Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival (AFF), founded in 1994, is an organization in Austin, Texas, that focuses on writers' creative contributions to film. Initially, AFF was called the Austin Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the careers of screenwriters, who historically have been underrepresented within the film industry.
Location
AFF is known for its annual October Austin Film Festival & Conference. The Conference was the first event of its kind, bringing professional and amateur screenwriters together to celebrate the role of screenplays in filmmaking and host conversations focusing on craft and on particular films and television series. In addition, the Screenplay Competition receives more entries than any other competition in the world. Several competition finalists and semi-finalists have made sales or found managers and agents at the conference.
In 2020, the festival was held virtually.
Film Festival[edit]
Overview[edit]
Each October, Austin Film Festival & Conference presents a program of narrative, animated and documentary features and shorts, including premieres, advance screenings and independent films. Films showcase the art and craft of strong narrative storytelling and screenings are often accompanied by question and answer sessions with cast members and filmmakers.
Past guests of the Festival include Joel and Ethan Coen, Ron Howard, Luke Wilson,[1] Owen Wilson, Steven Zaillian, David Milch, Wes Anderson, Robert Duvall, Buck Henry, Dennis Hopper, Shane Black, Robert Altman, Caroline Thompson, David Chase, James Franco, Johnny Depp, John Landis, Garry Shandling, Bryan Singer, Oliver Stone, James L. Brooks, Harold Ramis, Mitchell Hurwitz, Lawrence Kasdan, Claire Danes, Barry Levinson, Russell Crowe, Sydney Pollack, Mike Judge, Buck Henry, John Lasseter, Robert Rodriguez, Jeff Daniels, and David Simon.[2][3][4]
Past films[edit]
Recent major films screened at recent festivals include Saltburn (2023), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Artist (2011), The Descendants (2011), Jeff Who Lives at Home (2011), 127 Hours (2010), Black Swan (2010), Up in the Air (2009), Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire (2009), and the US Premiere of Jeff Nichol's first film Shotgun Stories in 2007.
Writer's Conference[edit]
Overview[edit]
The conference, which takes place in October and lasts for four days, features a variety of panel discussions, conversations with filmmakers and screenwriters, workshops, roundtables, script-to-screen examples, and attracts producers, agents, managers, development executives, working screenwriters and filmmakers. The conference sessions cover basics like researching and editing your story, pitching and marketing your script or film, finding and working with a writing partner or director, facing a blank page on a bad day, or risking a new direction after establishing success.
The 2011 conference featured more than 90 sessions including such examples as:
Screenplay and teleplay competitions[edit]
History/background[edit]
Since 1994, Austin Film Festival has been recognizing the work of the writer through the Screenplay and Teleplay Competitions. With representatives from agencies and production companies participating in the judging process, advancing writers and their scripts gain industry attention, networking opportunities and workshops.
In past years, judges have included representatives from Warner Bros., Nickelodeon Movies, ABC Studios, Fortis Films, Pixar, Escape Artists at Sony, Oasis Media, United Talent Agency and many others.
All awards are presented during the Austin Film Festival Awards Luncheon. Those advancing to the Semifinalist level or beyond will have the option to attend exclusive panels hosted by participating panelists. They will also be included in the Producers Book, distributed to competition judges and other industry professionals.
Categories[edit]
Categories for the Screenplay Competition include:
Categories for the Teleplay Competition include:
AFF also has a category for Scripted Digital Series, both written and produced.
In 2017 AFF announced their inaugural Playwriting and Scripted Fiction Podcast competitions aimed at supporting writers and championing story across all mediums.
Finalists in all categories receive one complimentary Producer's Badge to attend the Austin Film Festival and Conference and one complimentary Awards Luncheon ticket.
Austin Film Festival's On Story[edit]
On Story, AFF's thirty-minute television series on Public television, first aired in 2011 on Austin’s PBS station KLRU. It is distributed nationwide by the National Educational Telecommunications Association. On Story gives viewers a look behind the scenes at the creative process behind the making of popular movies and television shows. The series consists of footage from AFF panels and screenings, featuring screenwriters and filmmakers discussing their talents and films. Each episode is aired with one or two short films that have been previously screened at the Festival with an introduction from the film's writer or director.
In October 2013, AFF published On Story--Screenwriters and Their Craft with the University of Texas Press. This book presents the advice of award-winning screenwriters who have appeared on the show On Story, including John Lee Hancock, Peter Hedges, Lawrence Kasdan, Whit Stillman, Robin Swicord and Randall Wallace.
In 2014, On Story received the Lone Star EMMY Award for the episode Breaking Bad: A Conversation with Vince Gilligan.
In February 2015, On Story launched a radio program airing on Austin's public radio station KUT FM and Public Radio International (now Public Radio Exchange).[21]
On Story is currently in over 80% of television markets. Season 6 of the On Story television series was launched in April 2016.