Austin Film Festival Offers Visionary Filmmakers and Exceptional Films

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Tuesday, 24 September 2013 10:32

Written by Evan Pearson

For 20 years, the Austin Film Festival has provided world-class premieres, documentaries, and local films, and the 2013 AFF and Conference is no different. A uniquely pro-artist festival that focuses on the directors and creative minds behind some of the most contemporary, thought-provoking, and eclectic films that will come out all year, the films at this year's AFF are as eclectic as the diverse artists who the festival will honor. As Barbara Morgan, the AFF’s executive director, said of this iteration, “As the festival that honors the writer, we are thrilled to continue a program that boasts strong narrative work, eclectic world premieres, and retrospectives presented by some of the industry’s top filmmakers during this momentous 20^th Anniversary.” Looking at the roster of films set for the Conference and for the festival’s yearlong outreach - with more billed attractions added daily as the festival nears - it’s hard to disagree.

Beyond the world-class films, film and writing awards, workshops, and local nightlife events – all stellar reasons to attend the festival, as anyone who’s visited Austin and taken in it’s rich culture can attest to – the festival offers sit-downs with panelists who represent some of the more brilliant minds in film today with a focus on writers and directors and their creative processes. Notable attendants include the Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme, Vince Gilligan (creator of Breaking Bad), Jim Taylor (the writer of Sideways and About Schmidt), and Norman Steinberg, the co-writer of the classic Blazing Saddles.

This is just being the tip of the iceberg, as these 8 days promise to be revelatory for those interested in how the ideas and the inspiration for their projects come about. When coupled with the retrospective showings of works that inspired these panelists to create, these panels dive deep into the works of these creators and promise to be both highly educational and wildly entertaining.

In many cases, the films that will show at the 2013 Austin Film Festival are world premieres from local artists and state-of-the-art international directors and writers, with topic matters diverse and challenging enough to entice even the most jaded viewer. Some of the more interesting works include the black and white Nebraska directed by Alexander Payne and starring Will Forte as a long-suffering son on the way to claim his father’s sweepstakes winnings, the horror film Innocence produced by Christine Vachone (Boys Don’t Cry) and based on Jane Mendelsohn’s 2000 novel, and Siren, seasoned television writer Jesse Peyronel’s directorial debut starring Vinessa Shaw (3:10 to Yuma, The Hills Have Eyes). Buffeted with sneak peaks of works in progress and other exclusives by featured directors, AFF offerings are exceptional in quality and provide lasting value for aficionados and casual viewers alike, all centered around Austin’s prolific culture and the minds and work that brings these wonderful projects to light.

This 20^th Anniversary Austin Film Festival and Conference takes place from October 24^th-31^st, 2013 and is highly recommended for fans of film and film writing in general. Badges and Passes are available for purchase online 24 hours a day along with a constantly updating film and event schedule at www.austinfilmfestival.com.

Austin Film Festival and Conference
October 24^th-31^st, 2013
Paramount Theatre, Alamo Drafthouse Village, Long Center Rollins Theatre, Hideout Theater, and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Musuem IMAX Theater.
www.austinfilmfestival.com.

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