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If you have time and are in the vicinity, then we recommend that you swing by the Opening Remarks, as it will give you insight to any changes that have been made in the schedule that you may have missed, as well as give you a good primer on what events are going on and how to navigate the next eight days.
Our first must see of the day is the 1 p.m. Film Texas Incentives panel with Texas Film Commission Director Bob Hudgins. The incentive program was recently retooled and if you want to shoot a film in Texas but aren't quite sure how to make it financially viable, Hudgins is a man that you want to know. There has certainly been some controversy in the last year over what gets made in Texas and what doesn't and if you have any questions about the current program, we're sure they can get answered this afternoon.
During the 2:45 p.m. time slot, there are two panels that we find particularly interesting, so you'll just have to flip a coin to decide. The It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over brings together The Warren Report’s Warren Etheredge, Film Festival Secrets author Chris Holland, AFF Film Program Director Kelly Williams, and Dallas International Film Festival Film Program Director James Faust, to talk about what you need to do after your film is in the can to get it onto screens. With an insider’s knowledge of the festival circuit, these four panelists will provide a wealth of information on how to market your movie to festivals, including how to create an effective press kit, and eventually, how to go about shopping for the right distribution deal for your film.
Our other choice for 2:45 p.m. is the A Shot of Inspiration panel, which is directed at writers who maybe haven't gotten their foot wedged in the door as firmly as they would like. Daniel Petrie, Jr., who wrote Beverly Hills Cop, among other films, and Matthew Weiner, creator and writer of Mad Men, will share the stories of how it took them "20 years to become overnight sensations" and how a writer cannot give up on their craft. If you can't make this panel, then we highly encourage you to check out this piece in Weiner's alma mater's magazine, which details the struggles he faced in getting where he got today, which included living off of $16,000 in Jeopardy winnings for three years.
After the 2:45 p.m. panels, you have a bit of a break to catch a bite to eat before you need to head over to the Alamo Ritz to catch Matthew Weiner Presents... Mad Men, a cocktail hour event where Weiner will present one of his favorite episodes while the audience enjoys a special beverage menu created by Tim League just for this occasion. This event will start at 6:15 p.m. and will limit your options to attend films during the 7 p.m. block, but we think it's going to be worth it. If you decide to skip this, then we suggest you hit up the Opening Night film, Serious Moonlight at the Paramount.
The schedule from here on gets a bit tricky, as it would be incredibly cool to see this year's AFF Distinguished Screenwriter Award winner Steven Zaillian present a retrospective of his first screenplay, The Falcon and The Snowman (Zaillian went on to write Schindler's List, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Clear and Present Danger, Mission: Impossible, Gangs of New York, and American Gangster, and many others), but if you do, the 8:45 p.m. start time will knock you out of the running to catch any of the 10 o'clock films, which include the new Michael Cera flick, Youth in Revolt. Oh well, that's what we are going to recommend that you do anyway, as this festival is truly about highlighting screenwriters and Steve Zaillian is hard to top. The Falcon and the Snowman is based on the true story of former altar boy and Catholic seminary student Christopher Boyce (Timothy Hutton) and fellow former altar boy turned drug dealer Daulton Lee (Sean Penn), two young men from wealthy California families who sold classified government information to the Soviet Union during the mid 1970s. We've never seen it, and plan to right that wrong tonight.
Be sure to check in every morning for our Panel & Film Picks, as we continue to cover the 2009 Austin Film Festival!
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