Seeking Inspiration and Conversations on the Creative Process?

Okay, so maybe you don't have aspirations of one day writing or directing your film. Perhaps you aren't trying to navigate the relationship between agent, manager and attorney. Aren't feeling hobbled by your second act or trying to find a distributor for your film.

Just love the creative process? Love to be inspired by people - artists, in particular - talking about how they do what they do?

Well, we've got the perfect Conference schedule for you. Bring a note pad and pen or just listen to the passionate conversations that unfold.

THURSDAY, 10/21

12:00pm-12:30pm
Opening Remarks
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
The Austin Film Festival welcomes you to its 17th year of panels, films, parties and conversation. Find out about this year’s special events, last-minute additions and special guests.

1:00pm-2:15pm
A Conversation with Randall Wallace
Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
Join a conversation with Academy Award©-nominated writer/director Randall Wallace, whose credits include “Pearl Harbor,” “We Were Soldiers,” “The Man in the Iron Mask,” and the Academy Award©-winner “Braveheart.”

2:45pm-4:00pm
Visual Storytelling
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
A discussion on conveying character, conflict and tension in your script without dialogue or voice over.
John August, John Lee Hancock, Randall Wallace
Moderated by H.W. Brands

A Conversation with Edward Burns
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
Join a conversation with actor/writer/director Edward Burns. Burns’ filmmaking credits include “The Brothers McMullen,” “She’s the One,” “Sidewalks of New York,” “The Lynch Pin,” and his most recent project, “Nice Guy Johnny.”
Moderated by James Faust

FRIDAY, 10/22

8:30am-10:15am
Script-to-Screen: “Big Fish” with John August
Extended length panel: 8:30am-10:15am
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
With script in hand and film clips on the wall, prolific screenwriter John August will dissect his critically acclaimed screenplay “Big Fish,” discussing what worked, what didn't, what needed to be changed for film production and why. This case study of the script-to-screen process for a celebrated film will contain information that screenwriters and filmmakers can apply to their own works.

9:00am-10:15am
Writing RX
Driskill Hotel, Ballroom
Have you lost momentum with your story? Are you spending more time re-writing and thinking of character names and titles than writing? Is the structure dictating your story to the extent that it’s lost its heart? Struggling to remember that you're a writer while holding down your day job? How to get your story and script back on track.
Jeff Lowell, Malcolm Spellman, Tim Talbott, John Turman

A Conversation with John Lee Hancock
Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
Join a conversation with writer/director John Lee Hancock, who scripted the Clint Eastwood-directed “A Perfect World,” and re-teamed with Eastwood for the screen version of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” adapting the best-selling book by John Berendt. Hancock wrote and directed “The Alamo” and directed “The Rookie,” produced the film “My Dog Skip” with Mark Johnson and, most recently, wrote and directed “The Blindside.”

10:45am-12:00pm
A Conversation with James V. Hart
Driskill Hotel, Victorian Balcony
Join a conversation with writer James V. Hart, creator of “Hook,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Contact,” “Tuck Everlasting,” “Muppets Treasure Island,” and “Sahara.” Most recently, Hart has received screenwriting credit for “The Last Mimzy” and “August Rush.”

Writers/Directors
Stephen F. Austin, Ballroom
The professionally hyphened play a challenging game: one has twice as much responsibility and twice as much at stake. A discussion on the pros and cons of doing it all: how to make your dream film without losing your perspective.
Shane Black, John Lee Hancock, Alex Smith, Randall Wallace
Moderated by Drew Yanno

1:45pm-3:00pm
Script-to-Screen: “The Big Easy” with Daniel Petrie, Jr.
Extended length panel: 1:45pm-3:45pm
Driskill Hotel, Citadel Room
With script in hand and film clips on the wall, screenwriter Daniel Petrie, Jr., will dissect his lauded crime noir thriller about police corruption and New Orleans violence. And how many of us wish we had the chance for do-overs? Dan was granted that once in a lifetime opportunity to write the script for the upcoming remake of “The Big Easy” and he’ll also talk about changes he made and the remaking/updating process.

A Conversation with Phil Rosenthal
Driskill Hotel, Maximilian Room
A handful of writers have created an enduring cultural experience through story telling. We are all the lucky recipients of their work. How does one manage the path once a little success is achieved. What is it like to develop and maintain a popular show for 9 years? Was it a smooth ride? Join a conversation with writer/producer Phil Rosenthal, creator of the hit TV series “Everybody Loves Raymond." Phil is a published author ("You're Lucky You're Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom"), a film writer/director, an actor, an acknowledged "foodie" and a lover of stories. We are hosting the World Premier of his feature film directorial debut, “Exporting Raymond,” which is the incredibly funny true story of the attempt to convert “Everybody Loves Raymond” into a Russian sitcom.
Moderated by James Faust

3:15pm-4:30pm
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
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.


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

10:45am-12:00pm
“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.

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

2:15pm-3:30pm
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

3:45pm-5:00pm
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
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
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

3:00pm-4:15pm
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