Editor

Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier Festival to recognize the writer’s contribution to film, television, theatre and new media, is thrilled to announce the 2020 Film Competition Jury & Audience Award winners alongside the Script Competition winners. Following each screening, audience members cast their votes for the Audience Award, recognizing the audience’s Festival favorites among the 2020 film slate.

THE FOLLOWING AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS WERE SELECTED BY CATEGORY:

Marquee Feature: Dave Not Coming Back, written and directed by Jonah Malak

Narrative Feature: Paper Tiger, written and directed by Paul Kowalski

Documentary Feature: The Book Keepers, written and directed by Phil Wall

Dark Matters Feature: Blinders, written by Tyler D. Savage and Dash Hawkins, directed by Tyler D. Savage

Comedy Vanguard Feature: Reboot Camp, written and directed by Ivo Raza

Texas Independent Feature: Horton Foote: The Road to Home, directed by Anne Rapp

Narrative Short: The Yellow Dress, written and directed by Alex Ko

Documentary Short: Little Rink, written and directed by Lisa Melmed

Animated Short: To: Gerard, written and directed by Taylor Meacham

Narrative Student Short: Molly Robber, written and directed by Austin Hall and Zach Visviks

Produced Digital Series Presented by Stage 13: Break In, created by Justin Gallaher and Samuel Roseme

IN ADDITION TO THE AUDIENCE AWARD-WINNING FILMS, THE FOLLOWING FILM JURY AWARD WINNERS WERE SELECTED BY CATEGORY:

Narrative Feature: The Badger, written and directed by Kazem Mollaie

Documentary Feature: The Book Keepers, written and directed by Phil Wall

Comedy Vanguard Feature: Standard, written and directed by Fernando González Gómez

Dark Matters Feature: The Blue Orchid, written by Carl Marott and Hans Frederik Jacobsen, directed by Carl Marott

Narrative Short: The Recordist, written by Indianna Bell, directed by Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen

Narrative Student Short: Home, written and directed by Adewale Olukayode

Documentary Short: Blood on our Side, written by Rodrigo Hernandez, Elpida Nikou and Gino Moreno, directed by Rodrigo Hernandez and Elpida Nikou

Animated Short: To The Dusty Sea, written and directed by Héloïse Ferlay

Produced Digital Series Presented by Stage 13: #martyisdead, created by Pavel Soukup

Enderby Entertainment Fellowship Award: 1,2,3, All Eyes On Me, written by Emil Gallardo and Derek Ho, directed by Emil Gallardo

The 2020 Script Competition Winners were chosen from a record field of 13,175 scripts entered in the Screenplay, Digital Series, Playwriting, and Fiction Podcast Competitions. Finalists were reviewed by an industry panel of judges including Raamla Mohamed (writer Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere), Richard LaGravenese (writer The Fisher King, Freedom Writers, Water For Elephants), Trey Ellis (executive producer True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight For Equality; writer The Tuskegee Airmen, The Inkwell) James V. Hart (writer Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Christine Boylan (writer/producers The Punisher, Once Upon A Time), Eric Heisserer (writer Arrival, Birds Box), Alvaro Rodriguez (co-creator/executive producer Seis Manos; writer/co-producer Last Rampage), Rebecca Windsor (Director, Warner Bros. Television Workshop), Annie Silverstein (writer/director Bull, Skunk), and Brian Yorkey (showrunner 13 Reasons Why, playwright Next to Normal) among others.

In addition, some sponsored awards included the Scholastic Entertainment Fellowship For Kids And Family Content and the Rooster Teeth Fellowship and Development Deal. Here are a few thoughts on the scripts and writers which were selected within these categories:

Gabriel and Losben crafted a story that deftly balances humor, heart, and tension from start to finish.  Following these smart, capable, and real kid leads into the vastness of space is a journey we’d gladly take again and again.”
– The Scholastic Entertainment Team

RT Fellowship Award: ALEXIS PERKINS: THE MCLEAN LADIES FOUNDATION FOR MODERN LITERARY APPRECIATION
Alexis’ script sets the table for a riotous story that takes place in 1950’s America, featuring an ensemble of women who accidentally gain superpowers from a cake laced with plutonium. Not only is this script wildly entertaining, but Alexis populated this story with clever, nuanced characters, and the distinct, hilarious comedy throughout helped to showcase the idiosyncrasies of the time period in a refreshing way. This concept and Alexis’ comedic voice are a perfect fit for Rooster Teeth.

RT Development Deal Winner: NINA KIM: PLEASE DON’T HATE ME
Nina tells a hilarious and engaging coming-of-age story centered around 15-year-old Korean-American Beatrice. This diverse, female-driven narrative is packed with witty moments that explore emotional themes of self-discovery and a great fit for the Rooster Teeth brand.”
– The Rooster Teeth Team

THE FOLLOWING SCRIPT WINNERS WERE SELECTED:

• Drama Feature Screenplay Award presented by Writers Guild of America, East: The Young Woman by Edward Drake
• Comedy Feature Screenplay Award presented by Sony Pictures Animation: Harold Doesn’t Die by Stephen Sloot
• Sci-Fi Feature Screenplay Award: Chupacabra by Mark Ellis
• Horror Feature Screenplay Award: Open House by Sean J.S. Jourdan and John Ingle
• Drama Teleplay Pilot Award: Richmond Underground by Melissa Turkington and Ben Samuels
• Comedy Teleplay Pilot Award: Lemonlight by M. Rowan Meyer
• Drama Teleplay Spec Award: Pose: Different Dances by Casey Bischel
• Comedy Teleplay Spec Award: What We Do In The Shadows: The Lamp by Ethan Von Zamft
• Enderby Entertainment Award: King Of Rio Barro by Jonathan Easley
• Scholastic Entertainment Fellowship For Kids And Family Content Award: Space Kids by Joshua Losben and Scott Gabriel
• Rooster Teeth Fellowship Award: The Mclean Ladies’ Foundation For Modern Literary Appreciation by Alexis Perkins
• Rooster Teeth Development Deal Award: Please Don’t Hate Me by Nina Kim
• Josephson Entertainment Fellowship Teleplay Pilot Award: The World Famous Maxine Is Arriving Now by Joseph McMahon
• Josephson Entertainment Fellowship Feature Screenplay Award: Company Man by Nancy Duff
• AMC One-Hour Pilot Award: IRIS by Natasha M. Hall
• HUMANITAS ORIGINALS Award: The Bridge to Ossabaw Island by Kieran A. Gallagher
• Scripted Digital Series Award Presented by Stage 13: Lady Mozart by Michelle Sarkany
• Short Screenplay Award: Like You Think You Know Me by Stephen Schuyler
• Playwriting Award: Wake The Body by Matt Ackels
• Fiction Podcast Award: Curtains by Kareem Badr and Mike D’Alonzo