It’s back! First Three Pages Live! Presented by ColdTowne Theater
More than just a showcase of great films and writers, Austin Film Festival is committed to working within the community and bringing out the best writer in all of us. Well, there’s no better way to improve your writing than to–**shudder**–read your work out loud. To people! Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Luckily we’re partnering with ColdTowne Theater to provide a supportive, fun environment to share your baby with the world (baby being a new script, sketch, short story, you name it! Though I guess you can also Lion King your newborn to the audience if you’d like). Have a screenplay you’re working on? A play? A podcast? A web series? A sketch? Give it a test run with your peers!
Brave volunteers will share the first three pages of their written projects with the help of ColdTowne’s company of talented performers. Share your own work or just show up to admire and applaud the creativity of others. Submit your projects online prior to the event for the chance to be selected. Free alcohol will be served to calm all those nerves.
MEET THE WRITERS
Shahnaz Mahmud - Olivia and the Fat Girl
Shahnaz Mahmud is an award-winning journalist that has worked both in the U.S. and abroad. Film is her first love and in 2017 she was a recipient of the Development Studio Fellowship in Screenwriting through the NYU Production Lab. She also made the “Second Round for Consideration” at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab twice: in 2017 for “Soldier Forward” and in 2011 for “The Blossom”.
Helen Lemm - Meet Me At Mozarts
CO-WRITING TEAM:
Nessa Higgins is a native Austinite food entrepreneur with experience in several film and commercial productions.
Kate Longoria is a producer at CBS TV Austin and her short film screenplay was featured at Austin Revolution, Red Dirt, and FilmQuest film festivals.
Lilli Salerno is owner of Strix Digital full service retouching house based in Austin and Los Angeles.
Bita Ghassemi - My Friend Shokat
Stan Barton - Joby
Additional Awards: The Indie Gathering International Film Festival, Honorable Mention
Amy McPeak & Steven DeBose - A World Apart
Amy McPeak is a screenwriter and producer from Georgetown, Texas. She moved to Texas two and a half years ago from the Washington, D.C. area and loves the vibrant creative community here in Austin. She studied acting and debate in high school and went on to coach acting, debate, and public speaking for over a decade. Amy has since written a handful of feature screenplays in many genres ranging from an epic biopic set in ancient Persia to a quirky sci-fi comedy involving aliens and pop stars. Amy and her writing partner, Steven DeBose, have written scripts for five projects including a TV pilot, a web-series, two different fiction podcasts, and a short film that they are currently producing for a fall shoot.
Amy stays active Austin’s screenwriting community where she can be found attending writer’s meetups, volunteering with AFF & AYFF, and taking classes at Austin Film Society and with local screenwriting coach Jill Chamberlain. She is currently the Pitch Competition Coordinator for GTX Film Festival in Georgetown.
Steven DeBose is a screenwriter, producer and podcaster from Austin, Texas who enjoys writing across many different mediums including comic books, poetry, music and screenplays. If you are a screenwriter in Austin you will guaranteed to eventually run into Steven. He is active in the film community and can often be found at the Blacklist meetup as well as AFS events and many other screenwriter groups and organizations. Steven has worked in various capacities with the Austin Film Festival, is a script judge for the Austin Youth Film Festival, and is on the Advisory Board for the Georgetown Film Festival and Conference.
He currently writes for the web series “Sex With Paula” (a spin off of the award winning “Dangers of Online Dating” web series), is a writer and talent for “NAH the Podcast”, and is producing a narrative podcast as well as an untitled short film with his writing partner Amy McPeak.
Gabbi Lindgren - Blind Date at Disney
Originally from Eagan, Minnesota, Gabbi moved to Austin in January of 2015. Since her move she has filled a number of roles within AFF from starting as an intern in the Development Department to eventually serving as the Registration Director for the 2015 Festival before transitioning to her role in the Screenplay Department in which she coordinates all things administrative for the Competition. In her free time she enjoys throwing the Frisbee for her dog, Jasper, eating breakfast tacos, and of course, watching movies.
Richard Dane Scott - Mind the Gap
Richard Dane Scott is a previous Nicholl’s Fellowship and Austin Film Festival screenplay competition finalist. His screenplay “Sierra Shines” was most recently highlighted on the Blacklist He has had multiple features produced, including the upcoming “Avengers of Justice” starring Amy Smart and Simon Rex. Richard is also a staff writer on the TV series “Fifth Ward” starring R&B singer Mya.
INSIDER TIP: YOU CAN PURCHASE FILM PASSES AT THIS EVENT!
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.