Here Are the Script and Film Competitor Award Winners from This Year’s Austin Film Festival

After a busy weekend at the 33rd installment of the Austin Film Festival, the festival, founded on the principle of honoring the screenplay, has officially unveiled its 2026 Script and Film Competition Award winners.

And, as you might expect, they’re all quite intriguing, full of promise, and an inspiring lot of scripts, pitches, films, and ideas that, if you’re into the craft of screenwriting or just filmmaking in general, are worth checking out.

So, without further ado, let’s check out this year’s winners and explore these projects.

Austin Film Festival 2026 Award Winners

Always a popular festival for writers and aspiring filmmakers alike, this year’s Austin Film Festival reports that its Script Competition alone received more than 12,500 submissions, with 78 scripts advancing to the finalist round. About as prestigious a screenwriting contest as they come, this year 21 writers and writing teams were selected for Script Competition awards and industry fellowships, while filmmakers were recognized across AFF’s Film Jury Competition categories.

“For more than 30 years, our competitions have been about recognizing great scriptwriting. We want talented storytellers to leave Austin with more than an award. We want them to leave with new relationships, meaningful industry access and opportunities that can help move their careers forward. This year’s winners represent exactly the kind of bold, original voices we are proud to champion.” - Barbara Morgan, Executive Director of Austin Film Festival

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