Austin Film Festival

  • Boy Erased, Shoplifters, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Among First Wave of Films for 2018 Austin Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31589" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Melissa McCarthy in the film CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Photo by Mary Cybulski. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved Melissa McCarthy in the film CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Photo by Mary Cybulski. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved[/caption] Austin Film Festival revealed the first wave of films in their 25th-anniversary program, taking place October 25 to November 1.  Included in this first announcement is Boy Erased, written and directed by Joel Edgerton and based on Garrard Conley’s memoir about a gay teenager forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program. The film stars Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, and Nicole Kidman. AFF will also host the regional premiere of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, directed by Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) and starring Melissa McCarthy as real-life controversial celebrity biographer Lee Israel. Also playing AFF this year is Little Woods, Nia DaCosta’s directorial debut starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James as estranged sisters in a North Dakota fracking boomtown and The Long Dumb Road, Hannah Fidell’s new road trip comedy starring Tony Revolori and Jason Mantzoukas. This year’s Cannes Palme D’or winner Shoplifters, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, will also join the fest’s slate. AFF will host a variety of World Premieres, including horror/thriller The Black String, which stars Frankie Muniz as a lonely store clerk who is plagued by illness and nightmarish visions and believes he is the target of a sinister plot. Other world premieres so far announced include family cult drama Fishbowl, faith-grappling drama Speaking in Tongues, and high school football documentary Fathers of Football, directed by Austin local Bradley Beesley. As part of its continuing retrospective series, AFF will host a screening of Roger Corman’s 1957 cult classic Rock All Night, presented by Robert Rodriguez and Corman himself, already announced as AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking honoree this year.

    2018 Austin Film Festival FIRST WAVE

    The Black String World Premiere Writers: Brian Hanson, Richard Handley Director: Brian Hanson Starring: Frankie Muniz, Cullen Douglas, Chelsea Edmundson After a lonely convenience store clerk goes on a blind date with a mysterious woman, his world begins to unravel in horrifying fashion. Plagued by illness and nightmarish visions, the clerk desperately searches the suburbs for this mysterious woman. His friends and family believe he’s losing his mind, but he believes he’s the target of a sinister occult plot. Boy Erased Writer/Director: Joel Edgerton Starring: Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Can You Ever Forgive Me? Writers: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty Director: Marielle Heller Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Julie Ann Emery In CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer (and cat lover) who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee found herself unable to get published because she had fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turned her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant). Fathers of Football World Premiere Director: Bradley Beesley Fathers of Football follows the triumphs and struggles of life in a small Oklahoma town, where high school football is not only the brightest stage, but also the best ticket out. Fishbowl World Premiere Writers: Stephen Kinigopoulos, Piero Iberti Directors: Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Kinigopoulos Starring: Rick Kain, Belle Shickle, Emily Peachey, Caroline Coleman In a small town filled with secrets, a struggling family prepares for the Rapture. Little Woods Writer/Director: Nia DaCosta Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Lance Reddick A modern Western that tells the story of two sisters, Ollie and Deb, who are driven to work outside the law to better their lives. The Long Dumb Road Writers: Hannah Fidell, Carson Mell Director: Hannah Fidell Starring: Tony Revolori, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Ron Livingston, College-bound teenager Nat offers itinerant 30-something mechanic Richard a ride during a stop-over in small-town Texas Rock All Night (1957) presented by Roger Corman and Robert Rodriguez Writer: Charles B. Griffith Director: Roger Corman Cloud Nine, the local teen hangout, has been taken over by a pair of escaped killers, who hold the local teens hostage. The bartender realizes it’s up to him to save the kids. Shoplifters Writer/Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Starring: Lily Franky, Ando Sakura, Matsuoka Mayu After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them Speaking in Tongues World Premiere Writers: Nathan Deming, Lawrie Doran Director: Nathan Deming A lonely college student grieving the loss of his mother finds purpose at a local mega church’s summer internship evangelizing the ‘lost.’ As the summer continues, his new faith is put to the test.

