Loading…
2014 Austin Film Festival and Conference Schedule
Simple
Expanded
Grid
By Venue
Conference [clear filter]
Thursday, October 23
 

12:00pm CDT

Opening Remarks
Austin Film Festival welcomes you to its 21st annual celebration of storytelling through film. Bringing together industry icons, independent filmmakers, aspiring storytellers, and everyone in between, this year features intimate discussions, workshops, film and television premieres, retrospectives, parties, and limitless networking opportunities. Join AFF staff and board members for Opening Remarks to learn more about the week ahead, last-minute additions and changes, and new special guests.
Thursday October 23, 2014 12:00pm - 12:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:00pm CDT

A Conversation with Cary Fukunaga
There's no denying that this filmmaker has range. From Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre, and the riveting series True Detective (for which he took home the Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Directing of a Drama Series), Cary Fukunaga is a master of visual storytelling. Join us for a conversation on creating rich and layered worlds, and how to sustain a diverse artistic repertoire.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:00pm CDT

Austin Pitch Prep
Are you ready to give your pitch? Get prepped to sell script—and yourself!—and ensure that your first pitch won’t be your last. Will you be in the select group that makes it through to the Pitch Competition Finale?
Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

1:00pm CDT

How to Work the Conference
Join panelists who have attended the AFF Conference over the years and made the most of their time here—from networking and mingling to navigating the screenplay competition and the robust schedule. They were once in your shoes and have made countless industry contacts to further their careers. Find out how to maximize your Badge and your time here at the Conference!
Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

1:00pm CDT

Notes on Notes: How to Take a Meeting
Join these writers and industry professionals for a conversation on what to expect when you take a meeting, how to respond to script notes you totally disagree with, and what the development process entails.
Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

1:00pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

1:00pm CDT

Romancing the Screenplay
When you think about it, a romance movie is an inherent contradiction. It takes something as intensely personal as love and plasters it onto the big screen. It makes the private public, and the intimate communal. It takes a skilled writer to work through this opposition and convince an entire audience to feel like they are witnessing a true love. Hear from writers who approached this challenge from different perspectives and processes, and can attest to how they romance the screenplay and, ultimately, the audience.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:00pm CDT

Roundtable: The Art and Business of Television
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of writing for television. How do you break in? What is the dynamic in a writers’ room and the difference between various jobs involved? How is the changing landscape of television affecting the role of a writer? This roundtable session offers registrants exclusive access to TV writers, producers, showrunners, and executives in an informal setting. Come prepared with questions that focus on the importance of both the art and the business sides of breaking into and writing for television.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

1:00pm CDT

The Lone Stars: Film in Texas
Join this panel of representatives from various film organizations within the great state of Texas for a discussion on the incentives and benefits available to help make independent filmmakers the next “Lone Stars” in the industry.

This panel is co-presented by the Houston Cinema Arts Society
Community Partners
avatar for Houston Cinema Arts Society

Houston Cinema Arts Society

Houston Cinema Arts Society
Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

1:00pm CDT

Script-to-Screen: Groundhog Day
Danny Rubin, the co-writer of the beloved Harold Ramis classic Groundhog Day, will deconstruct how the film has become a significant staple and reference for screenwriters in the comedy world, using specific scenes from the film as examples. Join this panel for an in-depth exploration on how to best “stay in the loop” with good storytelling practices without having to start over every time you think you’re onto something… With any luck, you’ll be seeing your screenplay’s shadow this February.

Those who enrolled in the advance-sign up for this session are required to show up 15 minutes early and will be admitted first. The panel will then open to remaining Badge holders.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

A Conversation with Richard LaGravenese
Join a conversation with Richard LaGravenese, screenwriter of The Fisher King, for which he received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Screenplay. LaGravenese’s credits also include A Little Princess, The Bridges of Madison County, P.S., I Love You, Behind the Candelabra, and most recently, co-writer on Unbroken and the writer/director of the stage-to-screen adaptation of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. Bring your questions about capturing the essence of strong relationships, and the elements that make up the heart of a story.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Austin Pitch #1
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

2:45pm CDT

Deconstructing: Gone with the Wind
It’s been three-quarters of a century since David O. Selznick’s Gone with the Wind won best picture, yet Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler’s epic romance—with both each other and the Old South—continues to haunt America’s collective conscience. Considered one of the most enduring films of all time, panelists will discuss why Selznick’s masterpiece leaves you wanting two of the big screen’s most detestable characters to find happiness more than anything else. Join this panel if you do give a damn about the multitudes of ways Gone with the Wind can contribute to your own epic romance with your writing career.

This panel is co-presented by the Harry Ransom Center.
Sponsors
avatar for Harry Ransom Center
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

From Prose to Primetime: El Jefe
Join the writers behind Hemlock Grove, Brian McGreevy and Lee Shipman, as well as Pulitzer Prize finalist and LA Time Book Prize winner, Philipp Meyer, as they discuss their new company, El Jefe. Aimed at translating novels for television, the trio is developing Meyer’s latest novel, The Son, for AMC. Learn more about bridging mediums through the adaptation process, and this new opportunity for novelists looking to bring their stories to the screen.
Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

2:45pm CDT

Roundtable: The Art and Business of Film
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of writing for film. How do you break in? What are good strategies for networking and making important contacts? What are the important practices, routines, and trends to be aware of? This roundtable session offers registrants exclusive access to screenwriters, directors, producers, executives, and studio reps in an informal setting. Come prepared with questions that focus on the importance of both the art and the business sides of breaking into and writing for film.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

2:45pm CDT

Screenplay Competitions
Screenwriting competitions can be a great way to have your work read, receive helpful feedback, and even get noticed by the people who can take your career to the next level. But how do you stand out amongst an ocean of entries? Panelists will walk you through the ins and outs of the competition world, ways to use competitions to launch your writing career, and what to do if you—gulp!—win. Come with questions - this panel will feature an open forum for some of the most frequently asked queries received by leading screenplay competitions.
Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

The Ten Hour Movie: Anthology Television
With the rise of binge watching and new media platforms, anthology series are at the helm of revolutionizing storytelling through television. The strong embodiment of a three-act structure over the course of one-season narratives lends itself to new viewing patterns and the potential to attract high profile talent. Panelists hailing from such shows as Fargo and True Detective will discuss how to package an anthology that is not only compelling on a season-to-season basis, but also how to keep audiences engaged throughout the evolution of an entire series.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Using Improv to Improve Your Comedy
How do you craft a screenplay, with all the instructions, elements, and details that contribute to a great comedy, while still allowing space for improvisation? Panelists will partake in this discussion on how to plan for the unplanned, and the unique ways writing can use improv training to improve their comedies.

This panel is co-presented by The New Movement.
Community Partners
avatar for The New Movement

The New Movement

Comedy conservatory
Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Writing and Producing a Web Series
Long gone are the days of waiting on a studio or a network to give you permission to make something. Independent filmmakers have been financing their own films for decades. And now there's a viable option for filmmakers whose passion lies with serial storytelling. Web series are a cost-effective way to make and distribute your own TV show; some are even successfully making the leap from the web to traditional cable networks. Panelists will discuss the methods for getting your web series noticed by the right people, and keeping the quality when you make the jump.
Thursday October 23, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel
 
Friday, October 24
 

9:00am CDT

A Conversation with Michelle Ashford
Pull up a chair with Michelle Ashford, creator and executive producer of the TV series Masters of Sex. Known for her Emmy-nominated writing on The Pacific, Ashford is well-versed in the curiosity and artistry required in dramatizing everything from real-life events to extraordinary political figures to experimental research. Come be enlightened by this master of storytelling.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Austin Pitch #2
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

9:00am CDT

Biopics: Truth, Fact, and Fiction
Creating a compelling protagonist from scratch is always a challenge. Which is why writing a biopic—with built in, fully-realized, three-dimensional characters—can be such an appeal to screenwriters. But this can yield its own unique set of challenges: How do you condense a person's life into a two-hour narrative, complete with structure and nuance? How do you form a visually interesting and cinematic story when real life can often be anything but? And how do you decide whether to portray a slice of life versus an entire lifetime? Panelists will discuss their strategies on balancing truth, fact, and fiction while capturing the essence of real-life subject matter that, as a result, continues to live on in our memories.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Breaking Into Television: Screenplay Competitions
For an aspiring television writer, competitions can be a great springboard into the writers’ room. This panel of success stories includes alumni Christine Boylan, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, and Stephen Falk. Join this panel as they share their journey from competition entrants to working TV writers.

This panel is open to Semifinalists and above only.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

9:00am CDT

Non-Linear Storytelling
Nonlinear narratives are powerful structural techniques as well as strong vessels for emphasizing character, theme, and a writer’s voice. If employed correctly, they can enhance and liberate a story in ways conventional narratives cannot. While there are no set rules to successfully deconstructing a storyline, panelists will offer their best advice and techniques on how to create nonlinear structures…in no particular order.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

9:00am CDT

Roundtable: The Art and Business of Film
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of writing for film. How do you break in? What are good strategies for networking and making important contacts? What are the important practices, routines, and trends to be aware of? This roundtable session offers registrants exclusive access to screenwriters, directors, producers, executives, and studio reps in an informal setting. Come prepared with questions that focus on the importance of both the art and the business sides of breaking into and writing for film.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

9:00am CDT

Science Fiction vs. Science Fact
A lot of the allure of science fiction storytelling lies in the excitement of its outlandish worlds and imaginative circumstances. But there’s also a part where audiences can’t help but wonder: could this really happen? Between mass zombie outbreaks to intricate time travel to adventures through space, writers need to know where to pull from scientific fact, and where to bend the truth. Join this discussion on balancing fiction with fact and what’s required for viewers to truly suspend their disbelief so that the appearance of truth is always at arm’s reach. After all, the science fiction of today could very well be the science fact of tomorrow.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Sequels and Trilogies, II: Return of the Screenwriter
Your writing assignment: take a story with a pre-established foundation and craft the next part. Easy, right? After all, you already have a developed world and an ensemble of characters—how hard can it be?! Take another guess. Writing a sequel or three-quel requires ample research and preparation in order to breathe new life into old ideas while still maintaining forward momentum. The screenwriters behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 22 Jump Street, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Parts 1 and 2 will converse about the challenges of life-after-the-originals, as well as the difference between trying your hand at multiple installments versus picking up from where someone else left off.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Short Films, Big Leaps: Story Development in Pixar Short Films
How can a single great note transform a short film? This talk traces two Pixar Animation Studios shorts, “Presto” and “Partly Cloudy,” from first pitch to final film. We will watch clips from the earliest reels of each film, hear the story notes that Pixar's Brain Trust gave the director, then see how those notes catapulted the story to a new level in the final film. Development Executive, Mary Coleman will share insights and anecdotes about the often rocky road to finding the big story in a four-minute film.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

The Fine Print
Take off the reading glasses, and listen in for a discussion on the writer’s relationship with “the fine print.” Ranging from contractual agreements, options, and basic legal advice, this is your opportunity to hear from a writer, their attorney, and a representative from the Writers Guild of America, East, without having to sign on the dotted line.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Three Page Challenge
In a live version of the popular Scriptnotes podcast, John August, Franklin Leonard, and Ilyse McKimmie will read three pages of pre-selected Screenplay Competition scripts and review them as only they can.

This panel is open to Second Rounders and above.
Friday October 24, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

10:45am CDT

A Conversation with Randall Wallace
Every man dies, but not every man has a conversation with Randall Wallace, the screenwriter of Braveheart. For this iconic film, Wallace earned an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Screenplay and a Writers Guild of America award for Best Screenplay Adapted Directly for the Screen. Wallace was also behind films such as Pearl Harbor, We Were Soldiers, Heaven is for Real, Secretariat, and The Man in the Iron Mask. Come talk to him about the telling of true and noble tales, the definition of heroism, and bringing epic storytelling to the screen.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Adaptations: Young Adult, Old Child
Novels aimed at engaging teens and young adults have yielded some of the most show-stopping film and television programming out there. From big Hollywood fare like The Hunger Games to sweet indie gems such as The Fault in Our Stars, content intended for younger demographics is also finding an appeal with older audiences. Hear from panelists who have adapted these stories for the screen and how they have tapped into some of the universal themes needed to keep the young watching, and the rest of us feeling young at heart.
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Agents
For a writer at the beginning of their career, agents can often be as mysterious and hard to find as the perfect ending to a screenplay. Panelists will share their advice on how to start the process of finding representation, what agents are looking for in a new writer, some of the most common problems they’ve encountered, and what a writer should expect from the relationship.
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Austin Pitch #3
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

10:45am CDT

Breaking Into Film: Screenplay Competitions
Screenplay competitions are a fantastic way to get started in the business, and AFF is surely no exception. Troy Anthony Miller recently signed an option with Frank Darabont’s production company, Darkwoods Productions, for his winning AFF script The Hitch. Earlier this summer, AFF’s screenplay alum Oren Uziel found success in theatres nationwide after penning 22 Jump Street. And during the Festival this year, Rachel Long and Brian Pittman will present the world premiere of Dawn Patrol, a screenplay that originated out of AFF’s screenplay competition and was produced by Dan Petrie, Jr, and Rick Dugdale’s production company, Enderby Entertainment. These alum will provide insight into how the competition has launched their film careers, and how it can do the same for you.

This panel is open to Semifinalists and above only.
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

10:45am CDT

Deconstructing: No Country for Old Men
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Community Partners
TW
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Keeping the Reader's Attention: The Gatekeepers
It’s easy to forget that a screenwriter’s first audience is not the viewer but the reader. The act of watching a film can be a passive encounter, whereas reading a screenplay requires a much different level of engagement. To this end, writers should be cognizant of how to craft a “reader-friendly” script. Whether it is submitted to a competition or a studio, there are key elements writers should embrace in order to maintain the reader’s attention. In this panel, hear from the industry “gatekeepers” on what to avoid and how to best engage, entertain, and encourage readers to keep turning the page!

This panel is open to Second Rounders and above.
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

10:45am CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

10:45am CDT

Roundtable: The Art and Business of Television
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of writing for television. How do you break in? What is the dynamic in a writers’ room and the difference between various jobs involved? How is the changing landscape of television affecting the role of a writer? This roundtable session offers registrants exclusive access to TV writers, producers, showrunners, and executives in an informal setting. Come prepared with questions that focus on the importance of both the art and the business sides of breaking into and writing for television.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

10:45am CDT

The Sanity Spectrum
The protagonist is often the audience’s guide through a narrative, the anchor for all the twists and turns a story reveals. So what happens when that character is not what he or she seems, and when the very core of the film’s veracity is called into question? Screenwriters who have crafted characters that range from psychotic to psychopathic will discuss the difference between the two, as well as their own mental decisions when crafting such complex characters. Join the brains behind Fight Club, Big Fish, and Donnie Darko for an inside look at exploring distorted realities and the sanity spectrum in screenplays. We promise they’ll tell the truth.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Toon In: Animated Television
Sure, animated film and television is a little more…drawn than live action fare, but how different is the actual process of bringing it to the screen? This panel features guests that each play a different role in the animation process. They’ll discuss how a good animation script differs from its live action counterpart, the development process involved, and the transformation you should expect with post-production.
Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Script-to-Screen: Dead Poets Society
Tom Schulman, Academy Award®-winning writer of Dead Poets Society, will walk us through the process of bringing his first screenplay to the big screen, how he referenced his own life as inspiration, and the writer/director relationship with Peter Weir. With script in hand and scenes projected during the panel for reference, Schulman will discuss what from the original screenplay worked, what didn’t, what needed to be changed for production, and why.

Those who enrolled in the advance-sign up for this session are required to show up 15 minutes early and will be admitted first. The panel will then open to remaining Badge holders.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 10:45am - 12:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

12:45pm CDT

Script-to-Screen: Contagion
Scott Z. Burns, writer of Side Effects, The Informant!, and co-writer of The Bourne Ultimatum, will dissect his high-stakes screenplay, Contagion, and the story’s journey from script to screen. Burns will reference specific scenes from the film—with clips projected during the panel—and discuss the writer/director relationship with Steven Soderbergh: what from the original screenplay worked, what didn’t, what needed to be changed for production, and why. A great case-study for writers interested in learning more about folding tension into their work, as well as how to successfully weave together intersecting storylines.

Those who enrolled in the advance-sign up for this session are required to show up 15 minutes early and will be admitted first. The panel will then open to remaining Badge holders.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 12:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

A Conversation with Jay Duplass
Join this conversation with Jay Duplass, the man (along with his brother Mark) responsible for such clever, quirky films as Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Safety Not Guaranteed, Cyrus, and the upcoming television show Togetherness. This is your chance to ask about the Mumblecore movement, editing The Puffy Chair on a laptop, letting actors improvise, and how the movie Raising Arizona changed his life.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

Austin Pitch #4
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

1:30pm CDT

Dallas Buyers Club: Rising from Development Hell
Join Dallas Buyers Club writer Craig Borten as he discusses the fifteen-plus-years of growing pains between completed screenplay and his Academy Award®-winning film. Borten will address script adjustments, staying focused, and maintaining momentum within the soul-crushing purgatory of development hell.
Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

Deconstructing: Annie Hall
Annie Hall is a primer on comedy, style, story structure, and, for some, relationships. The film’s magical quality, its postmodern yet sincere approach to romance, and the laugh-a-minute pace makes each viewing experience unique. A great case study in crafting a distinctive voice, setting, and tone, this Woody Allen masterpiece is one for the ages. Even if you don’t want to join a club that would have someone like you for a member, you should at least join this deconstruction.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

Keeping the Reader's Attention: The Writers
It’s easy to forget that a screenwriter’s first audience is not the viewer but the reader. The act of watching a film can be a passive encounter, whereas reading a screenplay requires a much different level of engagement. To this end, writers should be cognizant of how to craft a “reader-friendly” script. Whether it is submitted to a competition or a studio, there are key elements writers should embrace in order to maintain the reader’s attention. In this panel, hear from writers who are pros on what to avoid and how to best engage, entertain, and encourage readers to keep turning the page!

This panel is open to Second Rounders and above.
Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

1:30pm CDT

Managers
Managers, for screenwriters, can sometimes make the difference between a career and no career these days. From “managing” expectations to the overall business of the industry, they can be the best sounding board and personal advocates a screenwriter has… if they have one. So how do you get representation? And what is the difference between a manager and an agent? Do you need both? Join this panel for an inside look at the blood and guts of the business, and what you can do to best position yourself to transition from an aspiring writer to a working writer.
Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

1:30pm CDT

Roundtable: Writing Across Multiple Mediums
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art of writing across multiple mediums. This roundtable session offers registrants exclusive access to panelists who have found success writing novels, short stories, plays, and adaptations for both film and television, and how this diverse skill set can inform and improve upon the writing process and approach. Come prepared with questions on how to transition from one medium to another, how to tackle adapting your own or others’ work, and the differences between writing styles and industries.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

1:30pm CDT

The Creative Career: Practical Tips for Starting Out
A panel of successful WGAW writers will discuss what you need to know in your career, how to avoid common pitfalls, and what the Writers Guild can do for you.

This panel is presented by the Writers Guild of America, West.
Sponsors
avatar for WGA West

Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

The Law of the Land
Entertainment attorneys will discuss contracts, options, fair use, intellectual property rights, and all things found in the folds of the "fine print". Reading glasses and blue ballpoint pens not required.
Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel

1:30pm CDT

The Writer/Producer Relationship
Join Vera Blasi, Peter Gould, and Mark Johnson for an exploration of the writer/producer relationship and how this dynamic differs in the film and television worlds. Gould and Johnson will discuss their working relationship on Breaking Bad and how they are preparing for its spinoff, Better Call Saul; Blasi and Johnson will discuss their upcoming film collaborations. Learn what producers look for in a good script and what to expect before, during, and after production within these different mediums.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

A Conversation with Edward Zwick
Join the 2014 Extraordinary Contribution to Film award recipient, Edward Zwick, as he takes us on a journey through his work on Glory, Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Defiance, and more. Having been honored with three Emmy ® Awards, the Humanitas Prize, the Writers Guild of America Award, two Peabody Awards, a Director’s Guild of America Award, and the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Award from the American Film Institute, this is not a conversation you want to miss.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

A Conversation with Terry George
Irish screenwriter and director Terry George doesn't shy away from tough themes and dark subject matter. Having received two Academy Award® nominations for In the Name of the Father, Hotel Rwanda, and winning an Oscar® in 2012 for his live action short film The Shore, don’t miss this conversation with a man who knows no limit to the power of storytelling.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

Austin Pitch #5
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

3:15pm CDT

Chicks with Bics®
Women make up a small percentage of writers in Hollywood, and working toward a full-time career in the industry requires of lot of flexibility and persistence. While this can certainly lend itself to a demanding journey, female artists are continuously changing the landscape of film and television for the better. Come chat with these devoted “chicks with bics” about their stories, viewpoints, and advice.

This panel is presented by LUNA.
Sponsors
avatar for LUNA

Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

3:15pm CDT

Screenwriters' Agreements
Industry representatives in entertainment provide an overview of screenwriters' agreements, plus advice on securing the best deal, avoiding common mistakes, and knowing what a Writers Guild agreement has to offer.
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

Semifinalists Roundtable: The Business Side
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the business of screenwriting. This session offers Semifinalists from the Screenplay Competition exclusive access to executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers, and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask those burning questions: How do I get an agent? Do I also need an attorney and manager? What is the dynamic of these relationships like? Are studios buying spec scripts? Am I hurting my chances if I request to direct it? Don’t miss your chance to ask all this and more without being charged by the hour or forgoing a percentage of your script sale.

This panel is open to Semifinalists and above only.
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Screenplay - Roundtable Session

3:15pm CDT

Setiquette
In addition to being able to write quickly and well, the successful television writer must also be versed on how to navigate the complex and often stressful social climate of a television show. This requires a skill set that empowers the writer to make quick and diligent adjustments while being able to master the art of communication with actors, directors, and producers. Understanding and respecting the laws of social etiquette on the set—the “setiquette”—is essential for those who aspire to break into—and stay in—the writers' room.
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

Setting as a Character
Unless you are Thomas Hobbes, you probably believe that surroundings can affect a person. A story’s setting is often as significant to the content as its characters. The personality of a locale can define the identity of a screenplay, while also serving as a subtle commentary on a specific time period and culture. Documenting details unique to a milieu can be a difficult but crucial part of the writing process. In this panel, hear from writers that have successfully “set the stage” with stories that invite the setting to take on a role of its own.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

Surviving Your First Year
So you sold your first spec, or a writing sample finally earned you your first assignment in Hollywood. How do you turn this opportunity into a full career in screenwriting? Scott Myers and Eric Heisserer will discuss what to expect in your first year as a professional, and how to make sure your big break doesn't spiral into a big breakdown.
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

Storytelling without Dialogue: Cast Away
Bill Broyles, writer of Apollo 13, The Polar Express, and creator of China Beach, will dissect the art of storytelling without dialogue using his original screenplay Cast Away as an example. Having worked on the film for over six years, Broyles will provide insight on the revision process and how to blossom the seedling of an idea into a well-defined script. With script in hand and film clips on the screen, Broyles will walk us through the development of this critically acclaimed story and the art of “showing” and not “telling.”
This panel will feature special Cast Away archival material on display in the Jim Hogg Parlor, presented by the Wittliff Collections.

Those who enrolled in the advance-sign up for this session are required to show up 15 minutes early and will be admitted first. The panel will then open to remaining Badge holders.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Community Partners
TW
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 5:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

3:15pm CDT

The Hart Chart
Come experience the famous “Hart Chart” first hand. James V. Hart (Hook, Contact, Bram Stoker’s Dracula) will explore how to develop characters and stories by getting to the “heart” of the script. Using notable films as examples, join this breakdown of establishing main character desires, charting their progress toward their goals, and creating a successful resolution. Through the Hart Chart’s guidelines for implementing craft, learn how to embrace structure as a friend, not an enemy, and how to flesh out ideas for the screen.

Those who enrolled in the advance-sign up for this session are required to show up 15 minutes early and will be admitted first. The panel will then open to remaining Badge holders.
Friday October 24, 2014 3:15pm - 5:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel
 
Saturday, October 25
 

9:00am CDT

A Conversation with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Sponsors
avatar for KD College
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Austin Pitch #6
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

9:00am CDT

Finding Your Voice
There are many things about screenwriting that can be taught, from structure and character development to plot devices and plot points. But your voice is something that can't be taught. It's the decisions you make when the screen is blank: the cadence of the language, the poetry in the descriptions, the pacing and flow of the entire composition. It's all of those things and more. Simply put, it's you. Panelists will talk about not only finding your voice, but learning to recognize and hone it.
Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Houston, We Have a Screenplay
From Méliès to Cuarón, Hollywood has always had a thing for space. It’s exotic, it’s mysterious, it’s terrifying, and it’s big enough to include any sort of world or story you can think of. Whether your characters are making contact or guarding the galaxy, there are certain...ahem...universal questions that arise after you decide to set your story in the final frontier. Writers will discuss setting stories in space and the issues they faced before lift-off.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: The Climate of Indie Film
In an ever-changing industry, the independent filmmaker is required to concurrently adapt and change. Of course, with change comes opportunity, and between the rise of fundraising outlets, digital filmmaking, and innovative distribution models, indie cinema has become a creative forum in more ways than one. Join a few of the leading “opportunists” as they discuss their roles and the climate of independent film.
Filmmakers
avatar for Frank Hall Green

Frank Hall Green

Partner/Producer, Catch & Release Films
Frank Hall Green is a film producer, writer and director. His directorial debut feature WILDLIKE is produced by Christine Vachon/Killer Films, Tandem Pictures and Joseph Stephans. It was filmed on 35mm in Alaska and stars Ella Purnell, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty, Nolan Gerard... Read More →
avatar for Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown

producer Listopad, Punk In Africa; co-producer No No: A Dockumentary
Jeffrey Brown has produced a number of award-winning films in Europe, Africa and the USA. His Czech narrative feature Mamas & Papas won Best Film and Best Script at the 2010 Hamptons IFF while Shut Up and Shoot Me, a Czech–British co-production, won Best Narrative Feature at... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Piers Williams

Ryan Piers Williams

writer/director The Dry Land, X/Y (2014); producer Kilimanjaro
Twitter: @rpierswilliamsRyan Piers Williams was born and raised in El Paso, TX. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Upon graduation, he worked for Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney on several productions... Read More →

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

9:00am CDT

POV
No two people experience the same event in the exact same way. Exploring the subjective qualities of memory and perspective can help define characters by showing how each one views the same situation. Panelists with experience writing films from multiple points of view will offer strategies on keeping track of the story while constructing complex, interlinked narratives. This panel may or not be for you… it all depends on how you look at it.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Roundtable: The Creative Side
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft, and business of screenwriting in film and television. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on how to break into the business, face a blank page on a bad day, work with a writing partner, risk a new direction after established success, and any other creative inquiries you are curious about.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

9:00am CDT

Scribble to Screen: My So-Called Writing Process
Winnie Holzman, writer of Wicked and creator of My So-Called Life, describes how she breathes life into characters, giving them honest reactions to true-life situations.

THIS IS SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN.
Writing a script is like going on a road trip. You pack up the car with ideas: Characters and scenes. Notions and concepts. Shouts and mutters, emotions and reactions. Then you get on the road: Start writing. Map your outline. Find the right song on the radio. Reverse course. Rethink an interaction. Retool some dialogue. Finished the first draft? Stop for snacks and a bathroom break. But top off the tank and check the tire pressure while you’re at it, because the really rough riding starts here. More drafts. Rewriting. A hundred sets of notes from a hundred backseat drivers - a few of whom might know just the right shortcut, so keep your ears open. And that final shooting script? Your final destination? It might look nothing like what you intended at the start of this whole thing. And thinking back, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Scribble To Screen is about that journey - about the path a writer takes from Point A to Point Z. It’s a roadmap to the creation of the stories and characters we love, and the culture the whole world consumes. It’s the history of the zigzagging route from first draft to final cut, and all the stops in between.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

Storytelling through Documentaries
Though many documentaries are pieces of non-fiction, they still very much employ conventions of storytelling. In fact, there's even a multi-layered writing process involved. From conception to post-production, documentary filmmakers are required to constantly adapt to unforeseeable elements and craft a narrative based off the stories and accounts they are able to capture. Join Paul Stekler (Last Man Standing: Politics Texas Style, George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire), Academy Award®-winning documentarian, Vanessa Roth, and the Executive Producer of POV, Simon Kilmurry, as they share just how important storytelling is within the world of documentary filmmaking.
Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

The Serious World of Comedy
Some of the best comedies are the ones where the characters have no idea they’re being funny. Think about how straightly everyone in Airplane! delivered their lines, or how stern everyone is in Dr. Strangelove. No matter how absurd or comedic a situation or world is, the humor comes from the characters committing to its verisimilitude. Comedy writers will discuss crafting worlds that are simultaneously serious for the characters and hilarious for the audience, and how to maximize the comedy within this dichotomy.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

9:00am CDT

The Writer/Agent/Manager Relationship
A lot of writers will tell you how important it is to have an agent or manager, but what is that relationship really like? As a writer, how do you facilitate this? How do you know what kind of representation is right for you, and what you should realistically expect? Join panelists as they discuss what you can expect out of different forms of representation, and what that means to your career.

This panel is open to Semifinalists and above only.
Saturday October 25, 2014 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

10:30am CDT

Script-to-Screen: Rachel Getting Married
Jenny Lumet is a rule-breaker. The formula for her screenplay, Rachel Getting Married, breached the laws of Screenwriting 101, all while creating rich, edgy, and unconventional characters within an equally intricate world. Join her for a script-to-screen discussion on the honest relationships in the context of the film both on and off the page—between the two fictional sisters, and also between Lumet and director Jonathan Demme. With script in hand and clips on the screen, learn more about your own relationship with your writing process and how Rachel Getting Married can inform what rules to break and when.

Those who enrolled in the advance-sign up for this session are required to show up 15 minutes early and will be admitted first. The panel will then open to remaining Badge holders.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:30am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

A Conversation with the 2014 Awardees
Join this highly anticipated conversation with the 2014 Awardees as they discuss their careers, and their approach to the art, craft, and business of storytelling through film and television.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Austin Pitch #7
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

10:45am CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: Crowdfunding to Build Independence
The only proven path to independence as an artist is a direct connection to your audience. Crowdfunding is becoming a fundamental piece of most financing plans for independent film. However, many filmmakers miss the opportunity to turn their film funding campaigns into audience-building opportunities that can last an entire career — and provide the groundwork for theatrical distribution that you control. This class for film-related projects will provide the crowdfunding action plan most likely to create a lasting, flourishing, direct relationship with your audience.

This panel is presented by Seed and Spark.
Sponsors
avatar for Seed & Spark

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

KAPOW! ZAPF! SCREENPLAY!: Adapting Comic Books for the Big Screen
You’ve likely noticed the abundance of comic book inspired films cropping up at the local Cineplex. The rich back-catalogue of nearly a century’s worth of content provides a seemingly never-ending source of inspiration for big budget spectacles, offbeat comedies, and even quirky romances. And while many of these characters are transformed before our eyes into heroes and villains, how do the writers transform their source material to something that can kick-butt on screen? Learn from our superhero panelists on what they did to stay true to such mystical worlds while still infusing originality into these beloved and intricate stories.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

10:45am CDT

Roundtable: The Business Side
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the business of screenwriting. This session offers Semifinalists from the Screenplay Competition exclusive access to executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers, and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask those burning questions: How do I get an agent? Do I also need an attorney and manager? What is the dynamic of these relationships like? Are studios buying spec scripts? Am I hurting my chances if I request to direct it? Don’t miss your chance to ask all this and more without being charged by the hour or forgoing a percentage of your script sale.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

10:45am CDT

Screenwriters Labs
Screenwriting labs are a great step in a career. Not only are the networking opportunities plentiful, but writers have a great hands-on opportunity to rigorously hone and explore their craft. Representatives from intensive labs such as Film Independent, Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab, and the new Sundance Episodic Story Lab will shed light on the benefits of these programs, and what writers can expect from the application process and beyond.
Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Status Quo
Some of the most satisfying screenplays revolve around characters who choose not to conform to the status quo. Whether they are carpe-ing the diem or smuggling drugs to save lives, the act of taking matters into their own hands makes for rich and often emotional stories. Hear from the writers behind Dead Poets Society, Dallas Buyers Club, and Fight Club for a conversation on ways to infuse themes of status quo in your screenplay, and where to break your own rules in regards to story structure and development.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Write What You (Don't) Know
The old adage write what you know becomes less stringent as our access to limitless resources expands in today’s digital age. Research is an essential step in the screenwriting process in order to ultimately portray a sense of authenticity and verisimilitude. Join these panelists as they discuss various research methods and ways to emerge as an authority of your subject matter.
Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

10:45am CDT

Writers Guild Foundation Exhibit
Dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the craft of writing for the screen, the Writers Guild Foundation has been advancing the gospel of good scriptwriting since its inception in 1966. Host to the world-class Shavelson-Webb Library -- the only screenwriting-focused library on the planet -- the WGF maintains over 30,000 movie scripts, teleplays, and screenwriting texts, and adds new items on a weekly basis. But it gets better: The WGF also serves as one of Hollywood's most important archival institutions, maintaining treasures like Robert Bloch's typewriter and the entire collection of Hawaii Five-0 scripts, studio notes, and production materials. Widely regarded as a fundamental resource for emerging screenwriters, the Foundation continues to fuel the hearth of quality wordsmithing by offering writing workshops for traditionally underserved yet narratively rich populations like military veterans and low-income high school students.

Today the WGF presents its SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN exhibit, packed with early production materials and handwritten drafts from epochal works like Kasdan's The Empire Strikes Back, Matthew Weiner's "Unidentified Black Males" episode of The Sopranos, Winnie Holzman's My So-Called Life, and more. In conjunction with this exclusive collection, the WGF also brings to the stage a collection of television and film writers with centuries of collective experience and knowledge.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
  Conference, Exhibit

10:45am CDT

Young Filmmakers Pitch: Session 1
Saturday October 25, 2014 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Young Filmmakers Program

12:30pm CDT

Artistic Integrity
Whether you want to direct your own script or hand it over to someone else, the process from script to screen often entails an arduous path of compromise and readjustment. This panel will focus on finding a balance while staying true to the heart of your story, finding success in an oversaturated marketplace, and selling your screenplay without selling your soul.
Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Austin Pitch #8
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

12:30pm CDT

Heroes, Villains, and Happily Ever After
The last decade of film has popularized the anti-hero and the cold grey worlds they inhabit. But kids see the world in exciting primary colors where the heroes are dashing and the villains are dastardly. Join this conversation with Linda Woolverton (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent) for a discussion on writing well-defined hero/villain relationships and crafting unambiguous endings where the hero wins the day and the villain gets what they deserve. Woolverton will explore the “once-upon-a-times,” the “happily-ever-afters,” and everything in between.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Community Partners
avatar for LotuSIGN
Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Historical Fiction
History—it feels like it’s been around since the beginning of time. With the expanse of material available for writers within those parameters, it’s easy to see the allure in sharing the past with present-day audiences. What’s perhaps not as easy is the research required for writers to familiarize themselves with the language, setting, culture, and customs of a particular time or era and how to fold these into a compelling narrative. Hear from panelists who have mastered this craft and can shed light on their own past experiences. This panel will be one for the history books!
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: The Nuts and Bolts
The script is done, the money is raised (or as much as it will be), and it is time for the real fun to begin: shooting schedules, casting, permits, putting together a production team, and resetting the entire film in an apartment. Learn how to make the tough decisions that reside within the scope of pre-production so you can leave room for creative choices once you are on set.
Filmmakers
avatar for Andreas Schmied

Andreas Schmied

writer/director Taking It Back
Andreas Schmied spent his childhood in a small village in the austrian mountains. He began his directing career in his teens, shooting shorts with his friends and music videos for local musicians. Moving to Vienna in 1998 Schmied shot dozens of low budget videos where he served as... Read More →
avatar for Dru Brown

Dru Brown

director The Suicide Theory
Dru is an award winning Australian filmmaker. Dru began his career based primarily in Asia, and working on both Asian and international productions for The History Channel, HBO and MGM among others. After two years of gaining experience and establishing himself, Dru Returned to Australia... Read More →
avatar for Nick Matthews

Nick Matthews

writer/director One Eyed Girl
Nick Matthews ACS is an AFI award winning filmmaker who trained in Europe in camera departments on productions including the Steven Spielberg produced HBO series Band of Brothers and Working Title's About a Boy. Since returning to Australia, he has produced, edited, and photographed... Read More →

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Inside the Writers' Room: Orange is the New Black
For a show as involved as Netflix’s breakout drama Orange Is The New Black, a lot has to go into crafting each episode. The writers must inhabit the points of view of the large array of diverse characters while staying true to the show’s voice and big picture objectives. OITNB writers will share their experiences in the writers’ room, adapting the novel for the screen, and how they work together to create the individual and overarching storylines.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

12:30pm CDT

Roundtable: Young Filmmakers
Industry pros provide total access for students’ questions about what life is like behind and in front of the camera. Find out what it means to program, distribute, market, and more, in this personal and informal setting. Featuring working professionals, film school professors, and representatives from Austin’s own KVUE team, panelists will discuss their personal experiences in the industry and creative avenues to employ the craft in one’s career.
Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Young Filmmakers Program

12:30pm CDT

Scribble to Screen: Anatomy of a Crap Attack
Bob’s Burgers writers Lizzie and Wendy Molyneux talk about the process of writing innovative characters like Tina Belcher.

THIS IS SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN.
Writing a script is like going on a road trip. You pack up the car with ideas: Characters and scenes. Notions and concepts. Shouts and mutters, emotions and reactions. Then you get on the road: Start writing. Map your outline. Find the right song on the radio. Reverse course. Rethink an interaction. Retool some dialogue. Finished the first draft? Stop for snacks and a bathroom break. But top off the tank and check the tire pressure while you’re at it, because the really rough riding starts here. More drafts. Rewriting. A hundred sets of notes from a hundred backseat drivers - a few of whom might know just the right shortcut, so keep your ears open. And that final shooting script? Your final destination? It might look nothing like what you intended at the start of this whole thing. And thinking back, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Scribble To Screen is about that journey - about the path a writer takes from Point A to Point Z. It’s a roadmap to the creation of the stories and characters we love, and the culture the whole world consumes. It’s the history of the zigzagging route from first draft to final cut, and all the stops in between.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Scriptnotes Live!
For the third year running, veteran filmmaker John August will record a live presentation of his incredibly informative screenwriting podcast, Scriptnotes, in which he will discuss craft and career, complete with special guests, audience questions, and other surprises.
Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Words that Go Bump in the Night
While many writers have found their entrée into the industry via the horror genre, writing a script with all the necessary thrills and chills is not an easy task. This panel will explore the psychology of terror that taps into the root of our fears and anxieties: the depth of the unknown. Learn from these writers on how to fold scares and suspense into the language of your screenplay while still managing to embrace originality in a genre that is seemingly oversaturated.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

12:30pm CDT

Writers Guild Foundation Exhibit
Dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the craft of writing for the screen, the Writers Guild Foundation has been advancing the gospel of good scriptwriting since its inception in 1966. Host to the world-class Shavelson-Webb Library -- the only screenwriting-focused library on the planet -- the WGF maintains over 30,000 movie scripts, teleplays, and screenwriting texts, and adds new items on a weekly basis. But it gets better: The WGF also serves as one of Hollywood's most important archival institutions, maintaining treasures like Robert Bloch's typewriter and the entire collection of Hawaii Five-0 scripts, studio notes, and production materials. Widely regarded as a fundamental resource for emerging screenwriters, the Foundation continues to fuel the hearth of quality wordsmithing by offering writing workshops for traditionally underserved yet narratively rich populations like military veterans and low-income high school students.

Today the WGF presents its SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN exhibit, packed with early production materials and handwritten drafts from epochal works like Kasdan's The Empire Strikes Back, Matthew Weiner's "Unidentified Black Males" episode of The Sopranos, Winnie Holzman's My So-Called Life, and more. In conjunction with this exclusive collection, the WGF also brings to the stage a collection of television and film writers with centuries of collective experience and knowledge.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
  Conference, Exhibit

2:45pm CDT

Austin Pitch #9
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

2:45pm CDT

Bonus: The Hart Chart Returns
Back by popular demand! We've added another session of the Hart Chart! Seating is on a first come, first serve basis.

Come experience the famous “Hart Chart” first hand. James V. Hart (Hook, Contact, Bram Stoker’s Dracula) will explore how to develop characters and stories by getting to the “heart” of the script. Using notable films as examples, join this breakdown of establishing main character desires, charting their progress toward their goals, and creating a successful resolution. Through the Hart Chart’s guidelines for implementing craft, learn how to embrace structure as a friend, not an enemy, and how to flesh out ideas for the screen.
Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: Directing Your Own Script
The prospect of directing your own script is an exciting one. Though this endeavor hands you the creative reins of the project as a whole, it also presents a new set of obstacles and responsibilities to navigate. After all, writing a script is free, but shooting a film can cost an exorbitant amount. So how should your roles as writer and director affect and inform one another? Writer-directors will share their own experiences and constructive advice crucial for aspiring multi-taskers.
Filmmakers
avatar for Jason Strouse

Jason Strouse

writer/director Teacher of the Year
Jason began his writing career on NBC’s Caroline in the City. He then returned to his first love, stand-up comedy, and appeared regularly at the Laugh Factory, The Improv and The Comedy Store before leaving the stage and becoming a teacher in Los Angeles. As Head Coach of Varsity... Read More →
avatar for Jay Martin

Jay Martin

writer/director 7 Minutes
7 Minutes is Jay Martin’s first feature. He has directed music videos for Death Cab for Cutie, Nas, Plain White T’s, Kid Rock, Melissa Etheridge, Christina Perri and Dashboard Confessional, among many others. He’s been directing music videos and commercials since 2003. Jay started... Read More →
avatar for Justin Simien

Justin Simien

writer/director Dear White People
Justin Simien (Director, Writer and Producer) was recently lauded as one of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch." He earned a Streamy Award nomination for the web series "INST MSGS," which was distributed by Revision 3. In addition to producing and directing online companion pieces... Read More →
avatar for Ryan Piers Williams

Ryan Piers Williams

writer/director The Dry Land, X/Y (2014); producer Kilimanjaro
Twitter: @rpierswilliamsRyan Piers Williams was born and raised in El Paso, TX. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. Upon graduation, he worked for Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney on several productions... Read More →

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Inside the Writers' Room: Justified
Justified is filled with cowboys, criminals, and all sorts of colorful characters – and that's just the writers’ room! Panelists will discuss the distinct dynamic behind the scenes of the show, and how they collectively come up with those clever southern quips Raylan always has at the ready. So saddle up, put on your Stetson, and ride into Harlan for a spell.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

2:45pm CDT

Scribble to Screen: Writing Relatable Space Raccoons
Guardians of the Galaxy writer Nicole Perlman - the first woman with a credit on a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie - talks about bringing life to a cosmic world full of down-to-earth characters.

THIS IS SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN.
Writing a script is like going on a road trip. You pack up the car with ideas: Characters and scenes. Notions and concepts. Shouts and mutters, emotions and reactions. Then you get on the road: Start writing. Map your outline. Find the right song on the radio. Reverse course. Rethink an interaction. Retool some dialogue. Finished the first draft? Stop for snacks and a bathroom break. But top off the tank and check the tire pressure while you’re at it, because the really rough riding starts here. More drafts. Rewriting. A hundred sets of notes from a hundred backseat drivers - a few of whom might know just the right shortcut, so keep your ears open. And that final shooting script? Your final destination? It might look nothing like what you intended at the start of this whole thing. And thinking back, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Scribble To Screen is about that journey - about the path a writer takes from Point A to Point Z. It’s a roadmap to the creation of the stories and characters we love, and the culture the whole world consumes. It’s the history of the zigzagging route from first draft to final cut, and all the stops in between.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Second Rounders Roundtable: The Creative Side
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft, and business of screenwriting. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional screenwriters and filmmakers in an informal setting. This is your opportunity to ask for advice on how to break into the business, face a blank page on a bad day, work with a writing partner, risk a new direction after established success, and any other creative inquiries you are curious about.

This panel is open to Second Rounders only.
Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

2:45pm CDT

Sitcom Writers' Room Confidential
A fly-on-the-wall perspective of a sitcom writers room, where story notions and joke pitches combine to ultimately form the shooting script of a TV show. Writers and producers of Nickelodeon’s hit series, The Thundermans will screen part of an episode, then explain how it evolved from an idea, to a single writer's draft, to a final script pawed over by eleven quarrelsome writers. Expect panelists to argue over who wrote which jokes and deconstruct the art of choosing what restaurant to order dinner from.

This panel is presented by Nickelodeon.
Sponsors
avatar for Nickelodeon

Community Partners
avatar for LotuSIGN
Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen
Whether they meet-cute or get paired up on the same case, writing partners have the same goal: get it done—preferably twice as fast as everyone else. Panelists will team-up to talk about finding a writing partner, developing a collective voice, staying organized, and how to effectively apply the creative powers of two minds… without knocking heads.
Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

The Art of War Writing
The art of composing a war story for film or television requires meticulous strategy and technique before embarking upon the battlefield of the script. A writer must go to the trenches when researching the depths of the setting, history, and culture in order to dramatize these conflict-driven and layered narratives. Sit down with writers as they swap their own war stories on how to best execute bringing your vision to life.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Ticking Time Bomb
A ticking time bomb in your script—be it literal or figurative—can help elevate a story’s tension and momentum. Used in all types of genres and mediums, this plot device raises the stakes by implementing time-dependent crises. Panelists will only have 75 minutes to unlock the secrets of accentuating conflict, suspense, and urgency in your screenplay. Let the countdown begin!
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

2:45pm CDT

Writers Guild Foundation Exhibit
Dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the craft of writing for the screen, the Writers Guild Foundation has been advancing the gospel of good scriptwriting since its inception in 1966. Host to the world-class Shavelson-Webb Library -- the only screenwriting-focused library on the planet -- the WGF maintains over 30,000 movie scripts, teleplays, and screenwriting texts, and adds new items on a weekly basis. But it gets better: The WGF also serves as one of Hollywood's most important archival institutions, maintaining treasures like Robert Bloch's typewriter and the entire collection of Hawaii Five-0 scripts, studio notes, and production materials. Widely regarded as a fundamental resource for emerging screenwriters, the Foundation continues to fuel the hearth of quality wordsmithing by offering writing workshops for traditionally underserved yet narratively rich populations like military veterans and low-income high school students.

Today the WGF presents its SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN exhibit, packed with early production materials and handwritten drafts from epochal works like Kasdan's The Empire Strikes Back, Matthew Weiner's "Unidentified Black Males" episode of The Sopranos, Winnie Holzman's My So-Called Life, and more. In conjunction with this exclusive collection, the WGF also brings to the stage a collection of television and film writers with centuries of collective experience and knowledge.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
  Conference, Exhibit

2:45pm CDT

Young Filmmakers Pitch: Session 2
Saturday October 25, 2014 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Young Filmmakers Program

4:30pm CDT

Austin Pitch #10
It’s the 12th Annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! This unique event allows contestants 90 seconds to pitch their best ideas to a panel of judges made of up agents, producers, managers, and screenwriters in a constructive and friendly environment. Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday night.

All Pitch Sessions require an advance sign-up and are held at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the Vestry Conference Room, located at 301 E 8th Street.
Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
  Conference, Pitch Session

4:30pm CDT

Based on True Events: Fictionalizing Disaster
Writing about real life tragedies can be cathartic, but requires some delicate consideration when exploring something that is still so raw in an audience's hearts and memories. Still, universal themes of survival can be a powerful avenue in connecting with a wide range of viewers, and man-made and natural disasters often provide a wealth of material for writers to tap into. Panelists will talk about being true to real-life events while straddling the balance between being tastefully artistic, fictionalizing fact, and avoiding exploitation.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

4:30pm CDT

Demystifying the Development Process
The term "in development" can be a scary one for a writer, mostly because once a script goes into development it's not a sure thing it'll ever come out. What exactly goes into developing a script, who's involved, and how can a writer best prepare for the process? This panel will shed a light on the black hole that development can be, and how to navigate the best practices for advocating for your story and sustaining creative momentum.
Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
  Conference, Panel

4:30pm CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: Storytelling Through Editing
Film production takes many hours and many minds, but one of the most important roles often goes under-recognized: the editor. The editor's job is akin to that of the screenwriter as they are required to shape the story based on condensing many weeks of footage into something cohesive and succinct. Join us for a conversation about the critical questions all editors must ask and answer during the syncing, bridging, and slicing phase of any film, and how their role as a storyteller is pivotal to the post-production process.
Filmmakers
KF

Kieran Fitzgerald

writer The Homesman, P.O.V.
avatar for Marie-Lou Gingras

Marie-Lou Gingras

editor Once Upon A Crime: The Borrelli – Davis Conspiracy
Before embarking on a career as a film editor, Marie-Lou studied graphic design for six years in Montreal then went on to work as a web and graphic designer. A life long passion for filmmaking eventually lead Marie-Lou to the film program at the Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver where... Read More →

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

4:30pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

4:30pm CDT

Roundtable: Independent Filmmaking
Get in-depth answers to your questions about how to make it in the world of independent film. How do you find funds for your project? How does the process of making a short differ from that of a feature? What do the stages of production actually entail? How do you navigate the dense festival circuit and position your film for its best shot at success? And after all that, how do you market your film and find distribution? This roundtable session offers registrants exclusive access to independent filmmakers, producers, and distributors in an informal setting.

Austin Film Festival’s Roundtable Sessions offer registrants exclusive access to writers, producers, and executives. The atmosphere is casual and registrants are encouraged to ask specific questions about the creative and business aspects of writing for film and television. Each session provides an opportunity for registrants to speak with three professionals among a small group of peers.

All Roundtables take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Crail Hall, located at 301 E 8th Street.

ROUNDTABLE REGISTRATION HOURS:
Registrants must sign up for Roundtable Sessions in the Mezzanine of the Driskill Hotel!
Wednesday, October 22 | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Thursday, October 23 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Friday, October 24 | 8:30AM–5:00PM
Saturday, October 25 | 8:30AM–3:00PM
Filmmakers
JK
avatar for Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown

producer Listopad, Punk In Africa; co-producer No No: A Dockumentary
Jeffrey Brown has produced a number of award-winning films in Europe, Africa and the USA. His Czech narrative feature Mamas & Papas won Best Film and Best Script at the 2010 Hamptons IFF while Shut Up and Shoot Me, a Czech–British co-production, won Best Narrative Feature at... Read More →
JS
avatar for Vanessa Roth

Vanessa Roth

director Aging Out, Close To Home, The Untouchables, American Teacher
Twitter: @thetexaspromiseProducer/Director, Vanessa Roth has written, produced and directed award-winning non-fiction films and headed up social issue reform efforts through storytelling for nearly 20 years. Roth’s work has earned her dozens of honors including an Academy Award, two Sundance Special Ju... Read More →

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
  Conference, Roundtable Session

4:30pm CDT

Scribble to Screen: Writing with Mouse Ears On
Linda Woolverton, who has written a slew of animated and live action Disney movies, chats about the ups and downs of playing in one of pop culture’s greatest sandboxes.

THIS IS SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN.
Writing a script is like going on a road trip. You pack up the car with ideas: Characters and scenes. Notions and concepts. Shouts and mutters, emotions and reactions. Then you get on the road: Start writing. Map your outline. Find the right song on the radio. Reverse course. Rethink an interaction. Retool some dialogue. Finished the first draft? Stop for snacks and a bathroom break. But top off the tank and check the tire pressure while you’re at it, because the really rough riding starts here. More drafts. Rewriting. A hundred sets of notes from a hundred backseat drivers - a few of whom might know just the right shortcut, so keep your ears open. And that final shooting script? Your final destination? It might look nothing like what you intended at the start of this whole thing. And thinking back, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Scribble To Screen is about that journey - about the path a writer takes from Point A to Point Z. It’s a roadmap to the creation of the stories and characters we love, and the culture the whole world consumes. It’s the history of the zigzagging route from first draft to final cut, and all the stops in between.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

4:30pm CDT

The Signature Gesture: A Workshop in Expressive Writing
Film is primarily a visual medium, so when we can express something in our scripts through action, we are playing to a movie's strength. In this workshop, we focus on a particular kind of visual storytelling: Gestures. Participants will review a set of movie clips featuring signature character gestures, analyzing how they express emotion, how body language conveys status between characters, and how relationship dynamics can be read in the movement of a group. Then through a series of interactive exercises, we will move from interpretation to expression, providing everyone the opportunity to explore this aspect of action writing with their own original characters. Scott Myers and Mary Coleman are collaborating on this new workshop.

This panel is open to Semifinalists and above only.
Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

4:30pm CDT

Tinker Tailor Screenplay Spy
If you join this panel, watch your back. You’ll be face-to-face with KGB agents, toe-to-toe against sailors with no loyalties, and nose-to-nose with a woman in a red dress known only as “Madame La Mort.” If you can handle it, then join our undercover panelists for a Top Secret briefing on the world of espionage and writing an intricate spy script. Equipment needed for survival: a pen and notepad. The password is swordfish.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
  Conference, Panel

4:30pm CDT

Writers Guild Foundation Exhibit
Dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the craft of writing for the screen, the Writers Guild Foundation has been advancing the gospel of good scriptwriting since its inception in 1966. Host to the world-class Shavelson-Webb Library -- the only screenwriting-focused library on the planet -- the WGF maintains over 30,000 movie scripts, teleplays, and screenwriting texts, and adds new items on a weekly basis. But it gets better: The WGF also serves as one of Hollywood's most important archival institutions, maintaining treasures like Robert Bloch's typewriter and the entire collection of Hawaii Five-0 scripts, studio notes, and production materials. Widely regarded as a fundamental resource for emerging screenwriters, the Foundation continues to fuel the hearth of quality wordsmithing by offering writing workshops for traditionally underserved yet narratively rich populations like military veterans and low-income high school students.

Today the WGF presents its SCRIBBLE TO SCREEN exhibit, packed with early production materials and handwritten drafts from epochal works like Kasdan's The Empire Strikes Back, Matthew Weiner's "Unidentified Black Males" episode of The Sopranos, Winnie Holzman's My So-Called Life, and more. In conjunction with this exclusive collection, the WGF also brings to the stage a collection of television and film writers with centuries of collective experience and knowledge.
Sponsors
avatar for The Writers Guild Foundation

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
  Conference, Exhibit

4:30pm CDT

Writing Across Mediums: Big Fish & Wicked
John August and Winnie Holzman team up for a conversation on writing across mediums, transitioning from the screen to stage, and how to saturate a world with imaginative elements that ultimately produce a magical experience for an audience. Using Big Fish and Wicked as examples, the duo will explore adapting novels for film and theatre, how one medium can inform the other, and all the nooks, crannies, shoeless towns, ruby slippers, towering giants, and flying monkeys that are inevitably part of the journey.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

4:30pm CDT

Young Filmmakers Panel: Coming of Age in America
What does it really mean to be a teenager today? Top Hollywood writers for teen films and shows talk about what real-life struggles they choose to focus on in their material, and why those issues matter. Come get personal with the writers of The Fault in Our Stars, Smallville¸ Nashville, Once Upon a Time, and more.

This panel is open to those in the Young Filmmakers Program, only.
Saturday October 25, 2014 4:30pm - 5:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel
 
Sunday, October 26
 

11:30am CDT

A Conversation with Luke Wilson
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

11:30am CDT

A Conversation with Matthew Weiner
Shut the door and have a seat for a conversation with Matthew Weiner, the creator of Mad Men and recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Television Writer award. Weiner has received nine Primetime Emmy® Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row for Mad Men. With a diverse background in field, ranging from Becker to The Sopranos, don’t miss this opportunity to chat with one of the greatest minds in television today.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

11:30am CDT

A Conversation with Susannah Grant
Take part in this lively conversation with Susannah Grant. Before receiving her Oscar® nomination for Erin Brockovich, Grant penned Pocahontas, Ever After, 28 Days, and the acclaimed TV series Party of Five. Since then, her credits also include In Her Shoes, Charlotte's Web, and Catch and Release. This is your chance to learn more about finding your voice, creating strong female characters, and transitioning between mediums and genres.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
  Conference, Panel

11:30am CDT

Deconstructing No Country for Old Men
The Coen Brothers have a knack for nihilism, and never before has that been conveyed so terrifyingly well than in their 2007 masterpiece No Country for Old Men. Using a simple hook, a man stumbling upon the aftermath of a botched drug deal and taking off with the money, the movie plunges the viewer into a world of moral relativism, injustice, and existential woe. Featuring one of the best screen villains of all time, this Cormac McCarthy adaptation has already cemented itself as an essential work of American cinema.

This panel will feature special Cormac McCarthy archival material on display in the Jim Hogg Parlor, presented by the Wittliff Collections.
Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

11:30am CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: Marketing & Distribution
Even after post-production, the independent filmmaking journey is not finished yet. The end goal, after all, is for people to see your film. Along with navigating the festival circuit, often a filmmaker’s ideal scenario is to find distribution. This can be challenging and arduous work. This panel will feature representatives from The Weinstein Company, Gravitas, Amplify, and Oscilloscope as they provide insight on the ever-changing indie film industry, marketing strategies and practices, and the positive role film festivals can play along the journey.
Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

11:30am CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

11:30am CDT

Screenwriting, MD
Scrub up, because this panel is going to dissect the heart of writing medical dramas. Hear from a team of trained professionals on how to create stories of illness, recovery, and redemption without ever stepping foot in an emergency room. After all, no villain is scarier than the undiagnosed disease. With the amount of tension, terror, and drama inherently present in a hospital room, it’s no wonder how many medical dramas have found success on television. Writers from standout shows such as Combat Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and House, MD will discuss how they operate on each episode while keeping the tension high, the topics fresh, and the research sound.
Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

11:30am CDT

The Anatomy of the Writers' Room
The writers’ room can be a mysterious place for someone trying to break into television. It’s the place where good ideas, contentious debate, and an endless supply of snacks mix together to create all of your favorite TV shows. But how does it work? What’s the etiquette expected? What are some of the most common issues that occur? What’s the difference between a Writer’s Assistant and Staff Writer? Story Editor and Executive Story Editor? Different producing roles and the role of the Showrunner? Perhaps more importantly, how does one work their way up the chain of command? Panelists will provide a glimpse inside these closed doors, offering secrets, anecdotes, strategies, to-do’s and not-to-do’s.
Sunday October 26, 2014 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
  Conference, Panel

1:15pm CDT

A Conversation with Jim Sheridan
Join renowned Irish writer and director Jim Sheridan, the 2014 recipient of Austin Film Festival’s Distinguished Screenwriter Award, for a discussion on telling stories rich with love, loss, and hope. Sheridan’s credits include In America, My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, The Boxer, Brothers, and The Field. He has garnered two Academy Awards®, sixteen nominations, and numerous international awards. Bring your appetite for great storytelling and learn more on how to make your own narratives compelling and visionary.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 1:15pm - 2:20pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:15pm CDT

Deconstructing: The Fly
As a tragic love story with a delightfully strange protagonist and an unforgettable transformation, The Fly filters elements of classical storytelling through the distinct voice of horror legend David Cronenberg. Splice your mind with these panelists as they deconstruct the substantial themes, artful tension, and face-melting gore of this modern genre masterpiece. This very well might answer your own questions on how to craft fear within your own screenplay. Be excited. Be very excited.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
  Conference, Panel

1:15pm CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: The Long and the Short of It
Sling Blade. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Saw. Machete. Bottle Rocket. 12 Monkeys. All feature films that, actually, started as shorts! Take part in this discussion on how to not only craft a strong short film, but also how to use it as a great platform when thinking about the big(ger) picture—turning it into a feature. Panelists who did just that will share insight from their own journeys: the advance planning, the marketing advantages, and how to best apply the lessons learned when transitioning from producing a short to a feature film.
Filmmakers
avatar for Antonia Bogdanovich

Antonia Bogdanovich

CEO/Owner, STATION 8 FILMS
Antonia Bogdanovich is a writer, director, and actress who has accrued an impressively long and varied resume. Even before attending UCLA where she wrote her first screenplay, Antonia worked as a production assistant on George Miller’s The Witches of Eastwick, was an assistant editor... Read More →
avatar for Brad Ragland

Brad Ragland

director Looking for Lions
Since graduating in 2001 from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Bradley W. Ragland has been working in the industry producing various music videos (Stephen Curtis Chapman, Jump5, Helmet), commercials (IFC's SXSW campaign, Partnership for Drug Free America) and web series... Read More →
avatar for Norman Lesperance

Norman Lesperance

writer Looking for Lions
Tenacity and resilience have been the hallmarks of Norman Lesperance’s career. While studying at Brooks Institute of Photography, Lesperance co-wrote, produced and directed his first feature film as well as writing and producing a Vietnam/Twilight Zone-style short.Following a grueling... Read More →

Sunday October 26, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

1:15pm CDT

It's A Wonderful (So-Called) Life: A Conversation with Winnie Holzman and Edward Zwick
Winnie Holzman and Edward Zwick will discuss their collaborations in television which include some of the best programming from the 90s, ranging from My So-Called Life, thirtysomething, and Once and Again – all produced by the Edward Zwick/Marhsall Heskovitz company, Bedford Falls Productions. The duo will explore crafting memorable characters and relationships, the power of angst, and how to create a successful television series that will linger on in an audience’s collective memory for years to come.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

1:15pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit

1:15pm CDT

The Cold Open
Join this panel of TV industry pros as they break down – using the cold opens from pre-selected Second Round scripts – what producers look for in those crucial first few pages that either keep readers flipping the pages, or has audiences “flipping the channel”.
Sunday October 26, 2014 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
  Conference, Screenplay-Teleplay Competition Panel

3:00pm CDT

A Conversation with John Ridley
Don't miss a chance to talk John Ridley, screenwriter of Three Kings, and creator of the upcoming television show American Crime. Best known for writing 12 Years a Slave, a film that won three Academy Awards® (including Best Adapted Screenplay!), one Golden Globe®, and two awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Ridley will share insight on the art and craft of storytelling through film and television.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

3:00pm CDT

A Conversation with Whit Stillman
Come absorb the wit and wisdom emanating from author, screenwriter, and director Whit Stillman. Known for writing and directing the films Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco, and Damsels in Distress, Stillman is a modern Jane Austen, critiquing the "urban haute bourgeoisie" with satirical charm. Learn about the art of observation, contemplation, and articulation in your stories while enjoying some “Whitty” repartee along the way.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
  Conference, Panel

3:00pm CDT

Breaking Into Late Night
In a world that combines jokes, topical subject matter, daily deadlines, and even sketch comedy—all after hours—a writer really has to be on top of their game. Infusing comic relief into current events and trends, many of which can be delicate discussion points, requires writers to be on-their-toes and always five steps ahead. Panelists from The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Dennis Miller, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart will share their experiences in this unique medium, covering the diverse skill set needed to write everything from opening monologues to desk pieces, and how a job in the late night world can be a lucrative role in one’s career.
Sunday October 26, 2014 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
  Conference, Panel

3:00pm CDT

Independent Filmmaking Track: The Writer/Director/Actor Relationship
Join this panel of writers who went on to direct their own work for a discussion on how to craft complex and layered characters, and how this is communicated, ultimately, to their cast. What changes or adjustments do you make, if any? How do you work collaboratively to translate the original vision onto the screen? Writer/directors will be joined by leading actors from their films for an in-depth look at this dynamic and how to sustain a lucrative and creative relationship.
Filmmakers
avatar for Ella Purnell

Ella Purnell

actress Wildlike
Born on September 17, 1996 in London, England, Ella can currently be seen playing the young Angelina Jolie in Disney's Maleficent and will also appear in the lead role of the feature film Wildlike. Ella's also due to portray a young Jane in the upcoming remake of Tarzan. In 2008... Read More →
avatar for Frank Hall Green

Frank Hall Green

Partner/Producer, Catch & Release Films
Frank Hall Green is a film producer, writer and director. His directorial debut feature WILDLIKE is produced by Christine Vachon/Killer Films, Tandem Pictures and Joseph Stephans. It was filmed on 35mm in Alaska and stars Ella Purnell, Bruce Greenwood, Brian Geraghty, Nolan Gerard... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Harlow

Jennifer Harlow

Producer, SHO Pictures, writer/director The Sideways Light
Jennifer Harlow, native Texan, started writing stories between ballet classes as a child. She earned a BA in Theatre, and turned to independent filmmaking soon after moving to Austin. Jennifer acted in several films, including John Bryant's Momma's Boy which played Austin Film Festival... Read More →
LB

Lindsay Burdge

actress The Sideways Light
Lindsay Burdge is an actress, producer, and casting director who has starred in films screened at Tribeca, Sundance, and SXSW Film Festivals. Credits include A Teacher and First Winter as well as the upcoming The Midnight Swim and The Invitation.
MN

Matthew Newton

Cast, The Sideways Light
MATTHEW NEWTON is a critically acclaimed award winning actor, writer and director who worked extensively in his native Australia in theater, television and films, before relocating to America. His many leading roles on screen include starring in “Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities... Read More →

Sunday October 26, 2014 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
  Conference, Panel

3:00pm CDT

On Story Lounge
Don’t forget to check out the On Story Lounge, held in the Driskill Hotel’s Jim Hogg Parlor, featuring content from the On Story Project while offering a space for writers to meet, mingle, and relax!

Known as the “Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. On Story® is a natural progression of that mission and offers an organic, multi-platform initiative dedicated to this process through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry’s most prolific writers, directors, and producers.

For 21 years, Austin Film Festival has brought together the film and television industry’s most recognized screenwriters and filmmakers, including luminaries like Wes Anderson, Caroline Thompson, Oliver Stone, Johnny Depp, Ron Howard, Jason Reitman, James Franco, Jonathan Demme, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Judge, Shane Black, Callie Khouri, Damon Lindelof, Larry Wilmore, Greg Daniels, Sydney Pollack, and more.

Their passionate and in-depth conversations on the art and craft of storytelling have entertained thousands of Festival registrants over the years. Since Austin Film Festival’s launch, hundreds of these invaluably rich and informative discussions have been recorded and archived; AFF is thrilled to make these available to the public through the On Story Project. What inspired such instant classics as Schindler’s List, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Unforgiven, Slumdog Millionaire, Thelma and Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, Breaking Bad, Lost, and more? On Story gets to the heart of the matter and presents the stories behind the storytellers, revealing the real magic of movies.

LISTEN: Subscribe to the On Story podcast on iTunes, including conversations with Vince Gilligan, Jenji Kohan, Frank Darabont, Jeff Nichols, and more.

WATCH: On Story is a half-hour PBS-affiliated TV series that features an inside look at the creative process behind some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows. Available on 129 stations in 65 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Dallas, On Story is comprised of past AFF panels and Q&As, coupled with a short film that screened during the Festival.

READ: On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters and filmmakers who have attended the annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference. The book features content from panels featuring Lawrence Kasdan, John Lee Hancock, Whit Stillman, and more, with a special foreward by Brian Helgeland. It is available to purchase at Registration or on the Austin Film Festival website.

ATTEND: See On Story® LIVE at this year’s Festival & Screenwriters Conference! Take a seat in one of our On Story sponsored rooms for an up-close-and-personal experience with the 2014 Panelists, Filmmakers, and Awardees. On Story will be filming content at the Driskill Hotel’s Ballroom and Maximilian Room, the Stephen F. Austin InterContinental’s Ballroom, and St. David’s Episcopal Church’s Bethell Hall.
Sponsors
avatar for On Story

Sunday October 26, 2014 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
  Conference, Lounge-Exhibit
 
Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Wednesday, October 22
Thursday, October 23
Friday, October 24
Saturday, October 25
Sunday, October 26
Monday, October 27
Tuesday, October 28
Wednesday, October 29
Thursday, October 30
Alamo Drafthouse Village
Buffalo Billiards
Crave
Fado Irish Pub
French Legation Museum
Galaxy Highland 10 Theatre
IMAX Theatre
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Assembly Room
InterContinental Stephen F Austin, Ballroom
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Lucky Lounge
Paramount Theatre
Ranch 616
Rollins Theatre Presented by Chipotle Mexican Grill
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Speakeasy
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Bethell Hall
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Crail Hall
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Historic Sanctuary
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Vestry Conference Room
State Theatre
Texas Spirit Theater
The Austin Club
The Driskill Hotel
The Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Club
The Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
The Driskill Hotel, Crystal Room
The Driskill Hotel, Jim Hogg Parlor
The Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
The Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
The Hideout Theatre
Trinity Hall
  • Conference
  • Party
  • Screenings
  • Script Reading
  • Popular