This page is dedicated to the films, videos and screenplays on the Film Festival Circuit that have been selected for the Austin Comedy Film Festival Fall 2021 competition. This live screening event took place on Tuesday November 2, 2021 at the Austin Film Society Cinema. Comedy genres included Animation, Dark Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Funny Music Videos, Mockumentary and more. Each film averages about 5 minutes in length, but there are a few that are in the 20 minute range. These films were created in 12 different countries and 30 US States including the great state of Texas. Most of these films have never been screened live in the United States. Below is the list of nearly 100 international independent films and screenplays selected by the judges. Each of these submissions rated in the top 20% of the nearly 450+ total submissions to this event. Please note that this event was previously named the Austin Comedy Short Film Festival. 2021 is the first year of the name change to the Austin Comedy Film Festival.
Fall 2021 Award Winners
- Best Acting Performance Julia Barnett in “First Day” Directed by Suzanne Weinert, Julia Barnett (Texas)
- Best Animated Comedy Film “Oyez Court: AppBortion ep 2” Directed by Hedi McLaughlin (California)
- Best Comedy Feature Screenplay “Dial It Back” Written by Erin Elizabeth Keefer (Florida)
- Best Comedy Film “Millennial Tiny House USA!” Directed by Joshua Koszewski (Texas)
- Best Comedy Micro Film “Love Chum” Directed by Molly Ratermann (California)
- Best Comedy Series Episode “Ghostwritten Series” Directed by George Gross (New York)
- Best Comedy Series Micro Episode “Dear Diary: The Third” Directed by L.P. Dohi (United States)
- Best Comedy Short Screenplay “Ren-Fair” Written by Jesse Mattson, Sam Mattson (United States)
- Best Comedy Teleplay “Trash Fire U” Written by Daniel Murray (Illinois)
- Best Dark Comedy Feature Screenplay “Drop Dead Gorgeous” Written by Lara Koski (United Kingdom)
- Best Dark Comedy Film “Brothers” Directed by Luke A. Sacksteder (Tennessee)
- Best Dark Comedy Micro Film “180 Seconds” Directed by Perry Strong (New York)
- Best Dark Comedy Short Screenplay “The End” Written by Travis Aitken (Texas)
- Best Dark Comedy Teleplay “Loser Island” Written by C.J. Ehrlich (Boston and NY)
- Best Director “The Art of The Headshot” Directed by Keaton Davis (Texas)
- Best Ensemble Cast “BioPetz” Directed by Tyler Council (Florida)
- Best Horror Comedy Feature Screenplay "Nightmare at Camp Bloodbath" Written by Dylan Arnow (California)
- Best Horror Comedy Film “ Catfish” Directed by Jose Andres Cortes (California)
- Best Horror Comedy Micro Film “A HORROR... Or Something Like That!” Directed by NaTonia Monét (New York)
- Best Horror Comedy Short Screenplay "The Birthday Present" Written by Rebecca Leigh (Tennessee)
- Best International Director “It's all in the sauce” Directed by Marcus A Olsson (Sweden)
- Best International Film “The Couch” Directed by Alexander Konis (Australia)
- Best International Short Screenplay “Kill the Writer” Written by Dee Stevenson (UAE)
- Best Mockumentary Film “A Krampus Family Easter” Directed by Danny McCarthy (Illinois)
- Best Mockumentary Micro Film “Some Sh*t” Directed by Dave Holton (North Carolina)
- Best Romantic Comedy Feature Screenplay “The Perfect Match” Written by Frank McDonnell (California)
- Best Romantic Comedy Film “MarriageFit” Directed by Rob DiNinni, Jeffrey Palmer (Massachusetts)
- Best Romantic Comedy Micro Film “Neander Valley” Directed by Shug
Cvitanic (California)
- Best Romantic Comedy Short Screenplay “The Real Spaghetti” Written by Richard Stirling (United States)
- Best Romantic Comedy Teleplay “11 Blocks to Go” Written by Jack Utrata, Ashley Alexander (New York)
- Best Texas Film “Chad” Directed by Benton Cockerell, Clinton Howard II (Texas)
- Best Texas Micro Film “Pap Trap” Directed by Rachel Napolitano (Texas)
- Best Texas Short Screenplay “A Guide to Basic Politics” Written by Hiram Alexander Orozco (Texas)
- Funniest Music Video “Jeff Hilliard - Silicone Wave” Directed by Jeff Hilliard (California)
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Fall 2021 Award Finalists
The following films and videos ranked in the top 20% of submissions and have been named official selections and have also been nominated for awards in the following categories.
