AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL REVEALS FULL SCHEDULE FOR ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL AND WRITERS CONFERENCE
PROGRAM INCLUDES JEFF NICHOLS’ THE BIKERIDERS, JACK HUSTON’S DAY OF THE FIGHT, CORD JEFFERSON RECEIVING THE WRITER’S WRITER AWARD, AND MUCH MORE.
Austin, TX (September 27, 2023) – Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writer’s and filmmaker’s contributions to film, television, and new media, supports creatives at all levels, including its longtime support of the WGA. AFF congratulates the WGA on their new agreement with AMPTP. For 30 years, AFF has been a platform for open discussion, a place where the screenwriting community comes together to pass on experience, craft, and the writers’ journey from script to screen. Today AFF announced its entire slate of programming for the 30th Anniversary Austin Film Festival and Writers Conference, happening October 26 – November 2, 2023.
Highlights from the program include a screening of Jeff Nichols’ acclaimed new film The Bikeriders. The film tells the story of the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club, and stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy. Nichols (Mud, Midnight Special) will be in attendance and will be taking part in a live Q&A after the screening. The Closing Night film will be Jack Huston’s Day of the Fight, which stars Michael C. Pitt, Nicolette Robinson, John Magaro, Anatol Yusef, Steve Buscemi with Ron Perlman and Joe Pesci. Huston’s directorial debut is a redemptive journey through past and present of a once celebrated boxer on the day of his first fight since leaving prison. Huston will be present for a Q&A following the screening.
The film program for the 30th Festival includes the world premieres of the drama Re: Uniting, the uplifting Texas film ImPossible, and The Problem with People, written by and starring Paul Reiser, who will be in attendance and speak at the Writers Conference. AFF is proud to program two films whose scripts placed in the second round or above in previous AFF Screenplay Competitions, Don’t Tell Larry and Last Straw. AFF will be hosting a costumed retrospective of Iron Man 3 with writer/director Shane Black leading a discussion on the film’s creation post screening. Other films scheduled include The Promised Land, Sunlight, Studio One Forever, a screening of the pilot episode of the upcoming Paramount+ original series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, executive produced by Oscar® nominee Taylor Sheridan, Chad Feehan, who also created the show for television, and series lead David Oyelowo.
Austin Film Festival is also celebrating the launch of its new Writer’s Writer award, a natural addition to AFF’s other accolades, which honor both established storytellers with accomplished bodies of work, and emerging storytellers with an impressive new voice. Austin Film Festival is thrilled to present Cord Jefferson with the inaugural Writer’s Writer award. An Emmy-winning writer who worked on visionary shows including Watchmen, Succession, The Good Place, and Master of None, Cord’s remarkable foray into features with new film American Fiction has cemented him as a singular talent of 2023.
Austin Film Festival also revealed today the full Writers Conference schedule, which will take place the first four days of the Festival, October 26-29. Also scheduled to appear at this year’s Conference are Dan Erickson, Tracy Oliver, Damon Lindelof, Lauren Shuler Donner, Lee Eisenberg, Celine Song, Karyn Kusama, Charmaine DeGraté, Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Joanna Calo, Scott Alexander, and Larry Karaszewski.
Find out more about AFF’s 2023 feature slate or see the entire schedule below.
