History

Austin Film Festival furthers the art and craft of filmmaking by inspiring and championing the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story.

Founded in 1993, the Austin Film Festival (AFF) was the first organization of its kind to focus on the writers’ creative contribution to film.  AFF originally consisted of the Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference, a forum for craft development, inspiration, networking and launching careers created for screenwriters - the film industry’s historically under-represented, as evidenced by the recent writers’ strike.  It has since grown to serve all filmmakers and Austin’s arts community and now encompasses a wealth of year-round programming dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the art and impact of storytelling.

What AFF is probably best known for around the world is its annual October Austin Film Festival & Conference.  The Film Festival & Conference was the first event of its kind to take the lead in bringing professional and amateur screenwriters (and now filmmakers) together to celebrate the role of the screenplay in filmmaking and discuss the considerable creative possibilities of writing for film and television.  Equally important, the Conference brought producers, agents, and screenwriters together to foster the sale of screenplays and launch long-term successful careers.  Hundreds of writers’ groups, services and festivals have followed the Conference’s model over the past ten years, reinforcing the value of its continuing mission to recognize the art of screenwriting.

Past participants of the Festival & Conference include Sydney Pollack, Wes Anderson, James L. Brooks, Joel & Ethan Coen, Russell Crowe, Barry Levinson, Robert Altman, Darren Star, Robert Duvall, Buck Henry, Dennis Hopper, Lawrence Kasdan, John Landis, Claire Danes, Garry Shandling, Susannah Grant, Bryan Singer, Oliver Stone, Sandra Bullock, Jason Schwartzman, Harold Ramis, and Owen Wilson, to name just a few.

AFF provides many local arts organizations and businesses with a creative platform to showcase their services through programming collaborations and social events, all of which serve to show off Austin and what the city has to offer.  Some organizations AFF has partnered with include Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, Texas Film Commission, Texas Book Festival, LBJ Library, Bob Bullock Texas History Center, Emancipet, AISD, Arthouse at Jones Center, Travis County Sheriff's Office, Cine Las Americas, Long Center for the Performing Arts, Writers’ League of Texas, University of Texas at Austin’s Radio-Television-Film Department and Michener Center for Writers, and Dell Children's Hospital.

All AFF events are open to the public and many are free of charge. Festival & Conference Badges are available at various levels and prices, and AFF offers significant group and member discounts to local non-profit arts organizations.  Still, AFF is determined to not let finances preclude one's introduction to the arts and annually grants in several hundred local teachers and college and high school students to attend the Conference. As part of AFF’s Arts Education Outreach Program, the Conference Director produces a series of panels specifically for students and teachers to learn about creative writing and storytelling, career and film school opportunities.

The Austin Film Festival strives to be accessible to all patrons of the arts. While all of our Conference and Festival venues are wheelchair accessible, it is important to request accessible seating for a particular screening at least one day before the screening. As there are a limited number of available seats, waiting until walk-up or the day of the screening does not guarantee an accessible seat will be available. These requests can be made by calling the Austin Film Festival at 800-310-FEST(3378).

Sign Language Interpreters can be made available for the Conference. Interpreted panels are subject to the availability of an interpreter. Please call Austin Film Festival at 800-310-FEST(3378) to request.

Sign Language Interpreters are provided by LotuSIGN. LotuSIGN provides highly specialized American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services to a diverse body of music venues, theaters, performance groups, and panels. They also provide coordination, advocacy, training workshops and consultant services to festivals, conferences, theaters and interpreters across the United States. Their vision is to ensure access for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community by providing the best possible visual representation of an artist’s work.