As Republican lawmakers at the state and national level seem to be eying arts funding – and the existence of the arts in general – financial assistance for artists is more essential than ever. Thank goodness, then, for the AFS Grant for Short Films program which just announced its latest round of supported projects.
Launched in 1996 as the Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund, the AFS grants have been an essential financial boost in the early careers of many filmmakers, including Lucas and Patrick Bresnan (Naked Gardens), David and Nathan Zellner (Sasquatch Sunset), David Lowery (The Green Knight) and Kat Candler (Queen Sugar).
The grant program funds both features (announced in September) and shorts films under 40 minutes. In total, 168 projects from filmmakers around the state applied and were eligible: from that list, AFS will be backing 19 projects by 21 directors, 17 of whom are first-time AFS grant winners. The films come from across Texas and represent a wide diversity of storytelling, from an animated documentary about how food brings us together to a fantasy about a genie in a watering can.
AFS Head of Film and Creative Media Holly Herrick, who is part of the program’s administration team, said, “Through the AFS Grant program, we experience how our contemporary art form continues Texas’ storytelling heritage. Texas is home to some of the world’s top filmmakers. Our shorts grant ensures support for the next generation of artists and that geographic origin doesn’t exclude these emerging talents from the resources they need to realize their vision.”
Recipients were selected by a committee of three members: Puerto Rican filmmaker Kristian Mercado Figueroa (If You Were the Last), Emily Cohen Ibañez, a Colombian-American filmmaker based in Oakland (Fruits of Labor), and Ohio-based film programmer Paul Sloop (Film Pittsburgh, Cordillera International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival).
The grants are administered by Herrick, Senior Manager of Filmmaker Support Sharon Arteaga and Filmmaker Support Program Associate Maryan Nagy Captan. All projects went through a first round review program, with the following filmmakers and industry professionals from around the state volunteering their time: Jackie Barragan, Alfred Cervantes, Angela Chen, Carlos F. Corral, Ryan Darbonne, Steven DeBose, Bears Rebecca Fonte, Bita Ghassemi, Niloo Jalilvand, Andee Kinzy, Daniel Labbs, Kim LeBlanc, Keith Maitland, Alejandra Martinez, Maverick Moore, Tony Ngyugen, Edwin Oliva, Maclane Paddock, Tamar Price, Giselle De La Rosa, Charlie Vela, , Jessica Wolfson, and Carlos Zapata.
Recipients of the 2024 AFS Grant for Short Films
“Amanece”
Julián Fernández Garnik (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
Iker, a nine-year-old boy in Puerto Rico, navigates the thin line between fantasy and reality after a striking event tears at the fabric of family and safety in the island.
“The Birthday Song”
Megan “Megz” Trufant Tillman and Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence (McKinney, TX)
Narrative Short in Production
A Black girl’s intimate remembering of her 13th birthday on the eve of Hurricane Katrina.
“Bone Guitar”
Nicole Elmer (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
A young metalhead, with the help of the God of Carrion, makes an electric guitar of bones, all to cheer up his big brother after he is kicked out of his death metal band.
“The Busboy”
William Magnuson and Max Perkins (Wrong Brother Productions) (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
“The Busboy” is a noir action-comedy that follows Brick, a young busboy at a Matter Farms cafeteria who witnesses the severe consequences of defying the company’s complete authority. As Brick navigates a world of corporate greed, culinary cartels, and mystical power, he delves into the philosophical question of humanity’s role within nature. In this strange yet familiar world, Brick is propelled into a series of events that will not only change his destiny but also reshape life on the planet indefinitely.
“Eban Village”
Crayton Gerst (Dallas, TX)
Narrative Short in Production
Struggling to maintain placement, a 14-year-old boy grapples with death and religion in a faith-based foster home.
“The Fatal Egg”
Joel Mendez-Zarate (Dallas, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
A man tries to make an egg for breakfast, but the universe has other plans.
“Flatbread Friends”
Sabiha Khan (El Paso, TX)
Animated Documentary Short in Post-Production
“Flatbread Friends” is the story of women with differing origins who bond over a food item that evokes memory, history, and legacy.
“Jati”
Sarthwik Bollu (Aubrey, TX)
Narrative Short in Production
As a couple strives for acceptance from a traditional father, the film paints a nuanced portrait of caste practice in the U.S., capturing the emotional struggles and how deeply held beliefs challenge relationships and reshape family dynamics.
“Just My Luck”
Nicholas Pitts (Longview, TX)
Narrative Short in Production
A high school boy, hired to mow a horribly overgrown lawn, accidentally awakens a magical genie living inside a watering can. Only he doesn’t even notice the genie, let alone the three wishes he was granted.
“Paper Dad”
Calvin J. Walker (Fairview, TX)
Narrative Short in Production
A man trapped in a dimension constructed by his bills finds himself separated from his family.
“Plant Moms”
Kayla Freeman (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
After a breakup, Tori is in need of some new friends. After receiving an invitation to a plant propagation party by her cool neighbor, things take a strange and dark turn.
“Poster Boy”
India Opzoomer (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
In the cutthroat world of ’90s boy bands, a desperate 16-year-old dancer betrays his best friend and bandmates in a misguided attempt to secure his spot in the limelight, only to discover the true cost of fame.
“The Red Door”
Mauricio Hernandez (Austin, TX)
Animated Narrative Short in Production
In 1968 Mexico City, a construction worker discovers a colonial door at his worksite, buried under rubble and dust. As he searches for his missing brother amid a city torn by student protests, he becomes obsessed with unlocking the door’s secrets — without understanding the dark forces it may unleash should he open it.
“A Safe Space”
Louise Van Assche (Austin, TX)
Documentary Short in Pre-Production
In the face of rising book bans and attempts to silence diverse narratives, Austin’s only Black youth librarian fights to keep their library a sanctuary for young readers.
“The School of Hope”
Amy Martinez (Austin, TX)
Documentary Short in Post-Production
“The School of Hope” follows two children at the U.S.-Mexico border who find hope and healing in a one-room school while waiting for asylum.
“Sukkot”
Mandy Kim Clinton (Houston, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
Mira, a Korean-American adoptee who is longing to connect with her familial roots, unintentionally evokes an elderly Korean woman as she celebrates Sukkot with her Jewish boyfriend. The encounter propels her to a spiritual and cultural awakening.
“White Musk”
Fatima Wardy (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Post-Production
A young Sudanese woman comes to terms with the loss of her terminally ill mother. Only by performing the Islamic funeral rite of ghusl mayyit can she learn to let her go.
MPS Camera and Lighting Austin Award
$10,000 for a multi-day camera package rental, courtesy of MPS Camera and Lighting.
“Bluegrass Radio”
Alex Chew (Austin, TX)
Narrative Short in Production
Alone in her radio station, an ambitious late-night DJ gets an on-air call from a kidnapped woman that threatens to unravel every dark secret in her small town … including her own.
Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund Award
A special grant for an undergraduate student filmmaker administered by AFS through the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund.
“Here & Now”
Isaac Ehrler (Dallas, TX)
Narrative Short in Pre-Production
A college student struggling with insomnia attends a late-night movie screening in hopes of falling asleep. There he encounters a former child actress. As the theater staff tries to close up, the boundaries between the drama on and behind the screen begin to blur.
This article appears in January 3 • 2025.