MARQUEE FILMS
Saltburn – USA/UK
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
Writer/Director: Emerald Fennell
In Attendance: Emerald Fennell
The Trap – UK
CENTERPIECE SELECTION/WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Lena Headey
In Attendance: Lena Headey
Day of the Fight – USA
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
Writer/Director: Jack Huston
In Attendance: Jack Huston
The Bikeriders – USA
Writer/Director: Jeff Nichols
In Attendance: Jeff Nichols
American Fiction – USA
Writer/Director: Cord Jefferson
In Attendance: Cord Jefferson
The Holdovers – USA
Writer: David Hemingson
Director: Alexander Payne
All of Us Strangers – UK
Writer/Director: Andrew Haigh
Finestkind – USA
Writer/Director: Brian Helgeland
In Attendance: Brian Helgeland
Not an Artist – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writers: Alexi Pappas, Jeremy Teicher, Matt Walsh
Directors: Alexi Pappas, Jeremy Teicher
Problem With People – USA/Ireland
WORLD PREMIERE
Writers: Paul Reiser, Wally Marzano-Lesnevich
Director: Chris Cottam
Smoking Tigers – USA
Writer/Director: So Young Shelly Yo
In Attendance: So Young Shelly Yo
Chestnut – USA
Writer/Director: Jac Cron
Fingernails – USA
Writer/Director: Christos Nikou
Last Straw – USA
Writer: Taylor Sardoni
Director: Alan Scott Neal
Lawmen: Bass Reeves – USA
Writer/Creator: Chad Feehan
Director: Christina Alexandra Voros
The Promised Land – Denmark
Writer: Nikolaj Arcel, Anders Thomas Jensen
Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Robot Dreams – Spain
Writer/Director: Pablo Berger
Scab Vendor – USA
Directors: Lucas de Barros, Mariana Robles Thome
The Disappearance of Shere Hite – USA
Director: Nicole Newnham
Bucky F*cking Dent – USA
Writer/Director: David Duchovny
Monster – Japan
Writer: Yûji Sakamoto
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
NARRATIVE FEATURES
Grapefruit – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Chase Joliet
Autumn – Portugal
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: António Sequeira
Bolt from the Blue – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Jack Martin
Christmess – Australia
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Heath Davis
Invaders from Proxima B – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Ward Roberts
ReUniting – Canada
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Laura Adkin
Midnight at the Paradise – Canada
Writer: Bill Robertson
Director: Vanessa Matsui
Secret Art of Human Flight – USA
Writer: Jesse Orenshein
Director: H.P. Mendoza
Summer of Violence – USA
Writer/Director: Nicki Micheaux
Sunlight – Ireland
Writer: Ailbshe Keogan
Director: Claire Dix
The Battle – Brazil
Writer/Director: Vera Egito
The Highest Brasil – Ireland
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Jeremy Curl
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Studio One Forever – USA
Director: Marc Saltarelli
The Philadelphia Eleven – USA
Director: Margo Guernsey
This is Not Financial Advice – USA
Directors: Chris Temple, Zach Ingrasci
First We Bombed New Mexico – USA
Writer: Joel Marcus
Director: Lois Lipman
Home Is A Hotel – USA
Director: Kevin Wong
Born To Fly – Sweden
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Director: Brennan Robideaux
Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun – Canada
Director: Banchi Hanuse
Susan Feniger. FORKED – USA
Director: Liz Lachman
DARK MATTERS FEATURES
Wild Eyed and Wicked – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Gordon Shoemaker Foxwood
Inhabitants – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Matt McClung
The Veil – USA
Writer/Director: Cameron Beyl
Jonah – Canada
Writers: Trevor Vandelac, Ben Van Kleek
Director: Ben Van Kleek
Unfinished Business from Beyond – Mexico
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Writer: Eduardo Espindola
Director: Ian Martin
Cannibal Mukbang – USA
Writer/Director: Aimee Kuge
The Hidden Web – Poland
Writer: Piotr Adamski Łukasz M. Maciejewski, Jakub Szamałek
Director: Piotra Adamski
COMEDY VANGUARD FEATURES
Don’t Tell Larry – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writers/Directors: Greg Porper, John Schimke
For When You Get Lost – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer: Jennifer Sorenson
Director: Michelle Steffes
Soweto Blaze – South Africa
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Brad Katzen
Egghead & Twinkie – USA
Writer/Director: Sarah Kambe Holland
Villains Inc. – USA
Writers: Matt Moen, Jason Gray, Jeremy Warner
Director: Jeremy Warner
Sour Party – USA
Writers/Directors: Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton
All the Wrong Ingredients – USA
Writer/Director: Nicholas Livanos
TEXAS FEATURES
I’ll Be There – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer: Cindy McCreery
Director: Andrew Shea
The Stars At Night – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writer/Director: Elizabeth Buckley
Home Free – USA
Writer: Lenny Barszap
Director: Aaron Brown
ImPossible – USA
WORLD PREMIERE
Writers: Brandon Lewis, Seckita Lewis
Director: Seckita Lewis