EXCLUSIVE: He Austin Film Festival has announced the winners of the 2025 Screenwriting and Film Contest Award. The 32nd annual festival recognized a new class of storytellers in 33 categories, who received the exclusive AFF Bronze Typewriter Award at the Awards Luncheon on October 25.
Founded in 1994 on the principle of honoring the screenplay, AFF’s annual writers’ conference and contests serve as a launching pad, identifying and connecting emerging talent with established industry leaders through mentorship and professional development. Selected from a pool of more than 17,000 submissions in 112 countries, 35 writers and filmmakers were recognized this year for their outstanding work.
“For more than three decades, our contests have served to spotlight emerging creatives and recognize original storytelling,” said Barbara Morgan, executive director of AFF, in a statement. “At a time when the industry is constantly changing, we are proud to partner with so many industry leaders to identify the next generation of screenwriters and create real opportunities.”
The award-winning writers and filmmakers received praise from industry partners including AMC Networks, Enderby Entertainment, Josephson Entertainment and the Writers Guild of America East. Additionally, winners of the Narrative, Documentary, and Animated Short Film competitions are eligible for Academy Award consideration.
Through its 2025 screenplay contests, AFF also partnered with the Wonder Project to identify writers whose screenplays embody humor, heart and hope. The inaugural Wonder Project | The Stand Together scholarship was awarded to Christopher Holt for his screenplay.27 cows.Holt will participate in a year-long screenwriting fellowship overseen by former Marvel executive and producer Jeremy Latcham, during which he will develop stories with Wonder Project | Stand Together teams will receive compensation comparable to that of the union. Other grant partners this year include Big Indie Pictures, The Donners’ Company, Starburns Industries and YMH Studios.
“Winning the Wonder Project | Stand Together scholarship is amazing,” Holt said. “I’m delighted and I just want to do the best job possible. This kind of thing hasn’t happened to me before, so I’m very, very happy and grateful.”
This year’s winners join a lineage of AFF alumni that includes Clint Bentley, Zarna Garg, GregKwedar, Ashley Lyle, LaToya Morgan, Megan Park and Oren Uziel.
The winning projects were selected by a panel of industry veterans whose credits includeThe Bear, BoJack Horseman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hacks, The sex lives of college girls, South Park, Ted Lasso and Top Gun: Maverickamong others.
Read on for the full list of award winners:
Screenplay Winners (Courtesy of AFF)
Winning films (Courtesy of AFF)
SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARD WINNERS OF THE 2025 SCREENPLAY CONTEST
The 2025 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition featured 22 categories.
Dramatic Screenwriting Award presented by the Writers Guild of America East– The other side of 25,Becca Hurd
Comedy Screenplay Award–Lauren Lindsay can go to hellKate Beacom and Lacey Jeka
Great Independent Films Scholarship–Roots of the conflict,Ari Mostov
Donners Company Award–Believe/BerimRyan Werner
Enderby Entertainment Awards–The other side of 25Becca Hurd
Josephson Entertainment Screenplay Award–black silkPatrick Michael
Horror Screenplay Award–CHANGEDanny Salemme
Science Fiction Screenplay Award–AllendeLanre Olabisi
Wonder Project | Stand Together Scholarship–27 cowsChristopher Holt
YMH study scholarship–FollowTheMoneyPatrick Franklin
Television drama pilot–Dr. NashCassidy Nash Davis
AMC One Hour Pilot Award–Messenger girlAnna Zabel
Comedy pilot for television–SHOTDrew McInturff
Adult Comedy Animated Series Scholarship Presented by StarburnsIndustries–Cops who travel in timeAustin Schauer
Josephson Entertainment Teleplay Award–lady emCristina Pipa
Television Comedy Scholarship Sponsored by the Nickelodeon Writing Program–Medusa: an animated seriesrubyMainieri
Dramatic script specifications–Yellow jackets: thicker than waterCynthia Hello.
Comedy script specifications–Abbott Elementary: SkipSkampi’sScott Olsen
Short screen playback–Did you have a good time?,Kevin Talley
play–PastorGregorio Pablo
Scripted Digital Series–String City,SuemedhaSood
fiction podcast–Mark itPhilip Thorne and Oystein Brager
WINNERS OF AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS OF THE 2025 FILM COMPETITION
The 2025 Austin Film Festival Film Jury Competition featured eleven competition categories.
Narrative feature film presented by Big Indie Pictures–A man walks down the streetwritten and directed by Yuval Hadadi
Documentary feature film– Winner:Searching for Satyrwritten and directed by Rena Effendi
Honorable mention:bite to bitedirected by Kelly Lipscomb
Avant-garde comedy–theater peoplewritten and directed by Michael B. Breen
Dark Matters Feature–cruel handswritten by Al and MatthewKalyk, directed by AlKalyk
short narrative–Foxholewritten and directed by Nick Dugan
short student–Recreationwritten and directed by JanSaczek
Documentary short film–we’re okdirected by Misha Karpenko
animated short–Immensewritten and directed by David Ferrier
Produced digital series–Happiness talentwritten by Rachel Ravel and Elvira Ibragimova, directed by Elvira Ibragimova
Enderby Entertainment Filmmaking Scholarship Award–My only friend is a robot named Beanswritten and directed by Anika Kan Grevstad
More than three decades later, AustinFilm Festival & Writers Conference is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television, theater and new media. It is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Department of Economic Development and the Texas Commission on the Arts. The 32nd edition will be held from October 23 to 30.
