The Austin Film Festival furthers the art and craft of film making by inspiring and championing the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story.
The Austin Film Festival is a not for profit 501c3 corporation.
2012 CONFERENCE: October 18-21
2012 FESTIVAL: October 18-25
2010 Conference Panelists*
William Akers screenwriter, author of bestselling Your Screenplay Sucks!, 100 Ways To Make It Great – Akers’ participation at AFF is sponsored by Austin Cats!
Lise Anderson, WGAW Senior Director Contracts
Sterling Anderson writer "Medium," "The Unit"
Michael Arndt writer Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine
John August Screenwriter Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels
Amanda Austin co-owner of Megaphone Comedy, co-producer for Dallas Comedy Festival, and training center director for Dallas Comedy House
Todd Berger screenwriter Chasing Christmas, Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of The Furious Five, The Scenesters, documentary Don't Eat The Baby: Adventures at Post-Katrina Mardi Gras
Richard Bever Chill Entertainment
Adrienne Biddle Unbroken Pictures
Maggie Biggar Vice President, Fortis Films
Shane Black Screenwriter/Director Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Screenwriter Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Last Boyscout, AFF board member
Barry Blaustein director Peep World, screenwriter Nutty Professor 2, The Nutty Professor, Boomerang, Coming to America, Police Academy 2, “Saturday Night Live”
Michael Brandt Screenwriter Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma, 2 Fast 2 Furious
Melissa Breaux Washington Square Arts
Bryan Brucks Brucks Entertainment
Curtis Burch President, Latitude Productions
Edward Burns writer/director/actor The Brothers McMullen, Sidewalks of New York, Nice Guy Johnny
Kat Candler screenwriter / director / UT RTF lecturer, Jumping off bridges, Love Bug, The Spider in the Bathtub, Love Me
Greg Carter writer/director Fifth Ward, Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story, Waters Rising, Dysfunctional Friends
Mary Coleman Senior Creative Development Executive, Pixar Animation Studios
Matthew Cook Triple Nine, By Way of Helena (2009 Black List)
Tom Copeland Professor at Texas State University, former director of the Texas Film Commission
Henry Corra director The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan
David Denby The New Yorker
Matt Dentler, Cinetic Rights Management
Greg DePaul Bride wars, Saving Silverman, Killer Bud
Larry Doyle screenwriter I Love You, Beth Cooper, Duplex, "The Simpsons," "Beavis and Butt-Head," author Go, Mutants
Diane Drake screenwriter What Women Want, Only You
Rick Dugdale Enderby Entertainment
Charles Ealy Austin American-Statesman
Jason Eaton Ice Age 3, Spartacus Lobster, The Facttracker
Marjorie Eber Owner and Eco-Coordinator, Green Set - a division of Miscellaneous Rentals
Jay Wade Edwards television producer and editor "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", writer/director/editor of Stomp! Shout! Scream!
Owen Egerton screenwriter Henchmen, Bobbie Sue
Michael Elliot screenwriter Just Wright, MTV’s Hip-Hopera: Carmen, Like Mike, Brown Sugar
Warren Etheredge founder of The Warren Report, president and head of development for Lockspring Pictures
Rebecca Ewing United Talent Agency
Travis Fine writer/director/producer The Space Between, The Others
Lisa Fragner Head of Feature Film Development, 20th Century Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios, Inc.
