The Austin Film Society’s grant program has helped hundreds of Texas filmmakers get their movies made and before audiences: Now the deadline is imminent to get applications in for 2019.
Founded in 1996 as the Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund and renamed in 2013, the program has awarded over $1.86 million in cash and $300,000 in services to over 400 artists. The list of previous recipients is a roster of filmmakers that has defined Austin and Texas film. The inaugural class included indie film pioneer Eagle Pennel and current scene constant Bob Byington: last year featured mainstays like Yen Tan (1985) and Chelsea Hernandez (Building the American Dream), and a whole wave of new filmmakers who may not be recognizable names yet but will be in the future – in part due to the financial support of AFS.
The Spring application cycle closes at 5pm on Friday, June 7, and is open to feature-length narratives and documentaries, as well as undergraduate student projects applying for the Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund. (Don’t worry if you’re working on a short film: there will be a second round in the fall for films under 40 minutes.)
There are a few eligibility requirements:
• Only the director can apply
• They must have been resident in Texas since at least June 1, 2018
• The film must be an original, stand-alone project in pre-production, production, post-production or distribution (grants are not available for development costs).
Projects can apply for up to $15,000: however, there are additional grants of services on offer, including in-kind grants from Kodak, MPS Camera and Lighting, and Stuck On On DCP.
If you have an eligible project, head over to www.austinfilm.org/afs-grants-overview for more details, or download the application form here.
This article appears in May 31 • 2019.
