DIRECTOR OF THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE, THE MAJESTIC, THE MIST, AND CREATOR OF “THE WALKING DEAD”
JOINS ERIC ROTH, DISTINGUISHED SCREENWRITER AWARDEE,
AND CHRIS CARTER, OUTSTANDING TELEVISION WRITER AWARDEE
AUSTIN, TX (October 10, 2012) – Austin Film Festival (AFF) is excited to announce the recipient of the 2012 Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award, Frank Darabont, director of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE, THE MAJESTIC, THE MIST and more. Darabont will accept the award at the Festival’s annual Award Luncheon held on Saturday, Oct 20, 2012 at the Austin Club.
Three-time Oscar® nominee Frank Darabont (director, writer, producer) is one of only six filmmakers in history to have had their first two feature films as director receive Oscar® nominations for Best Picture, with 1994’s THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and 1999’s THE GREEN MILE. Both films were adaptations based on works by Stephen King, and each earned him Oscar® nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay as well. He also directed 2001’s THE MAJESTIC starring Jim Carrey and another Stephen King adaptation THE MIST starring Thomas Jane. Most recently, Darabont has received acclaim as creator of the hit AMC television series, “The Walking Dead.”
Darabont joins Eric Roth who will receive the 2012 Distinguished Screenwriter Award and Outstanding Television Writer Awardee Chris Carter. Roth’s writing credits include FORREST GUMP, THE INSIDER, ALI, MUNICH, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE and more. Carter is best known as the Creator of “The X-Files” but has also created other series including “Millennium,” “Harsh Realm,” and “The Lone Gunmen.”
Austin Film Festival annually recognizes outstanding filmmakers for going above and beyond with their consistently exceptional body of work with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award. Previous recipients of the award include John Lasseter (’11), Robert Rodriguez (’10), Ron Howard (’09), Danny Boyle (’08), and Oliver Stone (’07).
Austin Film Festival is also pleased to announce their 2012 Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Finalists, chosen from a record field of over 6,500 entries in Drama, Comedy, Enderby Entertainment Award, Dark Hero Studios Sci-Fi Award and
Teleplay categories. The full list of Finalists is available here. Winners will be announced at the Awards Luncheon Oct. 20th at the Austin Club.
This year’s Conference at AFF includes over 80 panels, workshops and roundtable discussions led by more than 100 top professionals in the television and film industries. Focusing on the art, craft and business of film and television writing and production, it provides registrants unparalleled access to the best writers and filmmakers in the field. Check out the 2012 list of panelists and the schedule by day. Some recently added Conference highlights include:
A Conversation with Frank Darabont
Sunday, Oct 21 1:15pm – 2:30pm
Join this year’s Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Awardee for an in-depth look inside the career of this honoree well versed in both film and television writing and directing. From THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION to “The Walking Dead,” his credits include some of our most beloved projects across both mediums.
A Conversation with America Ferrera
Sunday, Oct 21 11:30am – 12:45pm
New to AFF’s “Conversation with” series, join this intimate one-on-one with America Ferrera, actress and producer with credits such as “Ugly Betty,” REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, and this year’s marquee film IT’S A DISASTER.
A Conversation with David Chase
Thursday, Oct 18th 3:00pm – 4:00pm
David Chase, creator of “The Sopranos”, recipient of our first Outstanding Television Writer Award in 2000, and writer of this year’s Opening Night Film NOT FADE AWAY, will take part in an in-depth discussion about his impressive career and what he’s learned during his 40 years in the industry.
The Conference will also include representatives from Comedy Central, Pixar, Industry Entertainment, Josephson Entertainment, Zero Gravity Management, United Talent Agency, and many more. Attendance of Conference speakers is schedule permitting and subject to change without notice.
The 19th annual Austin Film Festival & Conference will be held Oct 18-25, 2012 in Austin, TX. For more information on films, panels and awardees, visit www.austinfilmfestival.com or call 1-800-310-FEST (3378). Festival Badges and Film Passes are now on sale and can be purchased online or by phone. All badges and passes grant admission to films.