Published: March 22, 2026 | By texas.film
The Austin Film Society's grant program is the most important source of direct cash funding for independent Texas filmmakers. It has been running since 1996. It has given out more than $3 million to more than 570 Texas filmmakers. It launched the early careers of David Lowery, Kat Candler, Greg Kwedar, Cristina Ibarra, and others who are now working at the highest levels of the industry.
The 2026 AFS Grant for Feature Films opens in April 2026. That's weeks away. If you're developing a feature — narrative or documentary, any stage — now is the time to get your materials ready.
What the Grant Is
The AFS Grant is an annual cash grant program for Texas-based filmmakers. It funds features and short films separately, with different application cycles.
AFS Grant for Feature Films:
- Opens: Spring 2026 (April)
- Eligible: Texas-based filmmakers in development, production, or post-production on a feature
- Genres/styles: All — narrative, documentary, experimental
- Funded phases: Development, production, and post-production
AFS Grant for Short Films:
- The 2025 cycle has closed
- Reopens: Summer 2026
- Eligible: Short films under 40 minutes, all phases
Harrison McClure Endowed Film Fund:
- Opens: Spring 2026 (alongside Feature grant)
- Eligible: Undergraduates at Texas universities
What It Funds
The grant covers cash for production. Past cycles have also included in-kind awards from Texas vendors:
- MPS Camera and Lighting Award — added in 2025 shorts cycle; gave one filmmaker a $10,000 multi-day camera package rental
- TBD Post Color and Conform Award — new in 2025 shorts cycle; gave one filmmaker up to $12,000 in color grading and festival delivery work (DCP, etc.)
These in-kind additions are relatively new and signal the broader Austin production ecosystem investing in emerging filmmakers. Watch for similar additions in the 2026 feature cycle.
The Track Record
This isn't a small regional grant that goes nowhere. The list of AFS Grant alumni reads like a survey of the best independent filmmaking to come out of Texas in the last 30 years:
David Lowery (Dallas) — AFS short film grant early career; went on to make A Ghost Story, The Green Knight, Pete's Dragon
Kat Candler (Austin) — AFS short film grant early career; went on to direct Hellion (Sundance), 13 Reasons Why (Netflix), Queen Sugar (OWN showrunner)
Greg Kwedar — AFS short film grant early career; directed Sing Sing (2024), one of the most acclaimed American independent films of recent years; also Train Dreams
Cristina Ibarra — AFS short film grant early career; The Infiltrators (Sundance 2019)
Channing Godfrey Peoples (Fort Worth) — AFS grant recipient; Miss Juneteenth (SXSW 2020)
Annie Silverstein (Austin) — AFS grant recipient; Bull (Cannes 2019, Un Certain Regard)
Patrick Bresnan & Ivete Lucas (Austin) — AFS grant recipients; Naked Gardens (Directors' Fortnight, Cannes)
Benjamin Flaherty (Austin) — AFS grant recipient; Shuffle won documentary feature competition at SXSW 2025
Recent shorts cycle track record is equally strong: jury prizes at Tribeca, AFI, SXSW, and Doc NYC have gone to AFS-supported projects. The grant pays out at the beginning of careers, and careers follow.
Who Selects
The AFS Grant uses an outside jury — people who live outside Texas — specifically to reduce bias toward Austin-centric or well-connected applicants. The 2025 shorts cycle jury included three independent filmmakers from outside the state, including Angel Kristi Williams (whose debut Really Love earned Special Jury Recognition at SXSW).
AFS is explicit about its equity commitment: "Filmmakers of all identities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply." Since 1996, AFS says many recipients come from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in film and working outside large industry centers.
The Travel Grant
Separate from the main grant: AFS also offers cash stipends to Texas filmmakers traveling to prestigious film festivals. If you have a film in a major festival and need funds to actually attend, this is worth knowing about.
How to Apply
Applications go through the AFS website when the cycle opens. Materials are submitted online; if files exceed 4MB, they can be emailed to filmmakersupport@austinfilm.org.
Watch: austinfilm.org/afs-grants
Contact: filmmakersupport@austinfilm.org
The feature grant opens in April 2026. That's soon. If you're working on something, start preparing now — budget, treatment, work sample, supporting materials. Don't scramble when the window opens.
The Bigger Picture
The AFS Grant exists because the Austin Film Society made a decision in 1996 to put money directly into the hands of Texas filmmakers rather than spend it exclusively on screenings and events. Thirty years later, that decision has produced a traceable lineage of Texas cinema — films that went to Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, and Netflix.
Texas now has a $1.5 billion state incentive program for productions coming from outside. The AFS Grant is the money that goes to people who are from here. Those are different things and both matter.
texas.film tracks grant deadlines and Texas filmmaker opportunities year-round. Follow for updates when the 2026 cycle opens.