Best Acting Performance Award Finalists
- Ashleigh Domangue in "Pap Trap" Directed by Rachel Napolitano (Texas)
- Christina Offley in "Of Age" Directed by Christina Offley (California)
- Ryan Thomas in "Millennial" Directed by Ryan Thomas (Wisconsin)
- Julia Barnett in "First Day" Directed by Suzanne Weinert, Julia Barnett (Texas)
- Shondo Blades in "The Long Strange Trip Backyard" Directed by Coby Rich (Texas)
Best Animated Comedy Film Award Finalists
- Break Time, Directed by Sean Winslow (New York)
- Oyez Court: AppBortion (aka episode 2), Directed by Hedi McLaughlin (California)
- Social Prostitution, Directed by Dylan Assed (New York, Texas)
- The Cookie Cutter, Directed by David Rocco Facchini (California)
Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists
- BEST IN CLA.S.S., Written by Janie Gentry (Arkansas)
- Dial It Back, Written by Erin Elizabeth Keefer (Florida)
- Fred & Nan Scam the Share-A-Dream Foundation, Written by Philip Centanni (California)
- Late Fees, Written by Darren Coyle (California)
- TAKING ARIZONA, Written by Jeff Goldstein (New York)
- Pickleballs! - The Movie, Written by Daniel Edward Beeman (California)
Best Comedy Film Award Finalists
- Fabric Softener, Directed by Chris Yates (Massachusetts)
- Heathens, Directed by Griffin Wenzler (Tennessee)
- Millennial Tiny House USA!, Directed by Joshua Koszewski (Texas)
- Sex, in Cars, Directed by Matthew Solomon (California)
- Typecast, Directed by Blake Studwell (Georgia)
Best Comedy Micro Film Award Finalists
- Chloe Mary Lydia, Directed by Megan Chumbley (California)
- I Really Love This Piece, Directed by Graham Goldstein (California)
- Kathy with a 'K", Directed by Michael Carnes (United States)
- Love Chum, Directed by Molly Ratermann (California)
- Tesla Psycho, Directed by Devon Ryan (Texas)
Best Comedy Series Micro Episode Award Finalists
- Auction House, Directed by Sean Davis, CavekeeperX (New York)
- Carbon Dating (Comedy Sketch), Directed by Ken Rudnick (California)
- Dear Diary : The Third, Directed by L.P. Dohi (United States)
Best Comedy Series Episode Award Finalists
- Back In The Day, Directed by Lucy Musial (California)
- Ghostwritten Series, Directed by George Gross (New York)
- In Luck, Directed by Kaitlyn Busbee (Iowa)
- My Friends The Plants, Directed by Christine Celozzi (California)
- Remember My Name - Episode 02 - #Hashtags, Directed by Sonny Vrebac (Australia)
Best Comedy Short Screenplay Award Finalists
- Agent 17: Missile Commando, Written by Matt Smith (Michigan)
- Natural Abjection, Written by Michael Dickson (Canada)
- Ren-Fair, Written by Jesse Mattson, Sam Mattson (United States)
- The Inheritance, Written by Ken Teutsch (Arkansas)
- Windy, Written by Todd Sorrell (United States)
Best Comedy Teleplay Award Finalists
- Afterlife Anonymous, Written by Michael M Kezele (California)
- AP Bio - The Spirit of St. Louis, Written by Matt Smith (Michigan)
- Fat With Standards, Written by Lauren Hope Krass (New York)
- I'm So Done Pilot | One Tough Cookie, Written by Chuck Alley, Rachael Berman (California)
- Trash Fire U, Written by Daniel Murray (Illinois)
Best Dark Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists
- Cult Family Reunion, Written by Lori Fischer (Tennessee)
- DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, Written by Lara Koski (United Kingdom)
- Ruined Vacation, Written by Mark Donnell (Arizona)
- The Strip Club, Written by Laura Wallgren (Georgia)
Best Dark Comedy Film Award Finalists
- A Stand for Damaged Fame, Directed by Kent J Arceneaux and David Luck (Louisiana)
- Brothers, Directed by Luke A. Sacksteder (Tennessee)
- IM DATING A PORNSTAR, Directed by Hollywood Fizz (United States)
- Love & Co., Directed by Adam Floeck (Oregon)
- Lucky, Directed by Michael Heubel, Schyler Martin (California)