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  • Filmmaker Roger Corman to Receive “Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking” Award at Austin Film Festival

    Roger Corman Filmmaker Roger Corman will receive the “Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking” Award at the 25th annual Austin Film Festival, taking place October 25 to November 1, 2018. For the past sixty years, Roger Corman has been a trailblazer in the world of independent film. He has produced and directed over five hundred movies that have tackled a variety of genres. Notable credits include The Wild Angels, The Pit and the Pendulum, Little Shop of Horrors, Death Race 2000, and Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. In the 1970s Corman founded New World Pictures which quickly became the largest independent motion picture distribution company in the United States. In addition to distributing his own productions, New World Pictures was one of the first American distributors to bring foreign cinema to the US; distributing the films of Akira Kurosawa, Francois Truffaut, Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, and Werner Herzog. Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy is the legion of producers, directors, writers, and actors he has discovered and fostered, including Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Fonda, Sylvester Stallone, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, Talia Shire, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, and James Cameron. Corman will accept his award on Saturday, October 27th during the annual Awards Luncheon. Past recipients of this award have included Danny Boyle, Jonathan Demme, Walter Hill, Ron Howard, Sydney Pollack, John Singleton, and Oliver Stone. More awardees for this year’s Festival will be announced at a later date. The 2018 Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference will once again present over 150 panels on the art and craft of storytelling featuring a slate comprised entirely of working film, television, and new media industry professionals. Corman joins a growing list of panelists who already include Megan Amram, John August, Mick Garris, Nicole Perlman, Ed Solomon, and Graham Yost. The 25th annual Austin Film Festival and Conference will take place October 25th through November 1st, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4EGb-DkfXU

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  • Austin Film Festival Announces 2017 Audience Award Winners . COMING TO MY SENSES Wins Courage Award

    [caption id="attachment_25474" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Coming to My Senses Coming to My Senses[/caption] The Austin Film Festival announced its 2017 Hiscox Audience and Courage Award Winners.  The 2017 Hiscox Courage Award went to Coming to My Senses, directed by Dominic Gill.  Coming to My Senses is a documentary feature that follows Aaron Baker, a man who faces insurmountable odds and learns to walk again after breaking his neck in a motocross accident, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Voted on by the audience, the Hiscox Courage Award is presented to the work that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who best embraced the risk to share the story.

    2017 Austin Film Festival Hiscox Audience Award winners

    Narrative Feature: Beauty Mark, written by Harris Doran Documentary Feature (tie): Transformer, directed by Michael Del Monte Documentary Feature (tie): Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End, directed by Pablo Bryant Dark Matters Feature: The Landing, written by David Dodson and Mark Dodson Comedy Vanguard Feature: Don’t Talk to Irene, written by Pat Mills Narrative Short: So Much Yellow, written by Erica Milsom Documentary Short: So Damn Glad, directed by Justin Lubke Animated Short: Negative Space, written by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata Narrative Student Short: Towards the Sun, written by Elie Choufany and Monica Santis Scripted Digital Series: Cleaner Daze, created by Tess Sweet and Daniel Gambelin Marquee Feature: Mudbound, written by Dee Rees and Virgil Williams Marquee Television: The Deuce (S1E08: “My Name is Ruby”), written by George Pelecanos and David Simon

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  • 2017 Austin Film Festival Awards – IN BLUE and TRANSFORMER Win Film Jury Awards

    [caption id="attachment_25348" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Transformer  directed by Michael Del Monte Transformer[/caption] The Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced the 2017 Script Competition Winners and the Film Competition Jury Award Winners. In Blue directed by Jaap van Heusden won the award for Best Narrative Feature, and Transformer  directed by Michael Del Monte won the award for Best Documentary Feature. In “In Blue”,  a flight attendant who has successfully existed as a single independent woman for years finds herself delivering a child mid flight. This moment flips her world on its head. Transformer tells the story of former US Marine and world record weightlifter Matt Kroczaleski who was publicly outed as transgender in the summer of 2015.  The reaction was universal: her sponsors abandoned her, she was disowned by her parents, and banned from competing. Now Janae, she must find her place in society, unable to lose the muscle she once so desperately gained and living one day as an alpha male and the next day as a delicate girl.

