22nd Annual Austin Film Festival Opens Submissions for the Screenplay and Film Competitions

Austin Film Festival (AFF) is pleased to announce submissions for the 2015 Screenplay & Teleplay Competition and Film Competition are now open. These AFF competitions often act as springboards for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers eager to break into the movie business.

AFF's Screenplay & Teleplay Competition is one of the most acclaimed contests within the industry for launching the careers of up-and-coming writers. A new category has been added for short screenplays and is open to narrative scripts in any genre at 40 pages in length or less.

Past competition entrants have signed with major agencies and production companies and have had their scripts optioned, acquired, and produced. Earlier this year, Troy Miller, the 2013 winner of the Horror Screenplay Award, had his script optioned by Frank Darabont's Darkwoods Productions. The 2014 Festival hailed the world premiere of Dawn Patrol, a film produced from a 2008 Finalist script written by Rachel Long and Brian Pittman that was acquired by Enderby Entertainment. The film is directed by Daniel Petrie, Jr., and stars Scott Eastwood and Rita Wilson.

AFF's Film Competition provides an invaluable platform for filmmakers to showcase their craft among industry professionals, aspiring screenwriters, filmmakers, and film-lovers. Known as "The Writers Festival," Austin Film Festival prides itself on finding undiscovered storytellers that can use the art form of filmmaking to affect and inspire their audience. Accepted filmmakers also have the opportunity to take part in AFF's famous Screenwriters Conference where they can refine their craft, make connections with important industry insiders, and walk away inspired to start their next project.

As an Academy Qualifier, the Jury Award winners for the Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short categories are eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award. Additional categories in competition include Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Comedy Vanguard Feature, Dark Matters Feature, and Narrative Student Short.

Jury Award winners are decided each year by esteemed and celebrated judges. Last year's jury included renowned screenwriters and directors, as well as executives from The Weinstein Company, P.O.V., The Sundance Institute, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Gravitas Ventures, and Nickelodeon.

For more information on submitting a film or screenplay, visit www.austinfilmfestival.com.

ABOUT AFF:

AFF is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft, and business of filmmakers and screenwriters. AFF is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future.

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