Best Dark Comedy Micro Film Award Finalists
- 180 Seconds, Directed by Perry Strong (New york)
- Afghan Kush, Directed by Brady Canales (California)
- The Dawn of Duck, Directed by ZZ Satriani (California)
Best Dark Comedy Short Screenplay Award Finalists
- Chop, Written by Nicola Cassidy (Ireland)
- Hit Men, Written by Martin Bard (Washington)
- Horologium, Written by Jay Strong (New York)
- The Cult, Written by Glenn A McBride Jr, Jimmy Kelly (United States)
- The End, Written by Travis Aitken (Texas)
- The Vaccination, Written by omar hardware (New York)
Best Dark Comedy Teleplay Award Winner
- LOSER ISLAND, Written by C.J. Ehrlich (Boston and NY)
Best Director Award Finalists
- Atypical Morning, Directed by Navik Nanubhai (Washington)
- Jeff Hilliard - Mulletude, Directed by Jeff Hilliard (California)
- The Art of The Headshot, Directed by Keaton Davis (Texas)
Best Ensemble Cast Award Finalists
- #ISFJ, Directed by Joe Jennings Jr. (Georgia)
- BioPetz, Directed by Tyler Council (Florida)
- Chad, Directed by Benton Cockerell, Clinton Howard II (Texas)
- Cult Following, Directed by Amy Parry (Australia)
- The Big Pickle, Directed by Rick Rosa, Tom Leu Kimberly Carroll (United States)
Best Horror Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists
- BFFs Never Say Die, Written by K. Jennifer Ilagan (Connecticut)
- Nightmare at Camp Bloodbath, Written by Dylan Arnow (California)
- The Market Clown, Written by Will Danielson (Ireland)
Best Horror Comedy Film Award Finalists
- Catfish, Directed by Jose Andres Cortes (California)
- Dark Tales, Directed by Michael Yosef (Nevada)
- Night of the Living Data, Directed by Isabel Custer (Chile/USA)
Best Horror Comedy Micro Film Award Winner
- A HORROR... Or Something Like That!, Directed by NaTonia Monét (New York)
Best Horror Comedy Series Award Finalists
- HAUNTED LA, Written by Adrienne Arno (California)
- Me & My Shadow, Written by Mary Regan (New York)
Best Horror Comedy Short Screenplay Award Finalists
- Dead Meat, Written by Cassie Burton (Texas)
- The Birthday Present, Written by Rebecca Leigh (Tennessee)
Best International Director Award Finalists
- Carlota, Directed by Malu Solís (Mexico)
- It's all in the sauce, Directed by Marcus A Olsson (Sweden)
- Le Winner, Directed by Aliénor Duplessis (France)
Best International Feature Screenplay Award Finalists
- ANYBODY BUT A MILLIONAIRE!, Written by Larisa Vödisch-Nikitina (Switzerland)
- Djinn Genie, Written by Nigel Glassey (Australia)
- Sweet Poison, Written by Guillaume Banniard and Mathilde Lemaire (France)
- The Imbalance 2, Written by Naomi Lisner (Australia)
Best International Film Award Finalists
- Harpoon, Directed by Yuri Yarushnikov (Russia)
- Mulligan, Directed by Katelyn McCulloch (Canada)
- The Couch, Directed by Alexander Konis (Australia)
Best International Short Screenplay Award Finalists
- Kill the Writer, Written by Dee Stevenson (UAE)
- The Gang Gets Diverse, Written by Jordan Champagne (Canada)
- THE LAST LESSON, Written by Larisa Vödisch-Nikitina (Switzerland)
Best Mockumentary Film Award Finalists
- A Krampus Family Easter, Directed by Danny McCarthy (Illinois)
- It’s That’s A Wrap, Directed by Emma Rathe (Iowa)
- Scam of the Century: Zack and Cody Danimals Sweepstakes, Directed by Gavin Bell, Thomas Bozalis, Will McDonald, Georgia Sasso, Coryell
Smith, Chancey Stefanos (Texas)
- Summer is for Sandcastles, Directed by Harris Gurny (New York)
- The Art of The Headshot, Directed by Keaton Davis (Texas)
Best Mockumentary Micro Film Award Finalists
- Cook's Counter: Frat Bro (Comedy Sketch), Directed by Ken Rudnick (California)
- Some Sh*t, Directed by Dave Holton (North Carolina)
- The First Jewish Surfer, Directed by Brett Maline (California)
Best Romantic Comedy Feature Screenplay Award Finalists