    2017 Austin Film Festival Film Competition Jury Award Winners

    Narrative Feature: In Blue written by Jan-Willem den Bok and Jaap van Heusden Narrative Feature Honorable Mention: Boost written by Darren Curtis Documentary Feature in partnership with POV:  Transformer directed by Michael Del Monte Comedy Vanguard Feature: Don’t Talk to Irene written by Pat Mills Dark Matters Feature: Freddy/Eddy written by Tini Tüllman Narrative Short presented by ShortsTV: Demon written by Caleb Slain Narrative Student Short: Towards the Sun written by Elie Choufany and Monica Santis Documentary Short: Los Comandos directed by Joshua Bennett and Juliana Schatz Preston Animated Short: Second to None written by Vincent Gallagher Scripted Digital Series presented by Stage 13:  Cleaner Daze created by Tess Sweet and Daniel Gambelin

    2017 Austin Film Festival Script Competition Winners

    Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East:  Brokenhearted by Caroline Hopkins Comedy Screenplay Award presented by Sony Pictures Animation: The Olympian by Troy Miller Sci-Fi Screenplay Award presented by Skybound Entertainment:  Every Horizon Beyond by Henry Tranton Enderby Entertainment Award: Apacheria by Andrew Reuland & Joey Grossfield Horror Screenplay Award: Family Photos by Chad Harris AMC One-Hour Pilot Award: Breakfield by Caitlin Schneiderhan Sitcom Pilot Award: The Big D by Jill Taylor Short Screenplay Award: Ringneck by Michael Allcock Scripted Digital Series Award presented by Stage 13: The Range by Adam Groff One-Hour Spec Award: Black Mirror: Punchbag by Steven Snell Sitcom Spec Award: You’re the Worst: Antiversary by Cara Brown Playwriting Award underwritten by Sweetwood Creative: Signature Photo by Michael Bucklin Fiction Podcast Award presented by Public Radio International: How to Build a Fire by Kat Sandler

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  • I, TONYA is Second Closing Night Film of Austin Film Festival | Trailer

    [caption id="attachment_24703" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I, TONYA I, TONYA[/caption] I, TONYA, the darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history, will serve as the second Closing Night Film of the 2017 Austin Film Festival. Directed by Craig Gillespie, I TONYA stars Margot Robbie as Harding, Sebastian Stan as her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and Allison Janney as Harding’s acid-tongued mother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_weoC3HT6Q AFF’s other Closing Night Film, already announced, is Chappaquiddick, which details the drowning of campaign specialist Mary Jo Kopechne while trapped in a car that Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge and later failed to report. AFF will also be welcoming esteemed multi-hyphenate Robert Townsend, most famous for co-writing, directing, and starring in boundary-pushing comedy Hollywood Shuffle. Townsend will participate in AFF’s Writers Conference, and will also present AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Television award to Keenen Ivory Wayans, with whom he co-wrote Hollywood Shuffle. Also slated to attend AFF this year are Jennifer Morrison (House, Once Upon a Time) for her film Sun Dogs, producer Matt Tolmach (The Amazing Spider-Man, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) for Paige Tolmach’s documentary What Haunts Us, and actor/director James Keach (Walk the Line, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me) for his new documentary Augie.

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  • ‘Roman J. Israel, Esq.’ and ‘Mudbound’ Added as Centerpiece Selections of Austin Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_24415" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Mudbound Mudbound[/caption] The 2017 Austin Film Festival (AFF), has added to its lineup, Dan Gilroy’s dramatic thriller Roman J. Israel, Esq. and Dee Rees’ epic period piece Mudbound as Centerpiece selections this Sunday, October 29th. Roman J. Israel, Esq. stars Denzel Washington as a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when a turbulent series of events challenge the activism that has defined his career. Colin Farrell costars as the ambitious, monied lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm. Dan Gilroy, who wrote and directed Roman, will be in attendance to present the film and lead a panel as part of AFF’s Writers Conference. Gilroy’s past work includes Nightcrawler, The Bourne Legacy, and Kong: Skull Island. Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’s Mudbound is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. The film stars Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, and Jason Clarke. Co-writer Virgil Williams will be in attendance to present the film and participate in the Writers Conference.

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  • Austin Film Festival Announces 2017 Film Lineup, CHAPPAQUIDDICK to Close Fest