Dan French screenwriter “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson", “Dennis Miller”, “The Best Damn Sports Show Period”, “Wanda Sykes”
Michael Fry President Ring Tales, Over the Hedge
Jeff Gorin William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Parke Gregg Stuck On On
Jen Grisanti story consultant, independent producer, writing instructor for NBC's Writers on the Verge, blogger for The Huffington Post and author, Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story
Derek Haas screenwriter Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma, 2 Fast 2 Furious, author The Silver Bear, Columbus
Andrew Halbreich Trace Elements / Shrub Music
Tom Hammond sound designer The Unforeseen, Lovers of Hate, Waking Life, Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly; owner Soundcrafter
John Lee Hancock writer/director The Blind Side, The Alamo, writer A Perfect World, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, director The Rookie
James V. Hart screenwriter Hook, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Contact, Tuck Everlasting, The Last Mimzy, August Rush
Noah Hawley creator/writer/executive producer “My Generation,” writer/executive producer “The Unusuals,” writer/co-producer “Bones”
Phil Hay screenwriter Clash of the Titans, AEon Flux, crazy/beautiful
Pat Hazell writer “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”, “My Life In 3D”, “Showtime’s Aspen Comedy Special”, “Seinfeld”
Rita Hsiao Toy Story 2, Mulan
Chris Huntley Academy Technical Achievement Award-winning co-creator of Write Brothers, Inc. and the Movie Magic series of software products
Dano Johnson founder Collection Agency Films, an animation collective of comedy writers, animators, and musicians, co-writer/co-director Flatland: The Movie
Barry Josephson Josephson Entertainment, AFF board member
Deena Kalai PLLC
Michael Katchman President, Rivercoast Film Distribution
Anthony Kaufman film journalist, contributor to Variety, the Wall Street Journal Online, indieWIRE.com, the Village Voice, contributing editor to Filmmaker Magazine
Kyle Killen “Lonestar”, The Beaver (2008 Black List)
Simon Kinberg screenwriter Sherlock Holmes, X-Men: The Last Stand, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Alma Kuttruff, line producer/production manager Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink, Dazed and Confused
Tim League founder and CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Franchise
Angela Lee Director of Creative Affairs, Vox3 Films
Franklin Leonard Director of Development, Universal Pictures, creator of the Black List
Brent Lilley Lit/IP Manager, Mosaic Media
Allan Loeb screenwriter Cheaters, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Switch, 21
Jeff Lowell screenwriter Hotel for Dogs, Over Her Dead Body, John Tucker Must Die, "Just Shoot Me," "Spin City," "The Drew Carey Show"
Jon Lucas screenwriter The Hangover, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Four Christmases
Maggie Malone director of creative development, Disney Animation Studios
Chris Mass screenwriter and producer Chalk 2006 AFF Narrative Feature and Audience Award Winner, Bobbie Sue, Henchmen
Craig Mazin screenwriter The Hangover 2, Scary Movie 4, Scary Movie 3
Tim McCanlies director Alabama Moon, writer Secondhand Lions, The Iron Giant
Jimmy Miller screenwriter Slugger, winner of the 2007 AFF Screenplay Competition
Neil Miller filmschoolrejects.com
Victor Moyers CCO, Reversal Films, Producer Mississippi Chicken, Skateland, Echotone
Peter Murrieta showrunner and creator "Hope and Faith," "Greetings from Tucson," "Wizards of Waverly Place”
Gayla Nethercott Nethercott Agency
Grant Nieporte screenwriter Seven Pounds, “8 Simple Rules”
Signe Olynyk President/CEO of Protagonist Pictures Inc. in Los Angeles, and Twilight Pictures, Inc. in Canada, founder Great American PitchFest and the Great Canadian PitchFest
Joyce San Pedro Creative Executive for Alex Siskin and with Escape Artists at Sony
Nancy Pimental writer “South Park”, The Sweetest Thing
Mark Potts S&M Lawn Care, Follicle Frolic
Dominique Preyer Music Supervisor, Hear It - Clear It
PJ Raval cinematographer/director/producer Trinidad, Holding Patterns, A Boy’s Mouth
Frank Reynolds editor In the Bedroom, In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Cape of Good Hope, AFF Award Winner 2004
Graham Reynolds composer A Scanner Darkly, Gretchen, I'll Come Running
Pamela Ribon writer "Samantha Who," "Romantically Challenged," "Mind of Mencia", 2001 AFF Finalist for the Sitcom Category
Alvaro Rodriguez writer Machete, Shorts, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter, Allied Forces
Philip Rosenthal, creator/executive producer, "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Down the Shore," "Coach"
Jennifer Salt screenwriter Eat Pray Love, “Nip/Tuck”
Kelly Sanders Executive Director, Truly Indie
Bob Schultz The Great American Pitch Fest
Chuck Sklar screenwriter “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Politically Incorrect,” “The Chris Rock Show”
Alex Smith co-writer/director Dance With the One, The Slaughter Ruler, Son of the Gun
Malcolm Spellman writer Family Wedding, Soul Train, Johnson Family Vacation 2, Balls Out (as The Robotard 8000 with Tim Talbott) which made the 2009 Black List
Paul Stekler documentary filmmaker George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire, Vote for Me: Politics in America, Last Man Standing: Politics Texas Style, Frontline's The Choice 2008; teaches documentary film production in the Radio-Television-Film Dept. at the University of Texas.