- Cooper Adler's Romantic Comedy, Written by Jeff Opdyke (Czech Republic / California)
- Down Mexico Way, Written by Antonino "Nino" Abate (Arizona)
- Flash and Stretch, Written by Jim Norman (Florida)
- Men, Meet Women, Written by Philip Centanni (California)
- The Perfect Match, Written by Frank McDonnell (California)
Best Romantic Comedy Film Award Finalists
- Future Fred, Directed by Brent Katz (New York)
- Good Help Is So Hard To Find, Directed by Jake Isaacs (California)
- How to OxiClean a Broken Heart, Directed by Naomi Brady (Texas)
- MarriageFit, Directed by Rob DiNinni, Jeffrey Palmer (Massachusetts)
- Spoken Word Coffee Date, Directed by Kara Addington (California)
Best Romantic Comedy Micro Film Award Winner
- Neander Valley, Directed by Shug Cvitanic (California)
Best Romantic Comedy Short Screenplay Award Winner
- The Real Spaghetti, Written by Richard Stirling (United States)
Best Romantic Comedy Teleplay Award Finalists
- 11 Blocks to Go, Written by Jack Utrata, Ashley Alexander (New York)
- The Simp and The Thot, Written by Paul Michael Garcia (California)
- What Happened When Spunky Met Egotesticle, Written by Marietta R. K. Wilk (Tennessee)
Best Texas Film Award Finalists
- Chad, Directed by Benton Cockerell, Clinton Howard II (Texas)
- How to OxiClean a Broken Heart, Directed by Naomi Brady (Texas)
- Scam of the Century: Zack and Cody Danimals Sweepstakes, Directed by Gavin Bell, Thomas Bozalis, Will McDonald, Georgia Sasso, Coryell Smith, Chancey Stefanos (Texas)
- The Art of The Headshot, Directed by Keaton Davis (Texas)
- The Gate, Directed by Philip Cooney (Texas)
Best Texas Micro Film Award Finalists
- First Day, Directed by Suzanne Weinert, Julia Barnett (Texas)
- Pap Trap, Directed by Rachel Napolitano (Texas)
- Tesla Psycho, Directed by Devon Ryan (Texas)
Best Texas Short Screenplay Award Finalists
- A Guide to Basic Politics, Written by Hiram Alexander Orozco (Texas)
Dead Meat, Written by Cassie Burton (Texas)
- Declaration - "Pilot", Written by Victoria Keffer (Texas)
- Seinfeld, Written by Juan Villarreal (Texas)
- The End, Written by Travis Aitken (Texas)
Funniest Music Video Award Finalists
- Garbage Island (Trash Beneath My Feet), Directed by Damon Cirulli (United States)
- Jeff Hilliard - Silicone Wave, Directed by Jeff Hilliard (California)
- LIVE AT HOME: A Comedy Music Video, Directed by Ali Eagle (California)
- The Main Guy & the Other Guys - GAME OF THRONES (a Tribute), Directed by Erling 'Duke' Gronhaug (Australia)
- The OnlyFans Campfire Song, Directed by Taylor Bernstein (New Jersey)
Official Selections
- 2nd Date, Written by Jaik Andino (Chicago)
- Blondfoot, Written by Mark Jay Rosen (Washington)
- Camp Ladies Go Nuts, Written by Kay Stephens (Maine)
- CLUB47, Written by Adam Fischer (Massachusetts)
- Date Prep, Directed by Chezdan Mills (United Kingdom)
- GRANDMA WARS, Written by Betty Sullivan (Florida)
- Jeff Hilliard - Mulletude, Directed by Jeff Hilliard (California)
- Kara Doesn't Stand a Chance in the Wild Wild West, Written by Meredith Johnson (Alabama)
- Kristi Stafford "Trophy Wife" Directed by Marietta R. K. Wilk (Chicago)
- Legend and The Vitamites PILOT, Written by Lisa Pha G (Nevada)
- Matman, Directed by Josh Bowen (Florida)
- Of Pints and Men, Directed by Daniel Lee (United Kingdom)
- ON THE LAM, Written by Adrienne Arno (California)
- Pickleballs! - The Movie, Written by Daniel Edward Beeman (California)
- Rehearsal, Directed by Corey Podell (California)
- Table For Four, Directed by Mingzhu Ye (California)
- The Booty Grabber, Written by Levi Ray Brandes (Missouri)
- The Cows, Directed by Hugh O'Neill (Ireland)
- The Morning Announcements, Written by Ethan Scheck, Joe Gallo (New York)
- The Unicorn - SPEC, Written by Glenn Lissner (North Carolina)
- Too Many Buddhas, Directed by C. Fraser Press (California)