    [caption id="attachment_24775" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Chappaquiddick Chappaquiddick[/caption] The 24th Austin Film Festival (AFF) unveiled its lineup of feature films, and Chappaquiddick, a drama recounting Ted Kennedy’s infamous 1969 car accident resulting in the death of his campaign worker,  will close out the Festival. A staple of the Festival, AFF’s retrospective series this year will feature Philip D’Antoni’s 1973 drama The Seven-Ups presented by David Simon and George Pelecanos (The Deuce, The Wire), Jack Fisk’s 1981 film Raggedy Man—a tribute to Sam Shepard—presented by writer William D. Wittliff in partnership with the Wittliff Collections, and seminal 1987 action film Predator presented by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Nice Guys) who is currently working on the film’s reboot. Additionally, already announced Extraordinary Contribution to Film awardee Walter Hill will present his cult classic The Warriors. In addition to the slate of 150+ films, AFF will present premieres and retrospectives of television programming, including the season 2 premiere of Hulu’s darkly comedic psychic drama Shut Eye , and the premiere of the Season Finale of HBO’s drama The Deuce. Also confirmed to attend is Dan Rather, who will help present the World Premiere of the documentary Fail State, chronicling the rise of predatory for-profit colleges. Writer/producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, The Walking Dead) will also be in attendance for AFF’s screening of documentary Mankiller about barrier-breaking female Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller. Other World Premieres include Wild Honey (Francis Stokes’ comedy about a phone sex operator searching for love), Coming to My Senses (a documentary following a man’s journey to regain his mobility after an accident), and Transformer (chronicling the transition of world-renowned body builder Matt Kroczaelski into Janae after being outed as transgender). Making its US Premiere at AFF is comedy Don’t Talk to Irene, which also won AFF’s Comedy Screenplay Award in 2013. Written and directed by Pat Mills, Irene premiered this month at Toronto International Film Festival to a receptive audience. Austin Film Festival also revealed today their full Screenwriters Conference schedule, which will take place the first four days of the Festival, October 26-29. The Conference features a roster of prominent screenwriters in film and television, including Kenneth Lonergan, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Noah Hawley, Courtney A. Kemp, Lindsay Doran, Misha Green, Michael Arndt, Mark Frost, Michael Green, Sarah Gubbins, Christopher Vogler, Scott Frank, Megan Amram, John August, Eric Heisserer, and many more

    Austin Film Festival’s 2017 slate:

    Marquee Features:

    Lady Bird – Opening Night Film Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig The Current War – Centerpiece Film Writer: Michael Mitnick Director: Alfonso Gomez Chappaquiddick – Closing Night Film Writers: Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan Director: John Curran 24 Hours to Live Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita Director: Brian Smrz 42 Grams Director: Jack C. Newell An Ordinary Man Writer/Director: Brad Silberling The Boy Downstairs Writer/Director: Sophie Brooks Blame Writers: Laurie Shephard, Quinn Shephard Director: Quinn Shephard Call Me By Your Name *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writers: James Ivory, Andre Aciman Director: Luca Guadagnino Darkest Hour *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer: Anthony McCarten Director: Joe Wright Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great – The Movie Special Presentation by Michael Arndt Into the Night: Portraits of Life and Death Director: Helen Whitney Please Stand By Writer: Michael Golamco Director: Ben Lewin Permanent Writer/Director: Colette Burson Mansfield 66/67 Directors: P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri **REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh The Upside *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writers: Jon Hartmere Director: Neil Burger

    Marquee-TV Programming

    HBO’s The Deuce-Season Finale Writers: George Pelecanos, David Simon, Chris Yakaitis Director: Michelle MacLaren YouTube Red’s Do You Want to See a Dead Body? Creator: Rob Huebel Hulu’s Shut Eye Season 2 Premiere Episode: “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore” (Season Premiere) Executive Producer/Showrunner: John Shiban Executive Producers: Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein Writer: Amy Berg New Form Original Premieres Small Talk Creator: Becca Gleason Love Me Do Creator: Gaby Dunn Press Start Creators: Evan Beamer and Dave Childs

    Retrospective Programming

    Confessions of a Serial Killer (1985) – Presented by Mark Blair Writer/Director: Mark Blair Predator (1987) – Presented by Shane Black Writers: Jim Thomas, John Thomas Director: John McTiernan Raggedy Man (1981) – Presented by William D. Wittliff Writer: William D. Wittliff Director: Jack Fisk The Seven-Ups (1973) – Presented by George Pelecanos and David Simon Writers: Albert Ruben, Alexander Jacobs, Sonny Grosso Director: Philip D’Antoni The Warriors (1979) – Presented by Walter Hill Writers: Walter Hill, David Shaber, Sol Yurick (novel) Director: Walter Hill

    Narrative Features:

