Austin Film Festival Announces Full 2024 Film & Conference Schedule

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Still from ‘Maria’ Courtesy of the Austin Film Festival.

Well, this is it cinephiles. For in less than thirty days, we will all gather in Austin, Texas to enjoy the Austin Film Festival and all the wonder it has to offer. Such as incredible films and incredible panels. Not to mention, we will make some lifelong friends that love cinema as much as we do and we will of course, leave feeling happy and fulfilled. For this really is a special festival, and the AFF staff is fully aware of how eager and ready everyone is to enjoy what the festival has to offer, and that’s why today’s announcement is so special.
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For earlier, the AFF announced the full film and conference schedule for this year’s festival, and also let it be known that Robin Swicord will be honored at the event, and well… since you’re ready to attend and are counting down the minutes to this epic event, here is that full schedule and more information on which award Robin will be honored with. As we enter the home stretch of waiting for one of the finest film festivals around.

'Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writer’s and filmmaker’s contributions to film, television, and new media, has announced its entire 2024 program, taking place Thursday, October 24 – Thursday, October 31.

AFF is thrilled to present a diverse lineup of films for the 31st Festival. Exciting new World Premieres include the paranoia-thriller Crossword; folk-horror The Fetch starring Robert Longstreet; and ensemble conspiracy-comedy Operation Taco Gary’s starring Simon Rex, Dustin Milligan, Jason Biggs, and Brenda Song. North American and US premieres include the documentary *smiles and kisses you*, about a man and his AI-sex doll girlfriend; In Vitro, an Australian sci-fi thriller investigating the ethics of animal breeding; and Phantoms of the Sierra Madre, an inquisitive documentary questioning the nature of the form as it follows a Norwegian writer retracing the footsteps of his childhood hero.
Additional programming includes Centerpiece Film The Order with writer Zach Baylin and star Tye Sheridan in attendance; the Texas premiere of A24’s historical epic The Brutalist; a 25th Anniversary screening of Go presented by John August and The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman; Paramount Pictures' buzzy awards title September 5, starring Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro; and a specialty screening of Pixar’s brand new series Dream Productions, a spin-off of the Inside Out franchise of films.

Films will be premiering alongside AFF’s Annual Writers Conference, featuring awardees and panelists across all sectors of the industry. Robin Swicord will receive the 2024 Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting, previously accepted by Eric Roth (2012), Callie Khouri (2013), Nancy Meyers (2016), and Kenneth Lonergan (2017), among many others.

Robin Swicord is primarily known for her work as a screenwriter for Memoirs Of A Geisha (Satellite Award for best screenplay); the 1994 Little Women (Writers Guild award nomination, Satellite award); Matilda (with her husband Nicholas Kazan); and the cult comedy Shag; The Perez Family; Practical Magic. In 2009 Swicord received an Oscar nomination for her contribution to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a project Swicord originated and worked on for more than a decade. Swicord made her feature-directing debut with Sony Classic’s The Jane Austen Book Club, produced by Julie Lynn and John Calley, for which Swicord also wrote the screenplay adaptation. She also wrote and directed Wakefield, for Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. As both writer and co-Executive Producer, Swicord collaborated with Ava DuVernay on DuVernay’s five-part miniseries, When They See Us, for Netflix.
 
Swicord served for seven years as a Governor for the Writers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. She mentors for the Sundance Screenwriting lab and Film Independent’s creative labs. She is an honorary professor at the Munich film school, HFF, where Swicord teaches an annual 10-day screenwriting workshop that focuses on narrative and the elements of drama.
Previously announced awardees include Kathleen Kennedy (Polly Platt Award for Producing), Ronald D. Moore (Outstanding Television Writer Award), Justin Marks (Writer’s Writer Award), and Rachel Kondo (New Voice Award).

AFF is also announcing Tom Segura to attend the Writers Conference to discuss the state of the comedy industry, and Justin Kurtikzes to discuss the cultural phenomenon, Challengers. Previously announced panelists include Rian Johnson, Craig Mazin, Tanya Saracho, Meg LeFauve, Julie Plec, Marissa Jo Cerar, Juel Taylor, and Glen Basner.

