MEET OUR STAFF!
Bringing writers, filmmakers, and the community together.
Want to work with us? Volunteer, Intern, or check out our job opportunities!
Click on the staff image to view their bio!
Barbara Morgan - Executive Director
Barbara Morgan serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Film Festival. Since co-founding the organization in 1993, she has shepherded the festival from a weekend of films and panels into a week-long celebration of storytelling through film, television, and other emerging forms of narrative media. Known as the prominent festival that champions screenwriters and media creators, the Festival also boasts over a dozen internationally acclaimed film and screenplay competitions, diverse youth education programs, and a sprawling calendar of year-round events.
Leveraging the vast amount of footage recorded at these events since its inception, Morgan created the festivals On Story Project in 2009, and serves as the project’s Executive Producer. A conglomerate of mainly digital resources, On Story includes a television show (available on PBS affiliated stations nationwide), radio show (distributed by PRI and NPR affiliated stations), podcast series, a three-part book series (published in partnership with UT press), and extensive public archive, making the Festival experience free and open to the public at large. She has received 2 Lone Star Emmy’s for On Story episodes, Breaking Bad: A Conversation with Vince Gilligan and for the Season 8 episode Script to Screen: Arrival in 2018.
Morgan is an independent film producer, whose films have included Natural Selection, Antone’s: Home of the Blues, Portrait of Wally, and Spring Eddy. She serves on a number of boards, including Dell Children’s Blood and Cancer Center, and The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. Morgan lives in Austin, Texas with her daughter, Hannah, and two dogs.
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Colin Hyer
Colin Hyer first joined the AFF team in 2016 as the Young Filmmakers Coordinator. Over the course of his involvement with the Festival, he has worked in a variety of roles, including Conference Director and Creative Director. He currently assists the Festival with operations and strategic planning. Originally from Wisconsin, Colin moved to Austin after graduating from Columbia College Chicago. Before joining Austin Film Festival full-time, he taught video production to youth for five years through non-profit organizations like Austin School of Film and Creative Action.
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Emily Lock - Conference Director
As Conference Director, Emily oversees programming and event production for the world’s largest and most renowned Writers Conference, in addition to year round events. Before her time at AFF, Emily worked at Roadmap Writers, an emerging screenwriter education and career enhancement platform. She loves discovering new voices, developing their stories, and advocating for their advancement. Originally from the east coast, Emily graduated from UC Berkeley with a dual degree in English and Media Studies.
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Grace Donaldson - Screenplay Director
Grace Donaldson serves as Austin Film Festival’s Screenplay Director, where she oversees Austin Film Festival’s Screenplay Department and the annual script competitions. A Texas native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Grace began her career as a production runner with the Longhorn Network and ESPN, where she found a passion for the fast-paced world of live media production. Since beginning with the Austin Film Festival in 2021, Grace has focused her energy on uplifting and championing emerging screenwriters, and is eager to continue fostering an inclusive and collaborative community of creatives.
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Paige Parker
Originally from Southern California, Paige grew up watching classic television like I Love Lucy and The Mary Tyler Moore Show with her dad which developed her love for film and television. She graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Screenwriting. When she isn’t watching movies or tv shows, you can find Paige baking, reading, or listening to K-pop and Phoebe Bridgers.
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Matt Dy - Senior Film Programmer
With a deep passion for film and story, Matt Dy’s entire professional career has solely been dedicated to working with filmmakers and screenwriters. For over a decade, he worked at Austin Film Festival as the Director of Script Competitions where he helped shepherd the careers of countless writers. He then went on to join Adam Kolbrenner’s Lit Entertainment Group as a literary manager and producer working closely with an exciting mix of established and up-and-coming writers for film and television. In addition, he has worked as a programmer for Tribeca Film Festival and frequently participates as a mentor in various labs and programs. As the Senior Film Programmer, he is excited to return to AFF and continue championing the work of storytellers from all over the world.
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Elizabeth Mims - On Story Executive Producer
Elizabeth grew up in Austin, Texas and graduated with a BFA from CalArts. Her 2012 film Only The Young was theatrically released by Oscilloscope and won numerous awards including the Silverdoc’s Sterling Silver Award for best US documentary, American Film Institute Audience Award, and was nominated for a Spirit Award. Elizabeth directed The Normal Guy an ad that won Austin Addy’s best in Show in 2021. Elizabeth was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Indie Film and worked as the Senior Film Programmer for the Austin Film Festival for over 5 years. She works in film represented by UTA as a writer, director, editor and producer.
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David Gil - Sponsorship Director
David Gil began his career working in film and television production with A Scanner Darkly and American Idol among his list of credits. He transitioned into film programming in 2009 when he joined Austin Film Festival as their Film Competition Programmer. In 2011, David moved into theater exhibition, ultimately overseeing programming for 240 screens across 22 theaters in 5 states. In 2024, David returned to the Austin Film Festival and is currently their Director of Sponsorship.
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Shannon Dennard-Fair - Development Officer
Shannon Dennard-Fair joined Austin Film Festival’s development team in summer 2025 and currently serves as Development Officer, overseeing sponsorships, college and university partnerships, and the Festival’s signature events, including the annual Film & Food Fundraising Party. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Shannon began her career in film and television production as a Location Manager and Scout in New York City, working on projects including John Wick and The Americans. She later worked in the tech and events sectors in Los Angeles before making Austin her home.
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Travis Broughton - Marketing Director
After twenty-plus years in the music industry, Travis Broughton joined Austin Film Festival in 2022 as Marketing Director. He worked for an independent music promotion firm for the past decade, helping many artists in multiple genres begin and further their careers. Before that, Travis did marketing and promotions for radio stations in Austin and Albuquerque, NM. He lives in Round Rock with his wife, two daughters, and Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
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Ally Garcia - Marketing Coordinator
As the Marketing Manager at Austin Film Festival, Ally plays a key role in shaping and amplifying the organization’s brand image. She oversees a wide range of marketing initiatives, including social media campaigns, email marketing, weekly newsletters, promotional materials, and merchandise. A proud Austin native, Ally is a graduate of UT Austin with a degree in Radio-Television-Film. She discovered her perfect intersection of passion for film, marketing, and graphic design at AFF, where she’s been a part of the team since 2023.
Outside of her design work for AFF, she loves exploring new restaurants in Austin, spending time with friends, and embarking on new travel adventures.
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Roy Morgan - The Big Dog
If you visit, you’re likely to run into Roy Morgan.
He’s a big fan of head pats, belly scratches, and great filmic storytelling. Follow us on social media — especially instagram — to get more updates from this cool canine.
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Roy Morgan
The Big Dog
Gertie Morgan - Chief Troublemaker
Gertie is full of life, take it or leave it.
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Gertie Morgan
Chief Troublemaker
Millie Morgan - Head of Puppy Relations
Millie will be in charge soon… trust us, she already runs the place.
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Millie Morgan
Head of Puppy Relations
Ollie Morgan - Chief of Cuttles
Ollie loves you. Always. He wants you near… ALWAYS because HE LOVES YOU.
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Ollie Morgan
Chief of Cuddles
Mayonnaise Hyer - Head of Dog Operations
Mayonnaise “Mayo” Hyer oversees all operations in the living room and will happily sing for you on your birthday!
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Mayonnaise Hyer
Head of Dog Operations
“The folks [at AFF] share our passion…Which is, of course, why they are so damn adept at crafting a conference that manages to satisfy the needs and desires of all of us attending.”
-Scott Rosenberg, screenwriter
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