Austin Film Fest Celebrates 2025 Script and Film Competition Winners

On October 25th, 2025, the Austin Film Festival (AFF) held its 32nd annual Awards Luncheon, recognizing a new class of storytellers in 33 categories. Selected from a pool of more than 17,000 submissions across 112 countries, 35 writers and filmmakers were honored for their exceptional work.

The AFF competitions, founded in 1994, aim to identify and support emerging creative talent. This year's winners received AFF's signature Bronze Typewriter Award and were connected with industry leaders through mentorship and career development opportunities. The festival partnered with organizations like AMC Networks, Enderby Entertainment, and the Writers Guild of America East to provide accolades and fellowships to the awardees.

Notably, 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.

"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."

The 2025 Austin Film Festival Script and Film Competition winners join a lineage of AFF alumni, including acclaimed writers and directors like Clint Bentley, Zarna Garg, and Megan Park.