2024 Austin Film Festival full lineup below:
 
MARQUEES
 
A Real Pain (USA)
Writer/Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes
 
Bird (Ireland)
Writer/Director: Andrea Arnold
Cast: Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Barry Keoghan, Jason Buda
 
Black Dog (China)
Writer: Guan Hu, Ge Rui, Wu Bing
Director: Guan Hu
Cast: Eddie Peng, Tong Liya, Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yi, Zhou You
 
Blitz (UK)
Writer/Director: Steve McQueen
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Paul Weller, Elliott Heffernan, Harris Dickinson
 
Born For You (Italy)
Writer: Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda, and Fabio Mollo
Director: Fabio Mollo
Cast: Pierluigi Gigante, Teresa Saponangelo, Barbora Bobulova, Alessandro Piavani
 
Dream Productions (USA)
Writer/Director: Mike Jones
Cast: Paula Pell, Richard Ayoade, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ally Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith
In Attendance: Mike Jones, Sanjay Shah
 
I'm Still Here (Brazil)
Writer: Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega, based on the book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva
Director: Walter Salles
Cast: Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro
 
Lake George (USA)
Writer/Director: Jeffrey Reiner
Cast: Shea Whigham, Carrie Coon, Glenn Fleshler, Max Casella
In Attendance: Jeffrey Reiner
 
Maria (USA)
Writer: Steven Knight
Director: Pablo Larraín
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valeria Golino
 
Nickel Boys (USA)
Writer: RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
Director: RaMell Ross
Cast: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
 
Nightbitch (USA)
Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder
Writer/Director: Marielle Heller
Cast: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Snowden, Emmett Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper
 
Ravens (France/Japan/Belgium/Spain)
Writer/Director: Mark Gill
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Kumi Takiuchi, Sôsuke Ikematsu, Kanji Furutachi
In Attendance: Mark Gill, Tadanobu Asano
World Premiere
 
Santosh (India)
Writer/Director: Sandhya Suri
Cast: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar
 
September 5 (USA)
Writer: Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum
Director: Tim Fehlbaum
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch
 
The Brutalist (USA/UK/Hungary)
Writer: Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
Director: Brady Corbet
Cast: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
 
The Kingdom (Corsica)
Writer: Julien Colonna, Jeanne Herry
Director: Julien Colonna
Cast: Ghjuvanna Benedetti, Saveriu Santucci, Anthony Morganti, Andrea Cossu, Frédéric Poggi, Régis Gomez, and Eric Ettori
 
The Knife (USA)
Writer:  Nnamdi Asomugha, Mark Duplass
Director: Nnamdi Asomugha
Cast: Nnamdi Asomugha, Aja Naomi King, Melissa Leo, Aiden Gabrielle Price
In Attendance: Nnamdi Asomugha
 
The Order (USA) - CENTERPIECE FILM
Writer: Zach Baylin
Director: Justin Kurzel
Cast:  Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver and Marc Maron
In Attendance: Zach Baylin, Tye Sheridan
 
The Piano Lesson (USA) - OPENING NIGHT FILM
Writer: Malcolm Washington, Virgil Williams
Director: Malcolm Washington
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins, Erykah Badu
In Attendance: Virgil Williams
 
The Room Next Door (USA)
Writer/Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton
 
Unstoppable (USA)
Writer: John Hindman, Eric Champnella, Alex Harris
Director: William Goldenberg
Cast: Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Don Cheadle
 
RETROSPECTIVES
Being There – 45th Anniversary (USA)
Writer: Jerzy Kosinski, Robert C. Jones
Director: Hal Ashby
Cast: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart
Presented by Noah Harpster & Micah Fitzerman-Blue
 
Go – 25th Anniversary (USA)
Writer: John August
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Desmond Askew, Katie Holmes, Sarah Polley, Taye Diggs, Scott Wolf
Presented by John August and Matt Selman
Dirty Harry (USA)
Writer: Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, Dean Riesner
Director: Don Siegel
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, Harry Guardino, John Mitchum, Mae Mercer
Presented by Shane Black
 
NARRATIVE FEATURE PRESENTED BY BIG INDIE PICTURES
 
Adjunct (USA)
Writer/Director: Ron Najor
Cast: Ron Najor, Kristin Erickson, Ross Turner, Nikohl Boosheri
 