    Amanda and Jack Go Glamping Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson An American in Texas Writers: Anthony Pedone, Stephen Floyd Director: Anthony Pedone Beauty Mark Writer/Director: Harris Doran Cast: Laura Bell Bundy, Jeff Kober, Madison Iseman Bleed. Scream. Beat! Writers: Aldo Miyashiro, Ãrika Villalobos, Abril Cárdenas Director: Aldo Miyashiro Boost Writer/Director: Darren Curtis Dabka Writer/Director: Bryan Buckley Flock of Four Writer: Gregory Caruso, Michael Nader Director: Gregory Caruso Here We Are Writer/Director: David Bellarosa High & Outside: a baseball noir Writer: Dan O’Dair Director: Evald Johnson Hollow in the Land Writer/Director: Scooter Corkle In Blue Writers: Jan-Willem den Bok & Jaap van Heusden Director: Jaap van Heusden Kafou Writers: Jasmuel Andri, Bruno Mourral, Gilbert Mirambeau Director: Bruno Mourral Logndagen Writer/Director: Yaghoob Keshavarz Sarkar Meerkat Moonship Writer/Director: Hanneke Schutte Quality Problems Writer/Director: Brooke Purdy Quest Writers: Santiago Rizzo & Darren Anderson Director: Santiago Rizzo Southern Tale Writer/Director: Tel Royal Space & Time Writer/Director: Shawn Gerrard Sun Dogs Writer: Jennifer Morrison Director: Anthony Tambakis Tenn Writer: Stacey Miller Director: James Franco House of Tomorrow Writer/Director: Peter Livolsi Time Trap Writer: Mark Dennis Directors: Mark Dennis, Ben Foster

    Comedy Vanguard Features

    Chasing the Blues Writer: Scott Smith, Kevin Guilfoile Director: Scott Smith Don’t Talk To Irene *US PREMIERE Writer/Director: Pat Mills Dr. Brinks & Dr. Brinks Writer: Josh Crockett, Jonathan Pappas Director: Josh Crockett The Great Unwashed Writer: Louis Fonseca, Nick Horseman Director: Louis Fonseca The Outdoorsman Writer: Ryan Gilmour Director: David Haskell Shop of Little Pleasures Writer: Julia Frick, Alice Frick Director: Julia Frick Wild Honey Writer/Director: Francis Stokes

    Dark Matters Features

    Bodies Writer: Joseph Baker Director: Tom Large Bullitt County Writer/Director: David McCracken Freddy/Eddy Writer/Director: Tini Tüllmann Ruin Me Writer: Trysta A. Bissett, Preston DeFrancis Director: Preston DeFrancis The Landing Writers/Directors: David Dodson and Mark Dodson Touched Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne

    Documentary Feature

    Augie Director: James Keach Beauty and Ruin Writer/Director: Marc de Guerre Coming to My Senses Director: Dominic Gill Fail State *WORLD PREMIERE Writers: Alexander Shebanow, Regina Sobel, Nicholas Adams Director: Alexander Shebanow Mankiller *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer: Valerie Red-horse Mohl, Gale Anne Hurd Director: Valerie Red-horse Mohl Mr. Fish: Cartooning From the Deep End Director: Pablo Bryant Shot in the Dark Director: Dustin Nakao Haider Transformer Writer/Director: Michael Del Monte Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace Writers: Rich Gentile, Eli Spielman, Bruce Johnson What Haunts Us Writer: Mark Monroe Director: Paige Goldberg Tolmach

    Family Series

    Earth: One Amazing Day Writers: Frank Cottrell Boyce, Richard Dale, Geling Yan Directors: Richard Dale, Lixin Fan, Peter Webber Into the Who Knows! Writers: Micah Barber, Tony Faia

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  • LADY BIRD to Open and THE CURRENT WAR is Centerpiece Film of 2017 Austin Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_24371" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Lady Bird by Greta Gerwig Lady Bird[/caption] Lady Bird will play as Opening Night film and The Current War will serve as the Centerpiece Film of this year’s 2017 Austin Film Festival (AFF) taking place October 26 to November 2. The directorial debut by actress Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Mistress America), Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a young woman who fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. The Current War, the latest film by director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), chronicles the race for marketable electricity in the United States between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. The film also stars Tom Holland, Nicholas Hoult, and Katherine Waterston. Gomez-Rejon will present the film during the Festival. Lady Bird and The Current War will join already announced titles An Ordinary Man, starring Ben Kingsley, 24 Hours to Live, starring Ethan Hawke, Please Stand By, starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette, and the premiere of the season finale of HBO’s new dramatic series The Deuce, with creators David Simon and George Pelecanos in attendance.

