Austin Film Festival Announces Top Honors and Industry Fellowships
See what the 2025 Austin Film Festival has in store for their 2025 Writers Conference.
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL (AFF) announced today the Polly Platt Award for Producing will be given to legendary independent producer Christine Vachon, and the Outstanding Television Writer Award will be given togroundbreaking showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser during the 2025 Writers Conference happening October 23 – 26, 2025. Additionally, AFF is excited to unveil its 2025 industry-sponsored fellowships, designed to celebrate and empower the next generation of screenwriters and filmmakers.
Established in 2019, the Polly Platt Award for Producing is annually given to a producer with a keen sense of story and a history of fostering new talent. Previous recipients include Kathleen Kennedy (2024), Lauren Shuler Donner (2023), Dede Gardner (2022), Stephanie Allain (2021), and Sarah Green (2019).
Christine Vachon is an Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award winner who co-founded powerhouse Killer Films with partner Pamela Koffler in 1995. Over three decades, they have produced more than 100 films, including some of the most celebrated and important American independent features: Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, Happiness, Boys Don’t Cry, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Far From Heaven, One Hour Photo, Still Alice, Carol, Beatriz At Dinner, and Dark Waters. In television, Vachon executive-produced the Emmy and Golden Globe-awarded miniseries Mildred Pierce for HBO as well as the Emmy Award-winning limited series Halston for Netflix. Recent releases include Todd Haynes' May December (Netflix), starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, and Celine Song's Past Lives (A24), which marks her first Oscar nomination in the Best Picture category.
Introduced in 2000, the Outstanding Television Writer Award highlights the artistic achievements and contributions of television creators and their importance in shaping the landscape of serialized storytelling. Past award recipients include Ronald D. Moore (2024), Damon Lindelof (2023), Larry Wilmore (2019), Marta Kauffman (2016), and Vince Gilligan (2013).
Writer-producer Yvette Lee Bowser is the first and youngest Black woman to create and run her own television series. She also has the distinction of executive producing and shepherding ten series onto myriad primetime, cable, and streaming platforms. She is honored to receive the 2025 Austin Film Festival Outstanding Television Writer Award.
Bowser began her career in television as an apprentice writer on the culture-shifting series A Different World where she penned 25 episodes and became a producer during her five-year tenure. Bowser went on to produce the hit comedy Hangin' with Mr. Coopers before creating the seminal series Living Single for FOX when she was just 27 years old. Living Single was the number one comedy in Black and Latino households for its entire five-year run and is widely considered a classic, game-changing blueprint comedy about twentysomething friends. The award-winning series has had a robust presence in syndication and streaming for three decades and has empowered multiple generations of women and Black professionals. Bowser also helped launch black-ish on ABC and served as Executive Producer and Showrunner on the Netflix series, Dear White People, and the Starz series, Run The World. Most recently, Bowser guided the acclaimed Kerry Washington/Delroy Lindo dramedy, UnPrisoned, as Showrunner and Executive Producer.
A highly sought-after Showrunner and Creator, Bowser currently has a full slate of series she’s developing under an overall pact with 20th Century Studios. Her dedication to producing high-quality programming comprised of culturally inclusive stories earned her a place in Stanford’s Multicultural Hall of Fame.
As an industry veteran, Bowser is passionate about mentoring and fostering the next generation of trailblazers and ceiling-breakers. Over the decades, her guidance has empowered numerous writers, directors, actors, producers, and crew members to find work and success in the highly competitive television industry. A recipient of the Writers Guild of America’s prestigious 2023 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award, Bowser helped launch the WGA Showrunner Training Program, which, for over 20 years, has prepared some of today’s most prolific and successful writer-producers for the rigors of creating and managing successful shows.
Upon accepting this award, Yvette remarked:
“I am humbled and honored to receive this distinguished award from the Austin Film Festival. Throughout my career, I’vebeen blessed to showcase humanity through storytelling. I am grateful for this recognition of my very intentional work.”
In addition to speaking at AFF’s 2025 Writers Conference, Vachon and Bowser will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon. The Awards Luncheon takes place on Saturday, October 25 and features awardees honored for their career achievements, Script and Film competition winners, and the recipients of industry-sponsored fellowships.
To further its mission of furthering the art and craft of storytelling by inspiring and championing the work of writers, filmmakers, and all artists who use written and visual language to tell a story, Austin Film Festival collaborates with industry leaders to offer tailored fellowships. These fellowships provide emerging artists with invaluable guidance, script feedback, and development experience to propel their careers forward.
2025 Fellowships and Awards will include: AMC One Hour Pilot Award – AMC is the ultimate destination for premier storytelling, known for some of the most celebrated original content in television and film history. Open to drama pilot scripts that demonstrate masterful plotting and character work.
- Big Indie Pictures Screenplay Fellowship – Creator forward independent production company (Eric LaRue, Manchester by the Sea, Still Alice) with an emphasis on strong and unique voices. Open to feature scripts from writers with a contemporary story, a fresh point of view, and/or unique take on a genre.
- Big Indie Pictures Film Fellowship – Open to any narrative work of fiction that demonstrates a bold new filmmaker capable of crafting layered characters and telling fresh, engaging stories.
- Nickelodeon Writing Program Comedy Teleplay Fellowship – Open to comedic teleplays (original or spec) focused on joke writing, broad comedic sensibilities, and family friendly content.
- YMH Studios Comedy Fellowship – YMH Studios is developing a slate of low-budget comedy feature films built around accessible, comedy-first concepts. Open to comedy feature scripts constructed with rewatchable themes, prioritizing a comedic storytelling approach.
- Enderby Entertainment Filmmaking Fellowship – Founded by Daniel Petrie, Jr. and Rick Dugdale, Enderby Entertainment has a history of delivering quality films with exceptional artists. Open to Narrative Short and Narrative Student Short films.
- Enderby Entertainment Screenwriting Award – The Screenwriting Award is open to feature scripts in all genres with an original concept and distinctive voice that can be independently produced for under $10 million.
Austin Film Festival’s Writers Conference, happening October 23 – 26, 2025, will again present over 150 panels on the art, craft, and business of storytelling, featuring a slate of prominent industry professionals working in film, television, and new media. Badges and Passes are available now at www.austinfilmfestival.com. The 2025 AFF Script and Film Competitions, including fellowship applications, are now accepting submissions at www.austinfilmfestival.com/submit. Deadlines begin March 25, 2025.
ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL & WRITERS CONFERENCE Entering its 32nd year, Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television, theater, and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established storytellers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of The City of Austin Economic Development Department and Texas Commission on the Arts. The 32nd Annual Austin Film Festival will take place October 23 – 26, 2025. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 512-478-4795.
ABOUT POLLY PLATT AWARD FOR PRODUCING
Introduced in 2019, the Polly Platt Award is given to producers with a keen sense of story and who have a history of fostering new talent. Named after the legendary Polly Platt who was instrumental in the early years of Austin Film Festival and was an ardent champion of writers. Past award recipients include Kathleen Kennedy (2024), Lauren Shuler Donner (2023), Dede Garner (2022), Stephanie Allain (2021), and Sarah Green (2019).
ABOUT OUTSTANDING TELEVISION WRITER AWARD
Introduced in 2000, the Outstanding Television Writer Award highlights the artistic achievements and contributions of television creators and their importance in shaping the landscape of serialized storytelling. Past award recipients include Ronald D. Moore (2024), Damon Lindelof (2023), Larry Wilmore (2019), Marta Kauffman (2016), and Vince Gilligan (2013).
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