Audrey's Children (USA)
Writer: Julia Fisher Farbman
Director: Ami Canaan Mann
Cast: Natalie Dormer, Jimmi Simpson, Clancy Brown, Brandon Micheal Hall
 
Color Book (USA)
Writer/Director: David Fortune
Cast: Will Catlett, Jeremiah Daniels, Brandee Evans, Terri J. Vaughn
 
Crossword (USA)
Writer: Kyle Anderson, Michael Vlamis
Director: Michael Vlamis
Cast: Aurora Perrineau, Michael Vlamis, Harvey Guillén, Nick Thune
World Premiere
 
Green and Gold (USA)
Writer: Anders Lindwall, Steven Shafer, Michael Graf, Missy Mareau Garcia
Director: Anders Lindwall
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Brandon Sklenar, M Emmet Walsh, Madison Lawlor
 
La Gloria (USA)
Writer: J. T. Walker, Christopher Young
Director: J. T.  Walker
Cast: David Morse, Jaklyn Bejarano, Bill Heck
World Premiere
 
Life's A Bitch (Belgium)
Writer/Director: Xavier Seron
Cast: Jean-Jacques Rausin, Mara Taquin, Arieh Worthalter, Louise Manteau
 
Silent Notes (USA)
Writer: Toni Comas, Anna Franquesa Solano, & Jason Furlani
Director: Toni Comas
Cast: Daniel Durant, Matt Riker, Theodore Bouloukos, Jason Furlani
World Premiere
 
The Thawing of Ice (Canada)
Writer: Sarah Lévesque, François Péloquin
Director: François Péloquin
Cast: Christine Beaulieu, Lothaire Bluteau, Marc Béland, Étienne Lou
U.S. Premiere
 
The Wise Guy (Ireland)
Writer/Director: Sam O’Mahony
Cast: Senan Jennings, Darrell D'Silva
 
To Kill A Wolf (USA)
Writer/Director: Kelsey Taylor
Cast: Maddison Brown, Ivan Martin, Michael Esper, Katilin Doubleday
 
Young King (USA)
Writer/Director: Bryant T. Griffin
Cast: Vincent Washington, Tarra Riggs, Kirby Griffin, Vaughn Wilkinson
 
DARK MATTERS FEATURE PRESENTED BY VERTIGO ENTERTAINMENT
 
Ba (USA)
Writer/Director: Benjamin Wong
Cast: Lawrence Kao, Kai Cech, Michael Paul Chan, Brian Thompson
 
In Vitro (Australia)
Writer: Tom McKeith, Talia Zucker, Will Howarth
Director: Tom McKeith, Will Howarth
Cast: Talia Zucker, Will Howarth, Ashley Zukerman
North American Premiere
 
Shaman (Ecuador)
Writer: Daniel Negret
Director: Antonio Negret
Cast: Sara Canning, Daniel Gillies, Jett Klyne, Humberto Morales
World Premiere
 
The Beldham (USA)
Writer/Director: Angela Gulner
Cast: Patricia Heaton, Katie Parker, Emma Fitzpatrick, Corbin Bernsen
North American Premiere
 
The Fetch (USA)
Writer: J.C. Doler, Paul Petersen
Director: J.C. Doler
Cast: Robert Longstreet, Aleksa Palladino, Logan Donovan, Shannon Cochran
World Premiere
 
Tummy Monster (UK)
Writer: Ciaran Lyons and Lorn Macdonald & Orlando Norman
Director: Ciaran Lyons
Cast: Lorn Macdonald, Orlando Norman, Michael Akinsulire
North American Premiere
 
COMEDY VANGUARD FEATURE
 
I Hate Myself and Want to Die (USA)
Writer/Director: J. Davis
Cast: Mike Castle, Ali Gallo, Andre Hyland, Meredith Salenger
World Premiere
 
Lady Parts (USA)
Writer: Bonnie Gross
Director: Nancy Boyd
Cast: Valentina Tammaro, Amy Lyndon, Peter Larney, Lars Midthun
 
