INCLUDES FIGHT CLUB WITH JIM UHLS, THE GRADUATE WITH BUCK HENRY, AND “VERONICA MARS” WITH ROB THOMAS
PLUS, ADDITIONAL CONFERENCE PANELISTS ANNOUNCED
AUSTIN, TX (AUGUST 4, 2011) – The 18th annual Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced today this year’s Script-To-Screen panels during the Festival Conference, which will take place October 20th-23rd. Also announced, are many of the AFF’s 2011 Conference panelists, including many film and television writers, producers, directors, show creators and more.
The 2011 Script-To-Screen conversations include examinations of FIGHT CLUB with screenwriter Jim Uhls, THE GRADUATE with screenwriter Buck Henry, and “Veronica Mars” with creator Rob Thomas. During the Script-To-Screen section of the Conference lineup, film and television writers go in depth about their triumphs and tragedies as they worked to bring the project from script to screen. Audience members gain insight into some of their favorite productions as well as get an accurate picture of what it takes to bring a film or show from original idea to completion.
2011 SCRIPT-TO-SCREENS
FIGHT CLUB with Jim Uhls
In 1997, Chuck Palahniuk’s manuscript for the soon to be published FIGHT CLUB had made the rounds all over town and been rejected by everybody as being “unadaptable.” But, with the help of Laura Ziskin, then the executive running Fox 2000, screenwriter Jim Uhls and director David Fincher, the film went on to become one of the most controversial and talked-about films of 1999, turning the book into an instant cult classic.
With script in hand and film clips on the wall, screenwriter Jim Uhls (FIGHT CLUB, SEMPER FI, JUMPER) will dissect his critically acclaimed screenplay FIGHT CLUB, discussing his writing process, what worked, what didn’t, what needed to be changed for film production and why.
THE GRADUATE with Buck Henry
Ranked as the seventh greatest film of all time on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies, THE GRADUATE is a 1967 classic comedy-drama directed by Mike Nichols and based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb. Prolific writer Buck Henry wrote the screenplay, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his adaptation.
At the Conference, Buck Henry will dissect his critically acclaimed screenplay THE GRADUATE, discussing his writing process and the film’s production, what worked, what didn’t, what needed to be changed and why.
“Veronica Mars” with Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas’ critically acclaimed TV series “Veronica Mars,” starring Kristen Bell in the title role, premiered on September 22, 2004 during television network UPN’s final two years, and ended tragically prematurely on May 22, 2007. During the series’ run, it was nominated for two Satellite Awards, four Saturn Awards, five Teen Choice Awards and was featured on AFI’s TV Programs of the Year for 2005.
With the original pilot script in hand and film clips on the wall, television producer, screenwriter, and author Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars,” “Party Down,” “Cupid,” “90210” ’08) will dissect his pilot episode of “Veronica Mars.” Using this episode as a case study for how a TV show comes together, he will discuss how the idea for the show came about, the research and staff writing process, and other aspects of the show’s production.
More panels and discussions during AFF’s 2011 Conference will be announced soon, but you can find more information online atwww.austinfilmfestival.com//new/2011_panelists. Many of this year’s participating panelists have been announced below, including many of the industry’s top writers, directors, producers, show creators and more. More details on their specific panels to come shortly.
2011 CONFIRMED PANELISTS
-Elizabeth Avellan, producer Sin City, Machete, Predators, Shorts, Grindhouse
-Henry Bean, writer Internal Affairs, Deep Cover, The Believer
-Alec Berg, writer “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” Eurotrip, “Seinfeld”
-Pen Densham, Trilogy Entertainment Group, author Riding the Alligator, writer Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Moll Flanders, Houdini
-Rodrigo Garcia, Albert Nobbs, “In Treatment,” Mother and Child
-Pamela Gray, writer Conviction, A Walk on the Moon, “Once and Again”
-Buck Henry, writer The Graduate, To Die For, Catch-22
-Jim Herzfeld, writer Meet The Fockers, Meet The Parents, Tapeheads, writer/producer “Married… With Children”
-Laeta Kalogridis, executive producer Avatar, writer Shutter Island, Alexander, Night Watch
-Lawrence Kasdan, writer Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Body Heat, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist
-Mike Mitchell, director Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked ’11, Shrek Forever After, Surviving Christmas
-Rhett Reese, writer Zombieland, GI Joe 2, Deadpool
-Alvaro Rodriguez, writer Machete, Shorts, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter
-Terry Rossio, writer Shrek, Déjà Vu, The Mask of Zorro, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
-Amy Talkington, writer Valley Girl ’12, Private Benjamin ’12, Night of the White Pants
-Rob Thomas, creator/writer “Veronica Mars,” “Cupid,” “Party Down,” developer/writer “90210,” writer “Dawson’s Creek”
-Jim Uhls, writer Fight Club, Semper Fi, Jumper
-Kyle Killen, creator/producer “Awake,” “Lonestar,” writer The Beaver
-Ric Roman Waugh, writer Snitch, Bobby Martinez, Felon
*All panelists are confirmed, schedules permitting and are subject to change. The complete list is available atwww.austinfilmfestival.com/, or upon request.
AFF will take place October 20-27, 2011 in Austin, Texas and will host more than 170 exciting film screenings and events. AFF will also include a conference lineup with over 100 panelists participating in 90 plus panels and roundtable discussions. Film screenings, additional panelists and special events will be announced in the coming months. Attendance of Conference speakers is schedule permitting and subject to change without notice.
Austin Film Festival’s 2011 award recipients have already been announced, including John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), who will receive the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award; Caroline Thompson (screenwriter of Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas) receiving the Distinguished Screenwriter Award; and Hart Hanson (creator, writer, executive producer of “Bones”) receiving the Outstanding Television Writer Award. They will accept their awards at AFF’s annual Award Luncheon held on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the Austin Club.
To purchase passes or badges to the 2011 Austin Film Festival (October 20 – 27, 2011), go tohttp://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/collections/2011-badges-film-passes.
For regular updates, follow AFF on Facebook at facebook.com/AustinFilmFestival and Twitter @austinfilmfest.
About Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art and craft of filmmaking by inspiring and championing the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story.
The Austin Film Festival is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
Special support is provided to the Austin Film Festival by United Airlines and Esurance.