Heads up, film fans! The Austin Film Festival may still be more than a month away, but the reels of independent cinema are definitely in motion. The lineup has yet to be released (history leads us to believe that should happen sometime in September), but the event's orchestrators have already revealed a few snippets of the schedule that tell us it’s safe to start getting excited for all the cinematic awesome-ness to come.

Ready? It was recently announced that playwright/actor/artist extraordinaire Sam Shepard will be accepting the Distinguished Screenwriter Award. Shepard has been prolifically and successfully involved in the storytelling biz since the 1960’s, taking part (in one way or another) in The Right Stuff, Paris, Texas and Don’t Come Knocking, among many others. Says the AFF Web site, “Sam Shepard has changed the landscape of American film and stage with his work as a playwright, screenwriter and actor. His work represents the spirit of the Distinguished Screenwriter Award and we are thrilled to honor him.”

Shepard will receive the award on Saturday, October 18 and seats to the “intimate” awards luncheon can be reserved by badgeholders only. Speaking of badges, they’re now on sale. Cinephiles can choose from the Saturday, Weekend, Conference or Producer Badge options (which range in price from $95 to $585), and the budget-conscious among us can snag a Film pass for a very reasonable $42.

Check out the Web site to buy your ticket to the big event and to view the list of confirmed panelists, including John August, John Lee Hancock, Buck Henry, Jake Kasdan, Jeff Nathanson, Dan Petrie Jr., Phil Rosenthal, Kirsten Smith, Eric Red, Terry Rossio and Robert Townsend. Yes there’s much more news to come, but already AFF 2008 looks like it’s gonna be a doozie!