Everybody's Working for the Weekend Badge!

FRIDAY, 10/22

Yes! You get in to both of the below with your Weekend Badge!

3:15pm-4:30pm
Script Reading of Matthew Cook’s 2009 Top Black List Script, BY WAY OF HELENA
Introduction by Black List Creator, Franklin Leonard
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room

Film Critics and the Industry
Alamo Ritz
Print film critics have recently been in the spotlight, criticized for being out of touch with the majority of filmgoers. What purpose are film reviews serving now? Who's reading them and how are they using them? And with more movie critics driven to the internet, what does this change for the audience? More importantly, what is the impact on the film and the filmmakers? Film critics from print and blogs address these questions and others.
David Denby, The New Yorker; Neil Miller, filmschoolrejects.com; Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times; Scott Weinberg, Cinematical/Moviefone and FEARnet; Chase Whale, gordonandthewhale.com
Moderated by Charles Ealy, Austin American-Statesman

SATURDAY, 10/23

9:00am-10:15am
Austin Pitch #6
The Hideout
It’s the eighth annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday evening.
Adrienne Biddle, Grant Nieporte

Pixar Story Development Process
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Pixar Animation Studio's development process is unique in the industry. Michael Arndt will talk about the rewards of this approach from a writer's perspective, and Development Execs Mary Coleman and Emily Zulauf will show examples of how support for original ideas, inspiring field trips, and the intense "brain trust" feedback process combine to create memorable stories.

How to Take a Meeting
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
Don’t wait until after you’ve booked a meeting to panic. From honing your pitch to following up, learn now what to expect and how you – and your script – can best be prepared.
William Akers, Matthew Cook, Maggie Malone
Moderated by Aadip Desai

Creating a TV Bible & Pilot to Get You in the Room
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Top show creators and producers discuss what goes into creating a TV bible that will get you in the door. How much information should you include? Writing the pilot, character breakdowns, establishing worlds and how many episodes, if any, to include.
Sterling Anderson, Kyle Killen, Jorge Zamacona
Moderated by Monte Williams

Agents
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
This is the panel to get the answers to all of your questions about finding and working with an agent. At one point do you need one? What if your co-writer has a different agent? If agents don’t accept unsolicited material, how can you get them to solicit your script?
Rebecca Ewing, Jeff Gorin
Moderated by Barry Josephson

A Conversation with David Peoples
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
Join a conversation with Distinguished Screenwriter Awardee David Peoples, whose screenwriting credits include the visionary “Blade Runner,” Academy Award© winner “Unforgiven,” “Twelve Monkeys,” “Hero,” “Soldier,” “The Blood of Heroes,” and the Academy Award©-nominated documentary “The Day After Trinity,” among others.
Moderated by Kenneth Turan

Independent Productions: The Proposal
Stephen F. Austin, Assembly Room
Talk with the pros about how to put together a proposal that will secure backing for your film.
Curtis Burch, Michael Katchman, Brent Lilley, Meta Valentic
Moderated by Dawn Wiercinksi

10:45am-12:00pm
Austin Pitch #7
The Hideout
It’s the eighth annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday evening.
Warren Etheredge, Rebecca Ewing

Roundtable: Comedy Writers
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and film making. This session offers registrants exclusive access to comedy writers in an informal setting.
William Akers, Kat Candler, Greg DePaul, Larry Doyle, Jay Wade Edwards, Owen Egerton, Dan French, Mike Fry, Pat Hazell, Jeff Lowell, Jon Lucas, Chris Mass, Craig Mazin, Scott Moore, Nancy Pimental, Chuck Sklar, Malcolm Spellman, Tim Talbott

“Toy Story 3”: How 4 Years of Creative Agony Became 93 Minutes of Movie Fun
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Screenwriter Michael Arndt traces the evolution of “Toy Story 3”'s script, from the first treatment in 2006 to the final film of 2010. Using clips from the film's early reels, he details all the blunders, missteps, blind alleys, and mistakes he and his fellow writers made in the course of the script's development, and presents clips from the finished film to show how those missteps were eventually overcome and corrected.

The Business of Writing for Television
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
A conversation on the changing landscape of television. How do spec pilots become successful primetime TV shows? Discuss with an agent, manager, producer and the writers the business of television. And how to get your foot in the door.
Bryan Brucks, Noah Hawley, Pamela Ribon, Tiffany Ward
Moderated by Stuart Kelban

LUNA Panel: Telling Women’s Stories through Film
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Women filmmakers who choose to tell women’s stories through film. This panel is sponsored by LUNA.
Maggie Biggar, Diane Drake, Jennifer Salt
Moderated by Alison Macor

Independent Productions: The Team
Stephen F. Austin, Assembly Room
Assembling and working with your crew on a limited budget. How to face the challenges of putting together a team that you can afford without compromising your project or ending up in a screaming match.
Marjorie Eber, Travis Fine, PJ Raval, Ezra Venetos
Moderated by Dawn Wiercinksi