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  • Austin Film Festival to Honor “48 Hrs.” Walter Hill and “In Living Color” Keenen Ivory Wayans

    AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR WALTER HILL AND KEENEN IVORY WAYANS Legendary writer/director/producer Walter Hill and groundbreaking comedian/writer/director/producer Keenen Ivory Wayans will be honored at the 24th Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF).  Walter Hill will receive AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Film Award, and Keenen Ivory Wayans will receive AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Television Award. Hill and Wayans join previously announced Distinguished Screenwriter award recipient Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea). For over 40 years, Walter Hill has served as a writer, director, and producer on a wide array of films, and has become known as one of the foremost action filmmakers in Hollywood. In addition to co-producing the science fiction blockbuster Alien, Hill wrote and directed notable films including 48 Hrs., The Warriors, The Driver, Southern Comfort, Last Man Standing, Geronimo, Wild Bill and The Long Riders. Hill has contributed to television as well, receiving both the Emmy and DGA Awards in 2005 for his work directing the HBO neo-western Deadwood. In addition to accepting the Extraordinary Contribution to Film Award during this year’s AFF, Hill will participate in ‘A Conversation with Walter Hill’ moderated by Shane Black (writer/director The Nice Guys, Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), who cites Hill as an influence on his own career. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, launched, and hosted the landmark 1990’s variety series, In Living Color. The irreverent, Emmy-winning series broke racial barriers and showcased Wayans’ scathing social humor. In Living Color also introduced the public to countless now-famous actors, musicians, and comedians including Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, and Jennifer Lopez. Outside of television, Wayans has had a successful career writing, directing, and acting in films. He co-wrote 1987’s Hollywood Shuffle with actor/director Robert Townsend; wrote, directed, and starred in 1989’s blaxsploitiation parody I’m Gonna Git You Sucka; and directed the horror spoof Scary Movie, which remains one of the most successful feature films directed by an African-American. Hill, Wayans, and Lonergan join a roundup of panelists confirmed to speak at this year’s Writers Conference, including the writers of films A Ghost Story, Arrival, Blade Runner: 2049, Girls Trip, Kong: Skull Island, Kubo and the Two Strings, Logan, Moana, Star Trek Beyond and television shows American Gods, I Love Dick, Power, Queen Sugar, The Deuce, The Wire, This is Us, Twin Peaks, and Underground.

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  • Austin Film Festival Reveals First Wave of Films, PERMANENT, PLEASE STAND BY and More