Operation Taco Gary's (USA)
Writer/Director: Michael Kvamme
Cast: Simon Rex, Dustin Milligan, Jason Biggs, Brenda Song, Arturo Castro, Tony Cavalero, Doug Jones
World Premiere
 
Party People (USA)
Writer: Lindsey Robertson
Director: Joey LePage
Cast: Matthew Daddario, Elisha Henig, George Basil, Samuel Davis, Shonagh Smith, Gustavo Gomez, Missy Malek, Luxy Banner, Dale Watson, Conrad Vernon
World Premiere
 
Raging Midlife (USA)
Writer: Nic Costa, Rob Taylor
Director: Rob Taylor
Cast: Paula Abdul, Eddie Griffin, Walter Koenig, Judy Levitt, Nic Costa, Matt Zak, Darrielle Mason, Bryna Smith, Emily Sweet, Rob Taylor
World Premiere
 
Sisters (USA)
Writer/Director: Susie Yankou
Cast: Susie Yankou, Sarah Khasrovi, Kausar Mohammed, Anna Garcia
U.S. Premiere
 
The Perfect Club (Mexico)
Writer/Director: Ricardo Castro
Cast: Rodrigo Munguía, Gabriel Fritsch, Andrea Tova, Daniela Martínez
World Premiere
 
Time Travel is Dangerous (UK)
Writer: Chris Reading, Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, Hillary Shakespeare
Director: Chris Reading
Cast: Johnny Vegas, Sophie Thompson, Jane Horrocks, Stephen Fry
World Premiere
 
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
 
Artifact War (USA)
Director: Evan Carpenter & Jacob Schwarz
Cast: Amr Al Azm, Katie Paul
World Premiere
 
Champions of the Golden Valley (USA)
Director: Ben Sturgulewski
Cast: Sayed Alishah Farhang, Mujtaba Hussaini, Hussain Ali Nazari
 
Deaf Santa Claus (USA)
Director: Ben Shelton and Anthony Mowl
Cast: Charles William Graves, Kari Graves, Kalei Graves
World Premiere
 
Desert Angel (USA)
Director: Vincent DeLuca
World Premiere
 
Norita (USA)
Director: Jayson McNamara, Andrea Tortonese
Cast: Nora Cortiñas, Nora Strejilevich, Ana María Careaga, Antonia Canizo
 
Phantoms of the Sierra Madre (Norway)
Writer: Lars Kristian Andersen
Director: Håvard Bustnes
Cast: Lars K. Andersen, Pius LaCroix-Garcia, Helge Ingstad, Robert Geronimo
North American Premiere
 
*smiles and kisses you* (USA)
Director: Bryan Carberry
U.S. Premiere
 
The Prison Show (USA/France)
Director: Gabriella Kessler
North American Premiere
 
TEXAS INDEPENDENT FEATURE
 
American Spirit (USA)
Writer/Director: Christopher Yates
Cast: Yasmeen Fletcher, Cooper Roth, Mackinlee Waddell, Todd Terry
World Premiere
 
SUBTOPIA: The Story of Hueco Canyon (USA)
Writer: Clifford Wildman, Luis Caffesse, Lowell Bartholomee, Hilah Johnson, Ellie McBride, Ken Edwards, Liz Fisher, and Lana Dieterich
Director: Clifford Wildman, Luis Caffesse
Cast: Lowell Bartholomee, Hilah Johnson, Ellie McBride, Ken Edwards, Liz Fisher
World Premiere
 
Texas Cult House (USA)
Writer: Julia Barnett, Zachary Raber
Director: Julia Barnett
Cast: Adrianne Palicki, Ryan Cooper, Julius Royale, Lydia Tracy
World Premiere
 
The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia (USA)
Writer: Chris Beier, Daniel Wolfman
Director: Chris Beier
Cast: Jo Schaeffer, Sam Stinson, Holt Boggs, Adriana Ducassi
World Premiere
 
The Stones Are Speaking (USA)
Writer/Director: Olive Talley
Cast: Michael B. Collins
World Premiere

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television, and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established writers and filmmakers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. AFF is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. For media credentials, please contact Travis Broughton at marketing@austinfilmfestival.com. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.'

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