Home » Blogs » Debbie Cerda's blog

Austin Film Festival Announces More 2010 Speakers and Awards

By Debbie Cerda on July 4, 2010 - 10:00am in

AFF 2009: Up in the Air

Last week, Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced confirmed panelists from the film and television industries, including David Simon, this year’s recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Television Writer award. Simon is the creator of HBO’s The Wire, where he served as executive producer, head writer and showrunner for the duration of the series. Simon brought in local musical favorite and former Texan Steve Earle to play a struggling street musician in his new HBO series Treme. Earle's song "The City" was used in the season finale. I've not seen either series personally, but I'm intrigued enough to watch Treme after reading reviews by residents of New Orleans. General consensus is that Simon has painted a lifelike portrait of what New Orleans life was like post-Katrina -- and a plus is one of my favorite actors, John Goodman, stars.

The AFF Screenwriters Conference offers over 65 panels, craft sessions and roundtable discussions led by more than 100 industry professionals. As I mentioned in my wrap-up of AFF 2009, I enjoy attending panels and gaining insight into the creative processes of film and television writing and production. I think AFF has the most to offer for anyone wanting screenwriting content at a local conference.

The confirmed screenwriter and filmmaker speakers for the 2010 Austin Film Festival will include several writers who've worked on some films connected to Central Texas. John Lee Hancock wrote and directed A Perfect World and The Rookie, which were both filmed in and around Austin. Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay based on the original novel for What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Machete co-writer Alvaro Rodriguez will also speak at this year's conference -- whether co-writer and cousin Robert Rodriguez will make a surprise appearance is anyone's guess at this time. He unexpectedly popped into an AFF screening of Spy Kids yesterday. However, I'm sure Machete  will generate a lively discussion due to recent controversy as reported in a recent Slackery News Tidbits.

Other 2010 confirmed speakers include:

  • John August (Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
  • Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Lethal Weapon,)
  • Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (3:10 to Yuma, 2 Fast 2 Furious)
  • Larry Doyle (The Simpsons, Beavis and Butt-Head)
  • Jeff Lowell (Over Her Dead Body, John Tucker Must Die, Just Shoot Me, Spin City)
  • Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Four Christmases)
  • Dan Petrie, Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop, The Big Easy, Shoot to Kill)
  • Tim Talbott (South Park)
  • John Turman (Hulk, Fantastic Four II: Rise of the Silver Surfer)
  • Randall Wallace (Secretariat, The Man in the Iron Mask, Braveheart)

AFF takes place from October 21-28 this year. For a complete and up-to-date list of panelists, visit AFF's website.