Bradley Sullivan writer/director I Didn’t Come Here To Die
Matt Summers VP of Film and TV, 821 Entertainment
Tim Talbott writer “South Park”, Balls Out (as The Robotard 8000 with Malcolm Spellman) which made the 2009 Black List
Neil Truglio writer/director We are the Sea
Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times film critic
John Turman screenwriter/producer Hulk, Fantastic Four II: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Ben 10: Alien Swarm
Mark Vahradian President of Production, di Bonaventura Pictures
Meta Valentic Assistant Director "Bones," "Lost," Producer of independent films
Ezra Venetos SharkFilms
Randall Wallace director Secretariat, screenwriter/director We Were Soldiers, The Man in the Iron Mask, writer Braveheart, AFF board member
Tiffany Ward Creative Artists Agency
Scott Weinberg, Cinematical/Moviefone and FEARnet
Herschel Weingrod writer Trading Places, Brewster’s Millions, producer Falling Down
John Wells writer/director The Company Men, producer Duma, White Oleander, The Good Thief, Doom; creator/producer "ER," "The West Wing," "Third Watch," and "China Beach," President of the Writers Guild of America, West
Chase Whale gordonandthewhale.com
John Woldenberg producer, Exporting Raymond, The Visitor, Smart People
Dawn Wolfrom producer The Perfect Man, Never Again, Accidental It Girl
Jorge Zamacona creator/writer “Wanted”, “10-8: Officers on Duty”, writer “Homicide: Life on the Street”, consulting producer/writer on ABC’s “The Unusuals”, writing/ producing “Outlaw”, airing this fall on NBC
Emily Zulauf Creative Development Associate, Pixar Animation Studios
*Confirmed 2010 Conference panelists, schedules permitting.
2010 Conference Moderators
Steven Arvanites founder of NYCscreenwriter.org
H.W. Brands author Traitor to His Class, Andrew Jackson, The Age of Gold, The First American
Aadip Desai writer
Robert Draper writer for GQ, The New York Times Magazine, author of Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush, Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History, and Hadrian's Walls
Stuart Kelban Department of Radio-Television-Film University of Texas at Austin
Andy Langer contributing editor and music columnist at Esquire, co-hosts “The Late Show” morning program on KGSR and hosts "The Next Big Thing" on 101X (KROX)
Alison Macor author Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids (March 2010, University of Texas Press), former film critic for The Austin Chronicle and the Austin American-Statesman
Clay Smith Literary Director, Texas Book Festival
Fred Strype Professor / Chair Screenwriting, Filmmaking/New Media Arts Program at Sarah Lawrence College; Adjunct Assistant Professor Columbia University – Graduate Film Program
Dawn Wiercinski independent producer
Drew Yanno Adjunct Associate Professor, Film Studies Department, Boston College, author of The Third Act: Writing a Great Ending to Your Screenplay (Continuum 2006)
*Schedules Permitting
Mark Your Calendars!
AFF 2012, October 18-25
AFF 2013, October 24-31
AFF 2014, October 23-30
AFF 2015, October 22-29