2:15pm-3:30pm
Austin Pitch #8
The Hideout
It’s the eighth annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday evening.
Nancy Pimental, Pamela Ribon

Writing for Documentaries
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Nonfiction requires as compelling a narrative as fiction. Join a conversation on how to craft strong, character-driven stories documenting the real world.
Barry Blaustein, Henry Corra, PJ Raval, Paul Stekler
Moderated by Robert Draper

Managers
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
This is the panel to get the answers to all of your questions about finding and working with a manager. At one point do you need one? What is their role as opposed to an agent?
Melissa Breaux, Brent Lilley
Moderated by Steven Arvanites

A Conversation with Allan Loeb
Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
Join a conversation with Allan Loeb, whose screenwriting credits include “Things We Lost in the Fire,” “21,” “The Switch,” “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,” the upcoming Adam Sandler comedy Just Go With It and the Ron Howard-directed “The Dilemma.” He is also in pre-preproduction on the remake of “Escape from New York,” the Adam Shankman directed musical “Rock of Ages,” and the Ryan Reynolds comedy “Boy Named Sue.”
Moderated by Warren Etheredge

The Craft of Screenwriting: Popcorn Movies
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
For all the entertainment, adrenaline and box office receipts they deliver, popcorn movies rarely get the respect they deserve. A discussion with the pros on how to craft a solid story that delivers both explosions and laughs.
Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Jeff Lowell, Alvaro Rodriguez, John Turman

The $2 or the $200,000 Film: What You Need to Know
Stephen F. Austin, Assembly Room
Anyone can get their hands on a video camera these days, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still need a budget, story boards, a schedule, and an overall plan. Not to mention a great script. Regardless of your budget, there are basics you want to make sure you have covered to insure that your film is not only a success, but that it gets completed at all.
Greg Carter, Tom Copeland, Victor Moyers, Mark Potts
Moderated by Dawn Wiercinksi

3:45pm-5:00pm
Austin Pitch #9
The Hideout
It’s the seventh annual Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition! Give your best pitch in 90 seconds and secure your spot in the finals at the Pitch Finale Party on Saturday.
Angela Lee, Chuck Sklar

Roundtable: Screenwriters
St. David’s Episcopal Church, Sumners Hall
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and filmmaking. This session offers registrants exclusive access to professional writers in an informal setting.
Sterling Anderson, Barry Blaustein, Michael Brandt, Kat Candler, Greg DePaul, Jason Eaton, Travis Fine, Derek Haas, Rita Hsiao, Simon Kinberg, Allan Loeb, Grant Nieporte, Daniel Petrie, Jr., Herschel Weingrod

The Craft of Screenwriting: Comedy
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Getting one person to laugh is tough. Getting a whole theater of people of different ages and from different backgrounds to laugh is near impossible. A conversation on writing comedy, from the pratfalls, to the one-liners, to the more subtle, character-driven laughs.
Maggie Carey, Larry Doyle, Jon Lucas, Scott Moore, Nancy Pimental
Moderated by John Merriman

The Showrunners
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
A discussion on the role of the showrunner, their effect on the direction of a show, and how they put together and work with their writing team.
Noah Hawley, Peter Murrieta
Moderated by Andy Langer

Short Films, Webisodes and Other Outlets to Launch Your Career
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
The popularity of short films has exploded thanks to dwindling attention spans, YouTube, and the omnipresence of mobile, small screen broadcast outlets, like cell phones. How do shorts and features differ in concept and execution? Will the cinema of the future be a hybrid of both? How can you use your short film or web series as a calling card and use it to launch your filmmaking career?
Tom Copeland, Mike Fry, Mark Potts
Moderated by Dano Johnson

A Conversation with David Simon
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
Join a conversation with Outstanding Television Writer Awardee David Simon, creator of HBO’s “The Wire” and “Treme”, whose credits also include “Homicide: Life on the Street”, the mini-series “The Corner” and “Generation Kill”.
Moderated by Robert Draper


SUNDAY, 10/24

11:30am-12:45pm
Roundtable: The Film Team
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the business of screenwriting and filmmaking. This session offers registrants exclusive access to filmmakers and crew in an informal setting.
Greg Carter, Marjorie Eber, Travis Fine, Andrew Halbreich, Michael Katchman, Victor Moyers, Mark Potts, Dominique Preyer, PJ Raval, Bob Schultz, Alma Kuttruff, Frank Reynolds, Ezra Venetos

Writing for Kids
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
Whether writing for young children, teens, or the whole family, conceiving a quality script is a challenge. It has to be (somewhat) innocent, topical, entertaining and interesting. Writing for teens or the whole family can also be a great and lucrative way to start – or re-start – your career.
Todd Berger, Rita Hsiao, Pamela Ribon
Moderated by Alison Macor

Making the Deal: “The Matarese Circle”
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Making the deal, the development process and how all the elements work together. A case study of the relationship between the writers, the agent, and the producer.
Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Jeff Gorin, Mark Vahradian
Moderated by Steven Arvanites

