EXCLUSIVE: The Austin Film Festival has announced its 2025 Script and Film Competition Award winners. The 32nd annual fete recognized a new class of storytellers in 33 categories, who received AFF’s signature Bronze Typewriter Award at the Awards Luncheon held Oct. 25.
Founded in 1994 on the principle of honoring the screenplay, AFF’s annual Writers Conference and competitions serve as a launchpad, identifying and connecting emerging talent with established industry leaders via mentorship and career development. Selected from a pool of more than 17,000 submissions across 112 countries, 35 writers and filmmakers were recognized this year for their outstanding work.
“For over three decades, our competitions have served to highlight emerging creatives and recognize original storytelling,” said Barbara Morgan, executive director of AFF, in a statement. “At a time when the industry is in flux, we’re proud to be partnering with so many industry leaders to identify the next generation of screenwriters and create real opportunities.”
Awarded writers and filmmakers received accolades from industry partners including AMC Networks, Enderby Entertainment, Josephson Entertainment and the Writers Guild of America East. Additionally, winners in the Narrative, Documentary and Animated Shorts competitions are eligible for Academy Award consideration.
Through its 2025 Script Competitions, AFF also partnered with Wonder Project to identify writers whose scripts embody humor, heart and hope. The inaugural Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship was awarded to Christopher Holt for his script 27 Cows. Holt will participate in a one-year screenwriting fellowship overseen by former Marvel executive and producer Jeremy Latcham, during which he will develop stories with the Wonder Project | Stand Together teams and be paid a union-comparable rate. Additional fellowship partners this year include Big Indie Pictures, The Donners’ Company, Starburns Industries and YMH Studios.
“To win the Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship is unbelievable,” Holt said. “I’m over the moon, and I just want to do the best job I possibly can. This kind of thing has not happened to me before, so I’m very, very pleased and grateful.”
This year’s recipients join a lineage of AFF alumni including Clint Bentley, Zarna Garg, Greg Kwedar, Ashley Lyle, LaToya Morgan, Megan Park and Oren Uziel.
Winning projects were selected by a panel of industry experts whose credits include The 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 awardees:
2025 SCRIPT COMPETITION AWARD & FELLOWSHIP WINNERS
The 2025 Austin Film Festival Script Competition featured 22 categories.
Drama Screenplay 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 & Lacey Jeka
Big Indie Pictures Fellowship – Roots of Conflict, Ari Mostow
The Donners’ Company Award – Believe/БеримRyan Werner
Enderby Entertainment Award – The Other Side of 25Becca Hurd
Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Award – Black SilkPatrick Michael
Horror Screenplay Award – SHIFTDanny Salemme
Sci-fi Screenplay Award – On the Other SideLanre Olabisi
Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship – 27 CowsChristopher Holt
YMH Studios Fellowship – Follow The MoneyPatrick Franklin
Drama Teleplay Pilot – Dr. NashCassidy Nash Davis
AMC One-Hour Pilot Award – Courier GirlAnna Zabel
Comedy Teleplay Pilot – CRAPSHOOTDrew McInturff
Adult Comedy Animated Series Fellowship Presented by Starburns Industries – Time Traveling Cum CopsAustin Schauer
Josephson Entertainment Teleplay Award – Lady EmCristina Pippa
TV Comedy Fellowship Sponsored by the Nickelodeon Writing Program – Medusa: An Animated SeriesRuby Mainieri
Drama Teleplay Spec – Yellowjackets: Thicker than WaterCynthia He
Comedy Teleplay Spec – Abbott Elementary: Skip Skampi’sScott Olsen
Short Screenplay – Did you have a good time?, Kevin Talley
Stage Play – ShepherdGregory Paul
Scripted Digital Series – String City, Suemedha Sood
Fiction Podcast – Dial it UpPhilip Thorne & Oystein Brager
2025 FILM COMPETITION AWARD & FELLOWSHIP WINNERS
The 2025 Austin Film Festival Film Jury Competition featured eleven categories of competition.
Narrative Feature Presented by Big Indie Pictures – A Man Walks Down the Streetwritten and directed by Yuval Hadadi
Documentary Feature – Winner: Searching for Satyruswritten and directed by Rena Effendi
Honorable Mention: Bite to Bitedirected by Kelly Lipscomb
Comedy Vanguard Feature – Theater Peoplewritten and directed by Michael B. Breen
Dark Matters Feature – Cruel Handswritten by Al & Matthew Kalyk, directed by Al Kalyk
Narrative Short – Foxholewritten and directed by Nick Dugan
Short Student – Recesswritten and directed by Jan Saczek
Documentary Short – We’re Finedirected by Misha Karpenko
Animated Short – Beyond Measurewritten and directed by David Ferrier
Produced Digital Series – Bliss Talentwritten by Rachel Ravel & Elvira Ibragimova, directed by Elvira Ibragimova
Enderby Entertainment Filmmaking Fellowship Award – My Only Friend is a Robot Named Beanswritten and directed by Anika Kan Grevstad
More than three decades in, Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television, theater and new media. It’s supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of The City of Austin Economic Development Department and Texas Commission on the Arts. The 32nd edition runs from Oct. 23-30.
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