umbrella” when applying to government granting agencies and foundations that will only grant funds to non-profit organizations. Fiscally sponsored projects can also solicit tax-deductible donations from private individuals and businesses. Fiscal sponsorship is not appropriate for all projects. In order to qualify, the projects must be noncommercial in nature and the filmmaker may not also raise funds by soliciting investors. For more information about the program and about how to apply, please contact the AFS Artist Services department by emailing erica@austinfilm.org
FOR CURRENTLY SPONSORED PROJECTS ONLY:
EXTERNAL GRANT SUBMISSION FORM (Required) Please follow this link to submit your external grant requests.
VALLAM KALI
In this celebratory story centered around an ancient royal sporting tradition of racing war boats, Sunil Kumar, who hails from a long line of prominent boat captains, strategically prepares to race his team for their village’s glory in the ancient tradition of “Vallam Kali”(meaning “Snake Boat Race”), keeping alive 400 years of rich regional cultural heritage.
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SHARK COWBOYS
Four anglers from different walks of life compete in an exhaustive, three-day shark fishing tournament in a monumental effort of shark conservation and an ultimate $20,000 prize.
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ON DYING OF DEMENTIA IN A CAPITALIST SYSTEM
Personal and political merge in a short animation documentary that takes an intimate look at both the business and the humanity of dying.
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A STRIKE AND AN UPRISING
An experimental documentary looking at the San Antonio pecan shellers’ strike of 1938 and the Jobs with Justice march led by Nacogdoches cafeteria workers, groundskeepers, and housekeepers in 1987.
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ALSO STARRING AUSTIN
ALSO STARRING AUSTIN explores a community’s rapidly changing built & natural environment and unique culture through its locally shot films.
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SOUTH OF MARFA
Karen Skloss’ SOUTH OF MARFA will be a 5-7 minute film about the institutionally systemic sexual abuse of immigration detainees under ICE.
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BAGATELLE
BAGATELLE is a social satire art-house film in the vein of masterworks of Otar Iosseliani, Luis Buñuel, and Pierre Étaix, who are major influences.
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BORN WITH IT
With a pool of 46 talented grandchildren to choose from, legendary bluesman R.L. Burnside chose 13-year-old Cedric as apprentice.
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BUILDING THE AMERICAN DREAM
Uncovers the story of the virtually invisible undocumented construction workers upon whose backs and hard labor the boom is built.
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COME AND TAKE IT: THE JESSICA JIN STORY
COME AND TAKE IT: THE JESSICA JIN STORY captures the transformation of a young woman to leadership of America’s most inspired anti-gun violence movement called Cocks Not Glocks.
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EVENT OF THE SEASON
Burning a living, breathing human being at the stake is never simply a matter of murder or lynching. It’s an act of terror, monstrosity and madness, and the resultant damage, in terms of moral, cultural and sociological ruin are hardly quantifiable.
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Women in Film and Television – Austin
Mission Statement – WIFT Austin is here to connect, support and empower women in film and Television in Austin and Central Texas.
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Experimental Response Cinema
Experimental Response Cinema is an Austin-based collective of artists, devoted to bringing moving-image art to screens throughout our city.
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GOOD ‘OL GIRL
There is a steady rise of Texas women inheriting family ranches from their fathers.
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i’m gonna make you love me
i’m gonna make you love me is a tale of one man’s tragi-comedic journey into manhood, a journey that included tabloids, Tupperware parties, and two coming out parties – first as a straight woman, then as the gay man he was meant to be.
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RAISING ANIYA
RAISING ANIYA plays in three movements built around a continuous musical score, visually expansive or intimate by turns, carrying us through sunset (the past), night (the present), and sunrise (the future) on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast.
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THE INCIDENT AT THE BELLWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
Carl Beesley, my grandfather, accidentally shot and killed a 9-year-old boy during a school play. Eighty-years after my grandfather’s incident, my brother Tim accidentally shot and killed a man. The Incident at Bellwood Schoolhouse discoveries how these tragic events are connected.
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CALL HER GANDA
Grassroots activists in the Philippines are spurred into action when a local transgender woman is found dead in a motel room with a 19-year-old U.S. marine as the leading suspect.
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BECOMING LESLIE
LESLIE is a hybrid documentary that reveals the inner and bizarre world of Albert Leslie Cochran, a rebellious, cross-dressing homeless man who became the most unlikely civic symbol of Austin, Texas.
