Austin Ai Film Festival

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
332147239
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Rating
91
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Reported finances

Revenue
$62,458
Expenses
$92,525
Assets
$6,982
Liabilities
$55,000

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Aaron Sanchez (President and Treasurer)
  • Ayca User (Executive Director)

People named in this filing

  • Aaron Sanchez (President and Treasurer)
  • Ayca User (Executive Director)
  • Nick Spiller (Secretary)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To promote and advance AI-generated and AI-assisted filmmaking through an annual film festival that showcases work awards excellence and builds community around emerging filmmaking technologies.

What it reported doing in 2025

In its inaugural year the Austin AI Film Festival AAIFF established itself as the only dedicated AI film festival in Texas. Held during SXSW 2025 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin the festival convened the emerging AI filmmaking community bringing together filmmakers technologists artists and audiences to spotlight the work and creative processes of those working at the frontier of AI-generated and AI-assisted filmmaking. Key accomplishments during the tax year: 2,000+ international film submissions received reviewed and curated 300+ attendees from across the United States and internationally $12,756 awarded to individual filmmakers in recognition of excellence across multiple competition categories Public screenings panels and community programming that spotlighted filmmakers and showcased what is now possible with AI as a creative medium Established AAIFF as a credible national platform and community gathering point for AI-native storytelling The festival advanced the organizations exempt purpose by promoting public understanding and appreciation of AI filmmaking as an emerging art form providing professional recognition and financial support to individual filmmakers and creating an inclusive community space for practitioners audiences and supporters to engage with the rapid evolution of this creative medium.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 81% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 86% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 100
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -48.1%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.08; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 7.88; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $93K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 1/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.