Closing Night of the Austin Film Festival: Our Final Film Picks

First up this evening is the Shorts 12: Young Filmmakers Showcase. We missed this program on Sunday, but fully plan to catch it this evening, as it contains the work of some of our nation's most gifted up-and-coming filmmakers, including Austin's own wunderkind, Emily Hagins. All of the short films in this particular set have been made by teens between the ages of 13 and 18, and were judged and admitted to the AFF based on narrative strength, strong characters and filmmaking skill. Head to the Hideout on Congress at 6 p.m. for what are sure to be 11 very different and exciting short films.

The 7 p.m. timeslot is easily won by the documentary feature Downtown Calling. We told you about this recounting of New York City in the 1970's last week. It's a fresh look at a time in NYC's history that saw the melding and morphing of multiple cultures into the various art, music and philosophy movements that would define the New York of the 80s, 90s and 00s. Narrated by Debbie Harry and packed with interviews, still photos and video of the era, Downtown Calling reminds us that creativity and life can and will spring forth from even the most bleak times. Catch it at The Independent at 501 Studios.