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LIVING SPRINGS
LIVING SPRINGS is an interactive documentary about Barton Springs, Austin’s most beloved natural resource.
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GOOD NIGHT BLUES: THE DONN’S DEPOT STORY
A civil engineer and an Elvis-loving, piano-playing tire salesman transform an abandoned train depot & some derelict rail cars into an oasis of community, friendship & music.
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MAJOR
In August 1899 Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor became the first African-American World Champion in any sport.
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FIGHTING FAIR
“FIGHTING FAIR” is a documentary film that will provide a context-driven look at transgender athletes and their evolving role in sports and society.
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100 WAYS TO CATCH THE WIND
After seeing climate change disproportionately impact the lives of women in their communities, three female leaders from Peru, Fiji, and Malawi take matters into their own hands to save their homelands from the ravages of a warming world.
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PORVENIR, TEXAS
THE MASSACRE AT PORVENIR is an expository documentary detailing the historical events surrounding the killing of fifteen innocent people in Porvenir, Texas in 1918.
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FOXY TROT
FOXY TROT is a lighthearted, romantic comedy about a lesbian couple who take beginning ballroom dance lessons in Austin, TX.
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INQUIRER: GENE ROBERTS AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF NEWSPAPERS
INQUIRER tells the story of the legendary newspaper editor Gene Roberts, often called the best editor in the country at a time when newspapers had unprecedented resources and impact.
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RETURN TO SENDER
RETURN TO SENDER is a documentary film that explores the public policy and practical challenges of providing real world services to prisoners as they prepare for re-entry and reintegration into society.
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SEADRIFT
In 1979, the fatal shooting of a white crabber in a small Texas fishing village ignites a maelstrom of hostilities against Vietnamese fishing communities along the Gulf Coast.
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SEEKERS
In April of 2012, three families stepped out of their urban homes, locked their doors, and began a journey that would take them into the remote forests of Northern Wisconsin for an entire year.
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THE SENSITIVES
THE SENSITIVES is an intimate, verité film focused on families put to the test by an unknown illness.
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SHOUTING DOWN MIDNIGHT
SHOUTING DOWN MIDNIGHT is the story of Texas women speaking out for reproductive justice.
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STUMPED
When filmmaker Will Lautzenheiser suddenly becomes a quadrilateral amputee, he turns to stand-up comedy as therapy.
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UNTITLED ISRAELI FOOTBALL PROJECT
With ten teams throughout the country, the Kraft Family Israel Football League is a thriving collective of disparate nationalities, religions, ages and skill levels all united with the goal of playing American Football in the Holy Land.
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VINYL GENERATION
In 1980s Czechoslovakia an emerging generation took inspiration from alternative culture to create their own worldview, politics and eventually, a revolution.
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WHEN WE WERE LIVE
WHEN WE WERE LIVE is a feature length documentary about the pioneers of Austin’s public access television in the 80’s and 90’s.
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FAILING FORWARD: ON THE ROAD TO SOCIAL IMPACT
This short documentary profiles a nonprofit organization using rigorous data collection and analysis to achieve meaningful changes in the lives of the people it serves.
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THE ACT OF READING
A retired high school English teacher is confronted by a former student who failed her class 15 years prior. He then involves her in a feature-length documentary about Moby-Dick and the science of reading.
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NOTHING STAYS THE SAME: THE STORY OF THE SAXON PUB
A feature-length documentary that explores the challenges – and triumphs – faced by musicians and
music venues in a rapidly growing city as seen through the lens of Austin’s Saxon Pub.
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NOTHIN’ NO BETTER
Nothin’ No Better is a series of cinematic portraits, each one a glimpse into the life and perspective of a different member of the community of Rosedale, in the Mississippi Delta region.
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BETO VS. CRUZ: THE FIGHT FOR 2018
Incumbent Ted Cruz (R) faces long shot challenger Beto O’Rourke (D) in a fight to represent a polarized Texas electorate and tip the balance of power in the US Senate.
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WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND
WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND follows Julian Moreno, the 89-year-old grandfather of filmmaker Iliana Sosa, on his monthly journey from Mexico
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DESERT OF THE REAL
Donations for this project can be made directly through the donations page by clicking the button above or by mailing
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LIFE IN THE LOGWOODS
Life in the Logwoods is a documentary portrait of a culture and industry rarely witnessed firsthand by outsiders. Rural East
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FOR THE RECORD
In a small Texas Panhandle town, which over the decades has lived through oil booms and busts, devastating wildfires, and
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