'Butter' and 'Union Square' Bookend Austin Film Festival

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Austin Film Festival has just announced its opening-night, centerpiece, and closing-night films for the 2011 fest. The previously announced feature Jeff Who Lives at Home, directed by former Austinites Jay and Mark Duplass, will serve as the anchoring centerpiece selection, with Jay Duplass in attendance. Two newly announced titles will bookend eight days of films, starting in just two weeks.

The comedy Butter (pictured above) will open the fest on Thursday, October 20 at the Paramount. The feature film takes place in the "cutthroat" world of competitive butter sculpting, and stars Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Ty Burrell and Olivia Wilde. 

AFF's closing-night movie is Union Square, with actress Mira Sorvino in attendance. Union Square is the story of a reluctant reunion between estranged sisters. It's directed and co-written by Nancy Savoca (Dogfight, Dirt), and the cast includes Sorvino and Daphne Rubin-Vega (nominated for a Spirit Award for her performance in Jack Goes Boating). 

Austin Film Festival runs from October 20-27 in various venues around Austin, with a pre-festival Film and Food Gala benefit on Wednesday, October 19.  For more information about AFF, including their full conference, party and film schedules, check out the fest website, Twitter and Facebook.