The Art of Storytelling with the 2010 Awardees
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
A conversation with the 2010 AFF Award recipients Robert Rodriguez, David Peoples, and David Simon about their experiences in bringing rich characters and great stories to the screen.
Moderated by Jake Silverstein

1:15pm-2:30pm
Roundtable: Executives & Producers
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the craft and business of screenwriting and film making. This session offers registrants exclusive access to executives and producers in an informal setting.
Joyce San Pedro, Matt Summers, Richard Bever, Rick Dugdale, Lisa Fragner, Angela Lee, Maggie Biggar, Franklin Leonard

Music and Sound in Film
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
A conversation on how to direct story and guide emotion in film through the use of music and sound. The panel will include examples and discuss how music has been effectively used in film and talk about its potential in the future, with new digital technology becoming more easily accessible and affordable.
Tom Hammond, Graham Reynolds, Neil Truglio

A Conversation with Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Join a conversation with writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, screenwriters of “The Hangover,” “Four Christmases,” and “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”
Moderated by Daniel Petrie, Jr.

A Conversation with Jennifer Salt
Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
Join a conversation with actress/screenwriter Jennifer Salt, co-creator of “Eat Pray Love” and currently developing a script based on Rachel DeWoskin’s book, “Foreign Babes in Beijing,” as well as adapting Laura Moriarty’s novel “While I’m Falling” as a motion picture.
Moderated by Warren Etheredge

Acquisitions & Distribution
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Join a conversation on film acquisitions and distribution with Kelly Sanders, Executive Director of Truly Indie; Sarah Harris, Senior Programmer for the Dallas Film Society; journalist Anthony Kaufman, a regular contributor to Variety, the Wall Street Journal Online, indieWIRE.com, the Village Voice, and a contributing editor to Filmmaker Magazine;distributor Michael Katchman, president of Rivercoast Film Distribution; and Tim League, founder of Drafthouse Films.


Heroes and Villains
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
A discussion on crafting sympathetic, engaging, and memorable heroes and villains.
Shane Black, Simon Kinberg, John Turman
Moderated by Fred Strype

ENDINGS: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great with Michael Arndt Extended length panel: 1:15pm-2:45pm
Stephen F. Austin Hotel, Assembly Room
Some movies leave you indifferent, some leave you satisfied, and some leave you feeling euphoric -- walking on air and seeing the world through new eyes. What, then, is the difference between a bad ending, a good ending, and an insanely great ending? Screenwriter Michael Arndt attempts to answer that question with a close analysis of the climaxes of “Star Wars,” “The Graduate,” and his own screenplay, “Little Miss Sunshine.”
*Also included: A preview screening of "What I Learned at Pixar: How to Write a Good Beginning", a nine-minute featurette from the “Toy Story 3” Blu-ray and DVD, releasing on November 2, 2010. Screenwriter Michael Arndt examines the first acts of “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” and “The Incredibles,” focusing on the common elements these Pixar films use to set their stories in motion.


1:30pm
“Lone Star”
Alamo Ritz
Screening of the short-lived 20th Century Fox Television pilot followed by a discussion with Kyle Killen, show creator/writer/executive producer, about the TV industry, how it works, and how a show with so much promise - great press coverage (the cover of the NYT, no less!), great reviews, great writing, great cast - got cancelled after only 2 episodes.

3:00pm-4:15pm
Independent Productions: Editing and Post-Production
Driskill Hotel, Hogg Room
Get tips, tricks of the trade, insight into new technology and what do the pros wish someone had told them before their first film? Learn about keeping an eye on the budget, staying on schedule, and what blind-sided our panelists when they were starting out.
Marcus van Bavel, Parke Gregg, Ron Pippin, Frank Reynolds

Inside the Writers Room
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
What goes on inside a television shows’ writers room? What’s the schedule, the writing process as a team, and most important, how do you get break in?
Jen Grisanti, Jennifer Salt, Jorge Zamacona
Moderated by Monte Williams

A Conversation with Simon Kinberg
Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
Join a conversation with writer/director Simon Kinberg, creator of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Jumper” and “Sherlock Holmes.” Currently, Kinberg is writing/producing “This Means War,” writing “Spy vs Spy,” co-writing a script for J.J. Abrams and producing “X-Men: First Class.”
Moderated by Fred Strype

Music Licensing for Film
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Since copyright terms keep getting extended, now is a good time to figure out what is legal and what is not. A discussion on licensing music for your film, including how to keep costs down - cost of the song against its value for your film, and checking out what’s in public domain - and figuring out who to contact for that perfect song.
Andrew Halbreich, Dominique Preyer
Moderated by Aadip Desai

4:30pm
Script Reading of Maggie Carey’s 2009 Black List Script, THE HAND JOB
Starring Bill Hader, Colin Hanks and Aubrey Plaza
Introduction by Black List Creator, Franklin Leonard
Rollins Theatre, The Long Center for the Performing Arts