Where has “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan chosen to take a post-finale victory lap? Here in Austin – resurrecting his feature-length screenplay “2 FACE” with none other than Will Ferrell reading the lead role.
In honor of its 20th anniversary this year, the Austin Film Festival has pulled out all the stops. Besides the staged reading of Gilligan’s “2 FACE,” the eight-day festival also recently announced feature appearances by director Jonathan Demme, “Freaks and Geeks” and “Mad Men” actor Linda Cardellini, and this year’s Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Actor awardee, Susan Sarandon.
Here are some other festival highlights:
- Wednesday, Oct. 23: Kick off the week a little early at the 11th Annual Film and Food Party. Locals and out-of-towners alike can enjoy fine dining and specialty cocktails at the Driskill Hotel. All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Young Filmmakers Program, a non-profit designed to foster creativity and literacy among Austin’s youth.
- Thursday, Oct. 24: Venture “Into the Unknown” with a series of mystifying shorts written and produced by artists from around the world. And the Paramount Theater hosts the world premiere of Nathan Marshall’s comedic new murder-mystery, “Coffee, Kill Boss.”
- Friday, Oct. 25: Hear from women screenwriters about the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry at the “Chicks withBics” panel.
- Saturday, Oct. 26: Wondering how those kids from the Young Filmmakers Program are doing? Check out the Young Filmmakers Program Competition to see some of the shorts they’ve produced since last year’s festival.
- Sunday, Oct. 27: By now, you’ve made it halfway through the festival. Nurse any potential hangovers at AFF’s Hair of the Dog Brunch Party.
- Tuesday, Oct. 29: Have Vince Gilligan sightings made you nostalgic for a certain methamphetamine-fueled drama? See what the Kiwis have cooked up at a screening of Tim Tsiklauri’s new film “Crackheads.”
- Wednesday, Oct. 30: Touch base with Texas talent at the panel and script reading “A Filmmaker’s Frontier: Script-to-Screen in the Lone Star State.”
- Thursday, Oct. 31: What better way to wind down your week than at a Closing Night Costume Party? Dress up like your favorite character the week, or don your best Don Juan costume.
For more information, you can visit the festival website.
Disclaimer: KUT is a media sponsor of the Austin Film Festival.