    [caption id="attachment_24022" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Please Stand By  Please Stand By[/caption] Permanent with Rainn Wilson and Patricia Arquette, Please Stand By with Dakota Fanning and Toni Collete, and 24 Hours to Live with Ethan Hawke and Liam Cunningham are among the first wave of films revealed for the 2017 Austin Film Festival (AFF), taking place October 26 through November 2. In addition to playing films from all over the world, AFF continues to spotlight local films and talent. This year AFF will premiere the romantic comedy Amanda and Jack Go Glamping starring David Arquette and Amy Acker, written and directed by Austin filmmaker Brandon Dickerson. Additionally, AFF will present a remastered retrospective of 1985 Austin-produced cult horror film Confessions of a Serial Killer starring famed local filmmaker Robert Burns. Based on the crimes of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Confessions was the first independent film acquired for distribution by Roger Corman. Already confirmed to attend the fest this year are David Arquette for Glamping, and Sasheer  Zamata (Saturday Night Live) and Brent Morin (Undateable) for the World Premiere of comedy The Outdoorsman. These actors will join AFF’s already announced Distinguished Screenwriter awardee Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea). AFF FIRST WAVE:  24 Hours to Live Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita Director: Brian Smrz Starring: Ethan Hawke, Liam Cunningham, Rutger Hauer 24 Hours to Live follows a career assassin who turns rogue after his latest mission goes awry. Amanda & Jack Go Glamping World Premiere Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson Starring: David Arquette, Amy Acker, Adan Canto, June Squibb With his mid-life marriage on rocky ground, dejected one-hit-author Jack Spencer goes glamping (glamorous camping) with his wife, Amanda, in search of a spark. When the isolated retreat suddenly becomes anything but private with the arrival of double booking honeymoon hipsters and a super-hunk land owner, Jack must learn to get over himself as he dives deep off the grid into a comedic exploration of love, failure, relevance, and miniature donkeys. Confessions of a Serial Killer –Remastered 1985 Retrospective Writer/Director: Mark Blair Starring: Robert Burns, Dennis Hill, Berkley Garrett The thinly veiled account of the chilling life and crimes of notorious Henry Lee Lucas, whose reign of terror came to an end on July 11th, 1983. The Deuce-Season Finale World Premiere Creators: David Simon, George Pelecanos Starring: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan Created by George Pelecanos and David Simon and starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s, exploring the rough-and-tumble world at the pioneering moments of what would become the billion-dollar American sex industry. George Pelecanos, David Simon, James Franco and Nina K. Noble executive produce. Flock of Four World Premiere Writer/Director: Gregory Caruso Starring: Braeden Lemasters, Shane Harper, Coco Jones, Reg E. Cathey In 1959, four best friends search for a legendary jazz musician and discover an unforgettable night of culture and music in South Central, Los Angeles. Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End World Premiere Director: Pablo Bryant Mr. Fish, one of the most dangerous American cartoonists working today, is faced with selling his art or selling his soul. An Ordinary Man North American Premiere Writer/Director: Brad Silberling Starring: Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar, Peter Serafinowicz The life of a fugitive war criminal takes a turn for the unexpected in An Ordinary Man.  After years of hiding in plain sight following the brutal Balkan wars, a man known only as the General, ferried nightly from couch to couch by faithful loyalists, at last is placed in an apartment of his own.    When Tanja, the young housemaid of the prior tenant unwittingly stumbles through his door, it’s clear to both that her simply departing will not be an option.    What follows is a cat and mouse game of intentions and identities, in which the General’s need for human contact drives him to take increasingly greater risks, pressing to unearth Tanja’s secrets…and setting  them both on a collision course with the past. The Outdoorsman World Premiere Writer: Ryan Gilmour Director: David Haskell Starring: Brent Morin, Sasheer Zamata, Spencer Grammer As he prepares to cut ties with society and spend a year in the mountains, an aspiring wilderness writer meets a goal oriented, corporate woman who has quit her job to ‘find herself.’ He falls in love, but ultimately must ask himself what he wants: the ‘normal’ life he’s avoided his whole life, or living his outdoor fantasy, alone. Permanent Writer/Director: Colette Burson Starring: Kira McClean, Rainn Wilson, Patricia Arquette Set in 1983 in small town Virginia, Permanent  centers around a 13-year-old and her family. The story of a hairstyle gone incredibly wrong and a young girl’s plight to fit in while encountering bullies at a new school. Please Stand By Writer: Michael Golamco Director: Ben Lewin Magnolia Pictures’ upcoming dramedy starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette. Touched North American Premiere Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne Starring: Hugh Thompson, Lola Flanery A ghostly, psychological drama about a young woman who disappears from her building and her solitary landlord who tries to track her down.

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  • Kenneth Lonergan is Austin Film Festival’s 2017 Distinguished Screenwriter

    [caption id="attachment_22882" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan[/caption] Kenneth Lonergan will be honored as the 2017 Distinguished Screenwriter of the Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF). AFF annually recognizes outstanding filmmakers and screenwriters for their accomplished bodies of work and contributions toward furthering the art and craft of storytelling. Past screenwriter honorees include Nancy Meyers, Eric Roth, and Steven Zaillian.  Mr. Lonergan will be recognized at the 2017 Awards Luncheon on Saturday, October 28, and will participate in Festival and Conference programming, as well. Kenneth Lonergan’s film credits include You Can Count On Me, Margaret, and Manchester by the Sea, for which he received this year’s Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay. Additionally, he co-wrote the screenplays for Analyze This and Gangs of New York. As a playwright, Lonergan penned This is Our Youth, The Waverly Gallery, Lobby Hero, The Starry Messenger, Medieval Play, and Hold On to Me Darling. Austin Film Festival also revealed new panelists confirmed to speak at the Screenwriters Conference, held the first four days of the Festival, October 26-29. The roster features prominent writers in film, television, theater, fiction podcasting, and new media including David Simon (creator The Wire; co-creator of HBO’s upcoming The Deuce) and George Pelecanos (co-creator of The Deuce) Misha Green(co-creator Underground), Eric Heisserer (writer Arrival), Kourtney Kang (writer Fresh Off The Boat), David Lowery (writer/director A Ghost Story), and many more.

