Austin Film Festival (AFF), founded in 1994, is an organization in Austin, Texas, that focuses on writers’ creative contributions to film. Initially, AFF was called the Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the careers of
screenwriters, who historically have been underrepresented within the film industry. Since then, AFF has grown to serve all
filmmakers and has added to Austin’s arts community by creating year-round programming that recognizes the art and value of storytelling through film. AFF is probably best known for its annual October Austin Film Festival & Conference. The Conference was the first event of its kind, bringing professional and amateur screenwriters together to celebrate the role of screenplays in filmmaking and host conversations focusing on craft and on particular films and television series. In addition, the Screenplay Competition receives more entries than any other competition in the world. Several competition finalists and semi-finalists have made sales or found managers and agents at the conference.