Austin Film Festival to Honor Lauren Shuler Donner, James V. Hart, & So Young Shelly Yo for 30th Anniversary

Written by John Edward Betancourt

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the festival being covered here wouldn’t exist.

There are a great many reasons to love film and television festivals. Since you’ll find like-minded fans in attendance, and you get to hear from creatives regarding their contributions to the projects you get to screen with a crowd of eager fans. But above all, they’re a great opportunity to celebrate career achievements. Because there are indeed people that do a lot for the industry and deserve to have their fine work recognized, and it just so happens that for its 30th Anniversary, the Austin Film Festival is honoring a bevy of talents for their contributions to the industry. 

Specifically, Lauren Shuler Donner, James V. Hart, and So Young Shelly Yo are the individuals that will be receiving honors and rightfully so. Since Lauren has done so much for film and television and theater as a producer, and of course, James has written some of the finest films of the modern era and So Young has wowed so many with her refreshing work. And well… to properly honor the honors that await this trio, here are all the details on what specific awards this trio will be presented with when the Austin Film Festival gets underway later this year.

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THE 2023 POLLY PLATT AWARD FOR PRODUCING, HEART OF FILM, AND NEW VOICE AWARDEES LAUREN SHULER DONNER, JAMES V. HART, AND SO YOUNG SHELLY YO 
 
Donner, Hart, and Yo will be taking part in AFF’s Writer Conference. Austin Film Festival also announces Ashley Lyle, Jonathan Lisco, & Bart Nickerson, the creators of Yellowjackets, and Nic Pizzolatto, creator of True Detective, as panelists at its annual Writers Conference. 
 
‘AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL (AFF) is celebrating 30 years of supporting storytellers' contributions to film, television, and new media. Austin Film Festival is committed to supporting creatives at all levels, including our support for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in their ongoing strike efforts. 
 
AFF announced today three Awardees to be honored as part of its 30th Anniversary Festival and Writers Conference happening October 26 – November 2. The Polly Platt Award for Producing is given annually to producers with a keen sense of story and who have a history of fostering new talent. The 2023 awardee is prolific producer Lauren Shuler Donner. 
 
Lauren Shuler Donner is a renowned film, TV, and theater producer, boasting an impressive array of many credits, including the X-Men franchise, Pretty in Pink, Free Willy, You’ve Got Mail, She’s The Man, Constantine, and The Secret Life of Bees. She has also been EP on five TV shows including Legion. She is currently developing several Broadway musicals based on her and her husband’s films. Lauren serves as Vice President for the Producers' Guild of America, and is on the Board of The Motion Picture and TV Fund (MPTF), and LUPUSLA. While attending AFF, Donner will host a retrospective screening as well as “A Conversation With” panel to discuss her body of work. 
 
James V. Hart will receive the Heart of Film Award, celebrating his many beloved contributions to film and television, and his invaluable service to the screenwriting community. Hart is the writer of acclaimed films Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Contact. He will host a “On Writing” panel on the latter at the Writer’s Conference. 
 
Hart’s other writing/producing credits include: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Tuck Everlasting, Sahara, Lara Croft: Tombraider – The Cradle Of Life, August Rush, Epic, and the TV series The Hot Zone based on the best seller by Richard Preston. His renowned story mapping tool TheHartChart was launched at the 2015 Austin Film Festival.  
 
AFF is honoring writer/director So Young Shelly Yo with the 2023 New Voice Award for her debut feature, Smoking Tigers, which is screening at the Festival as its regional premiere. Yo will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A, as well as speaking at the Writers Conference. Yo is an alumni of AFF’s film competition, having screened her short films Moonwalk with Me and Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit in Austin in 2018 and 2021 respectively. Smoking Tigers recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, receiving multiple honors, including Best Screenplay, Best Actor, & Special Jury Mention for the Nora Ephron Prize. 
 
The 2023 Writers Conference, happening October 26 – 29, will again present over 150 panels on the art, craft, and business of storytelling, featuring a slate of prominent industry professionals working in film, television, and new media. The creators of Yellowjackets, Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, and Jonathan Lisco will be in attendance to discuss their creative process on panel “On Writing: Yellowjackets”. AFF will also host “A Conversation with” Nic Pizzolatto, creator of True Detective. Other confirmed panelists for this year’s Festival include Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip), Gavin O’Connor (Miracle), Dan Erickson (Severance), Pamela Ribon (Nimona), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), and Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body), with more panelist announcements to come.  

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL & WRITERS CONFERENCE  
Entering its thirtieth year, Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television, theater, and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established storytellers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. This project is supported in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts. The 30th Annual Austin Film Festival will take place October 26 – November 2, 2023. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST. 
 
ABOUT HEART OF FILM AWARD 
Introduced in 2013, Austin Film Festival's Heart of Film Award honors the awardee for career achievements that closely align with AFF’s mission of furthering the art and craft of storytelling and shepherding the journey of writers.  Past award recipients include Barry Josephson (2013) and Daniel Petrie, Jr. (2018). 
 
ABOUT POLLY PLATT AWARD FOR PRODUCING  
Introduced in 2019, the Polly Platt Award is given to producers with a keen sense of story and who have a history of fostering new talent. Named after the legendary Polly Platt who was instrumental in the early years of Austin Film Festival and was an ardent champion of writers. Past award recipients include Dede Garner (2022), Stephanie Allain (2021), and Sarah Green (2019). 
 
ABOUT NEW VOICE AWARD 
Introduced in 2019, Austin Film Festival's New Voice Award honors unique and captivating new voices in film, television, and new media. Past award recipients include Nikyatu Jusu (2022), Channing Godfrey Peoples (2021), and Catherine Reitman (2019).’

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