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  • THE EXILE, MONSTERMAN, KEEP IN TOUCH, MULLY Win Top Awards at 2015 Austin Film Festival

    The Exile, by Arturo Ruiz Serrano The 2015 Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced its Jury and Hiscox Audience and Courage Award Winners in Film, as well as the Screenplay & Teleplay Competition winners. The jury awarded The Exile, by Arturo Ruiz Serrano (pictured above) as Best Narrative Feature and Monsterman, directed by Antti Haase as Best Documentary Feature.  The Audience voted Keep In Touch, written by Sam Kretchmar and Michael Covino as winner of the Hiscox Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and Mully directed by Scott Haze as winner of Hiscox Audience Award for Best Documentary. The following Jury award winners were selected by category: Narrative Feature: The Exile, written by Arturo Ruiz Serrano Documentary Feature: Monsterman, directed by Antti Haase Comedy Vanguard Feature: Baby, Baby, Baby, written by Brian Klugman Dark Matters Feature: Sunny Side Up, written by Willem Bosch Dark Matters Feature Honorable Mention: The Lion’s Path, written by Sophie-Anne Beaudry Narrative Short: Vainilla, written by Susana López Rubio Narrative Student Short: Kimi Kabuki, written by Yoko Okumura Documentary Short: Chau, Beyond the Lines, directed by Courtney Marsh Animated Short: The Meek, written by Joe Brumm Scripted Digital Series: School Nurse, created by Tom Beach, Laura Boersma, and John Stewart Muller After each Festival screening, audiences voted for the Hiscox Audience Awards, recognizing film favorites among the 2015 slate. The following Hiscox Audience Award winners were selected by category: Narrative Feature: Keep In Touch, written by Sam Kretchmar and Michael Covino Documentary Feature: Mully directed by Scott Haze Documentary Feature Honorable Mention: Of Dogs and Men directed by Michael Ozias Dark Matters Feature: Reparation written by Kyle Ham and Steve Timm Comedy Vanguard Feature: Baby, Baby, Baby written by Brian Klugman Narrative Short: Best Wishes from Millwood written by Max Baker Documentary Short: The Trials of Constance Baker Motley directed by Rick Rodgers Animated Short: The Present written by Fabio Cavalcanti and Jacob Frey Narrative Student Short: Amateur Dictator written by Zach Carver Scripted Digital Series: Master Class created by Justin Wright Neufeld Heart of Film: A Single Frame directed by Brandon Dickerson Stories From Abroad: El Jeremías written by Ana Sofía Clerici Texas Independent: Jack’s Apocalypse written by Will Moore Marquee Feature: Until 20 directed by Jamila Paksima and written by Geraldine Moriba One film was selected to receive the inaugural Hiscox Courage Award. Voted on by the audience, the Hiscox Courage Award is presented to the film that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who best embraced the risk to share the story. The first ever Courage Award went to Jamila Paksima’s and Geraldine Moriba’s Until 20, the story of Texan James Ragan’s quest to live a full and meaningful life despite his terminal battle with osteosarcoma. “Hiscox was honored to support Austin Film Festival and all of the inspirational films, filmmakers and subjects that made the week so special,” said Ben Walter, CEO of Hiscox USA. “We’re grateful to give the first Hiscox Courage Award to Until 20 and hope more people will be able to share the courageous life and story of James Ragan depicted in this film.” In continuation of AFF’s mission to find and support independent filmmakers, three films were already picked up for distribution at this year’s Festival including Comedy Vanguard 3rd Street Blackout, The Teller and the Truth picked up by FilmBuff, and James Franco’s Memoria which was acquired by Monterey Media. “Austin Film Festival is an exceptional source for a true audience reaction for independent films,” said Jere Rae-Mansfield, CFO & Managing Partner of Monterey Media. “We are so pleased to join them in our acquisition news.” The following Screenplay Competition winners were selected by category: Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East: Detroit by Robert Rue Comedy Screenplay Award: Maxwell 2.0 by Paul Sanford Enderby Entertainment Award: The Great Debate by David Hoffman Darkwoods Productions Sci-Fi Award: The Innkeeper by Michael Catinari Horror Award: 77 Minutes by Shani Grewal AMC One-Hour Teleplay Pilot Award: Friend of the Devil by Michael Ouellette Sitcom Teleplay Pilot Award: Newsperson by Michael Drake Short Screenplay Award: The New World by Brian Rawlins Scripted Digital Series Award: Creepypasta by Will Zech & Alex Cope One-Hour Teleplay Spec Award: The Americans: Custody by Larry Caldwell Sitcom Teleplay Spec Award: Workaholics: Bring Your Kid To Work Day by Greg Brainos

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