The 22nd annual Austin Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday October 28th with a Film & Food Fundraising Party, and continues through Thursday November 5th with panels, pitch events, film screenings, script readings, and of course, parties.
And to celebrate this year’s Austin Film Festival, we’re offering a special 10% discount off of any Launch Pad product, including our professional coverage services and annual Tracking Board memberships. Simply enter the exclusive promo code TBAUSTIN at checkout!*
Also, we want you to tweet us your selfies from the festival @mytrackingboard with the hashtag #AFF. We’ll pick our 10 favorite photos that contain our Tracking Board logo from the official AFF pocket guide, and the winning photographers will receive a free one year Tracking Board membership!
For over two decades, AFF has been dedicated to furthering the art, craft, and business of screenwriting and filmmaking by providing unique, year-round cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. You can find a complete list of the winners of the 2014 Screenplay & Teleplay Competition, Film Competition, and Audience Awards here.
This year’s featured panelists include Academy Award winner Chris Cooper, writer-directors John Singleton and Brian Helgeland, and legendary television producer Norman Lear. Additional panelists include screenwriter and podcaster John August, Iron Man 3 writer-director Shane Black, and web series sensation Issa Rae. Each day of the festival features special guests and events in between exclusive screenings for features and shorts.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE OFFICIAL AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE SCHEDULE!
Check back throughout the week for a recap of each day’s events, including any sales, attachments or awards announcements!
THURSDAY OCTOBER 29TH:
• The first day of the festival was packed with an impressive group of panelists, including a producer’s roundtable featuring Shane Black (writer/director of Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, writer of Lethal Weapon and Last Action Hero). Black offered some incredible insight into the business of making film, and the role of being a producer in addition to writing and directing.
• The Anatomy of a Writers Room panel featured both writers and producers, including Chris Provenzano from Justified and Mad Men, and Stu Zicherman, a writer and co-executive producer of The Americans.
• The festivals film screenings kicked off with the Tom Hardy gangster thriller LEGEND, in which Hardy portrays both halves of the notorious 19050s British gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray. The film was written and directed by Brian Helgeland, who attended Thursdays screening with a Q&A.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 30TH
There’s some nasty weather down in Austin, but all of today’s events will go on as scheduled, rain or shine!
• The morning kicked off with a conversation with writer-director David Wain, whose cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer recently launched as a series on Netflix.
• PBS’s new food series, I’ll Have What Phil’s Having, screened at the festival, with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal traveling the globe to experience global cuisine and culture.
• One of the day’s more interesting panels was Writing in a Matrix, which delved into the relatively new space of storytelling for video games, which has grown exponentially over the past ten years.
• A conversation with new media star Issa Rae, whose Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl became an online sensation, rounded out the evening of panels.
• William Monohan’s Mojave, starring Mark Wahlberg and Oscar Isaac, was one of the evening’s screenings.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 31ST:
• Halloween Saturday featured a director’s workshop with Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke.
• Saturday afternoon featured a conversation with one of the festivals honored guests, Academy Award winner Chris Cooper.
• The night showcased several screenings, including a special screening of the classic Boyz N The Hood with writer-director and featured panelist John Singleton.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1ST:
• Sunday featured a variety of Short Film showcases, including the Young Filmmakers Showcase, the Animated Family Shorts, and the Everything’s Shorter In Texas showcase.
• Panelists for the day included a Conversation with Norman Lear and a Conversation with Jack Burditt.
• The first major acquisition was made at the festival with Monterey Media picking up the distribution rights to the indie drama MEMORIA, starring Sam Dillon, Thomas Mann, and James Franco. The film is based on a short story by Franco, and directed by Nina Ljeti and Vladimir de Fontenay. Monterey plans to release the film next year in theaters across the North America.
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*Cannot be combined with any other offers, promotions, or discounts. Discount code expires 11/9/15.
