A NOIR SCRIPT BY SHANE BLACK & ANTHONY BAGAROZZI. READ BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS WITH BLACK DIRECTING.
SUNDAY, OCT. 23RD AT THE ROLLINS THEATER IN AUSTIN, TX
AUSTIN, TX (August 30, 2011) – The Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced today an exclusive staged reading of Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi’s noir script, “The Nice Guys,” during the Festival. The script will be read by professional actors with Black and Bagarozzi in attendance, with Black directing. The reading will be Sunday, October 23rd at 4:30pm at the Rollins Theatre at The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, TX.
It’s going to be a production you won’t want to miss during the Festival, as these two seasoned screenwriters give film fans a first glimpse at this dark murder mystery read live by actors. “The Nice Guys” follows last year’s wildly popular and successful reading of Maggie Carey’s “The Hand Job.” AFF’s script readings are energetic and considered some of the Conference’s most beloved events, bringing the page to life with comedic, dramatic and exciting performances.
ABOUT THE NICE GUYS
In smoggy 1970s Los Angeles, Jackson Healy (muscle-for-hire, recovering alcoholic) and Holland March (private eye, practicing alcoholic) are brought together by the suicide of a fading porn star. Problem is, the dead girl’s aunt is convinced she saw her niece alive and well, AFTER the highly publicized incident. March needs money, takes the case-and within days, it’s blossomed into a far-reaching murder conspiracy, bizarrely rooted in smog and the U.S. auto industry.
Shane Black has had tremendous success in creating a number of box office blockbusters, including the first two “Lethal Weapon” movies and 1991’s “The Last Boyscout.” In 1990, Shane sold his espionage script “The Long Kiss Goodnight” for a record sum of money. His directorial debut, the romantic thriller “Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang” re-teamed him with producer Joel Silver. Black was the recipient of the 2006 Austin Film Festival’s Distinguished Screenwriter Award. Next, he’s writing and directing “Iron Man 3” starring Robert Downey, Jr., scheduled for release May 2013.
Anthony Bagarozzi broke into the business with the sale of “Tick Tock,” an original screenplay, which he co-wrote with Chuck Mondry. Along with writing “The Nice Guys” with Shane Black, Bagarozzi is currently working on a “Doc Savage” screenplay for Sony Pictures, as well as adapting the best selling manga “Death Note” for Warner Brothers. Next year he plans to make his directorial debut with the supernatural thriller “Deathless,” co-written by Chuck Mondry and produced by Modern Pictures.
Past Austin Film Festival script readings include works by Anne Rapp, Ya’Ke Smith, Jim Dauterive, Tim McCandlies, Bill Wittliff, Larry Wright, Mike Fry, Kat Candler, the late Bud Shrake and, most recently, the 2009 Black List scripts “By Way of Helena” by Matthew Cook with Jeff Fahey, D.B. Sweeney and others, and “The Hand Job” by Maggie Carey, with performers Aubrey Plaza, Bill Hader, Jessica Alba, Colin Hanks, and others.
Film Passes and Festival Badges are currently on sale at a discounted rate until September 30th and can be purchased athttp://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/collections/2011-badges-film-passes. Right now, Film Passes are only $42. All Badges and Passes grant admission to the script reading.
AFF has also announced the early 10 films screening at the festival this year, as well as this year’s award winners and the confirmed Conference panelists. These announcements and general information on the 18th annual Austin Film Festival is available atwww.austinfilmfestival.com/ or call 1-800-310-FEST (3378). For regular updates, follow AFF on Facebook at facebook.com/AustinFilmFestival and Twitter @austinfilmfest.
About Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering 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.
The Austin Film Festival is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
Special support is provided to the Austin Film Festival by Dos Equis, KVUE, KUT 90.5 FM, United/Continental Airlines, and Esurance.