Join us at 4th Tap Brewery for a casual and informative roundtable workshop covering all things filmmaking. In the spirit of AFF’s popular roundtable sessions during our Screenwriters Conference, this event will offer exclusive and intimate access to local filmmakers, producers, distributors, and industry insiders with knowledge and experience to share. Visit different tables during the event and get some one-on-one access with our esteemed guests. Attendees are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of filmmaking.
The Hot Box Diner will be on site from 4pm-9pm, serving wings, tenders, sirloin burgers, sliders, and macaroni & cheese bowls. Stop by as early as 6:30 for special happy hour prices and an opportunity to connect with other up-and-coming Austin filmmakers in a casual environment. Whether you’re currently working on a project or are just curious about taking that first step as a filmmaker, take advantage of this invaluable experience to network and learn.
Meet our Roundtable Guests
Brian Gannon - Austin Film Commission
Brian Gannon has worked for the Austin Film Commission for six years and been the Director of the AFC for the past three years. Prior to that, he supervised content and video creation at Paul Bernhard Exhibits Design, worked in various areas of film production freelance and as a production liaison at the Texas Film Commission. He was born in Ireland and lived Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Austin a decade ago. Brian received a BA in Film Production and English BA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Austin Film Commission works to bring film, television and commercial production to Austin as well as advocating and assisting with production locally.
Ryan P. Hall - Rooster Teeth
Logan Taylor - Film Professor and Programmer
Todd Waldron - Film Composer, Audio Engineer and Technologist
Monica Santis - Director & Screenwriter
Monica is a director & screenwriter based in Austin, Texas. She worked as the Director of Outreach for the Austin School of Film for several years. During her time there, she helped develop the Cine Joven bilingual youth film program and worked as a producer for the SXSW Youth M.A.F.I.A. Film Festivals. She received her master’s degree from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and graduated from GWU’s Documentary Film Institute. In December of 2016, she received her M.A. in Filmmaking from the London Film School with a specialization in directing. She was selected for ‘Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2018’ list presented by MovieMaker Magazine. Her award-winning short film, Hacia el Sol (Towards the Sun), was included in Remezcla’s ‘The 10 Best Short Films By US Latino Directors of 2018’ list.
Amy Bench - Cinematographer & Filmmaker
Amy Bench is a cinematographer and filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. She took a circuitous path to filmmaking, first working as an engineer for Eastman Kodak before pursuing an MFA in directing at the University of Texas. She has been twice nominated for the Kodak Excellence in Cinematography Award, won grants from the Texas Filmmaker’s Production Fund, Women in Film- Dallas, and the Department of Education’s Jacob K. Javits Fellowship.
After obtaining her MFA, Amy spent a few years in New York, working on a number of projects with Maysles Films, camera assisting on 30 Rock, shooting for MTV’s high school reality series “MADE,” and studying photography with documentary photographer Amy Arbus.
Amy is currently teaching production and film studies classes at the University of Texas and Austin Community College, and shooting features, docs, music videos, and commercials. Her work has screened at festivals including SXSW, Berlin, and Sundance.
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.