The Austin Film Festival is right around the corner, and this year's Marquee programming is some of the best in the festival's history. With a wide variety of stellar comedies, dramas, and documentaries (not to mention several strong Oscar contenders) announced, there's something for everyone in the 2007 Marquee category.

To help you plan out your festival schedule, we've put together a list of best bets for this year's program. The whole program looks excellent though, so be sure to check out the entire list as well. Also keep in mind that there are a few "TBA" slots and some fun surprises yet to be revealed.

Control | Dir. Anton Corbijn
Saturday, October 13
9:30pm, Paramount Theatre

Easily one of the best films we've seen this year, Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic is a far cry from your average fawning Hollywood biography. Shot entirely in black and white, and starring the virtually unknown (but unbelievably good) Sam Riley, Control is an uncompromisingly sad and startlingly honest look at the rise and fall of the doomed Joy Division frontman.

Based loosely on Deborah Curtis’ memoir "Touching From a Distance", Control is much more about Curtis himself than it is about Joy Division, though admittedly the two seem inextricably linked. In fact, the film's most revelatory moments are the musical sequences--all of which were performed live by the actors themselves in front of actual old-school Joy Division fans.

See this. You will not be disappointed.

[AFF Bside Page]
[Official Website]

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Dir. Julian Schnabel
Tuesday, October 16
7:00pm, Paramount Theatre

The third biopic from director Julian Schnabel (who got his B.F.A. from the University of Houston. Texas reprezent!), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly tells the true story of "French Elle" editor-in-chief Jean-Dominique Bauby, who literally blinked out his memoir after a stroke left him completely paralyzed save his left eye.

Early word on the film has been positive, and if The Diving Bell is anywhere near as good as Schnabel's debut, Basquiat, it's going to be fantastic. Apparently, Schnabel fought hard to shoot the film in French, and even had to learn the language himself to make shooting possible. You've gotta respect that kind of loyalty to the material.

[AFF Bside Page]
[Official Website]

The Savages | Dir. Tamara Jenkins
Wednesday, October 17
7:00pm, Paramount Theatre

It took writer / director Tamara Jenkins almost a decade to follow up her much-loved Slums of Beverly Hills--and it looks like The Savages may have been worth the wait.

One of two films at AFF starring Philip Seymour Hoffman (the other being Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, which will screen as the closing night film, and also looks awesome), The Savages follows two estranged siblings as they reunite to care for their ailing father. But somewhere along the lone, they also have to learn how to care for each other.

Also starring Laura Linney, it looks like this one might be worth seeing for the performances alone.

[AFF Bside Page]
[Official Website]

Numb | Dir. Harris Goldberg
Friday, October 12
10:00pm, Paramount Theatre

Screenwriter Harris Goldberg is best known for penning high-concept (which actually means the opposite of what you might think) comedies like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and Without a Paddle. But Numb is different--it's a "semi-autobiographical" look at the life of a screenwriter who develops an intense psychological disorder and subsequently begins to unravel.

Admittedly, this looks like a strange film, and it's certainly an unusual role for Matthew Perry. But we're sort of hoping it'll be along the lines of Permanent Midnight. In a good way.

[AFF Bside Page]
[Official Website]

Reservation Road | Dir. Terry George
Friday, October 12
7:30pm, Paramount Theatre

Writer / director Terry George (best known for his Oscar nominated Hotel Rwanda) is back with the dramatic tale of two men whose lives are forever changed when a tragic automobile accident tangles their destinies.

Starring Mark Ruffalo (who we love in a non-sexual but still sorta creepy for a dude way) and Joaquin Phoenix (who peaked at Russkies in our opinion, but who we still like), Reservation Road appears to have all the makings of a top-notch suspense drama. And with Jennifer Connelly and Mira Sorvino rounding out the cast, we're even more confident it'll be good.

[AFF Bside Page]
[Official Website]

There are way too many great films to fit into this preview, so don't forget to check out the rest of the Marque Screenings program on the AFF site.