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AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR OF SCRIPT COMPETITIONS
AFF hires Steven DeBose as Director of Script Competitions after
AFF veteran Matt Dy has accepted a position with Adam Kolbrenner’s Lit Entertainment Group
AUSTIN, TX (January 31, 2019) – Today, Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced that after more than 10 years, Matt Dy will be leaving his position as Director of Script Competitions to become a literary manager and join Adam Kolbrenner’s newly formed management company, Lit Entertainment Group, based in Los Angeles.
Executive Director, Barbara Morgan, has appointed Steven DeBose, who has worked with AFF for the last four years in various capacities, to take over Dy’s role. DeBose is a screenwriter from Austin, TX who has written several shorts, web series, teleplays, and feature screenplays. DeBose is a fixture in the Austin film community working as an advisor for the Austin Youth Film Festival and GTX Film Conference. In this role, DeBose will oversee the selection process of submissions, recruit industry professionals to judge scripts, and promote the year’s top writers through unique opportunities at the annual Festival and Conference and beyond.
Dy has been a part of the Austin Film Festival family since 2008. He facilitated the evaluation of thousands of annual script submissions reaching a record 10,580 submissions in 2018. In his role, he helped shepherd the careers of countless writers and connect them with various top agents, managers, and producers. In his new role, he will work alongside veteran manager and producer Adam Kolbrenner (Prisoners) as literary manager.
“I am thrilled for this new chapter and grateful to Barbara Morgan and the rest of my AFF family for their constant support over the years, “said Matt Dy. “AFF’s mission for championing writers is now and forever in my blood and my time here has further bolstered my commitment to continue working with writers and discovering new talent. I am honored to join Adam Kolbrenner and the rest of the team at Lit Entertainment Group to be an advocate for original voices in film and television and take story development to a new level.”
“Matt has been as an integral force in our Script Competitions department and for our festival for the last decade. We are sad to lose him, but we know that he will be carrying on our mission to champion storytelling in his new role with Lit Entertainment Group”, said Executive Director of AFF Barbara Morgan. “We are excited for Steven to continue his journey here at AFF in this new role, and I know that he will work to elevate and champion the voices of writers around the country just as Matt has done for us for so long.”
AFF’s Script Competitions are currently open for submissions with a March 29 Early Deadline, April 19 Regular Deadline, and May 15 Late Deadline.
Click here for THR’s coverage of the announcement!
About Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established writers and filmmakers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts.