Twenty-three U.S. and world premieres are on tap for the 2011 Austin Film Festival & Conference. Today’s list includes 60 titles from various genres. Highlights such as James Franco’s “Sal,” the latest by Jay and Mark Duplass, “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms, “The Descendants” starring George Clooney, “Shame” starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, “The Artist,” “Pariah,” and the world premieres of “Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters” and “Beneath the Darkness” are among the titles unveiled Tuesday. For the first time, Austin Film Festival will be screening in 3D, featuring the new animated film “Puss in Boots.”
“We’re proud to be taking our program in some exciting new directions while maintaining our focus on strong writing and engaging stories,” commented new Film Programmers Stephen Jannise and Stephen Belyeu in a statement about the fest. Austin styles itself as a premiere event “recognizing writers’ and filmmakers’ contributions to film, television and new media.”
AFF will host more than 170 film screenings and events and includes a conference lineup with over 100 guests participating in 90 plus panels and roundtable discussions.
Below is a listing of AFF’s film lineup which includes Marquee Screenings, from the dramatic to the action-oriented; AFF Presents…, special and retrospective screenings presented by filmmakers and industry personalities; Comedy Vanguard, from the silly to the cerebral; Dark Matters, from gore fest to creature features; Family Films, from 3D animation to live action; and Texas Independents, a showcase for Texas filmmakers. AFF will announce its opening, closing and centerpiece films at a later date.
The 2011 Austin Film Festival takes place October 20 – 27.
Lineup information provided by the Austin Film Festival:
Marquee Screenings:
THE DESCENDANTS Alexander Payne (Writer/Director), Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (Writers) stars George Clooney – Regional Premiere
THE ARTIST – Michael Hazanavicius (Writer/Director) – Regional Premiere
SHAME Steve McQueen (Writer/Director), Abi Morgan (Writer) stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan – Regional Premiere
THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH Pawel Pawlikowski (Writer/Director), Douglas Kennedy (Writer) stars Ethan Hawke – Regional Premiere
SAL James Franco (Writer/Director/Actor), Vince Jolivette, Stacey Miller (Writers) Regional Premiere
JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass (Writer/Directors) stars Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon – Regional Premiere
CORIOLANUS Ralph Fiennes (Director), John Logan (Writer) stars Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, and Jessica Chastain – Regional Premiere
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsey (Writer/Director), Rory Kinnear (Writer) stars John C. Reilly and Tilda Swinton – Regional Premiere
LIKE CRAZY Drake Doremus (Writer/Director), Ben York Jones (Writer) Regional Premiere
MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE Sean Durkin (Writer/Director) Regional Premiere
PARIAH Dee Rees (Writer/Director) Regional Premiere
ALBERT NOBBS Rodrigo Garcia (Director), Glenn Close, John Banville (Writers)
CINEMA IS EVERYWHERE Teal Greyhavens (Director) U.S. Premiere
6 MONTH RULE Blayne Weaver (Writer/Director) World Premiere
AFTER FALL, WINTER Eric Schaeffer (Writer/Director) Regional Premiere
AGE OF CHAMPIONS Chris Rufo (Director) Regional Premiere
ALL I KNOW: THE CASTLE SESSIONS Holly Bronko (Director) World Premiere
AMERICAN TEACHER Vanessa Roth, Brian McGinn (Directors) Regional Premiere
THE BULLY PROJECT Lee Hirsch (Director) Regional Premiere
THE CONQUEST OF HIGH PASSES Wout Conijn (Director) Regional Premiere
HELL AND BACK AGAIN Danfung Dennis (Director) Regional Premiere
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI David Gelb (Director) Regional Premiere
LET GO Brian Jett (Writer/Director) World Premiere
MANENBERG Christian Vium, Karen Waltorp (Directors) U.S. Premiere
PUSH: MADISON VERSUS MADISON Rudy Hypolite (Director) Regional Premiere
SAWDUST CITY David Nordstrom (Writer/Director) Regional Premiere
SHAKESPEARE HIGH Alex Rotaru (Director) Regional Premiere
WISH ME AWAY Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf (Directors) Regional Premiere
YOU HURT MY FEELINGS Steve Collins (Writer/Director) Regional Premiere
ROADIE Michael Cuesta (Writer/Director), Gerald Cuesta (Writer) Regional Premiere
DESPICABLE DICK AND RIGHTEOUS RICHARD Joshua Neale (Director) Regional Premiere
Narrative Feature Competition:
THE DYNAMITER Matthew Gordon (Director), Brad Ingelsby (Writer) Regional Premiere
HAROLD’S GOING STIFF Keith Wright (Writer/Director) U.S. Premiere
LEILA Lesley Manning (Writer/Director) U.S. Premiere
OK, ENOUGH, GOODBYE Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia (Writers/Directors) Regional Premiere
RESTIVE Jeremiah Jones (Writer/Director) Regional Premiere
SEAMONSTERS Julian Kerridge (Writer/Director), Martin Sadofski (Writer) U.S. Premiere
SOMEWHERE WEST David Marek (Writer/Director), Adam Benn, Barrett Ogden, Judson Webb (Writers) World Premiere
THE STAND UP David Wexler (Writer/Director) World Premiere
STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS Brady Kiernan (Director), Nat Bennett, Sam Rosen (Writer) Regional Premiere
Documentary Feature Competition:
ECSTASY OF ORDER: THE TETRIS MASTERS Adam Cornelius (Director) World Premiere
ONE NIGHT STAND Elisabeth Sperling, Trish Dalton (Directors) Regional Premiere
TOWNSHIP TO THE STAGE David Meyer (Director) World Premiere
THANK YOU FOR JUDGING Michael Urie, Sean Fornara, Selma Al-Faqih, Travis Flournoy (Directors) World Premiere
WHEN DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT Sheona McDonald (Writer/Director) World Premiere
DARWIN Nick Brandestini (Director), Taylor Segrest (Writer) Regional Premiere
STORIES FROM AN UNDECLARED WAR Dennis Rice (Director) Regional Premiere
GOOLD’S GOLD Tucker Capps, Ryan Sevy (Directors) Regional Premiere
AFF Presents…
John Lasseter presents… Toy Story
Caroline Thompson presents… Edward Scissorhands
A Tribute to Polly Platt presented by Luke Wilson with special taped intro by Wes Anderson Bottle Rocket
An Afternoon of Nicholas Ray: Don’t Expect Too Much & We Can’t Go Home Again presented with the Harry Ransom Center
Comedy Vanguard:
FREAK DANCE Matt Besser (Writer/Director), Neil Mahoney (Director) World Premiere
FRED & VINNIE Fred Stoller (Writer), Steve Skrovan (Director) Regional Premiere
HIGH ROAD Matt Walsh (Writer/Director), Josh Weiner (Writer) Regional Premiere
TREATMENT Sean Nelson (Writer/Director), Steven Schardt (Director) Regional Premiere
Dark Matters:
BELOW ZERO Justin Thomas Ostensen (Director), Signe Olynyk (Writer) U.S. Premiere
BENEATH THE DARKNESS Martin Guigui (Director), Bruce Wilkinson (Writer) World Premiere
DEADHEADS Brett Pierce, Drew Pierce (Writers/Directors)
SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE Jack Perez (Director), Ryan Levin (Writer)
Family Films:
PUSS IN BOOTS Chris Miller (Director), Brian Lynch, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler, Jon Zack (Writers) Regional Premiere
INUK Mike Magidson (Writer/Director), Jean-Michel Huctin (Writer) Regional Premiere
SMALL AND CREEPY FILMS A collection of short films, curated by Distinguished Screenwriter Awardee Caroline Thompson, Steve Nicolaides and Micah Van Hove
Texas Independents:
AUSTIN HIGH Alan Deutsch (Director), Will Elliott, Kirk C. Johnson (Writers) World Premiere
DEEP IN THE HEART Christopher Cain (Director), Josh Fasulo, Brian A. Hoffman (Writers) World Premiere
AN ORDINARY FAMILY Mike Akel (Writer/Director), Matt Patterson (Writers)
SEARCHING FOR SONNY Andrew Disney (Writer/Director) World Premiere
SIRONIA Brandon Dickerson (Writer/Director), Thomas Ward, Wes Cunningham (Writers) World Premiere
STRINGS Mark Dennis (Writer/Director), Ben Foster (Director) Regional Premiere
A SWINGIN’ TRIO Kelvin Phillips (Writer/Director) World Premiere
UNCERTAIN, TX Eric Steele (Writer/Director), Hunter Wood (Writer) World Premiere