Paper Plane Wins Narrative Short at Austin Film Festival
The Saoirse Ronan-directed short film took the top narrative honor in the festival's script and film competition.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Animation
Paper Plane, a short film written and directed by Saoirse Ronan, won the Narrative Short award at the Austin Film Festival. The film, which stars Martha Malone, Clare Dunne, and Tim Creed, earlier received its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September.
Why it matters
The award recognizes the film within the Austin Film Festival's script and film competition, giving Austin audiences a local showcase for the short. Its path from a Venice premiere to an Austin prize reflects how short films circulate through international festival circuits.
Paper Plane was backed by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September. The Austin Film Festival competition that honored it has been recognizing scriptwriting for 30 years.
The players
Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan is an Irish actress who wrote and directed Paper Plane, the short film that won the Austin Film Festival's Narrative Short award.
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival is an annual event in Austin, Texas, known for its screenwriting competitions and its script and film awards.
The details
The Austin Film Festival presented the Narrative Short award through its script and film competition. Paper Plane is directed and written by Saoirse Ronan and features performances from Martha Malone, Clare Dunne, and Tim Creed.
Timeline
September: Paper Plane premieres at the Venice International Film Festival.
November 1, 2026: Paper Plane wins the Narrative Short award at the Austin Film Festival.
Industry Dynamics
The Austin Film Festival's script and film competition has recognized scriptwriting for 30 years, placing Paper Plane's win within a long-established festival awards tradition. Short films that premiere at major international festivals like Venice often then build recognition through regional competitions such as Austin's.
Viewers in Austin can see the award-winning short through future festival screenings and related programming. Readers interested in following Paper Plane can track its distribution and screenings as they are announced.
The takeaway
Recognition at both Venice and Austin shows how a short film can build visibility across festival circuits. Readers following independent short film work can watch for future festival screenings and awards.
Further reading
Explore more Animation coverage from across the site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by RTE.
